Riding with a (growing) family

[Chris Land]

I am facing a problem in the near future: our third child.

So far I have a 3 1/2 year old and a 19 month old, but we have a third child due in December.  So far we have been able to keep touring with a combination of 4 panniers on my wife's bike, and 4 panniers plus a kiddy trailer on mine.  With lightweight camping kit this worked out fine.  

BUT WHERE DO WE PUT THE NEWBORN?  

I have considered Sheldon Brown's solution...
http://www.sheldonbrown.com/carrababy.html
...but the saddlebag will get in the way of the tent so I need to keep the racktop free.

So, do we:
1) Stick with the singles and get an extra trailer for my wife, OR
2) Buy a heavy duty kiddy-back tandem from SJSC and hope that by next spring our eldest (Nik - 4 years old by then) can cope with extended periods on the back of the bike with nowhere to hide, OR
3) Some other inspired solution that I haven't yet thought of...

Soultion (1) will mean alot of weight for my wife, who doesn't cycle as much as I do, so might be a problem. (2) is attractive, but not cheap and I am worried about Nik not having anywhere to rest if he needs a sleep.

Helpful suggestions welcomed.  

(We do actually have a tandem with kiddy cranks, but I don't fancy a long haul on it, and can't use our current trailer with it anyway, as the attachment interferes with the drum-brake, so for proper touring, would probably need something more solid).

[pwward]

I've got 3 kids too, a 4 year old and 3 yr old twins.  We used the Dutch kiddie seats that go on the handlebar stem for the twins until they got too big for them (~15KG)http://www.bobob.com/.  http://www.fietskinderzitje.com/. Now we get the eldest (also called Nic!)to use his own bike and are less ambitious with distance. I once saw a Danish family cycle touring in Chile with 3 kids, the just had big trailers, one with gear, the other with kids in.

 If you want to spend some money check out these solutions, also Dutch

http://www.bakfiets.nl/gallery/gallery.htm
http://www.onderwaterfiets.nl/ (this available from Cambridge Dutchbikes but cheaper bought in Holland)

[John]

From 3 months to 3 years our kiddy Sean lived in his Topeak Baby Sitter seat on the back of our tandem (800kms in a week at 7 months). It'll fit the back of the basic Thorn kiddyback tandem. The dropouts of the latest Thorns are thicker than our model which is still intact after forays with up to 20 kgs on the rack. At three months we used rolled up towels to hold him in place. The baby seat actually makes the tandem easier to ride out of the saddle. I can't be so positive about the endurance of a four year old - Sean lost interest after 15kms and fell asleep at 30 when he was four. At six 75km with a 1200m climb in the day is about the limit.

[Chris Land]

Some of these ideas look interesting, but does anyone have experience with a Hase Pino?  I was thinking that this might solve the problem of the 3 1/2 year old falling asleep as the stoker is recumbent.  I just don't know what this bike would be like for towing a trailer and a couple of heavy panniers too.