After our son Axel arrived, we began exploring options for how to bike with him. Child seats were a little scary because of the effort required to balance them. We tried a bakfiets thinking it would be the perfect bike, but again found balancing the weight challenging. My friend with the bakfiets suggested the Nihola. As he put it, bakfietsen are cargo bikes that can carry kids, the Nihola is a kid’s bike that can carry cargo. He was right!
The Nihola can carry two kids and groceries or other cargo. A tricycle with a very low center of gravity, it left me with none of the balancing paranoia of other child-carrying options. It offers a comfortable seat and upright riding position. The front wheels turn independently of the frame, making it extremely easy to handle. Axel (now 15 months old) looks like a king in a chariot, drawing lots of smiles from onlookers as we ride.
The Danes know how to make a quality bike and the Nihola is no exception. The Nihola is the lightest three-wheeled bike on the Danish market. The Dutch cycle club Fietsersbond named it the best transport bike, beating nine other bikes in the test.
Typical of many Danish bikes, it comes with a built-in wheel lock, a brake lock on the handlebars and features a front cabin with a bench seat and two safety belts, and a removable rain hood. One drawback we’ve found is the lack of head support for a sleeping child. There is also a lack of hooks or places to attach bungees or rope when hauling cargo.
For people with young kids, I’d highly recommend the Nihola. It’s easy to handle, feels secure and what kid wouldn’t want to ride in a tricycle chariot? $3900 CDN and $3500 USD
North American distributor: Curbside in Toronto – www.curbside.on.ca
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