Family Riding Profile on Tania Lo and Gwendal Castellan

Names: Tania and Gwendal

Occupations: COO at Momentum Mag and Energy Specialist at Tourism Vancouver

Children: Itxi and Lolo

Location: Vancouver, BC

How do you fit riding into your family’s daily life?

We ride our bikes to get to daycare and back, on weekends to get to visit friends, go to the swimming pool, visit the art gallery, etc.

What is your favorite place to go by bike with your family?

Camping. Since we ride everywhere in the city together, my favorite place to ride with our children is on camping trips to the Gulf Islands.

What is your favorite piece of gear for riding with a family?

Our cargo bikes.

What is your current setup for family riding?

My city bike is a Civia Loring with a trailer hitch and my Toba Edwin, an electric step-through, with a trailer hitch as well to tow our Chariot Cougar Double Trailer. When I just have one kid with me, I like to ride with our Xtracycle. Gwendal rides daily with either his custom Arvon Touring Bike or his Brompton depending on where his meetings take him that day. On the weekend, he’ll ride the Larry vs. Harry Bullitt with an eZee electric kit. And now that Spring is around the corner, the kids will ride their Early Rider and Opus run bikes to daycare too.

What challenge have you overcome in adapting to riding as a family?

In a town where rain is an issue, keeping the kids dry is the biggest challenge, which was easily overcome by a trailer. Now I wish there was a bubble that protected me too! But really, riding a bike is just a bit faster than walking, most trips are not that far, so the bus isn’t an option, and really, who needs a car to go half a mile?

What one piece of advice would you give other families who are thinking about trying to ride with their children?

Invest in getting the right bikes and accessories that make you excited to ride. Get a membership for a car sharing service for those really rainy days or longer distance trips.