I tried to reinvent myself as a cargo bike mum - here's how the first week went

Cargo curious editor Michelle reports back after the first week of child ferrying by bike

mycle cargo bike
(Image credit: Future)

I - and my daughter - have spent far too much time in the car over the past year. I've never been the most prolific of commuter cyclists, but my A to B miles have been further diminished due to my hesitancy to get our daughter on a bike before the age of one.

The primary reason for waiting until our sprog was over one before gearing her up for a bike ride was that guidance suggests that children under this age are too young to wear a cycling helmet, owing to their weak neck structures and disproportionately heavy heads. It is absolutely not a legal requirement for a child - or anyone - to wear a helmet when cycling in the UK, but we felt more comfortable with our sprog wearing a lid. 

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Michelle Arthurs-Brennan

Michelle Arthurs-Brennan the Editor of Cycling Weekly website. An NCTJ qualified traditional journalist by trade, Michelle began her career working for local newspapers. She's worked within the cycling industry since 2012, and joined the Cycling Weekly team in 2017, having previously been Editor at Total Women's Cycling. Prior to welcoming her daughter in 2022, Michelle raced on the road, track, and in time trials, and still rides as much as she can - albeit a fair proportion indoors, for now.