Longer rides.

When I first picked up Bertha I couldn't imagine going on long rides. I bought to replace car trips below 5km. Today however she and I took 3 children all the way to Abbotsford Convent, which is just about 9km away. Despite going slowly up the hill at Richmond we made it there in 45 minutes. It has never taken less than 30 minutes to drive there, so I was pretty happy. 

Because Bertha is so wide there were a few places we got stuck behind cars on chapel st. There is a bike lane down the whole street, but cars and trucks regularly park so it is blocked. On Bertha I can't edge through narrow spaces easily. 

On the way home we had someone stop me to ask about the bike (not uncommon when riding this bike). He asked whether I felt unsafe with the children in front and then suggested putting a layer of foam on the front to dull impact. This is the first time someone has suggested that there is a danger of a front on collision. I found it interesting, but I honestly feel that the risk of me riding fast straight into something is lower (by a long way) than any risk of a car hitting me. And a car is more likely to hit the side than the front. 

We stopped at lord of the fries on the way home and all 3 children happily ate chips for the last 10 minutes of the ride. 

No photos, my phone ran out of battery.