Kickstarting a Lifestyle - the Taga 2.0 Family Bike*

Do you remember the first time you rode a bike with no training wheels by yourself? I remember my first time. I was on my sister's bike, which I remember vividly because it had a banana seat. I don't remember how long my dad had been working with me that day, but I remember the time I got it right. He was holding the seat from the back, he started to guide me, and then he shouted, "Start pedaling!" I started mashing on the pedals and then, all of a sudden, I felt my dad give me one final push, and he let me go. But, instead of crashing into a heap of metal and flesh, I found my balance. I was biking, and it was exhilarating! Going faster than I could ever run, the wind stinging my eyes to tears, I felt so free.

Along with my first time riding, I've had many vivid memories on a bike. Running outside on Christmas morning to see a BMX from Santa, almost eating it after hitting a pothole on a decline while going 40 miles per hour, meeting my wife for the first time on a hot and humid training ride near the beach. All  memorable moments on two wheels. Biking has been and continues to be an important part of my life. 

Yes, that is a water gun.

So, it's only natural that I share it with my kids. And, even though they won't be able to ride their own bikes with me for a while, there's a type of bike out there that's great for families. Cargo bikes. Specifically, the cargo-style family bike. 

But years of casually searching the internet for and waiting for the right time to get one, I found out that cargo-style family bikes are expensive! $2,000 and up, which, yowza, is too rich for my blood. Then I found out about the Taga 2.0 on Kickstarter. This is how Kickstarter basically works: a company asks for money. It entices people to donate money by offering people incentives, like discounts on products. If the company meets its donation goals, then it will fulfill its incentive promises to everyone who donated. In this case, Taga is offering the bike and accessories at deeply discounted prices with a goal to ship bikes to donors in October. 

Here was exactly what I was looking for: a cargo-style family bike that is affordable, made even more so by their Kickstarter campaign. More than just the affordability, the other things that appeal to me about the Taga 2.0 are that, first, the cargo, err, the kids sit in front. That's important because I don't want to just go for rides with my kids, not seeing them the entire time. I want to experience the ride with them, engaging them as we ride together. Secondly, it's designed to be stable--optimal shape for steering, disc brakes, seat belts for the kids. And I can break it down and put it in my car to travel with.

Another great thing about the Taga 2.0 that appealed to me is that it's modular. With a lot of different attachments, I can use it for many things. One kid, one kid with a water gun (!), 1 kid and 1 infant, 2 kids, 3 kids. And even after the kids don't want to ride with me anymore and after I stop crying because of that, I can still use the bike for non-human cargo...or have more kids.

Now, I haven't tested the bike yet. All I've seen has been online on Taga's website, Facebook, and Kickstarter page. But based on the success of the first Taga bike, the reviews of people who have bought this brand, and the great customer service I have experienced first hand, I have to believe that this is going to be an awesome bike for me and my family. And, with the steep discounts that they are giving at their Kickstarter campaign, I'm willing to take the chance. Because Taga has exceeded its Kickstarter goals--they were asking for $100,000, and donors have already pledged over $1,000,000, I am pretty sure that I'll be riding around with my boys this October. And when I get the actual bike, y'all will be the first to know how I like it and, more importantly, how my family likes it. 

*Full disclosure: Taga invited bloggers and journalists to contact them to write about their new bike. I haven't personally tested the Taga 2.0, but, because I have been in the market for a reasonably priced cargo/family bike for a very long time, and I had already decided to purchase a Taga 2.0 via Kickstarter even before contacting them, I volunteered to blog about the Taga 2.0 on my blog. I'm not being paid for this post save for a little publicity for my blog.