The FollowMe: a good idea, but not an easy one
The FollowMe is a parent-child tandem coupling that makes slightly longer bike rides possible with younger children who can't yet cycle long distances themselves.
When your little one gets tired (or simply doesn't feel like it anymore), you attach their bike to the FollowMe and they no longer have to pedal or steer. It is an ideal way to bridge those years when they can't cover many kilometres themselves, but you occasionally want to ride a little further. From around the age of four, once they can cycle and have a feel for riding a bike, it is a good solution.
It was conceived and designed by a Swiss man, Thomas Weiss, and the first prototypes date from 2001. So the product has been on the market for almost a quarter of a century (!) with, as far as I know, barely any changes and no competing products. Perhaps an idea for some industrial designers to look into? Because the concept works well once fitted. It is incredibly sturdy, well made and stable, but not particularly user-friendly in daily use, especially when fitting it.
Fitting
Fitting it is quite a challenge. There are many different bicycle axles on the market, so various adapters are available to let you safely use practically any bike. My Kona Sutra's rear axle wasn't suitable, for example, and I needed a new rear axle. I also had to replace the front axle on the Woom children's bike. Quite a bit of hassle.
Perhaps the hardest part was the metal band you have to “cut” to size so that it can be fitted properly around the child's bike frame. You need serious tools for this: no way will a pair of cutters do. At the very least, you need a good hacksaw and a clamping workbench.
The quality is good, though. I bought mine second-hand through Marktplaats, but apart from a few scratches, you can barely tell.
Connecting
Connecting the bikes isn't particularly easy or intuitive the first time either. But after a few attempts, you get the hang of it and can do it in under two minutes.
How to connect the FollowMe tandem
Watch on YouTube YouTube only loads after you press the button.When no bike is attached, the FollowMe hangs folded up behind your bike. It doesn't look very pretty, but apart from the weight, it doesn't get in your way.
Rarely seen in the Netherlands
You would expect to see these solutions more often in a country like the Netherlands, with an average of 1.3 bicycles per inhabitant. Perhaps we Dutch see cycling more as something functional, rather than an activity to do with your child? Maybe we aren't as outdoorsy as we like to think? Maybe we are better at cycling infrastructure than cycling? In any case, I rarely see creative solutions like this (although things can get much wilder), and cargo bikes seem a much more popular option.
I spoke to an employee at 't Mannetje in Haarlem, which sells and fits them. He said they only sell a handful a year. A niche product, then.
About the author
- Albert Skibinski is a product engineer and co-founder of Jafix.
- I write about web development, long bike rides and food!
