We're planning to swap our second car for a cargo bike early next year.

I've wanted to become a one-car family for a few years now, but Daddy Eco wasn't thrilled with the idea. I then started talking about us going totally car free for a year. I kept on telling him about car free families, like Gina's, Abby's, Tammy's and Meg's. All of a sudden being a one-car family seemed do-able in comparison to going totally car-free. So thankfully, he's now warmed to the idea of having only one car.

We're currently having fun deciding which bike to get. After some on-line research we've narrowed it down to the Gazelle Cabby and the Bullitt Cargo Bike. We're after a light-weight two-wheeler due to the distances we'll be riding and that we have very little storage space.

We rode down to our local Gazelle stockist this morning hoping they'd have a Cabby in stock that we could test ride. They had better than that! They actually have a Cabby for hire.

The bike looked much bigger in real life than I expected. It's LONG! But it was surprisingly easy to ride and steer. I managed to weave it in and out of the father's day foreshore crowds without hitting anyone.

It was lovely having Little Eco in front of me. We chatted about what we were seeing and it was nice to be able to see her rather than have her behind my back out of sight.

The bike has a super sturdy stand which makes it safe for kids to sit in or climb in and out of without anyone supporting the bike. This is SO much easier than the juggle I have getting Little Eco in and out of her existing bike seat.

Other things I like about the Cabby: the low step through frame, the super large luggage carrier on the back, and a folding cargo box that saves space and provides a lockable space for groceries.

Overall I LOVED riding the Cabby and am certain that owning a cargo bike would be loads of fun. I now can't wait to test ride the Bullitt Cargo Bike.

Want to hire a cargo bike yourself to try? You can hire a Cabby from Civic Bikes in Newcastle and the Watershed Cargo Bike Library in Sydney. Anyone else know of other places to hire Cargo Bikes in Australia?

Anyone already ride a Cargo Bike? If so, what brand do you have?