As a carlight family, there are many times when I want my kids (7 & 10-years-old) to be able to bike, but there is some barrier between us and their part of the ride. Most recently, it has been the weather as it is 30º in the morning when we need to be biking to school at 7 am and 55º or warmer in the afternoon when they are done with school. I don’t know about you, but my kids are much happier when they exercise before or after school, so I’ve been trying to figure out how to get both their bikes to pick them up after school.
I’m not a fan of the “bag and drag” method for carrying two bikes since I typically also have my 2-year-old on board, and I find the whole setup a bit sketchy to put him on. On my Tern GSD, I have the Bike Tow Kit, but that is only a solution for one bike. Enter the Tow Monster for my Urban Arrow (and some other select bikes), a creative towing solution from an engineer in Boston, MA named Jonah.
Jonah and I have been talking for the past few months as I learned about his product, his “WHY”, and I’ve been putting a Tow Monster to the test pulling a 20” & 24” kids’ bikes up my 12% hills to school.
MSRP: $248 per Tow Monster, not including shipping, extra straps, or a rear rack if you don’t already have one
Options: You can order one or two Tow Monsters, and additional straps (I use two per bike).
Basic Makeup: Using marine wood, there are two main parts: a sideboard and then a deck where the wheel mounts.
The sideboard has various holes drilled to work with different rear racks. It attaches to your rear rack using the provided P-clamps. The sideboard also has an adjustable bumper for your fork to rest against and soft fabric to keep your bike from getting any wear.
The deck has a cutout for your tire to sit into, and straps tighten everything down. Instructions slightly differ depending on your wheel size. The setup is designed for up to a 24” wheel.
I have only tested with kids' bikes, but Community Pedal Power uses them to move around small eBikes, which is fun to see!
• Most Standard Bikes
(w/ Axiom Transit rack or Thule Yepp Rack)
• Axiom Transit Rack (fits most bikes)
• Thule Yepp Rack (fits many bikes)
• Urban Arrow Factory Racks
• Yuba Supercargo / Supermarche
• Riese & Muller Packster Factory Racks
• Trek Fetch+4
• Bunch Bike
Jonah is an engineer through and through. The Tow Monsters and accessories came in this well-packaged box, and his beautiful illustrated diagrams and detailed videos made everything very easy to install! The only nuance was installing the P-clamps around the rear rack tubing properly.
To get started, I installed one Tow Monster to try out, using it with my son’s 20-inch bike first. Once I rode with it a few times, I added the second Tow Monster to carry my daughter’s 24-inch bike. If you are new to riding a heavy cargo bike, I recommend getting used to your bike and the weight before adding these to the mix!
I have alot of experience with various bike towing options, from “Bag and Drag” to Tern’s dedicated system, using trailers, and more. This is by far the fastest and easiest of any system. Besides adjusting the fork stop and strapping down the wheel, there isn’t much to it. I do have several major hills on my routes, and this setup with my large Urban Arrow and 35-pound kid is a lot to pedal, but on the flats or gentle hills, it is no problem, and I often forget the bikes are back there besides the click of their freehubs.
If I still owned a bike shop, this would be my go-to way to deliver general repair bikes!
If you have a bike that will work with the Tow Monster and have various reasons to carry your kids’ bikes or your own “normal” non-cargo bike - this is the most stable option I have tried. It is a very niche market, but it will expand your capacity and potentially open up new options for riding with your kids.
If you are trying to be as carlight as possible, think of it as an alternative to getting a bike rack for your car - just use the bike you have! Someone in Europe should really look at importing them since Urban Arrow and other front-loading cargo bikes are so much more popular there than in the US. On the other side, it is niche and pricey. You must weigh how much you’ll use it to justify the cost. The good news is that I’m sure there is a large used market looking for a product like this!
I hope that Jonah figures out how to make these more at scale and streamline the ordering process so he can drive down the price and make it available to more families. It's a brilliantly designed accessory that can greatly expand on your bike's capacity!
I’m not a fan of the “bag and drag” method for carrying two bikes since I typically also have my 2-year-old on board, and I find the whole setup a bit sketchy to put him on. On my Tern GSD, I have the Bike Tow Kit, but that is only a solution for one bike. Enter the Tow Monster for my Urban Arrow (and some other select bikes), a creative towing solution from an engineer in Boston, MA named Jonah.
Jonah and I have been talking for the past few months as I learned about his product, his “WHY”, and I’ve been putting a Tow Monster to the test pulling a 20” & 24” kids’ bikes up my 12% hills to school.
Key Details of the Tow Monster
MSRP: $248 per Tow Monster, not including shipping, extra straps, or a rear rack if you don’t already have one
Options: You can order one or two Tow Monsters, and additional straps (I use two per bike).
Basic Makeup: Using marine wood, there are two main parts: a sideboard and then a deck where the wheel mounts.
The sideboard has various holes drilled to work with different rear racks. It attaches to your rear rack using the provided P-clamps. The sideboard also has an adjustable bumper for your fork to rest against and soft fabric to keep your bike from getting any wear.
The deck has a cutout for your tire to sit into, and straps tighten everything down. Instructions slightly differ depending on your wheel size. The setup is designed for up to a 24” wheel.
I have only tested with kids' bikes, but Community Pedal Power uses them to move around small eBikes, which is fun to see!
Compatible “Donor” Bikes
These are the bikes Jonah has tested the Tow Monster with, if you don’t see yours just contact him!• Most Standard Bikes
(w/ Axiom Transit rack or Thule Yepp Rack)
• Axiom Transit Rack (fits most bikes)
• Thule Yepp Rack (fits many bikes)
• Urban Arrow Factory Racks
• Yuba Supercargo / Supermarche
• Riese & Muller Packster Factory Racks
• Trek Fetch+4
• Bunch Bike
Install and General Use
Jonah is an engineer through and through. The Tow Monsters and accessories came in this well-packaged box, and his beautiful illustrated diagrams and detailed videos made everything very easy to install! The only nuance was installing the P-clamps around the rear rack tubing properly.
Biking with the Tow Monster
To get started, I installed one Tow Monster to try out, using it with my son’s 20-inch bike first. Once I rode with it a few times, I added the second Tow Monster to carry my daughter’s 24-inch bike. If you are new to riding a heavy cargo bike, I recommend getting used to your bike and the weight before adding these to the mix!
I have alot of experience with various bike towing options, from “Bag and Drag” to Tern’s dedicated system, using trailers, and more. This is by far the fastest and easiest of any system. Besides adjusting the fork stop and strapping down the wheel, there isn’t much to it. I do have several major hills on my routes, and this setup with my large Urban Arrow and 35-pound kid is a lot to pedal, but on the flats or gentle hills, it is no problem, and I often forget the bikes are back there besides the click of their freehubs.
If I still owned a bike shop, this would be my go-to way to deliver general repair bikes!
Is the Tow Monster for You?
If you have a bike that will work with the Tow Monster and have various reasons to carry your kids’ bikes or your own “normal” non-cargo bike - this is the most stable option I have tried. It is a very niche market, but it will expand your capacity and potentially open up new options for riding with your kids.
If you are trying to be as carlight as possible, think of it as an alternative to getting a bike rack for your car - just use the bike you have! Someone in Europe should really look at importing them since Urban Arrow and other front-loading cargo bikes are so much more popular there than in the US. On the other side, it is niche and pricey. You must weigh how much you’ll use it to justify the cost. The good news is that I’m sure there is a large used market looking for a product like this!
I hope that Jonah figures out how to make these more at scale and streamline the ordering process so he can drive down the price and make it available to more families. It's a brilliantly designed accessory that can greatly expand on your bike's capacity!
