Aaron Rosenzweig'sFamily Cycle Group Orders

Our Commitment To You

We want a family cycle as bad as you do. We are talking about a "sociable" side-by-side bike. A modern pedal car. A four wheel bike for two, four, or more people. Work with us to find the best possible quadricycle at a reasonable price. Let us know what features are important to you.

As soon as the family cycles arrive from the boat we will offload them and mail them to your door. Family cycles will arrive by truck to your home 50% assembled. You will need to attach the seat and wheels. We'll produce two instructional videos on how to assemble your family cycle (one in English, the other Mandarin).

We've scoured the globe for the best family cycles and have settled on the following two choices. We'd be happy with either one in our own home.

Netherland's Quattrocycle — $5,795 USD shipped

(two seater model two person bike is $5,195 USD shipped)

Without question the Quattrocycle is the best family cycle ever devised. Its price reflects this fact but, wow, what a bike!

The architect clearly understands how to make the most efficient human powered vehicle.

The seats are the most comfortable of any family cycle. They are in the "recumbent" (lay down) position. Imagine a recumbent tandem for four people. It's well known that this provides the most power from the human body. The back row is slightly higher than the front so all four riders have a clear view of the road ahead. Every rider has their own set of gears enabling them to pedal at their own preferred cadence. The seats are made of Textilene. This strong material is impervious to the elements. It dries quickly when wet and allows your clothing to breathe.

Optional third row seating make this a 7 seat bike. The third row seats three children, each child with their own seat belt. Only the primary four seats can pedal, the third row cannot pedal.

Each of the four primary riders have their own gear shift knob. Each seat is also individually height adjustible for the rider's leg length. This allows every rider to not only participate but to adjust the performance of the outing as they see fit. Want to relax? you can just coast. Want a fast cadence? lower your gear range. Want to go fast down those hills? up your gearing.

Only the Quattrocycle has a true off-road suspension. Not only does this provide a smooth ride but it is an important safety feature. When traveling at high speeds and hitting a bump this suspension ensures that all wheels stay in contact with the ground.

The pedals are high above the wheels. This ensures optimum ground clearance. Never will your feet come in contact with a curb or rock.

Curious about the first picture with one wheel high on a wall? Normally you wouldn't do that but it shows how even at such a high angle the other three wheels are still firmly planted on the ground. The Quattrocycle not only has an advanced suspension but it also has a flex-frame. The benefit? When traveling fast all tires remain in contact with the ground no matter how rough the terrain. It absorbs bumps better than most cars. This all amounts to a safer, gentler, and more enjoyable ride.

Steering is done by one rider in the back. If you decide to let younger children participate up front you can easily keep tabs on them without having to turn your head backwards. You can also interact with children in the optional third row seat passing them snacks on your trip. The Quattrocycle features "under seat steering" known as USS. This is common in high performance recumbent vehicles as it allows you to have full control at all times.

Perhaps only the Netherlands could concieve of the Quattrocycle. It's a country that has more bicycles than people. The Dutch own 1.11 bicycles per person to be exact. They sell more than 1.2 million cycles each year for the average price of 815 USD. For them cycling is a part of life. Their laws and bikeways attest to this. You can learn more about the Dutch mindset towards cycling on wikipedia. A very informative point of view can be found in this PDF document.

You may purchase any of the options available for the Quattrocycle. Design your cycle the way you want it.

Electric assist is here. It is fully compliant with European law which is more stringent than the USA. It does not use a throttle because it uses "torque assist" instead. This means the system will feel you pedaling and augment your natural strength. When you stop pedaling, it stops assisting. It has three settings: high, medium, and low. Adjust it to fit your workout level. The driver seat provides power to the left-rear wheel. The electric motor provides power to the right-rear wheel. This simple system gives power to both rear wheels even when only the driver is pedaling.

You can choose to upgrade the standard bicycle 3-speed hub to a wide 5-speed hub designed for pedal cabs. This is a good choice for a Quattrocycle used by your family. The low gear feels really low and the high gear feels really high. If you wanted to rent your Quattrocycle, the 3-speed is a better choice because it is more forgiving when shifting while pedaling. Note: on any internal gear hub, you should stop pedaling for a breif moment and then shift. You can also shift when standing still. This is different from derailleur bicycles many of us are used to.

China's GX01 — $3,495 USD shipped

Guangxin's GX01 is a great value. For the price of three nice bicycles you get one well made family cycle.

All four seats of the GX01 can be height adjusted for the individual rider, just like the Quattrocycle. Unlike the Quattrocycle the seats are not in a recumbent position. This is not bad because it gives a more common perspective that most automobile drivers are used to but it is not the optimum position for human generated power. The seats also do not wick moisture away as well as the Quattrocycle.

On the GX01 you get a steering wheel. The driver sits in the front. This provides a feel that is most car-like. The riders in the back have a partially obstructed view because the seats are at the same height. This is a big contrast to the Quattrocycle where the steering is done in the rear. It's hard to say that one style is better than the other, it is a matter of personal preference.

The one place where the GX01 is lacking is in its suspension because it has none. This is not really a problem if you do not plan to cycle at high speeds or go on bumpy roads. In some ways you can consider the lack of suspension a benefit because it results in a simpler design.

The pedals are low to the ground. This comes from the fact that you are pedaling in a semi-recumbent position. If you are navigating bumps and rocks you may want to "coast" while you go over the rough terrain to avoid your feet coming into contact with the road.

The electrical assitance on the GX01 is its stand-out feature. Each of the rear wheels has a combination hub motor / drum brake. Without this, you truly need four strong individuals to enjoy a family cycle (any family cycle). With the electric assist even one person may drive the GX01 up a hill. The battery provides approximately 30 miles per charge. It takes 8 to 10 hours to charge a depleted battery using its trickle charger. Top speed is limited to 20 mph. A sensor will provide assistance to augment your natural strength as long as you continue to pedal. As soon as you stop pedaling, the electric motor stops adding additional power. This is a safety measure but it also means you cannot drive your GX01 like a golf kart. You must do some pedaling but the motor gives you super human strength.

The price is a no brainer. I know of no better value in family cycles than the GX01. We've bundled the GX01 with all bells and whistles that the manufacturer provides and it still remains attractively priced.