Nils Jensen, then-mayor of Oak Bay, kindly commandeered a residentB次元官网网址檚 bike and began riding it along the Tea Party Parade route, while a kid from the community sat in the bikeB次元官网网址檚 cargo box and tossed candy to the crowd.

ItB次元官网网址檚 a fond memory for Nicholas Jensen, and one of many that included a bike, thanks to his late father.

Vacations growing up meant loading the family bikes into boxes, crossing the Atlantic and spinning their way around cycling culture meccas like Amsterdam and Copenhagen, his fatherB次元官网网址檚 birthplace. It was in those cities where Jensen saw people cruising around on cargo bikes everywhere they went.

That and his fatherB次元官网网址檚 passed-down passion for cycling helped inspire Baere Bikes, the electric cargo bike company launched by Jensen, his brother Stewart, and Killian Lannen. With some models running close to $10,000, theyB次元官网网址檙e providing a version for less than half that price to get more on the road.

B次元官网网址淲e wanted to come up with a product for families,B次元官网网址� said Nicholas Jensen, a Fairfield resident. B次元官网网址淎 cargo bike shouldnB次元官网网址檛 cost as much as a used car.B次元官网网址�

Despite North AmericaB次元官网网址檚 car-centric society, Jensen sees a shift to the bike happening and few places are more set up for such a move than Victoria B次元官网网址� with its relatively small size, weather that allows for year-round cycling and an ever-expanding bike lane network.

B次元官网网址淰ictoria is really a perfect city for this.B次元官网网址�

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Baere wants to see its two- and four-seater bikes, with a cargo bed ready to handle groceries, the kids or the family pets, change the way people get around town. Many are also rethinking their car use as gas prices soar and with people around Victoria caring deeply about climate change, Jensen said.

But Baere Bikes could help families in other ways, he said, citing a recent chat with a Victoria father of three who said wrangling the kids and situating them in the car is a journey of its own.

B次元官网网址淗e told me, B次元官网网址業B次元官网网址檓 looking for something like (a cargo bike) where I can get them in and out a lot quicker.B次元官网网址橞次元官网网址�

The cargo bikes can help turn a boring drive to the grocery store into a fun outing where the family gets some quality time together, saves some money on fuel and reduces pollution from car trips, Jensen said. His own daughter loves their cycles to GrandmaB次元官网网址檚 house as she gifts every passerby with a wave from the cargo box.

Those trips are also a reminder of a family tradition coming full circle.

B次元官网网址淏iking in our family was always kind of like a way to spend time together.B次元官网网址�

Baere Bikes is focused on the Victoria and Seattle markets for now. The bikes are delivered fully assembled after being ordered online and test rides can be arranged through its website.

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