Taking children on a seat on the bike has never been so comfortable and fun! The concept of putting the child seat between the handlebars has probably been first developed by the Japanese. In Europe the first adoption of the concept was by an Italian manufacturer, who introduced the FamilyBike a few years ago. But we must thank riese & müller for perfcting the theme with the Gemini.

I took it for a test ride with Miles this week-end: a return 6km journey through busy streets, a dark park and up a gentle hill. Miles was sitting in front facing forward and we were still able to converse. The handling was excellent: downhill we were picking up speed and the Big Apple tyres were very reassuringly handling corners. The 8 speed Nexus was handy for the uphill, and the double suspension came useful on many occasions; when it turned dark, the hub-dynamo powered lights were helpful in spite of being slightly concealed by the seat and the basket. The real test for a bike with child seat(s) is when getting on and off: here the Gemini sparkles: the special twin-leg propstand is rock solid and the low stepthrough frame means that even with a heavy child in front and a full basket in the rear (or any other combination one chooses), stopping and parking is easy and safe.

Yes it is twice the price of the FamilyBike (which we have not tested), but the Gemini offers an extremely comfortable and assured ride. It should be definitely considered as an option by one-child families. Naturally, you can take two children, but there would be no much room left for shopping, etc. In my view, the best combination is one child seat in the front and 1 large basket in the back.