Urban Arrow Tales: Family Morais on the move

Who are you?

After living in the heart of Rotterdam for years, we swapped the city for the countryside of Bergschenhoek, where we’re currently renovating our new home. Terence and I are the parents of Nina (7) and Luca (4), and in 2025 we made what turned out to be one of our best purchases: an Urban Arrow cargo bike. Of course, the bike moved with us and, besides carrying the kids around, it has also turned out to be pretty handy for picking up last-minute building materials.

Terence is a project manager for an infrastructure company, and I’m a claims manager at an insurance brokerage.

What was the main reason you decided to get an Urban Arrow cargo bike?

As parents, we’re just as spontaneous as we were before having kids. Going to a museum on the other side of the city for an hour after school or spontaneously heading to a terrace for dinner is nothing out of the ordinary for us.

Driving through the city isn’t ideal, and public transport doesn’t always take you exactly where you want to go. We were missing that flexibility.

When did you first go for a bike ride with Nina and Luca? And what do you remember about that first cargo bike adventure?

We picked up our bike just before King’s Day. The kids were excited, and so were we! We cycled from one flea market to another, with plenty of room for both the kids and all their finds.

Normally, they would have had to walk quite a bit, but this time they didn’t. That meant we could join a coffee rave at the end of the afternoon. Afterwards, we had two sleeping kids in the box, while we cycled through Noord for a little longer and enjoyed some of the atmosphere ourselves!

How has the cargo bike changed your daily routine?

Our Urban Arrow has made everyday life so much easier. You don’t have to worry about rush hour, and when the weather isn’t great, we simply put the rain cover on and the kids stay nice and dry.

We use our Urban Arrow almost every day, both with and without the kids. You can literally fit everything in it — even a friend after a night out in the city.

What are the biggest benefits you’ve experienced since getting your Urban Arrow?

We leave the car at home much more often, and our parking costs have gone down significantly. We never realised beforehand how easy it would be to cover longer distances on an Urban Arrow.

We often plan a full day around Rotterdam by bike. For example, we might start on a Saturday in Noord at the Oogstmarkt for croissants from Das Brot and coffee at Cafe Layers. Then we cycle to Kop van Zuid for a visit to Fenix.

After that, we’ll have lunch at Kula in Little C or Bun in West. From West, we cycle through our old neighbourhood, Blijdorp, where the kids can have a little play in Vroesenpark before we head home.

And the route can always change along the way, depending on what we feel like doing or which friends happen to be nearby.

What always comes with you in the cargo bike when you head out?

I always bring a wicker basket filled with snacks and drinks for the kids. Now that autumn is officially here, we’ve put the rain cover back on and added some cosy little lights inside.

Win-win, because my coffee cup fits perfectly in the storage compartments of the rain cover! We’re always short on time in the mornings, so now I don’t have to wait until I get to the office for my first cup of coffee.

I also keep a foldable rain poncho underneath the bench. Just in case.

Have you added any accessories or made any changes to make your cargo bike even more practical?

We love the rain cover and recently added an extra bench. Now we can easily bring along some extra friends. Well, the kids’ friends, at least.

Do you have any tips for families considering getting a cargo bike?

I’d say: absolutely go for it! But perhaps borrow one for a day first. I’m sure you won’t want to give it back afterwards!

Which places in Rotterdam and the surrounding area would you recommend for a fun family bike ride?

Oh, where do I even start…?

Urban Espresso Bar in West has the best pancakes, and Jordy’s Bakery in Kralingen not only has delicious bread and great coffee, but also a lovely little play corner.

We go to Diergaarde Blijdorp every week, and on the way we like to stop at Grounded Craft Coffee for good coffee and something tasty for the kids.

Parqiet in West and Lake House in Bergschenhoek are also great spots where the kids can play outside while you enjoy a coffee or a drink on the terrace in the sunshine.