I’ll answer your other questions as best as I can.
1. Size. I’m 6’2″ and can stretch the seatpost way up. I could crank the seat up a little higher, but I like a little flex in my knee at the bottom of a stroke (instead of standing on my tiptoes). With the seat way up like that, the kids facing rear might bump their helmets on the back of my seat from time to time.

2. Weight. Any bike you can throw 50+ pounds of loose gear and kids at without the slightest worry is O.K. in my book. My neighborhood has hills. Of the 4 1/2 miles each way getting my daughter to preschool, 1 is flat. The steepest are at the ends (of course.) The hill by my house is 8-10% grade in parts, and quite the workout getting up. The bike handles it better than I do. At least it’s a short hill. However, the mile-long climb that’s not as steep is easy-peasy-breezy. I usually hit that hill in 3rd or 4th (of 8) gear, even with kids on-board. The only time I ever hit 8th gear is blowing down a long hill. Or empty on the flats, but why ride empty? Jared at Madsen suggests having a bike shop replace the front crank for one with fewer teeth to get more torque, but I haven’t done that.

3. The bench is a lightly padded board with lap belts. I added a piece to the belt to hold the extra belt and keep it tight on their laps. Less than $2 at the local camping store. The 20″ rear tire seems to amplify bumps, but the kids don’t complain as much as when they were in a traditional seat. That’s probably because they usually sit in front of the rear tire on the Madsen, rather than directly over and behind it on a regular bike. Falling asleep is a concern. I usually carry pillows and blankets so I can tuck them into the bucket when toddler narcolepsy sets in.

4. Transporting. I got a Swagman XTC 4 Bike Platform rack that hooks up to my trailer hitch. Free shipping from Amazon. I lucked out because it worked with a slight modification. I turned the baskets that hold the tires upside down on the rack, which extended the reach just enough to load the Madsen (and 3 other bikes) up and hit the road. The bucket comes off easily with a 10mm socket and a flat head screwdriver. The total length of the bike is a little wider than my Saturn Vue, and I’m lucky I didn’t rip it off on some construction barriers on a dark lonely highway.

I do have a little handlebar bag to keep a few things in easy reach while riding. I might get a bigger Wald basket, but I probably won’t need a full front rack. You’re in Baltimore? I’m in State College, PA. If you’re up this way feel free to come test ride it. Seriously.
pb

1. Fit & comfort for tall riders: I’m 6’3″ and have heard the Radish isn’t a good fit for folks over 6′. How does the Madsen do on this account (I felt great in the Yuba Mundo I tried at Joe-Bike).

2. Weight going up hills: Right now there’s a bunch of hilly sections on the way to my daughter’s school and Baltimore in general is pretty hilly, so the extra weight of the Madsen over the new Yubas has concerned me. I’m going to try and test drive a used one this week but don’t think there will be any hills I can try out.

3. Comfort for the kids: I’m curious about how the ride feels on those benches. Our streets here in Baltimore could use some work (although the stimulus is helping) and my kids constantly complain about the feel in the cheap trailer I’ve been using to get them around. Any comments from your little ones.

4. Transporting the bike: Does the Madsen fit on traditional auto bike racks or bus bike racks? I know the idea is to ride it everywhere, but there are times (like when buying one from the next state) where it will be important to put it on/in a car and it might break down at some point. Just curious.

Thanks for any more thoughts you have on this. The nicest thing about the Madsen is that it’s everything in a single package, you don’t have to buy a Peapod or BoBike seat, stoker bar, bags, etc. I would be curious about adding a front rack for quick access storage.

Patrick