In the front, in the rear, trailing two feet behind, pedal-pushing parents have various options when it comes to pillions for their tiny passengers. As a result, these options raise a host of questions for first-time purchasers of child bike seats.
When asked for advice, the guys at Recycle-A-Bicycle were forthcoming if stern, “Yeah, don’t buy a cheap one.” It also doesn’t hurt to check what your local ‘gently used’ baby store has in stock, as these items have a very limited life (only 1- to 5-year-olds can use them). For my son, I chose a carrier that fit snugly over the knobby rear tire of my mountain bike. The difference in the handling of my bicycle was barely noticeable, but getting my son in and out on solo rides is a joint effort. I clamp the back wheel between my knees and hoist or lower him as he straightens his legs and maneuvers them under the lap bar.
Another dad with whom I ride most often, chose a different carrier for his son. His straddles the slender cross bar of his fixie. He too reports very little difference in bike control, but he does have one complaint: “The child seat is too close to the bike seat, so there isn’t much space for my foot when I mount or dismount the bike.”
Neither of us cared for trailing carriers, though many parents in our neighborhood swear by them. The contraptions, with their little orange flags alerting drivers to the tiny tag along, can be seen coursing through the side streets and paved park trails in our neighborhood.
Consumer Reports offers the following ‘Shopping Secrets’ that will help you when purchasing a child seat: put some weight in it if you test it at the store; bring your child along when you shop to see if the seat is a good fit; buy for your bike (not every seat is universal); and avoid buying any carrier that you’re not able to examine carefully, such as one sold exclusively over the Internet.
Here are my three picks in each category:
CROSS BAR – Weeride ‘Kangaroo LTD’ (because with the special edition, Weeride has “taken it to a sofa level”). $79.99
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REAR MOUNT – Kettler ‘Flipper’ (because it takes up to 50 lbs – the maximum I’ve found – and has a safety lap bar). $230.00
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TRAILER – Burley (because they have “a strong commitment to help support our community, the outdoors and our environment.”) $250.00
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REAR MOUNT/TRAILER HYBRID – Xtracycle ‘Custom Kit’ (because it incorporates wood and works for groceries too) $489.00
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There’s also the option of a tandem bike, but my son is only 3 – “No. Three and a half!” – so I have no experience with these as of yet. And forget about riding with your child in a baby backpack or a sling (illegal, dangerous and stupid).
Enjoy the first days of Fall with an extra long bike ride.
Photos from the Flickr pages of cafemama. She has more beautiful photos of the Xtracycle in use.
We used a Bell Co Pilot Limo rear mounted child seat when we lived in an upstairs apartment and it was great, had a wonderful resale value too! Now that we live in a one story house, we use the Burley Solo and it is fantastic. I like that I can throw my bag, snacks, toys, etc…in the back, instead of carrying a backpack, which is what I did when we used the Bell Co Pilot Limo. Also, there is plenty of room for a couple bags of groceries. Whichever way you go, it is wonderful weather to ride in right now!
check out http://www.ibertinc.com/
i’ve used this with my 2 year old and it’s better than the wee-ride, in my opinion….easier to mount/install, lighter, and cheaper.
and the rear seats for kids are terrible…very hard to keep a steady balance, especially in slower speeds, and not as interactive as a front mounted seat.
Geez, those trailers make me uncomfortable. I’ve seen too many people riding too quickly with them on city streets and even in reasonably narrow wooded trails.
Hi Paul, thanks for the addition of the safe-T-seat, but using “terrible” to describe rear seats is a little harsh don’t you think? At 2 1/2 years-old my son – who has been off the charts since birth – weighed more than the safe-T-seat’s maximum (the same was true for the Weeride). That would have given me only 1 year of use… Not a smart purchase choice for my family.
I love the pictures, especially that first one. But I’m confused why you have pictures of seats you don’t recommend. What kind of seat is the sleeping child in in that top photo? That looks like a great option.
For anyone interested, the bike seat pictured is a ‘bobike’ and you can buy them here: http://www.koolstop.com/bobike/index.php
The Bobike seat also has some great accessories such as a windscreen (to protect from dust/wind) and a baby handlebar. see http://www.bobike.com
Hey Christian and Gretha. Awesome info on the Bobike. The windscreen will definitely protect your kids from more than just wind. Plus the Bobike Maxi and Junior take kids up to 9 years old (though I hope my son will be biking on his own by then).
I’ve also noticed these stroller-to-trailer/trailer-to-stroller contraptions popping up around town. Seems like a great way to consolidate two necessary modes of baby transport into one. Anyone have feedback on these?
It’s a big commitment, but there are an increasing number of Dutch-styled bikes available in the US that transport kids, groceries, etc. in a box integrated in the front or back of the bicycle. Here’s a couple of versions:
Clever Cycles Bakfiets: http://clevercycles.com/store/?c=web2.68
Portland Metrofiets: http://bikeportland.org/2008/10/12/portland-made-metrofiets-makes-its-debut/
Dutch Bikes Coach Trike: http://www.dutchbikes.us/sortejernhest/tcoach/index.asp
Human Powered Machines’ Long Haul: http://catoregon.qwestoffice.net/hpm/longhaul4kids.htm
TrioBike: http://bicycledesign.blogspot.com/2008/02/triobike-revisited.html
This isn’t a comprehensive list, and they’re all pretty expensive ($1,500 to $5,000), and they require a garage to keep them in, but imagine not messing around with getting the trailer set up or worrying if you can carry all the stuff. This is really the way to transport kids and stuff.
Wow Patrick, these are great additions. I really dig the TrioBike.
Child trailers are the safest option for carrying a little one. You don’t want to know what my pediatrician friends call child seats… The reason being is that they are attached with a hitch that is on a swivel. Therefore if the bike falls the trailer remains upright. With child seats attached to a bike, if the bike falls the child and seat will go with it. Also, the trailers are built with a reinforced cage surrounding the rider that further protects them. Many also offer tinted covers that provide UV protection. And as an added bonus most trailers accommodate two riders. And we all know biking is more fun with a buddy.