child bike seat advice

[KeepItSteel]

Hi guys,

My son will be 6 months old in a few weeks so ready to take on his first rides on the back of my bike.

Does anyone have any advice on which brands of child carrier to go for?
Im thinking of the 'over the rear wheel' type.

I saw a few in Halfrauds but never trust their advice or stocking plans...

 

[dbmtb]

Bobike Maxi.

Only one I ever let my kids sit in.

 

[FluffyChicken]

thanks dbmtb, first time I've seen a suitable seat the
The 'Maxi Tour' version

http://www.conwasa.demon.co.uk/bobike/#Bobike_Tour

 

[chrisv40]

My little girls seat is from halfords and its spot on.

 

[FluffyChicken]

I should add a comment...
.. suitable for my son with cerebral palsy.

 

[terryhfs]

I'll add that you need to mount and dismount really carefully to avoid booting your offspring in the face. Manufacturers recommend a kick stand to make it safer - if you're riding a gate it's all the more tricky.

You need to mount it quite a long way back to avoid your heels catching the seat - I think the makers presume you'll be riding on the middle of your foot, not on the ball.

I have both - a rear seat and a trailer - my little girl (2) seems to prefer the trailer and it means I can take all her stuff with me and do some shopping.

 

[KeepItSteel]

great advice, thanks guys.

I'll be considering a side stand to prevent social services investigating black eyes!

 

[hamster]

We used a trailer for 5 years:

Plus points:
1 Cars give you a LOT more space
2 Even if Dad has a 'pilot error' moment and crashes the bike it's unlikely to tip up.
3 Warm and weatherproof
4 Child can take toys, snacks and drink
5 Comfortable to sleep in - and you can leave them in it if you get of at a pub etc.
6 Doesn't affect handling of bike
7 You can take other stuff like a picnic in it or panniers on the bike

Minus points:
1 Bigger and may be difficult to store - a problem if you don't have a garage, live in a flat etc
2 Heavier than a seat
3 Can be a problem on trains
4 Cannot get big air, do northshore or rad singletrack

Personally we (and the kids) really liked trailers.

 

[The Ken]

I would suggest waiting a few more months, 6 months is pretty young for all the rattles of a rear mount seat, I would suggest a trailer with hammock style seats for that age, even if they can support their head pretty well.

 

[hamster]

Good point, you can even fit a car seat - that worked really well for us.