Hello.
Cycling season is at its second half, yet it will not prevent me from going on bike adventures with the family. The youngest is no 15 months old, and we want to take him with on the bike rides ASAP (if possible). Perhaps someone here has experience with various possibilities - kangaroo bag, baby bike seats - cause bike trailer option now is a No-No due to terrain and paths that we'd take.
Knowledge sharing appreciated, thank you!
Well... I would not rule out a bike trailer. A kid up on the bike in some sort of seat changes the handling drastically, the centre of gravity moves up a lot and the weight distribution is changed completely. And when you write that you don't want a trailer due to the terrain you should ask yourself if a bike seat is such a great idea on technical terrain - also in terms of possible injuries.
Yes, you need good legs and a small gear for the climbs. We are bike touring with the kids in a trailer, plus panniers...
I don't take the trailer on flow trails, a two seater is too wide. A single seater could work, but there are several wide paths around here through forest and fields that can be combined into a nice ride.
(09-15-2019, 07:50 PM)picco8 Wrote: Hello.
Cycling season is at its second half, yet it will not prevent me from going on bike adventures with the family. The youngest is no 15 months old, and we want to take him with on the bike rides ASAP (if possible). Perhaps someone here has experience with various possibilities - kangaroo bag, baby bike seats - cause bike trailer option now is a No-No due to terrain and paths that we'd take.
Knowledge sharing appreciated, thank you!
It's a great idea to take a child riding, but I wouldn't do it with either a seat or a trailer on public roads. I used to take my granddaughters into a state park where there was no motorized traffic, to ride their bikes. You'd never forgive yourself if a drunk or inattentive driver ran into you.
If I knew how to ride a bike properly, I'd do it every time.
(09-18-2019, 05:56 PM)Papa Dom Wrote: one thing is sure, I do not accept rear mount child bike seats. 1) you can't see what is happening with child behind you; 2) his/her head will just flap around while they sleep; 3) there is chance that legs will end up in between the spokes depending on the seat model; 4) the whole balance center is messed up like Joe already mentioned; 5) you child will have some fond memories of seeing your back/butt for hours.
back in the days I bought something similar to this front seat by Ibert. child at least can enjoy the ride and feels it, plus mounting is quick&easy. also the weight distribution is much better,
That front seat looks like it could negatively affect the steering. I'm glad my kids are grown up and I don't need to carry them on a bike.
My father used to carry me on the cross bar. Later, he added a small Power Pak 2-stroke engine that sat on top of the back tire, and he carried me on the crossbar. Of course, in those days there was a lot less traffic.
If I knew how to ride a bike properly, I'd do it every time.
Those things are not too bad, but really crazy heavy. The OP wrote something about "terrain", and biking uphill sucks with these even more than with a trailer. Unless you get an electric bike version of it. And then they are still really slow. Kids love them, though! There are also the Dutch bakviets (baker's bikes), they only have two wheels and seem a bit nicer, handling wise. Still only for smooth roads without climbs. Another possibility is the Extracycle (not sure if they still exist). They have a wheel base that's about half a metre longer, and an extra long rack. A bike seat on that is actually quite good - even with heavier kids. They are meant to carry lots, so the handling should still be OK. They had an electric version, one of my former colleagues has one.
I am bringing my kids to kindergarten every day in a trailer, but I do try to avoid some of the busier streets. There is almost always an option to do that. It is less stressful and the air is better. Things to consider also when biking solo. It would be impossible to use a regular bike with two kids in bike seats, especially considering the combined extra weight. Kids grow. Fast.
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