baby seats?

Hi guys,

Our little boy is almost 10 months now and so I'm starting to look around at
a way to take him with me on the bike. I see the following options:
- trailer
- bike seat (rack mounted)
- bike seat (seatpost mounted)

I've pretty well discarded a trailer as I feel more comfortable keeping the
bike under control rather than keeping the trailer under control. Happy to
hear experiences on the topic though.

So, looking at seats, I've currently got the following list:
- http://www.topeak.com/t8/products/babyseat/babyseat.php
-
http://www.all-about-the-home.co.uk/...seat-345-p.asp

My gut feel is that a rack mounted seat would be stronger, but I'm assuming
that in this overregulated world we live in I imagine that the seatpost
mounted seat would well and truely be strong enough, or else it wouldn't be
on the market. Thinking further about this I imagine that the seatpost
mounted seat would effectively have built-in suspension, like those fancy
frames that have the seat suspended from the front rather than sitting on a
seatpost.

This is to go on my soon-to-be new commuter, one of my options is the Kona
Paddy Wagon (http://www.konaworld.com/08_paddywagon_w.htm) which doesn't
have pegs for a rack so if I'm not going to get the seatpost mounted seat
then I need to look at a different bike (o:

Anyone have any tips?

Cheers,
Dim

On Feb 25, 6:38 pm, "Dmitri Colebatch" wrote:

I've pretty well discarded a trailer as I feel more comfortable keeping the
bike under control rather than keeping the trailer under control. Happy to
hear experiences on the topic though.

This has been discussed lots of times, so from experience I can tell
you that you're about to get a dozen different opinions.

I'm not keen on kid seats due to the effect they have on the handling
of the bike and that in the (hopefully unlikely) event of you taking a
tumble, your son goes down too. If he's in a trailer then he's more
likely to be entertained by daddy falling off and shout "Again!
Again!" The risk of either event is low though. The handling of a bike
isn't affected much by hauling a trailer, though you do have to be
aware of bollards, gate posts etc. and pass a little wider than you're
used to.

Another advantage of the trailer is that you can also carry all your
son's toys, 12 changes of clothes, two boxes of nappies and four days
worth of rations (or is this your 2nd child and you've gone past that
"just in case" stage?).


My gut feel is that a rack mounted seat would be stronger, but I'm assuming
that in this overregulated world we live in I imagine that the seatpost
mounted seat would well and truely be strong enough, or else it wouldn't be
on the market.

I've not seen any seat post mounted kid seat, but the only seat post
mounted racks I've seen have weight limits of around 10-12kg. This
limit would be fairly easily exceeded with a seat and a child. As you
say, there's certainly a safety factor built in to that limit, but
just how big and are you willing to take the risk? Kid's may bounce to
a certain extent, but they don't half make a noise about it when they
do [1].

Hope that helps

Graeme

[1] Dods, Graeme, "Parenting the Caring Way, Volume 2", page 347

On Feb 25, 8:38 pm, "Dmitri Colebatch" wrote:
Hi guys,

Our little boy is almost 10 months now and so I'm starting to look around at
a way to take him with me on the bike. I see the following options:
- trailer
- bike seat (rack mounted)
- bike seat (seatpost mounted)

- cargo bike

http://www.cargocycles.com.au

(ob.disclosu cargo cycles is me)

tim

On Feb 25, 8:38 pm, "Dmitri Colebatch" wrote:
Hi guys,

Our little boy is almost 10 months now and so I'm starting to look around at
a way to take him with me on the bike. I see the following options:
- trailer
- bike seat (rack mounted)
- bike seat (seatpost mounted)

I've pretty well discarded a trailer as I feel more comfortable keeping the
bike under control rather than keeping the trailer under control. Happy to
hear experiences on the topic though.

So, looking at seats, I've currently got the following list:
-http://www.topeak.com/t8/products/babyseat/babyseat.php

If you're in/near Canberra, I have a seat that's quite similar to that
Topeak one that you can have for free. I bought it at a garage sale
some time ago, thinking "Somebody I know will be sure to want that one
day". (I don't have any young 'uns).


BTH

"Graeme Dods" wrote in message
...
I'm not keen on kid seats due to the effect they have on the handling
of the bike and that in the (hopefully unlikely) event of you taking a
tumble, your son goes down too. If he's in a trailer then he's more
likely to be entertained by daddy falling off and shout "Again!
Again!" The risk of either event is low though. The handling of a bike
isn't affected much by hauling a trailer, though you do have to be
aware of bollards, gate posts etc. and pass a little wider than you're
used to.


I agree. Even in the event of a serious spill where the trailer goes over as
well you've still got a full roll cage on the trailer so the sprog isn't
likely to make contact with the road.

Another advantage of the trailer is that you can also carry all your
son's toys, 12 changes of clothes, two boxes of nappies and four days
worth of rations (or is this your 2nd child and you've gone past that
"just in case" stage?).


Indeed. I upgraded to a trailer after No 2 & then No 3 son came along and I
needed to cart at least two of them around with plenty of assorted crap that
seems to be necessary to go anywhere with littlies.

Another aspect of the child seat is unless you're Jean-Claude Van Damme you
can't throw your leg over from the rear anymore so it's really awkward to
mount a bike with a top tube. It also tends to really freak them out when
you need to lean the bike right over to get your leg over the top tube and
it's also really easy to over-balance in the attempt with the extra weight
of the kiddie over the rear wheel. Plus, bike stands aren't the most stable
things in the world and in the process of loading everything up, the bike
can topple over if junior picks the wrong moment to jump around like a
maniac (usually the moment your back is turned).


--
www.ozcableguy.com
www.oztechnologies.com

On Feb 26, 11:05*am, "OzCableguy"
wrote:
"Graeme Dods" wrote in message

...

I'm not keen on kid seats due to the effect they have on the handling
of the bike and that in the (hopefully unlikely) event of you taking a
tumble, your son goes down too. If he's in a trailer then he's more
likely to be entertained by daddy falling off and shout "Again!
Again!" The risk of either event is low though. The handling of a bike
isn't affected much by hauling a trailer, though you do have to be
aware of bollards, gate posts etc. and pass a little wider than you're
used to.

Sometimes they simply don't fit down a proportion of the "bicycle
paths" due to anti-bicycle obstacles, chicanes, miscellaneous
bollardery, railings, steps, etc. People riding with small kids are
often more inclined to use off-road paths, but trying to do so with a
trailer can become frustrating.

I agree. Even in the event of a serious spill where the trailer goes over as
well you've still got a full roll cage on the trailer so the sprog isn't
likely to make contact with the road.

Another plus is that the majority of people will give the trailer a
much wider berth when passing in cars. Similar effect can be had by
riding with panniers, even an empty RHS pannier seems to make people
pull out further.

Another advantage of the trailer is that you can also carry all your
son's toys, 12 changes of clothes, two boxes of nappies and four days
worth of rations (or is this your 2nd child and you've gone past that
"just in case" stage?).

...and legs like tree trunks to lug it all up hill!

Indeed. I upgraded to a trailer after No 2 & then No 3 son came along and I
needed to cart at least two of them around with plenty of assorted crap that
seems to be necessary to go anywhere with littlies.

Another aspect of the child seat is unless you're Jean-Claude Van Damme you
can't throw your leg over from the rear anymore so it's really awkward to
mount a bike with a top tube.

You quickly learn that one if you've got a tandem... unless you want
to kick the stoker in the head, which is guaranteed to instill
disharmony in the upcoming ride!

It also tends to really freak them out when
you need to lean the bike right over to get your leg over the top tube and
it's also really easy to over-balance in the attempt with the extra weight
of the kiddie over the rear wheel. Plus, bike stands aren't the most stable
things in the world and in the process of loading everything up, the bike
can topple over if junior picks the wrong moment to jump around like a
maniac (usually the moment your back is turned).

One hand on bike, one hand on child, one hand to pick up bags, one
hand to adjust helmet...

--www.ozcableguy.comwww.oztechnologies.com

Adrian

On Feb 26, 10:14 am, "
wrote:
"Graeme Dods" wrote in message
Another advantage of the trailer is that you can also carry all your
son's toys, 12 changes of clothes, two boxes of nappies and four days
worth of rations (or is this your 2nd child and you've gone past that
"just in case" stage?).

...and legs like tree trunks to lug it all up hill!

Oh I've got legs like tree trunks alright, just combine the colour of
a ghost gum, the knobblyness of a banskia and the thickness of a
stretched out bonsai and you've got the picture. The perfect legs for
stopping my bum hitting the floor and not much else.

Graeme

"Dmitri Colebatch" wrote in message
...
Hi guys,

Our little boy is almost 10 months now and so I'm starting to look around
at a way to take him with me on the bike. I see the following options:
- trailer
- bike seat (rack mounted)
- bike seat (seatpost mounted)


Just stumbled over this one while following links from an unrelated site -
looks pretty innovative!!

http://www.triobike.com/

Gags

On Feb 27, 11:13 pm, "Gags" wrote:
Just stumbled over this one while following links from an unrelated site -
looks pretty innovative!!

http://www.triobike.com
Aaah yes. The triobike.

One mediocre substitute for three useful things, costing not much more
than buying each of them separately.

Here's a review of them, from somebody who knows more than a little
bit about kid-carrying cargo bikes:
http://www.bakfiets-en-meer.nl/2007/...ernet-reviews/

tim

--
http://www.cargocycles.com.au

Wrote:

Sometimes they simply don't fit down a proportion of the "bicycle
paths" due to anti-bicycle obstacles, chicanes, miscellaneous
bollardery, railings, steps, etc. People riding with small kids are
often more inclined to use off-road paths, but trying to do so with a
trailer can become frustrating.
Adrian

Trailers vs bikeseats - it depends on where you are riding. I agree
with Adrian about trailers, they are the safest option but can be
difficult to get around with because of the size. I've got a chariot
trailer which my 2yo doesn't mind for short trips, but I recently
installed a wee-ride seat and he absolutely *loves* it. Because he's
sitting in front of me we talk the whole way, pointing out things, he
rings the bell at everyone, tells me which way to go, and gets me to
race everyone and I can see exactly what he is doing.

I take him into a childcare centre in the CBD which requires some tight
turns and crossing at lights from the footpath and it's much harder to
do with the trailer.

I put the weeride on a touring bike which I converted from dropbars to
flats, so I have handlebar bags and front and rear panniers if required
for luggage/shopping etc. It took a bit of modification to get a good
fit, which allowed me to easily get my feet down as you can't really
stand over the top tube and to get the weeride seat as far forward and
low as possible. The only real criticism of the weeride I have is that
the moulded plastic parts of the seat could be stronger and the child's
pad is not solidly mounted to the seat.

Adam


--
adam85