The child seats are only so good up until a certain weight and age and are potentially dangerous once your baby starts wanting to look and point at everything, can throw you off balance.
Personally, I would go a trailer because they will fit until they are about 5 or 6 years old. You can get ones that will take two kids as well. There are even ones you can get that double as a pram as well so you could ride to the shops or wherever, unhook the trailervand wheel it with you like a pram
The safest options is a trailer, however the only ones on the market ATM that meet Australian Safety Standards is the Cruiser/Croozer (sp?) which is sold in bike stores. We have this & it is excellent, they come in a single or twin & will suits the kids up until around 6 years or 7 years of age.
We have the single one, it has a roll cage, reclined seats, safety harness, 2 attachment points to the bike, if you fall off your bike it wont tip, should something happen to the double anchor point it is also weighted to the left so that if it breaks free it will go to the gutter (away from the cars). It also converts into a pram/jogger.
DF is a mechanic at a bicycle store, Im not sure if Im allowed to mention which one but if you have any Q's PM me & I can find out for you or I can pass on a number you can contact him on.
ETA - Just saw you are in Hastings, I can PM you the addy of the bike store if you want to go in & see him
We have a Chariot bike trailer. My DH researched and researched and this is the one we found to be the safest. It is fantastic. We both weren't keen on the seats that attach to your bike becuase of falls. Remember with a trailer to get a good one not a cheapy that will tip over.
We have a cruiser that we got off eBay and it is great - especially when you go somewhere and then need a pram!
However we did find something better for us which is a cargobike - it is a European design, very big over there, where the kids sit in a box type thing at the front. I can fit a child and a weeks worth of shopping in it
Bicycle victoria did a review of these in their magazine a year or so ago. It might be worth checking their website for information, or emailing them to ask.
If I remember rightly, the main danger is not the risk of falling, because basically falls don't happen much (who rides with their kids on the road, etc). The danger is the repeated strain of lots of little vertical impacts as the bike bumps up and down, putting a strain on the kids spine. This is why it is no good for kids under 1, and there is some disagreement, if I remember rightly, about whether it's really safe for a 1yo or not.
So whatever choice you make, I'd be doing some research into the shock-absorption system in the child carrier. Obviously, if it attaches to the bike it will get some shock absorption from the tyres and whatever other features your bike has. I don't know about the trailer-type things, but seem to remember (vague about this), that the shock was an issue with those.
I'm going on what I remember reading a year or more ago. The technology used in the trailers and seats might have changed by now, so I wouldn't totally go on what I'm saying if I were you. But I would certainly be researching the issue of safety not only from the risk of crashing or falling off the bike, but of the safety of normal riding and the stresses it puts on young children.
Enjoy! I'm planning to get a bike seat for DD in a year or two. Looking forward to doing some real cycling again when the time comes.
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weeride VS Trailer
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