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so dh and I are getting in bike riding this year and would love to take ds along with us.
I am trying to find out which would be safer:
A front mounted child seat (we are looking at the weeride)
A back mounted child seat
or
a trailer.
I'm not sure i like the idea of the back mounted seat or the trailer, but i want to get the safest option..
any suggestions??
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 :D
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.
thank you everyone for replying. There is ALOT to consider before making a purchase.
I originally wanted to get a trailer, but dh wanted the seat. So I told him we would research before deciding.
Daydream: I am located in NSW Mid north coast (called The Hastings). Is it a shop located here that you are talking about? The cruiser sounds good as I did want something with a roll cage and some sort of safety feature if it were to come off our bike. However, we will not be riding on the road with ds in tow.
Tenar: Thank you, I did look at the Bicycle victoria website before posting the first time, but they didn't really tell me that much about the items they reviewed. I will definately look into the shock absorbstion for which ever one we decide on.
1 reason I don't want the seat attached to the bike is because of falls etc. It is a very high place for a child to be falling from and also when you factor in the speed you would be doing, it could be quite dangerous. BUT in saying this, dh will be the one with ds attached to his bike so I am fairly confident in his riding ability (but we will still keep in mind that anything can happen).
Just wish there was some sort of website with a proper review of all the saftey features etc and the pro's & con's of seats vs trailers.
Just checked the bicycle Victoria site and the info from the magazine is all on there - it does say that there is no Australian Standard for trailers, or front mounted seats only for rear mounted seats (the article was written Dec 2008 so not that long ago so perhaps the standards you mention Daydream Believer are new?). Bicycle Victoria rates the Chariot but doesn't come out on top because is expensive so its number one was the Burley Solo by Greenspeed.
I can't wait till my daughter is old enough to take her on a bike - haven't decided on seat or trailer yet - Melbourne is so good for riding.
Have you checked out choice? I wonder if they've reviewed any bike seats/trailers??
Just wanted to say that as a different point of view we have the Weeride and think it's brilliant. It was important to us that DD was visible to us. When you ride with this seat you have your arms around your child, which we like. It also means we know what she's up to - not throwing shoes etc off the bike. We can also chat to her and she loves the interaction. The weeride website is really good for information, pictures and videos. Apparently because this is mounted on the bike frame it can handle children up to 7 years (?) check website!
We also have a weeride and I prefer it over a trailer because it's sitting in front of our eyes instead of behind us. Charlie has absolutely loved it too and will sit in it for even long 90min rides. He gets a great view and feels part of it all. He has never gotten bored, or fidgety and he always asks to go for bike rides. He's also never ever fallen off!
He's getting too big for it now which is a shame, but we got two good years out of it.
Df said he'll get the standards number off the boxes at work next week for you.:
We also use the Weeride and love it. Knowing how slack I can be I did wonder when we bought it if I would actually use it but now I use it all of the time. I can't compare it to other methods though as I haven't used them. You do have to ride with your legs slightly out though compared to normal but you get used to it.
Nai- How does a child fit into the cargobike box? Do they sell a seat for it or does it have attachment points?
Krys - some cargobikes do come with anchor points, others don't. There is one, I think it's the Gazelle cabby that has anchors for proper car seats and will take a capsule.
It would depend on what kind of riding you want to do - if you're on road I'd be very wary of taking a trailer, as they are too low, not easily seen by motorists, and too easy to tip over. Even with roll cage, it's not an experience I'd want a child to go through. Also, pretty tricky to keep an eye on what they're doing. But if you're a Sunday rider type who only uses off-road bike paths, they're good. We own one, and use it for our supermarket shopping, as well as just general carting stuff about. DH loves that when he rides on the road with it, everyone gives him heaps of space because they think there's a kid in it. Wouldn't it be nice if cyclists got that kind of respect all the time?
I like the weeride for all the reasons mentioned, that they're right there in front of you. Suspension is a really good point for being up on the bike, and falls can happen, it's true, but I reckon they happen about as often as pram accidents. If that's a concern, I would recommend doing a fair bit of riding with the child seat, but no child in it to get used to it, then maybe put some weight in there, and then ride with the child.
Good on you, whatever you choose! I am always happy to hear about more people on bikes!
Krys - ours has a built in seat and seatbelts. DP has just modified it so we can put Miss J in it in her capsule :D PM me and I will send you some links to the pics.
Nai - Which model cargobike do you have and did you get it in Melbourne? I am in Melbourne if you have any advice on bike shops would be useful to go to when looking into bike seats that would be great.
I am still looking at bike seats, I fancied the weeride but have had an issue with one of my knees and am worried about causing further problems if have to angle it outwards at all (physio thought not a good idea). Also I am not sure whether can get a bike seat for my bike so if I have to get a new bike anyway maybe a cargo bike would be the way to go, can ride that when out with DD and ride my other bike if on my own - DH could then ride my bike if all go out as a family. They are pretty expensive though, but looks like can carry two kids easily in some of them so would get good use (I just got made redundant so maybe could treat us with a little of the money!)
we have a rear mounted bike seat AND a trailor on my bike. as i have 2 children to get around and it gives me the option as a cargo area if i only have 1 child with me.
if we go as a family DH will put the trailor on his bike.