# Advice on carrying children



## scouserinlondon (28 Mar 2011)

Dear Cyclechat parents, I really need some advice.

I have to get my 9month old daughter to nursery every morning, which is about a mile away from home. Currently I strap her to my front in the baby-bjorn and wheel my bike up there before dropping her off and hitting the road. However she's not going to fit into the baby-bjorn much longer. I tried a rucksack thing but I can't get it onto or off my back so that's going back.

I really don't fancy a baby chair on the bike but that's looking like my only option at the moment. Does anybody else have experience of them, I was thinking of getting the Hamax Smiley seat. Does anybody have any experience of it, I was hoping to ride up there with her on the back and drop off the seat and the child for my wife to bring home in the car later. 

Any tips of help gratefully received, I don't fancy the train again.


----------



## Shrim (28 Mar 2011)

Hi there,

I have the exact same child seat and can't fault it really. Easy to fit, secure for the child and easily removed. It also accomdates upto 3.5 Stones so it will last until she is about three and a half. My daughter is three and a half now and she still goes in it.

Its also very comfortable which my daughter will testify to as she falls asleep in it on the longer rides we go on.

Money well spent.


----------



## mickle (28 Mar 2011)

Trailer? Not this necessarily but like this: http://www.cyclorama.net/viewProduct.php?id=241


----------



## ianrauk (28 Mar 2011)

Cycle Trailer is the way to go.

Very comfy for the child. It's enclosed so great if it rains.
Can also carry plenty of luggage. Clothing, toys etc

My boy loves his trailer...















You can also use it a stroller by adding a third wheel.


----------



## Rouge Penguin (28 Mar 2011)

Yeah, you could go with with a trailer. I use one all the time and he loves it

Draw back is its still there once you've dropped off.


----------



## Cletus Van Damme (28 Mar 2011)

I use the Topeak Babysitter 2 seat. It's not the cheapest but I think it is superb. What I like most about this seat is that it includes a Topeak DX pannier rack. Once the rack is fitted the seat attaches to it within seconds. The rack can also be used for pannier bags etc when the seat is removed. The best thing that I like about the seat is that because it sits on a rack it is rigid, it does not bounce around like so many other seats I have seen that are attached to the the seat tube or whatever. I was following a woman the other day and the seat was just about touching the back wheel as it went over bumps in the road and bounced up and down. The Babysitter 2 also has little shock adsorbers built into it, if these work I do not know but I have no complaints about this product. 

http://www.bikeradar...ith-rack-33789/ 

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/topeak-babysitter-child-seat-with-rack-standard-brakes/


----------



## scouserinlondon (28 Mar 2011)

Thanks for all the replies everybody, I have more questions!

@Cheesney, I like the idea of the Top-peak one, does the seat come off quickly?

@Shrim. Cool, does it remove quickly? And, I'm assuming that you can't carry a rack/panniers with it installed?

@Ian. I'd love a trailer, but the missus refuses to even think about man handling it into the car each day (not fair I know).

Do kids generally like going on the bike, my little one is a wriggler I think it'll be a nightmare to get her onto the bike each morning?


----------



## Cletus Van Damme (28 Mar 2011)

scouserinlondon said:


> @Cheesney, I like the idea of the Top-peak one, does the seat come off quickly?



The Topeak one is a doddle to remove, it has a quick release sliding plastic locking mechanism. It works really well and is very robust. All you do is push a button and slide out the locking mechanism. It also has a strap that is held on by velcro around the seat post. This is also removed in no time, then just lift the seat off. It takes about 10 seconds seriously. If you do get this seat make sure that you get the correct rack fittment. It is quite easy really, one for disc brakes and one for regular rim brakes.

My daughter likes going on the bike, but she tends to get bored after around 10 miles. Then she will start screaming and kicking the back of my legs/bum. So I just try not to take her to far.


David


----------



## Shrim (28 Mar 2011)

scouserinlondon said:


> @Shrim. Cool, does it remove quickly? And, I'm assuming that you can't carry a rack/panniers with it installed?
> 
> Do kids generally like going on the bike, my little one is a wriggler I think it'll be a nightmare to get her onto the bike each morning?




All you do is press a button on the seat post bracket and lift off, can be removed in seconds. As someone has mentioned, they do bounce about which I think is the reason she falls asleep sometimes. But she does love it even though my daughter is a wriggler too. 
As with everything, kids get bored after a bit, how long is the trip with the chair? Mine gets bored after about 1 hour.

I don't think you would be able to fit a rack as well but maybe if you position the bracket a little higher giving a bit more clearance above the wheel.


----------



## adds21 (28 Mar 2011)

scouserinlondon said:


> Do kids generally like going on the bike, my little one is a wriggler I think it'll be a nightmare to get her onto the bike each morning?



Mine do. We use both a trailer and a seat (depending on where we're going) with our youngest (18 months), and she loves both. In fact, it's sometimes difficult to get her out of the trailer.

Only thing to remember with a seat (espeically the Hamax ones), is they're quite high, so your center of gavity is quite a bit higher. It's fine once you get used to it, but it can take some getting used to (my wife won't use one, and prefers to use the trailer).


----------



## benb (28 Mar 2011)

+1 for the Topeak Babysitter.
The only complaint I have with the seat itself is after a while the locking mechanism picks up bits of grime and gets stiffer to remove.


As your child gets older and heavier, you may wish to invest in a stronger rear wheel - I did this after popping quite a few spokes. But I'm 100kg, and my son is probably 20kg or so, so it's a fair bit of weight for the bike to handle.


Obviously you can't fit panniers in the normal way with it, but you could either get a front rack, or if your pannier has a handle you can hang it off the bar on the seat, as I have done here.


----------



## mr Mag00 (28 Mar 2011)

i wish i had done this with my 2


----------



## ufkacbln (28 Mar 2011)

Trailers are a longer term investment and safer as the child gets older and wrigglier. DEpending on budget there are a number of trailers that fold and fit easily into a car...


----------



## Thelma (28 Mar 2011)

As a slight aside, if you want to carry on carrying your LO in a sling, I can point you in the direction of some absolutely fantastic wraps and mei teis, which are not only suitable for a growing child (including 3 year olds!) but also a million times more comfortable and supportive than a baby bjorn style sling.

I still carry my son from time to time (it's a good weather thing for me) and he's 15 months old. It's all about the sling.


----------



## subaqua (28 Mar 2011)

I had a Hamax sleepy or was it smiley. was good for the few times I used it.

if you want it scouse you can have it, comes with 2 mounting blocks .

PM me if you are interested.


----------



## quassleberry (28 Mar 2011)

I wish trailers had been around when my two were little it would have made life so much easier, as it was my youngest went in a seat at the back and yes the bouncing sent her to sleep pretty quickly, my son went in a seat on the crossbar then when he got too tall for me to see over his head we were changing childminders anyway. He never went to sleep he was always scared he'd miss something, he's coming up to 17 now and still doesnt sleep much.


----------



## scouserinlondon (29 Mar 2011)

Thelma said:


> As a slight aside, if you want to carry on carrying your LO in a sling, I can point you in the direction of some absolutely fantastic wraps and mei teis, which are not only suitable for a growing child (including 3 year olds!) but also a million times more comfortable and supportive than a baby bjorn style sling.
> 
> I still carry my son from time to time (it's a good weather thing for me) and he's 15 months old. It's all about the sling.



Oh really, that'd be interesting, not just for the nursery commute but for when we're out and about.


----------



## scouserinlondon (29 Mar 2011)

subaqua said:


> I had a Hamax sleepy or was it smiley. was good for the few times I used it.
> 
> if you want it scouse you can have it, comes with 2 mounting blocks .
> 
> PM me if you are interested.



PM (hopefully) sent


----------



## subaqua (29 Mar 2011)

received and replied


----------



## RUTHIEBAV (29 Mar 2011)

When my two were younger my husband and I had child seats on the back of our bikes. Our girls lasted about 30 minutes before they kicked off.

We had to be careful not to cycle too close to each other as they would hold hands and wouldn't let go. It wouldn't be immediately obvious that they were holding hands which caused a few interesting moments when the cycle path narrowed or there was a tree in the midde of the path! 

Also they did tend to suddenly try to look where they were going and lean suddenly to one side (which keeps you on your toes).
RuthieB


----------



## alecstilleyedye (26 Feb 2012)

although i don't use it regularly (enough), a trailer has been found to be a sound investment, as i can take the two youngest children in it on a ride with their older brother.

you can get inserts for trailers that snuggle in a baby that can hold its head up unsupported. they really love it, and you get a lot more space from motorists than you would riding on your own.

we spent a bit extra on a burley encore, but there are other, cheaper trailers around which may be as useful. that said, it's light, so when folded up weighs less than a child buggy. speaking of which, the additional jockey wheel allows you to park the bike, detach the trailer and go around the supermarket without disturbing the kids, and you then attach it to the bike with your shopping in the back. much more fun for the kids than car and trolley, and they don't pester for stuff either…


----------



## 400bhp (26 Feb 2012)

At 9 months old is she old enough to sit in a seat? Crucially, can she hold her own head up?


----------



## 400bhp (26 Feb 2012)

Oh, and there's not a cat in hells chance you'd catch me with a trailer on public roads.


----------



## arallsopp (28 Feb 2012)

We had Ted in a seat on the back of Evey's bike. Being recumbent, fitting him to mine was prohibitively awkward. She got used to the much higher centre of gravity whilst moving, but the bike still had a tendency to tip towards/away from her when she was standing beside it. Also, Ted used to get kicked in the face a fair bit when she or I would forget and swing a leg over the back.

We switched to a trailer, and I rode it around empty for a while to get the hang of it. Turns out car drivers in our area give you a much wider berth if you're towing kids. Until Ted was able to ride about 5 miles, we'd regularly put his bike, Darcey's bike, the change bag, food, drink and both kids into the trailer and head off to do the shopping.

Looking back at the childseat days, its not carrying the kid that's the problem. Its the assorted bumff that comes with them  I still tow them over to friends houses if I'm not confident that Ted will behave when he's riding on his own.


----------



## jugglingphil (2 Mar 2012)

I've never used a trailer, when mine were small we lived miles away from nursery. In the end we moved so they could walk to school.
When considering seats, it's important your daughter can hold her head up, especially if you decide to pop a helmet on her as well.
You say that nursery is only 1 mile from home, could you pick the trailer up on your way home?


----------



## User169 (2 Mar 2012)

I got a double seat last year. Children need to be a bit older since there's nothing to actually strap them on. Quite good fun though.


----------



## Luv Handles (3 Mar 2012)

There are way better options if you want a real shortlist, then check these out. For CARGO CRUISIN' I can vouch that this TRIKE has the best quality and value for money. Otherwise you can opt for some amazing child seats that are a nice looking design ( not horrible pieces of plastic over towering your bicycle ) and they can be fitted to the back of your bicycle with added features like lights, head rest that makes wearing their lil' helmets a lot more comfortable, foot rests and so on. This brand also has a front option for little ones age 9mos - 3 years max. Take a look and contact us if you need further assistance, we can sell you one


----------



## jonathanw (5 Mar 2012)

We used 2 x Co-pilot limo seats for our twins, pretty much from when they had head control up to about 4.5years. These are expensive, but very safe, with their own racks and are quick to mount and remove. The expense is mitigated by a high resale value to friends, colleagues or on e-bay. They are rated up to about 18kg, which is a slim 5 year old (Wt= (age +4) x 2)

http://www.winstanleysbikes.co.uk/product/21111/CoPilot_Limo_Child_Seat


----------



## Butterfly (14 Mar 2012)

At the moment I mostly use a Hamax Kiss. It's good because it's a bit bouncy so soaks up some of the bumps and I have a rain cover for it which is very effective. I've also used co-pilot seats and cheep halfords ones. The co-pilots are great, except for the footwells, which are too short with lousy straps, so they are better for smaller children (the biggest I have carried regularly was 6!) 

For luggage, I use a combination of front panniers and bar bag/klikfix basket on my normal bike, which works well - the low panniers are a lot more stable than the basket - I have one for lock and shopping and one for folding potty/spare clothes. When I use the co-pilot I use a backpack, because that bike doesn't have front racks, which limits my shopping.

I have used a trailer in the past, and they work well, with lots of space for children plus stuff, but they make for a long load, especially when pulled by a child-stoked tandem! You can't always make it across cycle crossings before the lights change, but you get so much attention, it doesn't matter too much. You do have to merge with the traffic more, but equally, they tend to give you more space. The main problem is storing a trailer - my sister had a double one that had to be collapsed to fit through her front door, so she really didn't use it.


----------



## scouserinlondon (14 Mar 2012)

Not sure why the thread got bumped. But can gladly report we had many great trips with the seat kindly given to us by subaqua and now my wife has changed jobs so I get to do nursery runs a lot less these days. 

Would also consider a trailer in future they look ace.


----------

