Please advise a decent bike and a child seat to cycle a 4 year old child to school

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Cycleops

Legendary Member
Location
Accra, Ghana
I should think a child seat could be fitted, Moore Cycles should be able to advise.
The only thing that worries me about these 'sit up and beg' type bikes is that if using with a child seat it puts a lot of weight at the back of the bike which may make the steering and handling rather unstable.
 

vickster

Legendary Member
What about Liv Flourish 3 Flourish 3? And Moorecycles in Twickenham? Can a child seat be fitted on this bike? Is this bike better than Carrera?
Moore’s a decent local bike shop, they’ll be able to answer your questions.
My LBS is Balfes, they have a good range of brands and bikes and plenty of stores around London. They have one in Fulham I believe. Trek do a step through stagger option, might be worth a look. They say they have one in Notting Hill or in Kingston (call first before travelling :smile:)
https://www.balfesbikes.co.uk/bikes...rough-hybrid-bike-2023-in-lithium-grey__12594

Their Fulham store has an XS Flourish 3 in stock too
 

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Location
España
My partner is confident cyclist
If so, why are you making the decision? No disrespect intended but it strikes me that the person best equipped to make the decision should be the one to do it, no?

I would appreciate recommendations of a reliable bike under £300 to carry a child to school.

@All uphill 's suggestion for a second hand bike should not be disregarded.
That budget - is that for bike or bike and seat (and whatever attachments are required)?

A good bike for 300 - a bike that is good to go and give no problems - is a big ask.


then I go with Riverside which has smaller percentage of bad reviews.
In this kind of a scenario where you have specific needs - 2 riders and a precious cargo - online reviews are really not useful except in the most general sense.

Please, please stick with it, six weeks could see you enjoying the school trip in a new way.
This is a much nicer way of saying what I wanted to say.

The only thing that worries me about these 'sit up and beg' type bikes is that if using with a child seat it puts a lot of weight at the back of the bike which may make the steering and handling rather unstable.
Tell that to the Dutch! It's the most common bike style.

@novice2023 I'll urge you again to slow down a little and try to make contact with people who are doing what you want to do. They will have the best information from experience. Their experience will lead to better decisions. Check out Rascal Rides on YouTube. They have reviews of kid seats.
 
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novice2023

Regular
If so, why are you making the decision? No disrespect intended but it strikes me that the person best equipped to make the decision should be the one to do it, no?

I meant he can cycle well but does not really know much about technical side of bikes. He wants to go with Halfords while I am trying to find a reliable bike to avoid accidents caused by bike's fault.

Thanks to everyone replied on this thread I understood £300 would be cheap bike hence started looking at more expensive options.
Looking at second-hand bikes as well, but worried that may buy a stolen bike.
 
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novice2023

Regular
Moore’s a decent local bike shop, they’ll be able to answer your questions.
My LBS is Balfes, they have a good range of brands and bikes and plenty of stores around London. They have one in Fulham I believe. Trek do a step through stagger option, might be worth a look. They say they have one in Notting Hill or in Kingston (call first before travelling :smile:)
https://www.balfesbikes.co.uk/bikes...rough-hybrid-bike-2023-in-lithium-grey__12594

Their Fulham store has an XS Flourish 3 in stock too

Thanks @vickster! I have contacted Moore's and will contact Balfes Notting Hill.
 
Well I'm 4ft 11 @novice2023 and as a somewhat undertall lady cyclist, I ride junior bikes, so nothing embarrassing about that, really. The important thing is that you get a bike that fits *you* first, and then sort the rest out later.

The one thing you do need to consider with smaller bikes is that peripheries can be more fiddly to fit due to the location of the eyelets on the frame, and unless you can find the right extra long stays, things like luggage racks (and likely child seats) won't sit level on the back. You'll also find that heel strikes on panniers (or in your case, your kiddo's legs) can be an issue due to the shorter wheelbase.

TBH, I think a tag-along would be better long term than a child seat anyways - a kid will outgrow the seat faster than it will outgrow the tag-along. And it will get them used to actually "riding" a bike, so it's a win that way too.

Have you thought about buying the little one a balance bike? That should be doable for such a short journey.

+1 for a secondhand bike - you'll get more bang-for-buck for your budget. I'd suggest something along the lines a vintage ladies or junior rigid (i.e. no suspension) MTB as they're tough and reliable and easy to maintain. Bung a set of slick commuter-style tyres on, plus a set of mudguards and you should be sorted.
 
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novice2023

Regular
thanks @Reynard. The little one had a balance bike since he was two. He has the smallest pedal Islabike but does not want to cycle without stabilizers and is only willing to cycle about 250 meters. He is just turned 4. I am hoping he will see other children travelling to school on scooters and bikes and will get more interested.
 

bobzmyunkle

Über Member
He is just turned 4.
It's a long time since I had children on the back of my bike, but isn't 4 about the limit for having one in a child seat? They be growing, so size/weight will become less viable and they'll be getting more self aware so may decide it's not cool.
Sorry to be negative - the solution's probably good for the short term.
 
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novice2023

Regular
It's a long time since I had children on the back of my bike, but isn't 4 about the limit for having one in a child seat? They be growing, so size/weight will become less viable and they'll be getting more self aware so may decide it's not cool.
Sorry to be negative - the solution's probably good for the short term.

Yes, 22 kg is the limit.
 
For specific bikes, I can't comment, but I can say you are well within the realms of a "normal" bike. Yes, neither of you are tall, but you aren't needing a bike with special adaptations for short riders (look at Islabikes if you do).
I am going to add to the chorus of people suggesting a bike recycling project's bikes. Six reasons:
  1. You get a receipt, so you know it is not stolen.
  2. It is more likely to be sorted than any off-the-peg bike from a big chain store, serviced and ready for work. You can't say that about new bikes from a chain store.
  3. Cheaper, obvs.
  4. Better for the environment
  5. Less attractive to thieves.
I think you'd be very well served by an older (late 80s/early 90s) non-suspension mountain bike with slick tyres. In many ways, these are the perfect bike for general transport with heavy loads (a child counts as a heavy load). They are not too sophisticated so easy to work on, they have decent brakes (in practice, for the type of use you're describing all modern bikAes have decent brakes) and they are strong, with compact, rather overbuilt frames which keep the centre of gravity down and are very rigid for attaching racks and child seats. Great for luggage carrying, which is why many people use them for round-the-world touring. That also makes them perfect for carrying children!

There might also be cycle training too, which is something to consider.

This is an example of a decent bike for your situation (albeit you'd want a smaller one). Something that looks like this is ideal. Ignore any labels of a "ladies" frame - engineering wise, there is no such thing as a ladies frame. Low step designs like this are practical for bikes where you don't want to swing your leg over the top.

Anything else? Yes. Mudguards will keep you and the kid dry and free of mud, and a lock will mean you get to keep the bike longer. If you have a new, shiny bike it is much more likely to be pinched, so you need a more expensive lock - another thing in favour of these older machines.
 

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DRM

Guru
Location
West Yorks
You won't go wrong with a Liv bike, they're basically Giant brand bikes, Liv are aimed at female riders, Giant is the worlds biggest bike manufacturer & make brands for a lot of other manufacturers too
 
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