Advice on carrying children

[scouserinlondon]

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]

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]

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

 

[ianrauk]

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]

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]

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]

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]

@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]

@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]

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]

+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]

i wish i had done this with my 2

 

[ufkacbln]

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]

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]

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.