I guess everyone has seen this today?

[domtyler]

+1 to Arch as an Englishman.

Looks a bit dodgy to me, too easy for the kid to fall off. I certainly would not dream of carrying mine like that.

I was interested to read that it is illegal to carry more than one person on a bike not specifically designed to carry more than one. Does that mean that child seats are, in fact, illegal?

 

[ChrisKH]

If nothing else, I would want my child to face forward and enjoy the ride. I recall specifically being loaded on my mothers bike as a child to go shopping (rear child seat) and sitting on a seat on a cross-bar to go out with my father. <sniff>

 

[snorri]

That helmet looks a little dangerous, mind you.
I wouldn't like to be head butted with that if the child decided he/she had had enough and wanted off in a hurry!

 

[Arch]

+1 to Arch as an Englishman.

Looks a bit dodgy to me, too easy for the kid to fall off. I certainly would not dream of carrying mine like that.

I was interested to read that it is illegal to carry more than one person on a bike not specifically designed to carry more than one. Does that mean that child seats are, in fact, illegal?

No, because they count as a special adaption.

Like I've said, I probably wouldn't do what she's doing, but because I don't trust my own bike handling skills - like I don't try to ride no-handed, because I can't (sometimes, I do try, very briefly, one very quiet roads, but never for example, in traffic). Looks like the ideal bike for it though, with wide bars, a cruiser and probably pretty stable. I suspect the kid wold only fall off in the event of a) wiggling about too much or a serious emergency stop, or wobble to being hit - in which case, a kid in a seat might not fare too much better. I suspect (of course you can't tell from the photo) she's riding very carefully, and not fast.

I once saw a bike carrying 4 kids - one perched on bars, one pedalling (standing on pedals), one on saddle, one on rack. Of course, they will have had bugger all chance of the brakes working much, but then they weren't going very fast either!

 

[LLB]

No. There's nothing inherently dangerous about carrying a load of stuff, including a kid, on a bike, if the rider is sensible and can handle the bike in that state. No more so than carrying a kid strapped into a seat in my opinion. What about one of those seats on the crossbar? Just because it's 'designed', it's somehow better than the roll pf pipe lagging I've seen on a bike round here, and which a guy perches his daughter on.

And there's nothing inherently wrong with wiping your bum with your hand, mate, if you wash your hand afterwards, and/or have tabboos about using that hand to eat with, as many cultures do. Anyway, as I said, even the Dutch seem to have got the hang of carrying more than one person on a bike, judging by the pics I've seen.

Have to disagree with this one. The extra weight on the bars & stem means that any sudden change of direction or undulating road surface would risk pitching the child off. Put a heavy carrier bag on the end of your bars and you know how unsettling the pendulum effect feels.

I used to do what she is doing with my mates when I was a kid, but then we used to fall off a lot as well

I am from near deep south from a city called chennai capital of tamil nadu.

Sad part is I had never been to delhi and have no plans for a visit in the near future.

But i can say a lot about cycling in Delhi and that applies to India in general.

India has a population whose attitude towards road safety is the attitude a race driver has and add a whole lot of ego and disregard for other road users.

Here are some of the tips that might help:

1. India's roads are the most dangerous, placing it at the top of international list in number of fatalities and grevious injuries(fatalities 90000/year, grevious injuries 200000/year).

2. Delhi tops the list within India, with the most of the culprits from bus and heavy vehicle category.

3. Never expect the other road users to yield or stop at intersections or even at signals, think twice b4 u proceed on recieving a green signal.

4. Any driver who has caused a fatal/grevious accident can bail out the same day, the bail amount in most of the cases being a paltry Rs 1500 & above (US$32) and most of the trials end up with the driver being convicted and fined a paltry amount of the above said magnitude.

5. Twowheelers, cyclists & pedestrians form 60% of road accident victims.

6. If u bring in a bike form your own country, u shud be aware of thefts. Bicycle thefts are most common in india. Geared/sports cycles are especially vulnerable coz the thieves break away with the gear equipment!

7. With the recent boom in mobile phones, its advisable for foreigners to carry one around.

8. Its always hot and humid most of the time, keep adequate amount of fluids handy.

9. One of the most bitter fact is in some of the accidents the drivers responsible for accidents are at greater risk of being severely beaten up by the surrounding public.

Other horrifying fact is some inhuman cops/people take some valubles away from unconcious accident victims.

So its always advisable to carry less valubles/money, keep an identity handy for identification and there are numerous NGO's helping trauma victims.

10. Besides threat from road users there are death traps in the form of municipal road diggings, dangerous protrusions on pavements, snapped transmission wires, death pits covered with water during rains....

11. LADIES BEWARE, females shud always be aware of sexual harrasments on road in the form of screams, vulgar comments/hand signs and in extreme cases being knocked down by the offender's vehicle.

I am very sorry for typing this bad about my country, but its the fact. But if u can swim(pedal) thru it then you might see India as it is, a million times different from the organised west.

Regards
srinipartha

http://www.bikeforums.net/archive/index.php/t-14595.html

 

[Jake]

i certainly would not put my kids life at risk like that. I'm all up for him to climb trees, play conkers, run around the woods etc. But i dont think its its safe what with what i've encounterd on the roads myself. What with the state of the roads and other road users, i don't think it's worth making a point over his life.

 

[fossyant]

Can't be comfy !

 

[spindrift]

Balancing act: Elle Macpherson gave her son Aurelius Cy a lift home from school yesterday on the handlebars of her bike

More...

• Jason Donovan camps it up to star in musical version of Priscilla Queen of the Desert

Jo Stagg, from the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents, was aghast. 'It is both illegal and dangerous,' she said. 'A child on the front handlebars could affect the cyclist's ability to see, steer and balance, and we would not advise parents to carry children in this way - ever.'
Elle, who also has a son Flynn, 10, is not alone in taking a risk on the roads. In 2006 VIscount Linley was spotted carring his daughter to school in a similar manner.

There's nothing wrong with it at all, it's only like carrying touring gear, easier in fact since the child can adapt positioning.

A Dutch mate is wondering what all the fuss is about, too many namby pamby do-gooders in this country, plus remember the kid is exposed to fewer pollutants than if driven in a car.

 

[Jake]

I'm prob wrong but aren't teh Dutch more geered up for cycling, with proper sage cycle lanes with kerbs either side, where as here in london we have motorbikes using them? Not sure about the state of their roads and how they drive over there, but central london can be a death trap.

 

[spindrift]

Central london can be a death trap.

Not really. All factors considers, the health benefits outweigh the risks by a factor of twenty one. The kid's better off by bike. You can't even see if there's a seat there.

 

[4F]

The real crime here is cycling in flip flops, he should get at least 6 months for that.

 

[spindrift]

Well, he is Australian. "Thongs" they call them. Typical.

 

[mr_cellophane]

Elle, who also has a son Flynn, 10, is not alone in taking a risk on the roads. In 2006 Viscount Linley was spotted carring his daughter to school in a similar manner.

Except Lindley's daughter was on the back and facing forwards. So not similar at all.

 

[Arch]

ouch! Jason's cycling in flip flops! I'd be more worried about his toes than Elle's kid...

LLB - all your India quotes are just reports of the general state of the roads and traffic as far as I can see. It doesn't mention more casualties among multi-person bikes - it's just more dangerous generally to be on a bike! And I bet you and your mates were bombing about when you shared bikes and fell off, not pedalling sedately along the road. If you fell off doing that, I suggest you weren't very good riders/passengers!

 

[Amanda P]

God forbid anyone should actually applaud Elle for not using an urban assault vehicle to transport her precious offspring.

Which would obviously be much safer. At least for her and her child. But not for anyone else.