Front mounted child seat
Discussion
I hate the idea of a trailer and would rather have a front-mounted seat than a rear seat, but how do they change the handling/balance of a bike? Are they any more risky than a rear seat in normal use?
Our 8 month old is already 10.5kg so a very chunky monkey - I'm 6ft5 and 100kg myself so is a mountain bike with 26" wheels the best bet, or can I still go with a 700c hybrid? That's what I currently use for my commuting but it would mean a front-mounted seat would be higher from the ground than on a mountain bike with smaller wheels.
Our 8 month old is already 10.5kg so a very chunky monkey - I'm 6ft5 and 100kg myself so is a mountain bike with 26" wheels the best bet, or can I still go with a 700c hybrid? That's what I currently use for my commuting but it would mean a front-mounted seat would be higher from the ground than on a mountain bike with smaller wheels.
I have a weeride Safefront seat, and I really like it. My boy loves it too. Handling of the bike doesn't change much, can feel the extra weight but I've done basic singletrack and ridden down stairs etc with no issues. Their weight is right over the natural centre of gravity rather than hung out the back. He can see where we are going, wave at people, point at ducks or choose what way we are going, it's really good fun. Gets a great response from passers by too.
I'm 6'2" and have quite long arms which helps, it does make you ride with your knees splayed out slightly which takes a bit of getting used to but for an hour or two at a time it's fine, it's not like you're going to be doing centuries with kiddo on the bike. I have it fitted to a 26" hardtail with riser bars to give a bit more space.
There is a steel bar which attaches between the head tube and seat post and the seat attaches to this with a child-safe hand bolt and a safety strap so the seat can be taken off quickly leaving the bar in place. Feels sturdy enough.
Make sure you have decent brakes as the extra weight does make a difference.
I had him on the seat until recently, I think the weight limit for a front mounted seat is about 15kg? But it's a bit of a grey area as that's what the EU says you can put on the handlebars, but the weeride seats don't mount to the handlebars so they imply that the seats are safe for a much higher weight limit. My son is quite tall so I don't think he will go on it any more, but he is nearly 3 so time to get him a balance bike
I'm 6'2" and have quite long arms which helps, it does make you ride with your knees splayed out slightly which takes a bit of getting used to but for an hour or two at a time it's fine, it's not like you're going to be doing centuries with kiddo on the bike. I have it fitted to a 26" hardtail with riser bars to give a bit more space.
There is a steel bar which attaches between the head tube and seat post and the seat attaches to this with a child-safe hand bolt and a safety strap so the seat can be taken off quickly leaving the bar in place. Feels sturdy enough.
Make sure you have decent brakes as the extra weight does make a difference.
I had him on the seat until recently, I think the weight limit for a front mounted seat is about 15kg? But it's a bit of a grey area as that's what the EU says you can put on the handlebars, but the weeride seats don't mount to the handlebars so they imply that the seats are safe for a much higher weight limit. My son is quite tall so I don't think he will go on it any more, but he is nearly 3 so time to get him a balance bike
Thanks for this, I'll have a look and see what's out there. I thought I remembered seeing one where the child sat over the front wheel, almost like how front panniers are affixed, rather than over the top tube, but I guess the mechanics of that would make it unworkable - must have been imagining it?
I had a weeride front mounted seat for my daughter when she was small (6 to 18 months). Got on ok with it, but when she got bigger it became more difficult to steer having to reach around her.
We then progressed on to rear mounted seats (both my wife and I had one on each of our bikes) and thought they were brilliant. Our two kids liked them too - a big cushioned seat with armrests and a good view of the world going by. Handling was not much affected, just felt like a heavier bike (I guess if you really wanted to, you could get yourself into trouble doing wheelies but you'd have to be riding like a t
t) and you could carry a much bigger and heavier kid without them getting in your way.
Then at about age 4/5 the kids could ride their own bikes so we've now dropped the seats completely.
We then progressed on to rear mounted seats (both my wife and I had one on each of our bikes) and thought they were brilliant. Our two kids liked them too - a big cushioned seat with armrests and a good view of the world going by. Handling was not much affected, just felt like a heavier bike (I guess if you really wanted to, you could get yourself into trouble doing wheelies but you'd have to be riding like a t
t) and you could carry a much bigger and heavier kid without them getting in your way.Then at about age 4/5 the kids could ride their own bikes so we've now dropped the seats completely.
It's trailer-low-down-in-traffic vs falling-down-strapped-to-a-bike and I think I'm happier with the latter, neither of them are ideal to be honest but there you go. We'll go with a front seat for the next year or so as he'll basically be a semi-sentient blob and it's good to have him where I can see him, and then maybe switch to a rear seat when he gets too big but can entertain himself a bit more.
I once saw a mother down at Sidmouth folk festival on a quadrem (or whatever a four-seater tandem would be called) with three kids under the age of about ten - it was a monster machine, the only other time I've seen one is in a transport museum.
I once saw a mother down at Sidmouth folk festival on a quadrem (or whatever a four-seater tandem would be called) with three kids under the age of about ten - it was a monster machine, the only other time I've seen one is in a transport museum.
I had a weeride for the front and hated it. Could not get the positioning right with my little one as she got bigger... she was always comfy but I was always having to open my legs a little too much when pedalling. This isn't an issue when popping 5mins to the shops, but if you are putting some miles in it soon hurt.
I now use a Hamax Siesta on the back of a CX bike that I bought especially for these duties. The Frame is alu, it runs 32c tyres and being a decent geo I can get my head down and move along a bit when I need to. The seat itself is good and I trust she's not going to fall out of it, Also the metal bars fixing to the frame do a good job of damping the bumps! The bonus with this specific model is that you can adjust the angle (red knob) and with the seat reclined she'll even have a nap!
https://www.hamax.com/product/siesta/
I now use a Hamax Siesta on the back of a CX bike that I bought especially for these duties. The Frame is alu, it runs 32c tyres and being a decent geo I can get my head down and move along a bit when I need to. The seat itself is good and I trust she's not going to fall out of it, Also the metal bars fixing to the frame do a good job of damping the bumps! The bonus with this specific model is that you can adjust the angle (red knob) and with the seat reclined she'll even have a nap!
https://www.hamax.com/product/siesta/
Weeride used here for both my kids. It is really good to be able to have a chat as you ride along which is much more difficult (impossible?) with a trailer. Handling was fine. A trailer didn't feel safe enough for me.
I would use the MTB as it is a bit more robust than a hybrid and the additional weight is noticeable. Also a bit more tyre will make it a bit more comfortable for both of you.
I have also tried rear mounted seats but couldn't get on with them. Minimal interaction with kids when on a ride and the weight distribution was really off putting.
I would use the MTB as it is a bit more robust than a hybrid and the additional weight is noticeable. Also a bit more tyre will make it a bit more comfortable for both of you.
I have also tried rear mounted seats but couldn't get on with them. Minimal interaction with kids when on a ride and the weight distribution was really off putting.
I was planning on buying a weeride for my little boy, but ended up with a long term loan of a Hamax Siesta, so used that instead. It does affect the weight distribution of the bike, but it has been fine for gentle family rides. My son absolutely loves it!
Riding round Draycote with Owen by Lewis Craik, on Flickr
Riding round Draycote with Owen by Lewis Craik, on Flickr
Steve UK said:
Draycote! awesome We ride around there a lot. Living in Cawston and just nip across the fields.
We have a Yepp mini, amazing bit of kit. Used it since my little girl was 6 months and now occasionally when she is nearly 4.
Last summer I did some red routes around Coed Y Brenin with it. Seat is attached to a Cotic Bfe.
Steve
We have a Yepp mini, amazing bit of kit. Used it since my little girl was 6 months and now occasionally when she is nearly 4.
Last summer I did some red routes around Coed Y Brenin with it. Seat is attached to a Cotic Bfe.
Steve
You are all doing it wrong. Here's how we roll in Holland:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=llQmKXAGeXU
On a more serious and useful note, we used a Yepp Mini on the front of out bikes when Ben was small and it was great, no issues with balance and especially nice with the windscreen to go with it. We now have the larger Yepp on the back of my wife's bike for shorter trips and a Hamax Siesta on the back of my commuting bike for longer trips.
Saying that, Ben is now 4 and rides his own bike so usually he rides with us until he's tired and then we attach him to the back of my mountain-bike with a trail gator.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=llQmKXAGeXU
On a more serious and useful note, we used a Yepp Mini on the front of out bikes when Ben was small and it was great, no issues with balance and especially nice with the windscreen to go with it. We now have the larger Yepp on the back of my wife's bike for shorter trips and a Hamax Siesta on the back of my commuting bike for longer trips.
Saying that, Ben is now 4 and rides his own bike so usually he rides with us until he's tired and then we attach him to the back of my mountain-bike with a trail gator.
FINALLY got around to buying and fitting a Weeride Safefront seat, only been up and down the street a few times but he took to it really well, waving at people like he was the queen and pointing at things he wanted to go closer to! The splayed knees thing is fine, I guess I have pretty wide hips already, but I have touring handlebars that are further forward than where straightbar handlebars would be, so his head bops off my chest a little, and that's without him wearing a helmet. I can adjust my ride position a little though, it shouldn't be a problem, and it's only going to be mostly journeys of a mile or two.
Also, although the weight limit is given as 15kg as that seems to be what Euro regulations state can be hung from the handlebars, this distributes the weight across the whole bike frame so it's only really going to be his height/size that will dictate when he can stop using it. I didn't feel much difference in handling with him on the bike, except very careful when doing u-turns etc to avoid putting too much sideways stress on the seat - the bar frame it sits on is really solid but there is only ONE thumbscrew that keeps the plastic seat attached to it! 'eep'
Thanks for the advice.
Also, although the weight limit is given as 15kg as that seems to be what Euro regulations state can be hung from the handlebars, this distributes the weight across the whole bike frame so it's only really going to be his height/size that will dictate when he can stop using it. I didn't feel much difference in handling with him on the bike, except very careful when doing u-turns etc to avoid putting too much sideways stress on the seat - the bar frame it sits on is really solid but there is only ONE thumbscrew that keeps the plastic seat attached to it! 'eep'
Thanks for the advice.
Hey all. Looking at doing something similar with either a front, or rear seat.
Personal preference is towards a front - but I haven't actually tried it yet, so don't have a feel for if the 'knees out the side' will aggravate me too much.
In terms of bike, am looking at either something like the btwin riverside 900 hybrid, or a Voodoo Hoodoo MTB - am expecting majority of rding to be on canal paths and forest trails, plus I already have a road bike, so inclined to go down the hardtail MTB route..
Has anyone any success mounting these two MTBs (or ideally a Voodoo Hoodoo?
Personal preference is towards a front - but I haven't actually tried it yet, so don't have a feel for if the 'knees out the side' will aggravate me too much.
In terms of bike, am looking at either something like the btwin riverside 900 hybrid, or a Voodoo Hoodoo MTB - am expecting majority of rding to be on canal paths and forest trails, plus I already have a road bike, so inclined to go down the hardtail MTB route..
Has anyone any success mounting these two MTBs (or ideally a Voodoo Hoodoo?
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