How to carry a child on a bike?

[shoestring7]

I hope the PH's pedallers can help with this. I have a Specialised hybrid for commuting and an old MTB for messing around on rides with the family. I have one of those little saddles mounted on the x-bar with pegs that young SS7jnr (aged 3 3/4) uses. Its great, he's reasonably safe between my arms, I can see what he's up to, and we can chat as we go along. C of G is better too.

Now Mrs SS7 rides a 'lady's' bike without a cross-bar. She prefers comfort to sportive and I can't get her on anything with a x-bar, or with handlebars less that 6" above the saddle!

Until recently SS7 jnr used a rear mounted child-seat on her bike for the school runs(I'm not usually around). However, he's a bit of a big lump and is now too heavy for the seat. He's too young to ride his little bike with us on roads, and I don't like the thought of him being in a trailer isolated from the family in amoungst the exhaust fumes.

Have any other PHers got a solution to this? Is there a 'lady's' bike on the market that can be fitted with one of the front mounted child saddles? Maybe something in the Dutch bike mould???

Any suggestions would be most welcome. We live on the sunny south coast, so I'd like to exhaust all the options before we have to get the car out for the 2 mile run to school.

cheers,


SS7

[ewenm]

One of those third wheel bikes that attaches to your seatpost perhaps?

[Minnsy]

We use a trialabike - which is the trailer I guess you are talking about. We live in a small village, so although the traffic still tends to ignore us, there is a lot less traffic about. Fits to the seatpost of Madam's bike...stable, efficient, and when the little one peddles, is drives their back wheel, so you can freewheel!

Beats driving to school...

[clonmult]

ewenm said:

One of those third wheel bikes that attaches to your seatpost perhaps?

I went from a rear seat for my son to a tag-along type, its absolutely fantastic. As long as you're sensible with it, be aware of the much increased length of the bike and the traffic around, you should be fine. It'll teach the little 'un a little more about road safety as well.

My son did make me laugh though - only 5 years old, but he started to complain about no brakes. And it does make a difference when he pedals; not much maybe, but its definitely good.

[shoestring7]

clonmult said:

ewenm said:

One of those third wheel bikes that attaches to your seatpost perhaps?

I went from a rear seat for my son to a tag-along type, its absolutely fantastic. As long as you're sensible with it, be aware of the much increased length of the bike and the traffic around, you should be fine. It'll teach the little 'un a little more about road safety as well.

My son did make me laugh though - only 5 years old, but he started to complain about no brakes. And it does make a difference when he pedals; not much maybe, but its definitely good.

How do you keep an eye on the nipper? Or do you just hope he'll hang on.....

SS7

[ewenm]

shoestring7 said:

clonmult said:

ewenm said:

One of those third wheel bikes that attaches to your seatpost perhaps?

I went from a rear seat for my son to a tag-along type, its absolutely fantastic. As long as you're sensible with it, be aware of the much increased length of the bike and the traffic around, you should be fine. It'll teach the little 'un a little more about road safety as well.

My son did make me laugh though - only 5 years old, but he started to complain about no brakes. And it does make a difference when he pedals; not much maybe, but its definitely good.

How do you keep an eye on the nipper? Or do you just hope he'll hang on.....

SS7

Get yourself a handlebar mounted wing mirror too.

[clonmult]

My lads a chatterbox .....

But there gets a point where you've got to trust them to behave themselves.