Child Carriers & Trailers - Input and experience

[Red Zone]

I thought long and hard about this one, we are a bike mad family, my kids are now 3 and a bit and almost 5. I desperately wanted to share my love of cycling with my kids but could never get past the safety issue.

 

A trailer just freaks me out something awful, it is just hanging out there just waiting for some idiot to drive into. I looked at the rear mounted seats, the wee ride and a number of variations. I just couldn't get past the fact that all those systems in some way compromise your control of the bike.

 

I eventually just decided that the kids need to power themselves, so we have gone through JD bugs and are now on pedal bikes and the kids are going from strength to strength, they are still not fast enough for a proper ride but good for a decent run.

 

The long and the short of it, IMO is that getting them riding on their own, from an early age will yield better results than carrying them around.

[gwhite]

I thought long and hard about this one, we are a bike mad family, my kids are now 3 and a bit and almost 5. I desperately wanted to share my love of cycling with my kids but could never get past the safety issue.

 

A trailer just freaks me out something awful, it is just hanging out there just waiting for some idiot to drive into. I looked at the rear mounted seats, the wee ride and a number of variations. I just couldn't get past the fact that all those systems in some way compromise your control of the bike.

 

The long and the short of it, IMO is that getting them riding on their own, from an early age will yield better results than carrying them around.

 

I had the exact same concern when it came to the fact that while on the road the trailer was extremely vulnerable. We chose that they would never be transported in the trailer via the road.

 

But my wife and I made a plan around this, kids brought to the forest by her and I took the trailer to the forest and met them there. Being able to share the forest with them while still at a very young age is a very special moment. Now they have grown up and have their own bikes... still hard not to help them haha but they always tell us to not help them

[dmelenas]

I would recommend a rear mounted seat from experience, reviews and safety advice. Considered a trailer but glad I went the bike mounted seat option due to the flexibility on some technical trail riding.

[Headshot]

We use a backpack for our 12kg 16 m old - its not one of the frame versions however, those are far too unstable, but rather one of these - http://www.africanbabycarrier.co.za/gallery.htm.

 

The advantage of this pack is that kiddo is low on your body and moves with you. You don't notice the weight much as a result. Obviously your bike set up also plays a role. I have a 150mm travel AM bike with TALAS fork and dropper post which makes it possible to tailor the ride as you go to cope with terrain. A steep forked low barred XC hard tail is not going to be ideal.

 

A helmet is obviously required and speed needs to be kept to a safe level. Tuck and roll in a crash is not an option - you have to be prepared to get hurt to protect your baby.

 

I have taken my son up to Silvermine dam from the arboretum a few times and carefully round Hoogekraal. He loves it and its a good work out.

[Ratty]

We have an adventure trailer, it is awesome. Can easily cruise around jeep track so can do nice safe family rides.

 

great thing is if you fall, the trailer still remains upright. Kids are sheltered from the elements, plus I took food, water and toys so my son had plenty to enjoy if he got bored of the scenery.

[Bateleur1]

I agree with Red Zone. One can spend a hell of a lot of money on something that is only useable for a year or two. By age 4 my youngest was cycling on her own bicycle to school with me next to her.

[Stephen Povey]

Hi,

 

So I found this forum while trying to finding a seat for my kids (aged 2 and 4). I thought I'd share what I found.

 

My challenge was a) it had to be cheap and b) it has to fit on my soft tail (most of the options I found were designed for hard tails).

 

What I eventually went with was a Bilby Junior Front Mount (R700 from Sportmans Warehouse). http://www.sportsmanswarehouse.co.za/bilby-junior-front-seat.html#.U9jk6vmSx8E

 

The design was to fit on the front of the bike and hover over the cross bar. However, my bike (Giant Anthem X1), and I guess many other Mountain Bikes, wont fit the mount. So I tried it on the seat post and hey presto! Now one of the kids can ride behind me and the other on my wife's bike.

 

So as long as the kids stay under 15kg all should be good.

 

Cheers!