Baby seats (for bikes)?

First birthday is coming up and I want to get the boy a bike seat so I can take him out on some wicked extreme Seawall epics (shhhhh…. he doesn't know yet).

Anyways, does anyone have any insight in what kind to get? There's the ones that attach to the top tube, the traditional behind-the-rider style, and even those weird new Euro ones that hover above the top tube but move with the handlebars.

Any recommendations on where to get one would be appreciated as well if you know of a great place.

Not interested in a trailer.

I've tried both the "mount to top-tube- hold the handle-bar" style and the "behind the seat" style and ended up with a highly modified "behind the seat" style one. Best bet is used - this isn't an item that gets used for more than 1-3 years and lots of people buy them, use them once, stick them in the garage and then sell them three years later.

Mount to Top-tube - sit in front of you

Pro's
- you can be more interactive with your child
- you can wear a back pack
- your child is "technically" more protected if you fall

Con's
- can be awfully cramped for pedalling - I borrowed one and only used it a couple of times because I had to pedal with my knees going out at a really uncomfortable angle
- you are awfully top heavy
- not the most comfy for baby

Back of the bike - behind the seat

Con's
- existing seats SUCK - they all have poorly designed connection systems and don't integrate well with fully suspended bikes (thus my custom job).
- can't see or talk to your child as easily
- rear-bike weight bias (manualling is easy!)
- you can't wear a back-pack
- less prtection for child if you fall

Pro's
- easiest for you pedalling
- more "independent" for your child
- doesn't raise centre of gravity as much
- easier to go on more trails
- I have lost track of the number of times my son has fallen asleep while riding behind me

Anyways - working on a second generation prototype of my modified "suspension " seat that will solve some of the problems - move child further back, lower their weight, solve clearance issues with disk brakes etc. Watch for a front page article coming up.

i've always felt those things looked as dangerous as hell.

i've always felt those things looked as dangerous as hell.

X2

Trailer ftw.

i've always felt those things looked as dangerous as hell.

do you fall that often when you ride? Wow - sucks to be you…

(never fallen when riding the bike with the seat on it - and we do go on the occasional trail ride)

strap em on your back and hit the dirt jumps

talk to vish

hey but seriously, i think the trailers look way less sketchy. having said that, it would take up $40,000 worth of real estate in your condo.

strap em on your back and hit the dirt jumps

fack! beat me

strap em on your back and hit the dirt jumps

Knew that was coming…

I had the seat out back type ,back then I lived close to thw watershed so we did easy rides in there ,my kids called it the 100 acre wood and one of them swears he seen Winnie the poo

I didn't like the shitty rack they give you with the seat in the seat kits so I had a normal MEC touring rack on my HT to which I retro fit the seat

I bolted the seat to a couple of short lengths of ski pole ,I held the ski pole on the bike with stainless steel hose clamps

it was real easy to take the seat off by just undoing the hose clamps

i've always felt those things looked as dangerous as hell.

I generally refer to them as the catapult.

Trailer sounds the least awkward of them. All I can think about with either of the baby seat options is doubling friends on a bike as kids and how much it screwed up your balance and the inevitable crash that soon followed.

also get a run bike.

You must have been one clumsy kid Heat ;) Every kid in our town doubled someone at least once a day and I cannot recall this resulting in any crashes.

I know you are short on space in the condo, so out of your options I would recommend the rear mounted - but you already knew that.