Recreational & Family - Weeride or iBert safe-T-seat?

hi all,

i'm going back to work soon after the birth of my second baby. i need to get 2 young children (aged 2 and a half and 7 months) to daycare before cycling to work myself. i already have a seat for the back of the bike, and now need to get one for the front. i'm not keen on a trailer, as it'll take too long to unhook, fold etc, and i dont want to have to cycle to work with a trailer on the bike.

i live very close to the childcare facility, so i'll probably walk with the bike instead of cycling (i'm not confident enough to cycle with 2 of them).

my questions are:

1.can i walk with the bike comfortably using the the iBert safe-T-seat?
2. if so, is this seat better than the Weeride?
3. other than a double prop stand, is there any other solution to keep the bike safe and upright for the inevitable need to stop on the way?

any advice welcome, thank you!

eoconnor.

I don't have the ibert, but I have liked the weeride so far.

-D

I understand you're not keen on a trailer, however I believe most of the recommendations you get from the other members will be for trailers particularly since you have 2 children. A lot of the others posts I have seen also do not recommend taking a baby in a seat or trailer until the child is 1 year or able to completely support his/her head. In my short time as a member, I notice the community is very safety conscious.

Currently, I am considering buying a Wike or Burley trailer for my son. I'm leaning towards the Wike right now, because it is very simple and quick to attach as well as fold for storage. They have short videos on their site demonstrating these tasks. http://www.wicycle.com

I was checking front-mount child seats, but I could tell I was not going to get much life out of them due to the size limitations. My son is just over 2 and rather tall. Given that and safety concerns, I have turned my attention towards trailers. Good luck!

I have used both these seats.
Started with Ibert as read some good reviews.
in two words, hated it.
Kid was uncomfortable due to no padding on seat, and alos they got thrown around as it attaches to the handlebars.
This attachment also made sterring more difficult and I just felt it was unsafe.
So I then went on bought a WeeRide, in two words, love it.
All becuae it attaches in a much better way.
Puts weight in middle instead of on front and just was so much safer.
Hope it helps
Anne

I had the weeride and didn't like it. Look into the Yepp bike seat. It is new the US and is really wonderful!

I have a topeak ii babyseat and am happy with it so far. the trailers seem a little unsafe to me and i don't like the idea of the kids being near car exhaust and road dirt. am i just being paranoid?

Leave the trailer at the child care facility, pick it and the kid up on the way home.

1. I haven't use the iBert seat, but I've seen it. It attaches to the handlebars, so it would be easier to walk the bike with the smaller kid in the front seat. More weight on the handlebars / stem means more weight trying to flop the wheel over, especially at slow speeds when the gyroscopic force is low.

2. I like the Wee Ride. It attaches to the headtube and seat post with a horizontal steel bar. This is heavy, but puts the kids weight on center of the frame. And you can easily remove the whole seat in 30 seconds and leave it at daycare (the 3 lb bar remains on the bike permanently), like I do. My kid loves to be able to see up front, and has used in since 16 months of age. When he gets tired, he can rest his head on the front pad and sleep fairly well.

I am planning on getting a trailer for our 3-month old (tonight!); I would hesitate to put a kid in a seat much before 1 year of age. Will your 7 month old be in a rear seat with head support, rather than in the front seat? Those helmets can be hard for a 7 month old to handle, if there neck is not extra strong.

3. I would not rely on a kickstand to keep your bike upright with 2 kids. Or even 1. My kid fell over twice before I gave up on this practice (the only time he has needed the helmet). I understand that in Japan, 50% of kid injuries on bikes happen when parents are loading them into the seat, or leaving them on the seat on the bike while propped up.

If you must park the bike and cannot take the kids out, you need to lock the frame to a solid object, so it cannot fall. Locking to a metal fence or a good U/staple bike rack (with two poles on one side of the bike) should work. Lock the frame and lock the wheel thru the spokes, so it can't roll forward, even if jiggled or pushed.

Unless you have a 3-wheel cargo bike, it will fall over with the kids in it someday, if not secured.

I have used both and the wee ride interferes with my knees and I can't ride more than about 100m with it. I like the ibert but i like the bobike mini better.

I have the I-Bert. Flat bars don't work with it (not enough room for the legs to go under). I've got it mounted on a hybrid bike with mtb xc geometry. The mounting point is a metal piece that bolts onto the steer tube, under the stem, so if your steer tube has less than 1" between the headset and stem, forget it. The seat slides into that metal piece from the top bar towards the handlebars (with the feet cradle of the I-bert sliding underneath the handlebars). I know... lots to visualize, if needed, I can post a pic.

Anyway, with the I-bert, basically, your child's main body is placed on top of the top tube with the legs under the handlebars, but the weight is supported by the steer tube. When you are riding, your arms go around the kid (creating a cage or protective posture). The weight on the steer tube / stem / bars don't really matter once you get used to it.

Just to be clear, with the child in the seat, I have to be holding on to the handlebars at all times. One handed, or letting go will result in the child's weight quickly snapping back, turning the bars fully 90 degrees, resulting the child's head whipping directly down into the ground (seat, bike and all).

A compact frame would also be a no go, since the seat intrudes into the top tube area, giving you less room to mount and dismount.

Aside from these important safety considerations, my kid has a blast in it. When I'm actually moving, I can talk to him and point at stuff, etc. I'm even clipped in when I ride, so after getting used to it, it's a fun ride.

And since it's mounted up front, I can still carry the 1 year old in a Burley behind the bike.

tk