Recreational & Family - Is there a way to cycle with a newborn/small baby?

I posted the same question about six months ago when my daughter was 3 months old. I got the same range or responses, from hysterical ("Why would you endanger your baby") to flippant ("they do it in Bangkok/China/etc").

I ended up waiting until my daughter was strong and the weather was decent. She was about 8 months old when I put her in a Burley trailer. I was surprised by how much she bounced around back there, even on roads that looked smooth to me. I was glad I waited until she was that old. I DEFINATELY wouldn't put an infant on a bike having been through the last (almost) year with my daughter. And I tried to think of every possible way to do it last fall.

Anyway, she hates the trailer so it's a moot point anyway...I'm going to try the bob thingy. I bet she'll like that.

I have taken both my children biking before the age of one using there car seat strapped into our burley trailer. This way the car seat in doing to protecting. I strap the car seat in backwards just like in a car. has worked well, they just fall asleep and we ride.

This thread is hilarious. It's not safe. The baby's head will fall off. Etc.

I rode my son to hoikuen (nursery school?) in Japan from age 6 months on. I carried him in a sling type thing on my body for the first six months or so and then put him in a seat that was attached to my handlebars after that. I didn't for one second consider these practices unsafe, neither did any of the other mom's and occasional dads I encountered. No helmets, no bike lanes, none of that crap.

God, Americans are such worrywarts.

So true. When I was in Europe and rode around, I never even considered wearing a helmet - now I wouldn't ride without one.
Perhaps I've grown smarter with age?
I think you make a good observation - but consider these factors:

1) Constant barrage of information (mis-information) on television telling Americans how dangerous EVERYTHING is (from not wearing a helmet to drinking coffee),

2) The natural instinct of a parent to be protective of thier children (which I find it difficult to argue with),

3) The fact that we are a Litigation Society and if not suing someone, we are deathly afraid of either being sued or being arrested by some gung-ho rookie cop who doesn't feel we're being good enough parents!

In any event, while I understand where you're coming from, I'd rather appear to be a Worrywort then risk anything amiss happening to my kid if I can possibly avoid it.

I just wrap my babies in some bubble wrap and stuff them into my messenger bag.

I just wrap my babies in some bubble wrap and stuff them into my messenger bag. Very funny!

I just went biking with my 6 weeks old baby (that currently weighs less than 7 pounds, preemie long story) I put her in a wrap on my chest and she sleep peacefully through the ride. We did 11 miles on a rails to trails, trail that was flat and easy. I don't know that I would want to ride in a heavy traffic this way, but for where we were, it was really very safe. No bumping, no head bouncing. My pediatrician was fine with it.

In this country we are overly concerned about safety. If someone isn't suing, then someone is being charged with child abuse over stupid things. I recently saw a warning on a chainsaw that said (really no kidding) "not for use on hands." Why the heck you need a warning like that is beyond me, but it surely has to be some kind of lawsuit thing. Anyway, that is how this country is.

I wouldn't say overly concerned as much as concerned about the wrong things.

The media in this country is constantly in need of a "new" story, so they tend to play up anything they can get their hands on. I think the average person has lost perspective on their true risks.

Leave it to the folks in Europe (netherlands) to come up with this:
A rack that appears to accept your typical baby car seat:

http://www.steco.nl/producten/afbeeldingen/con_38.jpe
http://www.steco.nl/producten/afbeeldingen/con_37.jpe

Link (http://www.steco.nl/pages/consumer/index.php?taal=nl&page=Producten&cid=12&pid=20)

Leave it to the folks in Europe (netherlands) to come up with this:
A rack that appears to accept your typical baby car seat:

http://www.steco.nl/producten/afbeeldingen/con_38.jpe
http://www.steco.nl/producten/afbeeldingen/con_37.jpe

Link (http://www.steco.nl/pages/consumer/index.php?taal=nl&page=Producten&cid=12&pid=20)

Oh my gosh, I can't believe that baby isn't facing the rear! Well on second thought I guess they actually are :).

That looks like a quick easy setup. Some panniers and you could do some decent shopping.

Leave it to the folks in Europe (netherlands) to come up with this:
A rack that appears to accept your typical baby car seat:

http://www.steco.nl/producten/afbeeldingen/con_38.jpe
http://www.steco.nl/producten/afbeeldingen/con_37.jpe

Link (http://www.steco.nl/pages/consumer/index.php?taal=nl&page=Producten&cid=12&pid=20)

wow... nice...

Wind does not make a kid sick. Bacteria, germs and viruses do.
Where would we be without the vast knowledge of those on the internetz? :rolleyes:

Steven K. Galson would be proud of you.