Infants and bikes

[oldskoolboarder]

I've read a few trailer/baby seat threads and some longtime cyclists have indicated taking their kids on rides as early as 6 mos.

I'm a strong advocate of safety and don't allow my kid inside the burley w/o her helmet, nor do I let her skate w/o pads and helmet. That's me, but I'm all for preventive measures.

I have a new kid coming and I'm somehow dreading that I won't be able to pull the kids until both of them can sit in the trailer. I'm curious, how do you get a 6 month old on a trailer/bike safely? I can't fathom putting a child on a bike w/o a helmet and my kid couldn't fit one until she was over a year old, and she has a BIG head.

[climbo]

I guess you don't, safety and helmets etc. is too much of an issue at that age. You might have to wait a bit. I was going to do this with my little girl but haven't yet, she can trike it or bike it around the neighbourhood herself when she's a little older (with helmet for sure !!)

[oldskoolboarder]

Yeah, I was curious to hear from the extreme folk that tend to start 'em early. I'm curious to the reasoning.

Years ago, I was snowboarding at Alpine Meadows in Tahoe. A skiing couple got on the lift w/ their infant in a backpack harness. Kids was less than a year old, no helmet, happy as a clam. They let the couple on the lift. At the top, the dad put the backpack on and skied down the hill. The extreme part of me thought, how cool, that kid can go skiiing. Then I practical side said, WTF? If he falls once, that kid is in a world of hurt. I couldn't believe the lift operators even let him on.

[climbo]

yep, exactly !! One stack and the kid is hurt very badly, nuts!! The guilt on me would be unimaginable if something happened to my daughter. Yeah, I'm protective but not over the top either, she roams the house falling down all day but a bike or ski at 30 kp/h is a different story.

[Buzzbomb]

Yeah, I'm protective but not over the top either, she roams the house falling down all day but a bike or ski at 30 kp/h is a different story.

And this is my approach to kids in trailers. Mine don't wear helmets in the trailer, but do on the bike seat or on their own bikes. I'm in control of the trailer, and am very aware of my children's safety, and cycle appropriately. YMMV

[dirtbikedude]

My little one started at 6mo but she was already walking and able to support her head with a helmet at that age. At 12mo she was on her first tricycle. She was/is very strong and athletic so it was not a problem at 6mo. The biggest worry is the strength of the childs neck. Each child is different so you will have to be the judge with your kid. No one can tell you it is a good or bad idea with out knowing your child and seeing first hand their development.

:beer:

[phinney]

I was taking my first daughter out at 6 months by putting her car seat in the bike trailer. This worked great. She had all kinds of security, her head was well supported, and I didn't feel a helmet was necessary.

Now with the second daughter there isn't room in the trailer for a car seat and the two of them. The second one has to wait until she can do without the car seat. Probably around a year of age or so.

[INP]

Have to say, the trailers have freaked me out on several occasions - as a motorist as well as a cyclist, many's the time when I have had to give HUGE detours around parents towing children in trailers that have a width beyond the bike's handlebars......often they're gently swaying back and forth with the bike motion, requiring motorists to give a huge amount of room, often needing to cross centerlines to pass. I'm not opposed to motorists giving way - it just made me nervous how close so many cars came to taking out a trailer with a little kid in it, let alone a regular biker. I don't know that I would feel comfortable putting my child in one if on the road......

That said, my wee one is approaching 10 mos, and in a bit we're looking at having her on a bike, along some local trails (Victoria, where I live, was recently declared Cycling Capital of Canada for accessibility, driver friendliness, and number of trails/lanes) - any opinions on the best mode of transport? Infant seats, age appropriateness (she's a strong and active child for her age), that sort of thing?

Cheerio,

INP

[Phone Man]

When I bought my Burley D-Lite trailer I listened to some guy go on and on about how he fabricated a mold for his child out of a type of packing material similiar to styrofoam. He went on a 30 mile ride with his 3 or 4 month old. I looked at him like he was crazy, and he told me "If it's important that you ride, you'll find a way!" It did not work to take my son out until he could sit upright and completely support his own head. I ended up having to wait for his second spring which made him around 16 months old. He could have gone earlier but Iowa winter's do not allow for early riding.

[spang621]

When I bought my Burley D-Lite trailer I listened to some guy go on and on about how he fabricated a mold for his child out of a type of packing material similiar to styrofoam. He went on a 30 mile ride with his 3 or 4 month old. I looked at him like he was crazy, and he told me "If it's important that you ride, you'll find a way!" It did not work to take my son out until he could sit upright and completely support his own head. I ended up having to wait for his second spring which made him around 16 months old. He could have gone earlier but Iowa winter's do not allow for early riding.

wow that dude is messed up. "if it's important to you, you'll find a way to not needlessly endanger your child!" my almost 6mo old loves the jogger stroller. thinking about stepping up to the bike. any other criteria i should use to judge his readiness?

[madhouse]

My brother strapped his infant car seat into his Burley trailer in order to take his infant biking. The child's spine did not have a helmet to try and support, and the child was in a reclined position to better distribute the road shock. I can't say my nephew turnded out totally normal... but that has a lot to do with who his father is!

[Gardener]

It was good reading this thread- Thank you!

I'm a soon to be father come July and am thinking about how my daughter and I will go cycling. I'm weary of the seats- they seem like a lot of the wrong weight in the wrong spot- I see the bike flipping out, giving her a long way to fall, even with a helmet.

I do like the bike trailers, but I worry about the crazy cars taking it out. Putting a car seat in it's a great idea. It sounds like I'll have to wait for the summer after next, though.

Okay, don't jump all over me, but I was thinking about carrying her on a front pack and riding my slow 3-speed upright bike. My thoughts were that it would be safe weight distribution, not a trailer to get whacked off, I would have good visibility, and speed not being the name of the game, we could go down the trails and run errands. Caveat: I live in Chicago.

But anyrate, I could tow a trailer down the bike paths and feel safer. If you can carry a newborn in an infant carseat, is there any reason you can't carry a very young child in a carseat in a trailer?

Please be kind, I'm asking an honest question and love my coming daughter as much you anyone else. : ) thanks.

[Gardener]

I found this: http://www.helmets.org/little1s.htm

[caloso]

We have a Chariot that converts from a jogger to a trailer pretty easily. No one ever suggested putting on a helmet for when I push it as a jogger. If I'm doing 8 minute miles, that's 7.5 mph. If I pull it behind my bike at 10 or 12 mph, is it that more dangerous that it requires helmets for the kids?

[cyccommute]

It was good reading this thread- Thank you!

I'm a soon to be father come July and am thinking about how my daughter and I will go cycling. I'm weary of the seats- they seem like a lot of the wrong weight in the wrong spot- I see the bike flipping out, giving her a long way to fall, even with a helmet.

I do like the bike trailers, but I worry about the crazy cars taking it out. Putting a car seat in it's a great idea. It sounds like I'll have to wait for the summer after next, though.

Okay, don't jump all over me, but I was thinking about carrying her on a front pack and riding my slow 3-speed upright bike. My thoughts were that it would be safe weight distribution, not a trailer to get whacked off, I would have good visibility, and speed not being the name of the game, we could go down the trails and run errands. Caveat: I live in Chicago.

But anyrate, I could tow a trailer down the bike paths and feel safer. If you can carry a newborn in an infant carseat, is there any reason you can't carry a very young child in a carseat in a trailer?

Please be kind, I'm asking an honest question and love my coming daughter as much you anyone else. : ) thanks.

Long, long ago, my wife and I put our first child in a baby carrier/car seat, strapped it to the inside of a Burley trailer and went riding. My daughter was born on 27 Feb and we had her out and riding on 27 March. She spent many hours in that trailer without problem or incident. People in cars gave us a wide berth and we never had problems with traffic. We even pulled her over Rabbit Ears Pass that September.

I wouldn't put a child in a carrier on my body but in a trailer I feel they are quite safe. YMMV.

Stuart Black

[oldskoolboarder]

We have a Chariot that converts from a jogger to a trailer pretty easily. No one ever suggested putting on a helmet for when I push it as a jogger. If I'm doing 8 minute miles, that's 7.5 mph. If I pull it behind my bike at 10 or 12 mph, is it that more dangerous that it requires helmets for the kids?

I also live in CA. Do a google with 'california helmet law AND bicycle' and you'll see that anyone under 18 must wear a helmet. I know I'm pretty cautious, so I would NEVER let my child on a bike/skateboard w/o a helmet. I know other parents are OK w/ no helmet, and that's a personal choice. But in California, it's the law.

[oldskoolboarder]

But anyrate, I could tow a trailer down the bike paths and feel safer. If you can carry a newborn in an infant carseat, is there any reason you can't carry a very young child in a carseat in a trailer?

Please be kind, I'm asking an honest question and love my coming daughter as much you anyone else. : ) thanks.

But your child doesn't have a helmet.

[caloso]

Well, you're right, oldskoolboarder. See Veh. C. Sec. 21212:

21212. (a) A person under 18 years of age shall not operate a bicycle, a
nonmotorized scooter, or a skateboard, nor shall they wear in-line or roller
skates, nor ride upon a bicycle, a nonmotorized scooter, or a skateboard as a
passenger, upon a street, bikeway, as defined in Section 890.4 of the Streets
and Highways Code, or any other public bicycle path or trail unless that
person is wearing a properly fitted and fastened bicycle helmet that meets the
standards of either the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) or
the United States Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), or standards
subsequently established by those entities. This requirement also applies to
a person who rides upon a bicycle while in a restraining seat that is attached
to the bicycle or in a trailer towed by the bicycle.

So, even though I and cyccommute think that it's just as safe, the law is pretty clear. So, I just spent my REI dividend on infant helmets. They are pretty darn cute, I have to say.

Be safe, everybody.

[oldskoolboarder]

Well, you're right, oldskoolboarder. See Veh. C. Sec. 21212:

21212. (a) A person under 18 years of age shall not operate a bicycle, a
nonmotorized scooter, or a skateboard, nor shall they wear in-line or roller
skates, nor ride upon a bicycle, a nonmotorized scooter, or a skateboard as a
passenger, upon a street, bikeway, as defined in Section 890.4 of the Streets
and Highways Code, or any other public bicycle path or trail unless that
person is wearing a properly fitted and fastened bicycle helmet that meets the
standards of either the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) or
the United States Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), or standards
subsequently established by those entities. This requirement also applies to
a person who rides upon a bicycle while in a restraining seat that is attached
to the bicycle or in a trailer towed by the bicycle.

So, even though I and cyccommute think that it's just as safe, the law is pretty clear. So, I just spent my REI dividend on infant helmets. They are pretty darn cute, I have to say.

Be safe, everybody.

Ride safe and enjoy. My kid loves hers w/ dinosaurs.

BTW, another law I've "heard" but not actually seen in print is that all riders must wear helmets in CA state parks. Can anyone verify that?

[twowheeler]

I shudder to think about it now, but almost 20 years ago when my son was little (1yr), I took him all the time out on the back of my bike in one of those seats. Helmets were not common then, al least not arounf here. We mostly went around the neighborhood, and not real fast. He would usually fall asleep back there. I would NOT do this anymore, scares me to even think about it.

[Gardener]

After researching this, I could not conscienctiously put my child on a bike seat. The trailer is pretty good, though my fiance and I are really gung-ho about the sidecar that Chariot makes. The advantages are child is more observable and talkable with. I also grew up with sidecars: my father built us a sidecar bike when we were little. It's also his self-employed career : )

My daughter will be born in July, so when the following summer rolls around, she will also be about a year old. So we'll just play it safe and wait. Maybe I would take her on the smooth bike trail by our apartment, but not the streets (chicago).

anyway, thanks for the input,
Garth

[piejenny]

i'm currently using a bike seat that is mounted in the center of the bike rather than the rear. my daughter is nine months and loves it. the bike seem more stable.

[oldskoolboarder]

Everyone needs to make their own decisions as parents. I choose not to allow my kids on any bikes/trailers w/o a proper fitting helmet. My Chariot Cougar does most of it's duty as a jogger and only as a trailer for my 3 yr old. When my 5 mo old can fit a helmet, then he can ride but not before. In California, it's the law that ANYONE under 18 MUST wear a helmet.

http://www.co.san-bernardino.ca.us/pubhlth/SAFE/CalLaw.html

[sydney_b]

though my fiance and I are really gung-ho about the sidecar that Chariot makes. The advantages are child is more observable and talkable with.

I love the sidecar. If I had a little one, I'd be inclined to go for this, simply for the easy of communicating with them. Not to mention it leaves room for hitching a trailer for grocery runs and other daily life things.

[CVB]

Funny to think that when I was three, my obsessively safety-conscious mom would tote me around the neighborhood on the rack (no child seat!) on the back of her 3 speed. I'd hang onto to her waist and dangle my feet out to the sides to keep 'em out of the spokes. I'd never dream of doing that with my kids, but there we were. Ironically, she now worries about her granddaughters when I put one of them in a proper child seat on the back of my bike with a helmet on.

[Axiom Man]

well at some point they will be riding on the street, and they need to be able to ride safely. check out this site www.thebiketutor.com, this child/cargo carrier is new and designed to teach them how to ride
http://thebiketutor.com/shop/images/uploads/thumbs/thumb_view%20angle%20forward%20good.jpg