Bike seat for toddler.
 

My wife and daughter suggested that I get a bike seat to put on my TREK 1000 road bike so that I can take my 18 month old grandson for the occasional ride around the neighborhood. I have no problem with the idea. I can do the mechanicals involved and am willing to make the cash investment which will include a helmet for the little guy. My concern is that I should wait until he's 2 years old. Is 18 months to young? Need your input and advice. Thx, Thom.

Not to rain on your parade but a kids bike seat is NOT the
best ,nor safest, way to take kids for a bike ride.

Any bike seat is to high off the ground magnafying the energy
of any fall due the leverage that will be applied in the fall.
A much safer way , that is also cheaper longeterm, is a kids
bike trailer that will place your kids closer to the ground in
a much safer enclosed environment. Do a search on bike trailers
to see what others think about this kids safety issue.

Thanks. That's what I needed to know. Will check-out the bike trailers.

I totally agree w/ tightwad. I used a bike seat w/ my daughter a few times. I was terrified of falling because the seat make the bike very top heavy. Now we use a trailer. It's much safer! You can buy an Instep trailer at Target for $100.

I'd like to add that, in addition to safety issues already mentioned, a squirming child makes for many corrections to hold the line. Also, you need to carry a lot of stuff whenever you take a child anywhere -- a trailer solves this problem. A covered trailer is also good if there is cold or rain.

Paul

I started using a toddler bikeseat when my oldest was probably about 7 or 8 months old and he loved it. I bought a Raleigh "step-through" or "double downtube" frame so I wouldnt have to swing my leg over the seat when I got on and off. I also had a kickstand to hold the bike while I put him in, and took him out of the toddler seat. It does involve a bit more care and some getting used to.

I'm not sure I'd want to use one with my Sirrus, which has a higher cross tube and is about half the weight of my old Raleigh.

Stacy

being that my son is 2 1/2 now he still rides behind me in a bike seat.he just loves it.if it were up to him that is how we would go anywhere.it is almost like not having anyone back there.he doesn't move but I know that he is lookin around and checkin things out.yea it is a little top heavy to start but once we are rollin it is no problem.
I take that back,when he puts his feet on the calves of my legs to help me peddle it is a problem.but he is trying to help.

30 years ago I used to take my daughter in a seat, it took a bit of getting used to the extra weight on the back. For mounting and dismounting I would stand next to the rear wheel holding the back of the seat and swing my leg forwards over the top tube. She really preferred running along the sidewalk next to the bike. When she visited last summer with my grand-daughter (16 months), I put a seat on the back of my beater. She loved it, and whenever she went past the bike in the hallway she would try and climb up into the seat.