Banzai

My wife will KILL me if she finds out I posted this online...but lucky for me she doesn't read Bike Forums!

Anyhow, we just found out over a month ago that we're going to be having a baby. So now I guess I need to start shopping for something to tow the yard monkey with.

Recommendations?

I saw a Schwinn Joyrider in the performance catalog...but I'm wary of Schwinn products with their big box store associations.

I'm probably jumping the gun a little here, but I'm excited. Rationally, I suppose I shouldn't be thinking of a purchase like this for a few more years.

Portis

You are at least 21 months away from needing one, so i think you have plenty of time to look.

donnamb 

I think you'll get a better response in Recreational & Family.

DieselDan

I've had fun with my toddler on a Topeak Babysitter on my wife's Trek Sole Ride
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If you do go the child seat route, use a step through frame. Still, wait until the child can sit up and hold a helmet on his/her own before going out on a bike. Never put an infant carrier in a child trailer. I've seen far too many ignorant people put infants in a trailer or carrier, sometimes with tragic results. You've heard of the sacrifices of parenthood? Time for yourself, and on the bike, is one of them.

masiman

I'd vote for a trailer over the child seats, but that is mostly for flexibility and secondly for safety. The child seats are safe but they affect the balance of the bike more adversely. Their is less worry of injury if you or your wife are not secure in your bike handling skills. The major reason I prefer the trailer though is they are more useful for far longer. The child can ride in them longer than the seats. The child has more room in them for snacks, pillows and things. You can fit two kids in them if you decide to have a second.

Most don't put their kids in trailers until they have decent head control, which is about 1 year but I personally start ~10 months on easy rides to parks. Not everyone is willing to put a child carrier a trailer but it is doable. Not everyone puts a helmet on their kids in trailers. Unless the trailer is designed for helmet use, you should rig something to keep the helmet from pushing the head forward. All of these choices will be yours. Just understand the risks. Your comfort on the bike should help guide your choices.

If you go the trailer route, you can find good used Burleys and Chariots on Craigslist for about 2/3 - 1/2 the cost, sometimes cheaper. There are other high quality trailers. The better ones will generally be $300+ new. Decide what features you want such as single or double, foldable for transport and storage, easy connection so you can switch between bikes, replaceable fabric if you buy used or plan to have it for a long time.

simsi

We've used a Rhode Gear Limo seat for both of our children. Ingrid is now 10 months and has started sitting in her seat in the last few weeks. As far as balance and the need to carry baby gear etc. around, we also used lowrider front panniers.

Sci-Fi

Best to wait until your child has stronger neck muscles to handle a helmet and the bumpy ride (seat or trailer). You have plenty of time to look around and compare...it's not something you need to buy now or even a year or 2 from now.

Did see a mother on a cruiser bike use something like this:

Baby Bjorn baby carrier has a built-in head and neck support.
Optional cover:


The Schwinn Joyrider is their top of the line model, but is considered mid-range when compared to other brands. Do a search, many have bought Schwinn branded trailers and are satisfied...they are often purchased new at low/on-sale prices from their local Target, Costco, or department stores.

Here are craigslist listing for your area (if I got it right...lol):
https://austin.craigslist.org/search/...ycle%20trailer

ReturnsForSale may have some decent deals, but check the "grade" ratings before buying there and only consider the "Grade A" or new/closeout items.

Forgot to say congrats on your upcoming new born.

HardyWeinberg

I'm told that's a classic uh non-North American seat up, kindergartener behind the parent on rack seat, toddler on handlebar seat, baby in chest carrier on full susp mtn bike, mom on cell phone...

Stepthrough frame for kidseat makes sense, we just went the burley trailer route. Can't say best age to start, we couldn't put our 2nd in until she had the coordination/strength to defend her space from her brother, who was ~3 when we first put him in the trailer. We jumped the gun on the 12 month mark for her, but you have to gauge your kid individually.

squirl

I bought one for my daughter when she was -6 months so I know what you are feeling. I first put her in it while she was in her carseat to keep her stable. I first purchased a used Burley single trailer for 3oo bucks. When My son came along I got a nice cheap foldable and light one from my LBS for $150 and have put hundreds of miles on it. Although there was some quality differences, they didnt seem to affect the actual hualing. I highly recomend a trailer if you plan to have the kids in it for long periods and you can just pop the kids in and run to the store for a quick adventure.
Good Luck .

DynamicD74

I like the Baby Bjorn carrier for carrying the baby when you are walking, and the Chariot Caddie for when you are biking. However, the Chariot Caddie, as with any trailer, should not be used before the baby is one year old. It is the position of most pediatricians that the baby's neck muscles are not strong enough to tolerate any adverse activity that might happen in the trailer.

Banzai

Thanks for the words. Like I said in my original post, I'm certain that I'm jumping the gun by a few years, but the thought occurred to me whilst paging through the Performance catalog (how's that for marketing). Anyhow, since I was thinking about it I thought I'd ask.

DieselDan

I bought the BabySitter (see pic) when my daughter was only 3 months old, but I got it for $6 at a thrift store. Since it can be removed from the rack, the rack was worth the $6 alone. Yes, I know the MSRP is $149, and I know the wholesale dealer price. Nothing is wrong with it.

triplerider

We inherited a used double burley for our first child and we used it with our second for a while. I strapped their carseat in starting around 6 months old and it worked great. By the time our second was riding in it our oldest was 4 and was already stoking the tandem for me so we were still able to use this setup. After many miles on the burley and since it was used and free I figured we had earned a new one. We bought a single chariot cougar a while back and I love it. I like the cockpit and harness system better, our 1 year old doesn't have the problem of falling over when he falls asleep but rather stays pretty comfortable. Works better as a stroller too and of course the ski attachment etc that you can get for it. None of it is very cheap but you can re-sale it later pretty easily I'm sure. Chariot also has something called an infant sling that I've never tried but I think it elevates them like in a hammock where they don't get as jolted.

Here are a couple pics, you can kind of see the carseat in the burley.

familyguy

I use an OK Baby (very much like the Ergon model, but an older version) with my daughter (18 months, 10kg or so) and occasionally my son (4 years, 17kg). My son is at the upper end of the weight limit that I'd ride with, cause he shifts about. I agree totally with the line about balance being upset by a moving weight over the back axle. But a trailer just wasnt worthy for such a low-mileage option for us. If I had good roads/tracks and more time, maybe so.

My main problem (well, the kids problem really), is that I am tall, and sit VERY high on my bikes. Mounting the seat as directed, lower to the back wheel means they get a great view of my, ahem, lower back. My son is on training wheels, so he's pretty much skipped the tagalong option and gone straight to riding himself. I dont take my kids all that far on the bike. If I go alone, I might do 40-50km, but with them its down to the park, play around, go via the shops and home again, maybe 10km.

PaulH

We got an InStep Turbo Trainer on clearance for under $100. It worked fine for 7 years of commuting, including daily use in the summer and riding to winter vacation camp in the show. Trailers are very stable and give the cargo capacity for backpacks, diaper bags, and all the other essentials without which, you will soon discover, a child cannot go anywhere. When I picked my daughter up at school, she was always delighted to learn I had brought the bike and trailer instead one of the cars. It was, hands down, her favorite vehicle -- until she had her first ride on an Adams Trail-A-Bike.

It was sad to see those days end. On the other hand, hauling 40 pounds of child and 25 pounds of trailer up steep hills was quite a workout, and the Trail-A-Bike felt, in comparison, like flying, even with my daughter not pedalling.

There's a great store near me where the food selection is great, but parking scarce and inconvenient. It's no longer my daughter's favorite ride, but it gives good service as a grocery getter.

Paul

JeffS

Tragic results... plural.

Please give us the specifics of the tragedies you have personally witnessed related to infants in a bike carrier/seat/trailer.

DieselDan

Case in Hilton Head where a young family put a 3 week old in a trailer against my advice. The baby suffocated when the parents didn't realize the carrier the child was in tipped over. That was a nightmare at work from the get go, as I refused to rent them the bikes and trailer. DSS handles a few every summer from misuse of child carriers on Hilton Head. Too many know it alls think it "JUST" a bike and don't take any precautions since they are on vacation. Publication of stories are kept on the down low as not to discourage tourism.

There is a really good reason why infant helmets are not even made. The CPSC, and the European Union equivalent, won't approve a helmet for use under 18 months.

There are also a few that don't use helmets and end up with brain dead kids from knocking the bike over. You can't leave a child in a seat on just a kickstand.

Do you really want to hear what happened to the young father carrying a 4 month old in a sling on a bike? He fell into a ditch and went over the handlebars? Pieces.

owenh

YARD MONKEY
OMG LOL

Seriously all advice is right wait till they can hold thier head up safely
Good luck with the bubs and not getting killed by your wife

10 Wheels

I have one of these and love it
Cannot tell it is hooked up when pulling empty.
Wheels Snap Lock on and Off.
Easy to use , can store in a closet .
My Grandson loves it.
Best Thing about it was it was Free as a neighbor set out for trash pick up.
See them all the time for resale $50.
https://www.thecozypineapple.com/instep-12-ql151.html

pushthatpedal

nice plans you got there bro... and congratz with the baby... nice looking bikes too as you babysit away and give a child a hell of a ride...

bigboybiker2007

congratulations on the new addition to the family. We bought a burley solo and it is great. It doubles as a stroller/jogging stroller. Our son loves it and we go on frequent 20-30 mile rides. Sometimes when he does not want to take a nap, a ride in the burley is perfect and he sleeps great.

iltb-2

Guess I musta been a classic non-North American over 24 years ago. My twins were 9 months old at the time. Somehow we all enjoyed and survived these rides and they thrived just fine. Even liked being towed by big sister a few years later.

JeffS

I finally got the Bobike Mini setup recently. I've been a big fan from the time I saw it online. I will eventually get some pictures taken and write a review.

The only downside, and it's a fairly significant one, is that it requires a 1" threaded stem. I haven't owned such a thing since I was a kid. Well, I take that back... they do have an "ATB mount" now, but noone really carries it in this country.

I'm not really happy with the bike I finally mounted it on (Electra Amsterdam), but I'm very happy with the seat. My daughter is 10 months old and definitely enjoys riding in it. I bought the optional windscreen, which has added quite a bit of usefulness with the colder weather.

sailor2

It's probably too late for you now, but several European bicycle shops are selling Bobike parts on ebay with reasonable shipping to US (default search for US ebay does not find them, but if you can go to ebay.nl or ebay.co.uk, find item number and use this on ebay.com).
I have bobike Maxi with ATB mount and while the chair is sturdy, it took me some time to mount it properly (chainstay attachements were sliding).

mikepoole

Did you try Koolstop? I got both my Maxi-Plus and ATB adaptor from them...