It would seem a simple quest… You would like to take your child cycling for pleasure or transport, but can’t find an appropriate seat. I have spent a couple months on this quest researching Bell, ibert, Burley, Topeak, Co-Pilot Weeride, Dumbo, Instep, Bobike etc. & hope that I may help you! If you live in North America as I do, you will discover that the options are few.
Here is the background , all children’s bike seats that are to be attached to an adult frame are of molded plastic of varying size. They all have slightly different features, most have a limited weight restriction. They all resemble something that should be in a spaceship from a 1950′s science fiction film, or better yet they have cages that do a good job or emulating a medieval torture device. They are difficult to mount, navigate with, and you certainly won’t be able to carry anything else on your bike. Frustrated yet?
Next, don’t believe the hype. Retailers will encourage you to purchase a trailer for your child, stating it is the safest way to travel. Studies have proven this irrelevant, based on where you live, how you travel etc. The reason they promote trailer travel is that they themselves have nothing else to offer. Look at this objectively, the rest of the “free world” has & does travel with their children on their bicycles. Take the Netherlands for example, is there a more pro-family country in Europe?! Would they allow their children to travel unsafely?
I realize if you are reading this you may be in the “minority”, but that is who I am appealing to. I like to think I am conscientious, I live in a climate that is covered in snow & ice 5-6 months of the year. Still, we are a 1 car family, live in the city center and try to do “our bit” for the planet. I refuse to accept that their are no other options. When my daughter was born I found a front mount bike seat (bobike mini ) that allowed me to ride with her from 9 months to 3 years that was roughly a $100 investment from One Step Ahead The seat was easy to balance, the ride was intimate and I knew what she was doing, we could communicate and mostly, she was part of the experience. The dilemma was finding the next size up.
A needle in a haystack? There are only two distributors in the U.S. Bobike of the Netherlands offer the best options for safe travel from 9 months to 9 years. They can be ordered via http://clevercycles.com (carry all models) or http://www.koolstop.com/index.php. (carry 1 style) I am not endorsing, but merely want to disspel the myth regarding safety and our lack of options. When you consider your investment, nothing compares to 8 years of use & 2 seats for a mere $350. Help liberate our children from passive trailer captivity & spaceship cages! Let them cycle!!!
Hello- this is precisely what I’m looking for- a bike seat for my large 3 & 1/2 year old son he’s 40 pounds nad I don’t want him to outgrow it in 6 months. Does the Bobike Junior work well for your child and at what age?
Yes, we had a few issues with it which have been resolved. My daughter will be 4 in October and is only 30# but very tall. It has been perfect for us. It takes a bit of getting used to with regards to the weight at the back, thus far she has ridden on a seat in the front. But once comfortable, it works really well.
You need to purchase the American version mounting bracket with it, unless you have a European bike. The factory bolts that come with it were not tight enough for me graduated bike stays where the bracket mounts, so we upgraded for $1.00 and got new bolts that secure with an alan wrench. Once on they don’t move. The seat has the option to be moved from one bike to another very easily & all you need is another mounting bracket for $25.
Unless you are very techno- savvy I would recommend taking your bike & the seat to a trusted bike shop and letting them do the install for you. Save the frustration! My daughter loves it, feels safe & not confined. The foot mount pegs are great as is the harness that goes over her shoulder & around her waist. The weight limit suggests until they are 9 years old & I believe that to be true based on the construction. The really cool thing is that it folds down when not in use & also has a rack at the back for carrying bags.
It is a very minimalist design but safe & despite our early ineptitude it has proven a great investment. I would suggest buying from CleverCycles in Portland as they were very accommodating and knowledgeable, ask for Tyler. Let me know how it works!
I just wanted to comment as an owner of a bike cart, I see both opinions as being used for different purposes. A bike cart is a good investment for some families because it operates as a stroller, cart to haul gear and can attach to a bike. Bike seats are good for some families because they are lightweight, better in urban/high traffic areas and allow the child to be closer to the parent. I agree that both are safe and in the US we have a unusual outlook on child safety. In many countries women and men ride on their bikes, even mopeds with babies in slings or carriers. Adults don’t wear helmets, although most children do. A study in the 1980s showed that the only danger presented by bike related baby gear was lack of helmets. Also there is a myth that more expensive means safer. All child products have to be registered and proven safe. I bought my bike trailer for under $200 including shipping, compared to a jogging stroller or comparable name brand bike trailer it was amazingly cheap. Ibert bike seats are highly rated and are under 100, while other children’s bike seats can cost up to 150.
Thank you! I’ve been searching for Bobike seats for my kids, and it has seemed nearly impossible to find a distributor in the US. Needle in a haystack is right! Also very true about my local bike shop trying to convince me to go with a trailer. We are also a one car family in a northern town (but live in the suburbs). My plan is to go with an xtracycle with two bobikes on the back.
Thanks for this post. Found it on bing.com/images. I contacted clevercycles and they walked me through the selection to insure the bobike junior was right for my needs. My daughter is 6, but small and 40 lbs. I think I can use it at least a couple years. The guy at clevercycles made sure the brackets would fit the bike I told him I was riding.
Thanks again for the post.
You present some compelling reasons to buy a child seat as opposed to a trailer. We, however, chose to buy a trailer based on our pediatricians explanation of how rotational acceleration comes into play when a bike falls with a baby seat attached. If you go down on the bike, the child is much higher and hits the ground with much more force. He felt the risk was much lower with a trailer which will normally stay upright even if the bike falls. They are enclosed in a protective roll cage similar to what is used in auto racing.
The bobike seats can also be purchased in Seattle or Chicago at the dutch bike store
http://www.dutchbikeseattle.com/_catalog_85391/Dutch_Kids
Thank you for this coolpost.
Hi- so happy to see this post and commiserate-
I have made all the same discoveries- I live in NYC and not one bike store carries the bobike line- I still have a middle attached seat with pegs that is no longer available because of “safety”- but in nyc if you are hit- I don’t believe it matters where you are on the bike- and the balance is sooo much better in the middle. However, as my 50pound 6 year old gets bigger, I feel like a clown at the circus riding with my knees way out. lol. So I ‘ve been trying to convince local bike shops to carry bobike- they haven’t even heard of it. I see them on other parents bikes, however, and think $$ could be made if one were to import them…..
We have the bobike maxi for our 4 yr old. Def. outgrowing it. Also live in NYC. Bike everywhere w. all my kids. There is a store – The Hub Station in Tribeca-which carries bobike seats and cargo bikes as well. At least they did last year. Look them up. I wish there were more stores in NYC that carried bobike. Not sure why they don’t. We LOVE ours. Happy cycling!
Good post. It seems easy enough to install a child bike seat. I should give this a try sometime – though I hope those distributors will ship worldwide, because I’m not in America.
Thanks for the post. I live in Brooklyn and have seen bobike seats at Half-Pint, a kids store in DUMBO.