Child along on the bike

As a parent, you can hardly escape. Your Child on your bicycle.
As long as they are too small to cycle on their own, often we take them along on the bike.
With a rear seat, with a seat in front, or in any other way.
What is safe and what to look at.

Bike seat behind

Children under five years who can sit independently, can join on the bike in a back seat. A rear seat is the most common form of child transport. Beware, the feet of children who sit behind, are at a dangerous spot, right next to the spinning wheel, therefore care for proper spoke shielding.

Buy a bicycle seat which meets the European standard (BS EN 14344):

• Provide adequate spoke shielding. Good spoke shielding is a hard plastic screen that is mounted between the footrest and the wheel and can be purchased at the bike shop. A dress-guard is not a foot protector.
• Try the seat with your child, check if the feet can not reach anywhere between the spokes. Remember that children grow quickly, place the spoke shield on growth and check them regularly.
• A child seat with foot straps is not enough, the straps are not protected in all cases against the crushing spoke.
• A seat that is mounted on the carrier must have an additional attachment to the frame.
• Install saddle spring protection to prevent fingers to get stuck.
• Make sure that a rear seat is mounted in the right place. Is it too far forward, a child has no place; too far back passes to overturn.
• Keep your child busy, with boredom kids try new things.
• Place the waist belt tight, especially young children can use the extra support.

Bicycle seat in front

Once your child can sit independently from crawling position, it can be transported in a child seat. On average the children between 9 and 12 months. Many children from 6 to 7 months can already sit, and then they sit, but if you give them a little push they fall. It is unwise to take them in a bicycle seat. The front seat is designed for children up to three years. At a certain point, the child is too large.

Bicycle Seat Sale Tips

• Buy a bicycle seat which meets the European standard (BS EN 14344):
• A seat must be attached to the stem or head tube (seats attached to the stem or head tube are not suitable for aluminum steers)
• Do not mount a bike seat in the front on a road bike .
• Make sure that the brake and shift cables are free. The bicycle seat can cause the steering wheel to rotate less remote, so you can make fewer sharp turns.
• Try the seat with the child, check if the feet can not reach anywhere between the spokes.
• Check with your child in the seat that no body parts get in the way when steering.

Bicycle Seat usage tips

• Never leave your bike on the bike stand when your baby is left on; even if you have a large bike stand.
• Make sure the bicycle can not fall while your child climbs on the bike or while you lift the baby on it.
• First load the groceries on the bike and finally your child.
• Please note that extra weight on the bike and therefore you react slower (braking, acceleration).
• Make sure your child can not lock the wheel (by locking the lock for example).

Double seat

To transport several children on the bike you can mount a double seat in the place of the carrier. This can, for example with an extended rack with two tandem bicycle seats or backrests with footrests, there are also double seats that replace the carrier. Most seats are suitable for children from the age of 4. Beware, the feet of children who sit behind, they are at a dangerous spot, right next to the spinning wheel, therefore care for proper spoke shielding. There is no standard for double seats, so watch yourself well whether it is a safe product.

• Provide adequate spoke shielding. Good spoke shielding is a hard plastic screen that is mounted between the footrest and the wheel and can be purchased at the bike shop. A dress-guard is not a foot protector.
• Try the seat with your child, check if the feet can not reach anywhere between the spokes. Remember that children grow quickly, place the spoke shield on growth and check them regularly.
• A child seat with foot straps is not enough, the straps are not protected in all cases against the crushing spoke.
• A seat that is mounted on the carrier must have an additional attachment to the frame.
• Install saddle spring protection to prevent fingers to get stuck.
• Make sure that a rear seat is mounted in the right place. Is it too far forward, a child has no place; too far back passes to overturn.
• Keep your child busy, with boredom kids try new things.
• Place the waist belt tight, especially young children can use the extra support.
• As a double seat extends behind the axle of the rear there is additional risk of tipping. Beware of this when getting off. The steering wheel can be a bit elevated, so your bike has less contact with the road.

Saddle on the rod

If your child is too heavy for a child seat at the front on the steering or at the back, it is possible to mount a separate small saddle on the bar at a men’s bike. There are also saddles for ladies bike. The weight of the child is sitting on the frame and has no influence on the steering behavior of the bicycle. A saddle on the bar is a great alternative for restful children from 3-4 years to 6-7 years.

Buy good spoke shielding, which is attached to the front wheel:

• Provide adequate spoke shielding. Good spoke shielding is a hard plastic screen that is mounted between the footrest and the wheel and can be purchased at the bike shop. A dress-guard is not a foot protector.
• Try the seat with your child, check if the feet can not reach anywhere between the spokes. Remember that children grow quickly, place the spoke shield on growth and check them regularly.
• A child seat with foot straps is not enough, the straps are not protected in all cases against the crushing spoke.
• Make sure the saddle is mounted in the right place. If it is too far forward, your child has no room; it is too far back, you have no room as a cyclist.
• Look for mounting a saddle on the rod for the feet / legs, your child must not affect the steering.
• Keep your child in the eye; Also little bicycle riders get tired and a saddle on the rod does not offer enough support for a sleeping child.
• Keep your child busy, with boredom kids try new things.
• Communicate with your child on the bike when braking, cornering or bumps.

Baby on the bicycle

Secure and safe.

Transporting Young babies on a bike, which can not sit on there own, can be done in a few ways as safe as possible (in addition to the dangers of traffic for everyone entails, there is minimal risk of accidents)
In an infant car seat or baby shell which is firmly attached in a trailer or cargo bike. Place the car seat preferably against the direction of travel. The baby is well protected by the seat and the cage of the trailer.
In a baby car seat that is mounted on the bicycle with a special carrier. When falling with the bike, the child is as good as possible protected from direct contact with the surface.

For both ways:

• Make the baby in the seat always secure with safety belts.
• Make sure that the child feels comfortable, try to avoid vibration and shock.
• Keep your child in the eye; if the child does not feel more comfortable when the baby cries or in any other way
• his dissatisfaction, it is time to take pause or stop.
• Make sure no long trips even in the beginning.

Unsafe

A carrier in which the baby depends on the abdomen / chest of the driver, is not a safe way to carry a baby on the bike. It offers at a fall no protection to the child, the child can fall out of the carrier or the driver can end up on the child.

Minimum age

With the current data there is no clear ruling on the minimum age when babies can be taken on a bike. Until the moment that your child’s head can hold up unaided, it is probably better not to transported your child on the bike . Especially in the beginning it is important that only short trips are taken and the route is chosen so that there are no or few bumps, speed bumps and vibrations.

Older babies

From the moment a child can sit independently from crawling position, he / she can be transported on the steering wheel in a bicycle seat, please see the tips for bicycle seats.

The first bike rides:

• Especially in the beginning it is important that only short trips are taken and the route is chosen so that there are minimal potholes, bumps and thresholds.
• A bike tour is very tiring for a small child. If your baby cries or shows his dissatisfaction in a different way, then it’s time to take a break or stop.
• Preferably a parent bike / city bike / tricycle whose seat is not too high so that you can reach the ground with your feet. Ensure good brakes and cycling too fast.
• Make sure the car seat or baby shell is mounted correct:
• there are specific mounting kits for sale for the trailer / cargo bike.
• there are brackets / frames for sale for mounting the car seat on a bike.
• Make sure the seat is mounted in two ways, one as a backup to the other (most seats have this capability).
• Make sure your child is properly seated in the seat belt.
• Make at a trailer / cargo bike that it has a good suspension for the weight of your child. Violently shakse can often be remedied by extra weight in the trailer (groceries, a bag of sand).
• Start with short trips on well and evenly ground.