THE ULTIMATE GUIDE
A GUIDE TO CHILD BIKE SEATS Presented by lilbikers
If you want to cycle with one child aged 6 months - 4 years one of the best things you can buy is a child seat for your bike. This cycle child seat guide will help you choose the right child seat and enable your little one to be happy, safe and comfortable on your bike.
BEST CHILD BIKE SEATS REVIEW
A GUIDE TO CHILD BIKE SEATS Most child seats are suitable for children between the ages of about nine months and four years. The lower limit is dependent on the ability of your child to sit up unsupported – that is, on the floor rather than propped up with cushions. Some seats recline and children as young as six months – those who can sit up when propped up – can go in those. A reclining seat is better anyway because it allows your little one to drift off to sleep without slumping sideways or forwards. The upper limit is restricted by weight rather than age. Seats are typically rated for passengers weighing up to around 20kg (44lb). Even if a seat seems sturdy enough to take a heavier child than that, it’s a bad idea to exceed its weight limit. It’s not so much that the seat will break – although it might – rather that the handling of the bike gets progressively worse with a heavier passenger, particularly with a rear-fitting seat. BEST CHILD BIKE SEATS REVIEW
How many children? It’s possible to use front and rear seats on the same bike, but unless you live somewhere flat, doing so makes the bike very cumbersome. A child trailer is a superior solution for two children. If you need just the one seat, then, despite its handling quirks, the pedalling and safety advantages of a rear seat make it the better option.
BEST CHILD BIKE SEATS REVIEW
Rear-fitting seats Rear seats come in three basic designs: cantilevered from the seat tube; fixed to a rear carrier rack; and fixed directly to the seat tube and seat stays. Those that bolt to the frame – or to a rack that’s bolted to the frame – are more stable and sturdy but cannot be fitted to bikes with rear suspension. Cantilevered seats use a big plastic bracket with two holes in it bolted to the seat tube. Into this slots a two-pronged rack that supports the seat. There’s some give in the rack, which offers a degree of springy suspension. This may not flex enough under smaller children, leaving them tipped slightly forwards. BEST CHILD BIKE SEATS REVIEW
Larger children and/or long-term use may flex it too far, bending it down towards the rear Tyre or mudguard. Typically the more you pay, the sturdier the seat will be. The Hamax Sleepy and the Hamax Siesta are some of the better examples. They have a decent attachment bracket and the seat can be reclined. Seats that fix to a rear carrier rack slide and lock onto the rack’s top, with a safety strap around the seat-post or seat-tube for added security. With the seat off, the rack can be used to carry panniers. The Copilot Limo is the best of these designs and has for some years set the standard in child seats. The Limo reclines to give a better ride to a sleeping child. Its harness is supplemented by a pivoting grab-bar, like the safety bar on a roller-coaster carriage. What’s more, you can rotate this bar over the back of the seat to turn it into a baby chair when it’s off the bike – so you don’t need to wake your sleeping tot at journey’s end. BEST CHILD BIKE SEATS REVIEW
Seats that fix directly to the seat stays and seat tube have long legs that bolt to the seat stays, often using a quick-release, plus a bracket that fits on the seat tube to prevent fore and aft movement. The Bike Maxi is a good one. It’s well made, with a maximum load of 22 kg. That should be enough for a six-year-old child, assuming you can still balance the bike properly. Most seats fit best on medium or larger sized bikes with a conventional top tube. Small frames and those with a dropped top tube can cause fitting difficulties for any seat that uses a seat tube bracket. Open frames – that is, frames without a top tube – can flex and shimmy alarmingly when you’re cycling with a heavier child on a rear seat, because the structure isn’t stiff enough. Look for fatter frame tubes and/or reinforcing tubes if you want to fit this kind of bike with a child seat.
BEST CHILD BIKE SEATS REVIEW
Front-fitting seats
Front seats usually attach to the top tube, a bar fixed above it, or a bracket on the head tube. Some are moulded plastic seats, like smaller versions of rear seats, while others – aimed at older children who can hold on themselves – are just little saddles and footrests bolted to the bike.
Pros
Cons
Front seat have the advantage that your child can see more. You can talk to your child more easily. You can explain traffic and what's up ahead easily. You can have two seats on one bike. Balance is actually better, particularly over bumps.
In the event of a fall, or if you brake suddenly your child can end up acting as your airbag. You may end up pedalling awkwardly with your knees out, but balance is actually better, particularly over bumps. Your child is slightly more exposed to wind chill. Those little saddles that bolt to the top tube
It's a bit easier to get on and off the bike. Your child won't be able to pull on the back of your clothes/hair.
aren’t recommended for anything other than short journeys. A tired child could slip sideways or let a foot dangle into the front wheel.
BEST CHILD BIKE SEATS REVIEW
If you do want a front-fitting seat, Dutch company Bobike make ones suitable for 1-2 year olds that can be fitted with a windscreen. This greatly helps to protect against wind chill and rain. For children aged up to four or so, the Weeride Kangaroo is a better choice because it’s designed for a heavier passenger. Whether you choose a front or rear seat is a personal preference, Chris Juden, who was a Senior Technical Officer and Engineer for Cycling UK explains his personal view in his blog on front child seats. BEST CHILD BIKE SEATS REVIEW
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