# Child seat on a mountain bike??



## mchellfire (Aug 2, 2006)

Does anybody use a baby bike seat on their MB? I mean for tame, smooth, dirt road type riding? Is this OK or am I just being a PITA? I intend to keep the wheels on the ground and keep the speed slow, so I’m not a total idiot, just new to the concept of a baby seat.

I recently got one, hooked it up, stuck my 2 year old daughter in it and went out the dirt road at Pt. Reyes at Bear Valley and back. Easy ride and smooth road etc, but I traded bikes with my wife for a bit and got to watch my daughter on the back and it really looked like she was bouncing around bit and it looked uncomfortable…however she friggin’ loves riding in her seat and gets all screamy when we have to take her out and so forth, so I guess it cant’ be too bad eh? Just made me start to think, and that is always trouble.

Anyway, was planning on riding Annadel up the fire road from Channel(can’t remember the name) up to Lake Illsanjo this weekend and wanted to see if anyone else had dragged their kids along for a ride like this? ...or if its a bad idea.
Paranoid father,:skep: 

Thanks,
-Glen


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## pmarshall (Nov 4, 2007)

Hey Glen,

I have a seat on the back of my scwhinn that I don't take off road but it has springs on it and it cushions the bumps. It is made by topeak. It is cool because it is part of a rack that attachs to your bike (hardtail only) and the seat can be taken off easily. But since you have one already you may want to try a few things. My daughter only weights about 32 pounds and the springs are made for a heavier toddler. I lower my tire pressure to make the ride a lil smoother. Not much else to do except put some cushioning under their butts and tell them to hold on. Good luck


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## maleonardphi (May 19, 2006)

Do a forum search for weeride. Also, check out this link. I am just getting ready to take our 6 month old out on some paved trails. But I think it may just be too early. We'll try it out on the trainer and in our garage first.

Matt


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## mchellfire (Aug 2, 2006)

*Thanks!!*

Thanks for the responses. Glad to hear people are doing this sort of thing. I do ride a hardtail and the seat actually had a bit of suspension due to it being connected via the seatpost and not the chainstay, so It goes OK, just looks a bit bumpy etc. Anyway, I'll take it slow this weekend and see how it goes. Awsome to be able to get out and watch her enjoy it!

Thanks again!
-Glen


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## themontashu (Aug 31, 2004)

I think baby seats are a bad idea, if you go down so does the kid, and the kid is straped to the bike. The best set up I saw, was a baby seat straped to a bob suspention trailer, with a roll cage for the kid


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## GuruAtma (May 17, 2004)

Just don't pass me on the climb. I hate when I'm huffing and puffing on what I think is a grueling climb, and then some guy passes me as he's chatting with the kid in the bike seat.


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## CharacterZero (May 19, 2004)

I think it is a great idea. There are several varieties, including a seat that goes on the TT. 
Just be careful and put the kiddo in a helmet.
Ignore the people who will come in here and tell you that you are risking...blah blah blah, "what about the children?" rabble brablble. 

Enjoy the ride! My kiddo does!


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## broz (Feb 3, 2007)

With the kid fastened over the axle, they are getting much more force from the bumps then you are, so think of that precious young spine and keep the bumps to the absolute minimum.

Also, when the kid falls asleep in the bike seat, the head becomes under-supported and vulnerable to injury from changes in direction or bumps. My wife googled this extensively and convinced me that kids shouldn't be in bike seats asleep.

Finally, if the kid is having a good time, that is a pretty good sign that they aren't getting hurt.


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## mrtoadsc (Feb 14, 2006)

My daughter is 5 1/2 and my wife and I have been riding with her since she was 6 months old. We started with the "WeeRide", moved to a trail a bike and now she rides on her own. Matt already references this link (hi Matt!) and it should give you a good idea how to set up your bike for safety and comfort:

http://toadinabox.blogspot.com/2006/01/real-mountain-biking-with-your-toddler.html

We have been riding all over California with our daughter including Boggs, Flume Trail, Fort Ord, Annadale and all over Santa Cruz.

I'm showing off but here are a bunch of videos which show the progression of our family biking career:


















Enjoy riding with your child. It's a great way to enjoy the open space with your family.

--Mark


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## Bigfoot (Jan 16, 2004)

*Wouldn't even consider it.*

An image burned into memory that will haunt me for the rest of my life is the sight of a young girl of perhaps 3 with blood coming out of her ear and her eyes open, fixed and dialated.

Her father had taken a low speed fall on a paved bike path...nothing tricky, just one of those silly tip-overs we all do from time to time. As was mentioned above when a bike with a child seat goes down the kid goes with it, his/her head being the highest point it hits the ground with a helluva force. I later learned that her injuries were fatal, despite her helmet.

I've been very, very anti-kid-seat ever since.


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## Dan'ger (Aug 26, 2004)

mchellfire said:


> Does anybody use a baby bike seat on their MB? I mean for tame, smooth, dirt road type riding? Is this OK or am I just being a PITA? I intend to keep the wheels on the ground and keep the speed slow, so I'm not a total idiot, just new to the concept of a baby seat.


Yes but you have to have the right baby seat. Check out this thread that some of the dads and moms have contributed to: http://forums.mtbr.com/showthread.php?t=377658

Many of us have Wee-Ride seats. These can mount to suspension bikes or hard tails. They mount in front of the rider but behind the handlebars.

Unlike rear-mounted baby seats, pannier bags, etc. this type of seat does not throw off the balance of the bike and rider.

Unlike rear-mounted baby seats, if you fall (which is less common because of the balance issue above), your arms become like a roll cage.

You should NEVER ride with your kid without an appropriate helmet or the ability to ride safely.

There are similar mid-mounted kid seats but I chose the Wee-Ride because of mrtoadsc's experience and I wouldn't have it any other way based on mine. I've been riding with my daughter for about a year.


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## pimpbot (Dec 31, 2003)

*My rig:*

I got a WeeRide Kangaroo seat for my Giant Yukon, which is now doing city bike duties with slick tires. You can get them on Amazon.com for like $45 landed. Basically, as long as your kid is strong enough to hold his/her head up properly, and is at least 1 year old, s/he should be fine... but avoid the techy terrain. Even bumpy stuff is pretty hard on the kid.


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## medieval (Oct 7, 2007)

*WeeRide rocks!*

I just got my WeeRide, and my daughter loves it. So far all we have done is on road riding. I doubt that we'll do much, if any, off road. I love it because I do a few miles around my neighborhood after work each day, and this allows me to take my oldest along with me. It also introduces her to cycling before she can ride her own bike.

Once our youngest is old enough to go in the trailer, we hope to do some family rides on some of our local paved bike paths. When I get more familiar with the new bike, and having the extra weight on it, I might consider going out on some smooth dirt rides.


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## pmarshall (Nov 4, 2007)

Bigfoot- I appreciate your perspective on this. I am not going to comment on that specific incident because that is a terrible tragedy! Jeez, makes me sick thinking about it. I am pretty sure most parents on here are responsible and would not take dumb chances with kids on the bike. But then again, I am sure there are some that do just that. When I got my kid seat, I tried like crazy to think of all the pros vs cons between a trailer and a seat. I choose the seat because I figured if a car was coming towards us or something I could pick the bike up and throw it out of the way. I am super huge with massive 15" biceps!!! But recently I have seen the trailers up close and think if I could do it again, the trailer is the way to go. More money but will work for many things when no kid is in it. MTBing with a child on your bike is dangerous if you try some crazy ass trail. I stick to sidestreets and parks for a majority of riding. Be safe everyone.


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## pimpbot (Dec 31, 2003)

*Second that...*



pmarshall said:


> Bigfoot- I appreciate your perspective on this. I am not going to comment on that specific incident because that is a terrible tragedy! Jeez, makes me sick thinking about it. I am pretty sure most parents on here are responsible and would not take dumb chances with kids on the bike. But then again, I am sure there are some that do just that. When I got my kid seat, I tried like crazy to think of all the pros vs cons between a trailer and a seat. I choose the seat because I figured if a car was coming towards us or something I could pick the bike up and throw it out of the way. I am super huge with massive 15" biceps!!! But recently I have seen the trailers up close and think if I could do it again, the trailer is the way to go. More money but will work for many things when no kid is in it. MTBing with a child on your bike is dangerous if you try some crazy ass trail. I stick to sidestreets and parks for a majority of riding. Be safe everyone.


That is a complete tragedy, but I have to imagine that falls more under the freak accident category.

I am extra credit careful with my boy in the WeeRide. I lock my bike up to the local bike racks before taking him out so there is no way the bike will just fall over with him in it. Same for putting him back in.

The WeeRide is very easy to handle in that you can dismount off the back of the bike, so you don't have to negotiate yourself over the top tube, and you can keep your hands on the bars with your around your baby.


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## Dan'ger (Aug 26, 2004)

And it even works if you only have 1/2 of a fork! 

3rd the previous sentiment - horrible tragedy.

Technical trails and high speed runs are out. However, I have ridden some of the China Camp front-side trails with little Maya. I was able to clean all of the switchbacks I hit. Since she's in front, she can say things like "water" when she's thirsty and the like and I can hear her. I can especially hear her when she's clapping her hands and shouting "wheeeeeeee!"

A couple of weekends ago, we were singing the alphabet song while rolling along and I could hear her loud and clear.

Things you can do with a wee-ride that you can't do with a rear-mounted seat or a trailer...


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## medieval (Oct 7, 2007)

Dan'ger said:


> And it even works if you only have 1/2 of a fork!


I hadn't planned to put it on the Prophet, but the thing would not work with either of my HTs.

The old HooKoo has cable guides that stick out too far for the mounting bar to fit, and the Bonty had cable interference issues. I just had to get longer bolts to fit around the fat headtube on the C'dale.

The extra 35 lbs. makes the fork sag a bit more than I would like, but I guess the plush ride isn't a bad thing for the little one.

I've done rides with my daughter in the trailer, but she always seemed so bored in there. She doesn't have much of a view, and it's far from a smooth ride. Riding in front of me, she can talk to me, and point things out. She also loves to sing, and we will go through all her favorites while we ride. The best though was riding through a local park yesterday, with her yelling FAST! FAST! (my little daredevil in training :devil

One just has to be more cautious and aware with a child on the bike.


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## MrHappyMedium (Feb 8, 2007)

*Die, cliche, die!*

I know it had the smiley, but it's so old and tired...



Dan'ger said:


> And it even works if you only have 1/2 of a fork!


Now, back to our topic. From what I've read about baby trailers (too much) and/or seats you shouldn't have a baby in them until they're a year old. They can hold their heads up around 3 months, but the added weight of a helmet combined with bouncing around (even on a paved path) could be too much for their developing muscles. Wait a little and be sure. I have 5.5 months to go and it's tough, but worth the wait.

Personally, I'm eyeing up the Chariot Cougar and Burley Solo at REI. 20% off sale is going on, right? They're pricey, but I want my son as safe as he can be.


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## Dan'ger (Aug 26, 2004)

MrHappyMedium said:


> Personally, I'm eyeing up the Chariot Cougar and Burley Solo at REI. 20% off sale is going on, right? They're pricey, but I want my son as safe as he can be.


Don't forget about Craigslist. I picked up our trailer from a guy who had used it a total of 1 ride with his kids before it sat in his garage. I paid $100 for a $400 trailer.


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## pmarshall (Nov 4, 2007)

*Backed over a 2 year old!*

Just when we talk about how to be careful with our lil' ones, I read this in the paper. I almost have some sort of compulsive thing when I back out of my driveway because I have a serious fear of this exact thing happening. I make sure my daughter is on our porch or inside when I back out. This could happen to any of us but we always need to make sure we are as careful as possible. I take my own advice too. SAD

http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_8418048?source=rss


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## proto2000 (Jan 27, 2007)

Why anyone would ride in the dirt with a baby strapped to their bike is beyond me, I would do as the big legged guy who climbs the fire road to the top of Rocky Ridge with a trailer and a small child in it in tow.


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## chumbox (Jan 9, 2008)

Get a Topeak child seat. The head is protected on all sides and the seat remains higher than the child so even if the bike hits the ground the childs head shouldn't even make contact. It also has a high front padded bar so if they fall asleep their helmet rests on the bar but not so far forward that it would do any damage. It follows the European guidelines which are far tougher than any other in the world. You can even read stories of people being hit by cars and injured and their child still being safe in the Topeak seat. I love mine as does my daughter and my daughter is only 14 months.

Still you have to be careful riding anywhere with little ones but I would rather the risk of riding with my child than the risk of them being raised by television.


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## anotherbrian (Mar 18, 2005)

*whoa!, old thread!*

I'm still a Wee-Rider fan.

The last major ride I did with my son was last summer on the Flume with Mountain Medic. He was getting to the big end of the seat's capacity (or maybe my capacity getting him up hills), but our youngest son is approaching one year, so I can look forward to using the seat again.

Ultimate would be to get a Big Dummy and carry one on the front and back; maybe for the paved trails.


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## Mountain Medic (Oct 12, 2004)

Whats up anotherbrian!

Yes the Flume was great with the Wee Rides.










As for the Big Dummy and kids...


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## lostinstates (Oct 19, 2007)

i recently bought an "i-bert" seat for my blur lt and my 10 mnth girl loves it.
having them in front,it is much more interactive with the child,and she has a great view.the "i-bert" is a little more forward and above the axle(in my case 130mm of plush fox float suspension) than the wee rider.this also keeps it more out of the path of your knees when pedalling.
having them in the front also helps when going through trickier areas.all the weight is easily controlled with the handle bars.
i would say the best seat would depend as usual on what you intend to use it for.i am primarily using it for my childs pleasure,not for a "ride".we're off to see some horses,doggies,turkeys etc on some nice single track.if she starts getting sleepy we going back home.i'm definately not taking her on any californian public road.


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## formulate (Jul 1, 2008)

Mountain Medic said:


>


Did you make those wooden seats? If not, any links to more info?

I'll put another vote in for Topeak bike seats. However, whenever I'm riding with my son, I only ride with flats, as I like that extra ease of putting my feet down knowing that it's not just me on the bike...


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## Mountain Medic (Oct 12, 2004)

formulate said:


> Did you make those wooden seats? If not, any links to more info?
> 
> I'll put another vote in for Topeak bike seats. However, whenever I'm riding with my son, I only ride with flats, as I like that extra ease of putting my feet down knowing that it's not just me on the bike...


yeah, home grown dually seat


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## DHinFool (Mar 21, 2004)

I am looking into getting something to like this to use with my daughter, she is 7 months old now. From what I have seen the WeeRide looks the best, but I have a couple of questions for those of you who have used them.

Does it get in the way of your pedaling? It looks like your knees may bump into that thing when pedaling.

How old, or I guess maybe how big, does you child have to be to use this? Is it just a matter of the child being able to hold there head up on there own?

Does it work with a road bike?

Does anyone in the eastbay have one that their child has out grown? If so PM me, I would be willing to buy used. 

Thanks for your help.


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## mrtoadsc (Feb 14, 2006)

DHinFool said:


> I am looking into getting something to like this to use with my daughter, she is 7 months old now. From what I have seen the WeeRide looks the best, but I have a couple of questions for those of you who have used them.
> 
> Does it get in the way of your pedaling? It looks like your knees may bump into that thing when pedaling.
> 
> ...


It does get in the way of pedaling (think wide stance) and I don't recommend using it on a road bike. Other questions may be answered here:

http://toadinabox.blogspot.com/2006/01/real-mountain-biking-with-your-toddler.html


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## anotherbrian (Mar 18, 2005)

mrtoadsc said:


> It does get in the way of pedaling (think wide stance) and I don't recommend using it on a road bike.


I'll defer to mrtoadsc, as it was his page that inspired me to get out with my son almost three years ago.

For me, more significant than the stance (I'm ~6'1", and don't have to ride too bowlegged) is the standover height required and the lack of room between the Wee seat and the bike's saddle. To get the mounting bar reasonably horizontal for me, and with the seat as far forward as possible, I have to mount my bike motocross style with one foot on the ground and the other dangling in the air. Seatposts that drop (I have a Gravity Dropper) help, but I still can't get my seat as high as I'd like.

I have Mary bars on my bike, and the back sweep is perfect and doesn't interfere with the child or seat.


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## anotherbrian (Mar 18, 2005)

anotherbrian said:


> To get the mounting bar reasonably horizontal for me, and with the seat as far forward as possible, I have to mount my bike motocross style with one foot on the ground and the other dangling in the air.


As a follow-up, once I'm on the bike (a Turner 5-Pack) and the suspension has sagged, I can reach the ground with the tips of both feet so stopping isn't a problem.


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## Broccoli (Jun 11, 2008)

I ride fairly interesting singletrack - and not too steep fireroads - with iBert seat. Just avoid anything that it too rattling or with any possible exposure to a bad fall. My son loves one place with large dirt mounds - just rinding over them. Funny how little dude starts grunting for me when we hit a climb. 

It is set up on Transition TransAm - sturdy, stable steel hardtail. Origin8 Space handlebar - one of those curvy, high sweep things, extra sag in fork and slammed seat helps to keep everything stable.

I would not recommend any of the seats that are setup behind or do not rotate with your handlebars.


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## Obi (Oct 16, 2005)

Bump..Still looking for a solo trailer to borrow??


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## TroyS600 (Mar 29, 2007)

Just wanted to add a little experience here and some questions (even though it's an old thread)

Question: The iBert, Bobike, Peapod and some others mount to the stem and turn with the handlebars. Does this make steering too heavy and awkward? You have to turn the weight of your child when you turn the bars.

I've tried the WeeRide Kangaroo and was disappointed in how much it was in my way. I would not recommend riding it without a dropper seatpost. As mentioned by others, it takes up the space between the bars and the saddle so when you stop you have to slide off the back of your seat instead of the front. The dropper post helps a lot here. I'm about 6' tall and ride a size L 2013 Transition Bandit 29. My daughter is a very large 11 month old, about 30 pounds. I was disappointed in how much the WeeRide got in my way. I had to bow my legs out which was uncomfortable on my knees and ankles, she also made me arch my back a lot to keep from squishing her head, and that wore my back out. For her, i think it was great, she had a very smooth ride with not much jostling or swaying.

I've also tried a Topeak rear carrier. This is far better for me, she's not in my way at all. It does affect the handling of the bike more than the WeeRide, since it's hanging way off the back. It also is a much harsher ride for her, for a couple of reasons. One, i have to put it on a hardtail bike, and it's mounted on the back, so it's kind of like riding in the back of the school bus. And two, because it's high and way back, it seems like she gets swung back and forth a lot more when the bike leans side to side, like the lookout guy on the top of a sailboat mast.

I've also tried the trailer. This is a very bumpy and jostly ride for her, and i have to stick to much tamer terrain and lower speeds than for either of the on-bike seats. Also i can't really interact with her. It does seem more comfortable for sleeping for her and also the safest for her. I have a car seat mounted in the trailer and she's also very low to the ground and somewhat independent from the bike as well as being enclosed in the frame of the trailer, all of which make it unlikely that she'll tip over, and a very minor event if she does.

I still don't know what is my preference. I was so sure the WeeRide was going to be perfect, but it's just too much in my way, i'm bummed about that. I'm thinking about finding a way to mount the rear seat to my full-suspension bike, and/or trying the handlebar mounted seats that might get her far enough forward to be out of the way of my knees.


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## TroyS600 (Mar 29, 2007)

Here's a couple pictures


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