Can anyone recommend a kiddie seat to fit on a bike fitted with a rack?

[scampi]

...kiddie in question is about 8 months.

I've seen ones that clamp on the seat post or seat tube but I'd have thought that one fitted to a rack would be better supported?

Thanks in advance for any pointers or advice.

[Jules]

IMHO the Copilot Limo, which attaches and detaches easily to a Blackburn EX-1 rack is the dog's cojones. We've used one for all our kids. Just add the rack to each bike you want to use for child transport and move the seat around at will.

[clarion]

+1

I had the Rhodegear (now CoPilot) Taxi, which is the next model down.  Worked great; easy to remove for my commute.  Discussion somewhere else on the forum about the downsides of the design, such as the footstraps and the narrow footspaces, but it's a great piece of kit, and will outlast a kid.

[agagisgroovy]

All I can remember about mine was that it was grey, with black padding, and had an orange plastic bar that folded in front of you. It might have been Rhodegear, but it was comfortable, lasted my brother and sister and it then got passed on to someone else. 

[Jules]

All I can remember about mine was that it was grey, with black padding, and had an orange plastic bar that folded in front of you. It might have been Rhodegear, but it was comfortable, lasted my brother and sister and it then got passed on to someone else. 

Thats the one. Mine is the  Limo, the bar is hinged and rotates over the rear of the seat. I think the Taxi has a bar that clips on and off. They last forever and have a good 2nd hand value too.

[scampi]

Brilliant, thanks all, I will go off and look at those suggestions.

[RichForrest]

I've got one of these in the shed
Hamax Sleepy Recliner One Point Fitting Rear Mounted Seat Silver - ActiveSportsKit

Think I've only used it once, do you want it? don't know how I'd get it to you from MK though.

Rich.

[scampi]

Hi Rich,

That is very kind. I'm not sure how we would get it but if an opportunity did come up I will contact you. Don't hold onto it unnecessarily though on my sake.

Thanks again

Alan

[Fidgetbuzz]

Have a look at a Weeride. My son imports them into Oz - uses them for his daughter - and swears by the benefit of the better interaction between rider and child.
Uk site - just google weeride

[fruitcake]

Weeride looks nice.  The child can see where they're going.
25 years ago my dad, an engineer, rigged up something similar for my little brother to take him to nursery: a miniature saddle, some steel foot rests and some miniature handlebars, all secured to the top tube.  Dad could see the little one in his peripheral vision and toddler could see where he was going. 

There's a story that shows how much he loved it.  Little'un enjoyed listening to the story of The Snowman which we had on LP.  He wasn't allowed to play records but he was able to load a cassette into a tape player so we made him a tape recording.  Unfortunately, said LP had a scratch at the pont in the story where the snowman is about to to take off with the little boy in his arms.  The line went 'running along through the snower, faster and faster, until they were flying' and then Aled Jones would come in with his little song.  The scratch was just after the words 'faster and faster' and it made the needle jump to the beginning of this phrase so that in our version of the story the snowman went faster and fatser, faster and faster, faster and faster, 23 times in all, before the stylus rode through the scratch and the track continued.  Little'un just assumed this was how the story was meant to go.  It was some while before we discovered this accidental extension to the story. 
One morning on the commute as my dad was accelerating along the road, Little'un was heard speaking under his breath repeating the words "faster and faster, faster and faster, faster and faster..." 
On his dad's bike he was flying.

[Fidgetbuzz]

Weeride - the point is that the child is between the riders arms - and can therefore share what is happening - when the child has a view of the riders back it is diificult to communicate in a social way as one trundles along.

[RichForrest]

Hi Rich,

That is very kind. I'm not sure how we would get it but if an opportunity did come up I will contact you. Don't hold onto it unnecessarily though on my sake.

Thanks again

Alan

If we manage to be on the same Audax rides at some point I'll bring it along.

Rich.

[agagisgroovy]

Weeride - the point is that the child is between the riders arms - and can therefore share what is happening - when the child has a view of the riders back it is diificult to communicate in a social way as one trundles along.

The social interaction being the parent shouting "Oi don't kick me!" and the child shoving freezing hands up the parent's back, although when I've seen those sorts of seats on people's bikes they wobble a lot. 

[David Martin]

Weeride - the point is that the child is between the riders arms - and can therefore share what is happening - when the child has a view of the riders back it is diificult to communicate in a social way as one trundles along.

The social interaction being the parent shouting "Oi don't kick me!" and the child shoving freezing hands up the parent's back, although when I've seen those sorts of seats on people's bikes they wobble a lot. 

And the child removing things from jersey pockets...

..d

[Fidgetbuzz]

I have ridden with the weeride in OZ - seems to me to have considerable pluses.
Ed ( my son ) has no benefit from any UK sales - or any puffing that I do - so this is genuine interest free opinion - I have just taken this of his OZ site - seems to me to give a short summary that is worth thinking about

This is short article on how we ended up buying a WeeRide center mounted baby bicycle seat, after we’d had a disaster with a traditional rear-mounted seat. If you’re thinking of riding with your baby – read this article before you buy a seat.

 

A couple of years ago we bought a rear-mounted baby bicycle seat for our 1 year old child. We rode on our bicycles with it once, and my wife told me she'd never ride with our daughter again in a rear mounted seat. Our child’s nose was running, she'd kicked off her shoes and unzipped her jacket - and all this out-of-sight behind us.

On top of these "care" issues are the obvious practicalities of balance, and ease of use. With a child behind you, your balance is off, out-of-sight you're unable to react to any sudden movement. Your child will be more restless unable to see where they are going, throwing their weight about to see around you.


Ever thought about getting off a bicycle with a rear-mounted seat - chances are you'll kick your child in the head as you try to throw your leg over. And worst of all - in an accident -  you can't protect them, can't put your arms around them!

Now the good news - with a front or center mounted WeeRide baby bicycle seat - all of this is fixed. Our daughter can see where she’s going, we can keep an eye on her, our balance is better, we can get off simply and BEST OF ALL - there's the added advantages... when I ride with my 3 year old in our WeeRide - we're interacting - we'll sing songs, count doggies, guess colours….

We had a recent customer who swore she'd never let her children ride in a rear-mounted carrier since as a young child herself she'd got her foot trapped in a rear wheel. This CANNOT happen with a WeeRide - and you can imagine her excitement when she saw and bought one of our seats!

So please before you buy a rear-mounted seat - think long and hard about whether all you want to do is transport your child from A-B with all the issues above - or do you want to enjoy riding with your child and interact, participate – if so buy a WeeRide!
 

Hope this isnt seen as any sort of commercial selling .

Roger

[clarion]

What a silly piece!  Of course you don't kick your child getting on & off!  You put your  leg over.

And you can easily check what your bairn's up to behind you.  I used to be able to wipe Superstoker's nose without difficulty, without needing to stop.  Added to which, the kid's nose is more likely to run (and they're morelikely to get something in their eye) if they're in front of you rather than protected behind.

Interaction?  Well, Superstoker used to enjoy the relaxation of riding that he'd usually fall asleep very quickly, but we did chat, sing, play etc.

And getting a foot trapped?  OFFS!  Get a decent seat - a CoPilot or whatever, and there is no chance of it.



Daft.

[Jules]

+1

Never had any of those problems

Reads like one of those daft infomercials you find in mags.

[tiermat]

I have a Avenir child seat for TLD and the only downside I can find is that I MUST always remember not to wear jeans when I am taking her for a ride out.  this is cos it's mounted on my Pinarello with a rediculously high top tube!

[fiendish]

What a silly piece!  Of course you don't kick your child getting on & off!  You put your  leg over.

And you can easily check what your bairn's up to behind you.  I used to be able to wipe Superstoker's nose without difficulty, without needing to stop.  Added to which, the kid's nose is more likely to run (and they're morelikely to get something in their eye) if they're in front of you rather than protected behind.

Interaction?  Well, Superstoker used to enjoy the relaxation of riding that he'd usually fall asleep very quickly, but we did chat, sing, play etc.

And getting a foot trapped?  OFFS!  Get a decent seat - a CoPilot or whatever, and there is no chance of it.



Daft.

I'm glad you said that, it's pretty much what I thought.  My brother (Chris N!) did get his foot trapped, but that was more than 25 years ago, before proper foot rests.

I have a Hamax Sleepy, and there is no way M could get her foot stuck.  Although i haven't mastered nose wiping yet, I'm a novice.  She licks it anyway if it gets too bad (bleurgh).

[Chris N]

I'm glad you said that, it's pretty much what I thought.  My brother (Chris N!) did get his foot trapped, but that was more than 25 years ago, before proper foot rests.

Still got the scars too.  I'm not even sure it was a proper child seat - just me on a towel on the rack.  I was three!

[clarion]

Not a recommended child carrying method

[fiendish]

Luckily it didn't put him off cycling! 

[Chris N]

Not a recommended child carrying method

No, absolutely not.  But it turned out ok, just.

[clarion]

Glad it didn't put you off bikes

[Nienke]

When I was ickle my mum would transport me on the rack (with a back rest, feet in the pannier bags) and my little brother sitting in a child-seat mounted on the handlebars. That was probably good for interaction purposes but not so much for balance.