Biking with a baby in the city

May 23, 2010 8:06 PM

What's the best set-up for biking with a toddler in the city?

Now that summer's here and my son is about a year old, I'd like to start biking around Chicago with him. I've been biking in the city for years, and I feel really comfortable doing so. But I'm not sure what precautions to take and what equipment to invest in for biking with baby. The two things I mainly wonder about:

1. Trailer or jumpseat? I've heard the latter is rougher on their little necks, and less safe in a crash, but the thought of riding city streets with that low-riding trailer behind me, where cars can't see it, scares me to death. (In case it's relevant, my son is roughly 24 lbs.)

2. Do I need to get a new bike? I have a road bike now, with dropped bars, and my position is mostly crouched over. That style seems incongruous with biking around with a toddler, and I'm wondering if I should invest in something more cruise-y.

Thanks!

posted by sandor to sports, hobbies, & recreation (19 answers total)

1. Supposedly the benefits of the trailers outweigh the seats, even though they feel so exposed. Personally, I went with the seat for our little man because we're short on space and I'm an experienced rider used to carrying large loads over the rear wheel; it really does monkey with the stability and handling of the bike.

2. I have the child seat on a road bike (though with slightly beefier tires than a typical one), and see no problem with it. Just don't try to whip it around corners the way you normally would.
posted by Dr.Enormous at 8:20 PM on May 23, 2010

I vote for the seat on the back. Kiddo can see a lot, interact with you much more. Also think about the exhaust being pumped directly into the trailer!
posted by H. Roark at 8:31 PM on May 23, 2010

Try to test some options with your kid -- it took about 5 minutes at a bike rental place to learn that my son, at least at age 1, hated the trailer with a white-hot fury.

I ended up with a Bike Tutor (now Co-Rider), which we both love. He sits in front, can see the road, can talk to me, has to balance, can "help" to steer, etc. It looks more precarious than it is -- the kid his held in by a seatbelt and by your arms on either side. I've hopped curbs, gone on some fairly rough trails in the woods, and he has a blast. The major caveat is that you need to be comfy always starting and dismounting by swinging your leg over the back wheel, since you give up your straddle-the-bike space in between your seat and the handlebars.
posted by range at 8:31 PM on May 23, 2010

Oh and regarding #2, I was in the same place and picked up a bianchi cross bike and its about perfect. Still feels roadie, but with a nice rear-rack setup and beefy enough for the added weight.
posted by H. Roark at 8:32 PM on May 23, 2010

We did the research and the trailer is considered safer. Ours also doubles as a double stroller - nice when we have another kid hanging for the day.

My kid and the kids I know hated the helmet at first, so make it a fun requirement.

Don't expect much. A few minutes at a time...
posted by k8t at 8:44 PM on May 23, 2010

In a city I would strongly recommend a seat over a trailer, for safety--in traffic, a trailer can be a real liability. We used a trailer for years in the suburbs but I wouldn't have done it if we'd lived in a real city when my girls were little.

Which seat, I couldn't tell you. A friend of mine who has never owned a car swears by Bobike seats though.
posted by padraigin at 8:47 PM on May 23, 2010

I strongly recommend the Chariot Sidecarrier. It combines the closeness of the jumpseat with the ride of a trailer. Bonus is that you are between the kiddo and the traffic in this getup. I.e., in most situations, you are more exposed to traffic than your kiddo is, which is a clear advantage compared to a traditional trailer or jumpseat.

I've ridden for 5 years with a combination of trailer and jumpseat with my older child and now for ~9 months with the Sidecarrier and my younger child. In general, as an experienced rider, I vastly preferred the jumpseat to the traditional trailer. The trailer, however, was preferred by the kid on longer rides as it let him sleep or play and kept him protected from the elements, if I was riding in less than perfect weather. In general, I chose which to use (trailer, jumpseat, sidecarrier) based upon the weather, anticipated traffic, and length of ride.)

As the weather improves, I'm likely to have the little one out in the jumpseat more often...
posted by u2604ab at 9:20 PM on May 23, 2010 [1 favorite]

We have no space for a trailer and ended up getting a "CoPilot" seat that goes on the back bikerack. I liked having it on the back in case of getting doored.

Our two year old loves it (she's been in it since she was a year old) She'll fall asleep in it even on the way back from a trip to the park.
posted by bottlebrushtree at 11:09 PM on May 23, 2010

If you do decide to get a new bike, perhaps consider a Bakfiets? It could double as a cargo carrier when your child grows out of it.
posted by aniola at 11:19 PM on May 23, 2010

In safety-conscious Sweden, child bicycle seats are used overwhelmingly. The most common are these - and an ordinary child's helmet. Convenient, easy, and as safe as one can be on a bicycle.
posted by three blind mice at 2:33 AM on May 24, 2010

I ride a one speed cheepo cruiser and I was worried not only about the safety of a trailer but whether or not I'd actually be able to tow it.

I got one of the front mounted seats for my bike and I love it. My little guy (now two) can see where we're going and feel the wind in his face, I can see his reaction, and there is even a little padded rest where he can lean forward and sleep if he wants. My son gets so excited to go on bike rides, he loves the seat. He actually brings me his helmet!

The thing about bike seats is that if you take a spill then so does baby, a trailer is supposed to stay upright. Like I said, I ride a really slow cruiser and there is little chance that I'll take a corner too fast. So I thought the chance of falling would be slim. I haven't crashed yet. The other thing I liked about my kid's seat was that it's mounted in the middle of my bike, so there is no odd distribution of weight.

Have fun and don't forget to wear helmets!
posted by TooFewShoes at 6:32 AM on May 24, 2010

I'm going to be rude and piggy back on this question.

Our son weighs 47 lbs (about 22 kilos). Am I correct that there are no front-mounted solutions for him any longer? That its either rear mounted or trailer?
posted by anastasiav at 6:49 AM on May 24, 2010

The child seats that mount on the rear rack work well, but they completely change the center of gravity of the bike. I was on mine once and had to lift the bike up while straddling it (maybe to get over a curve). I forget why, but I picked the front up one-handed and, surprise, surprise, my frame totally wanted flip upside down.

I haven't used the big yellow Burley trailers, but I've seen them. I shared your concerns about visibility, but I think that the same principle that protects recumbent bikers works here. The things are so unusual that drivers notice them.
posted by zippy at 8:22 AM on May 24, 2010

How about a LongJohn, a bike with a front mounted cargo platform that can be put to all kinds of use:

http://www.longjohn.org/galerie/galerie_en.html#38
posted by fatfrank at 8:46 AM on May 24, 2010

I just bought an iBert for my daughter and we both really love it. She's tall for her age (34 months-ish) so we'll probably only be able to use it for the summer, but it's been awesome so far. I wish I had gotten it back in 2008.

(I'm a casual, around the block sort of bike rider. Not hard core or anything. And I have a cheapy schwinn cruiser bike from target.)
posted by notcreative at 9:50 AM on May 24, 2010

I'm seconding the iBert. My son just turned 1, and he usually resists everything, especially if it involves strapping him in, but he loves it. On our maiden voyage, we did a quick ride around our complex. Then I put the helmet on, still expecting a fight, and he was totally fine with it. At this point, I've even heard him squeal with glee when we take off.

I use my bike for commuting so I like that I can install and remove the iBert from the front mount in 60 seconds. We live in Los Angeles, so when we're together, I limit our trips and stay on quiet streets. It's working out very well, and I hope to get some good use out of it before he hits the 38lb maximum.
posted by love is a murderer at 11:13 AM on May 24, 2010

We have a Co-Pilot Limo and really like it. I would not feel comfortable using a trailer on urban streets. It would be fine on a trail or a fully segregated bike lane but no way would I do that in city traffic. The back-mounted seat does shift the center of gravity and you do have to be careful about that but we've found that once we're aware of it, it's not bad at all. Our child is 2 years old and about 26 lbs.
posted by otherwordlyglow at 11:43 AM on May 24, 2010

I wouldn't worry so much about visibility with the trailer, you an always add a neon flog if you think it's too low. I would go with what is most comfortable for you, and the little one.
posted by Gor-ella at 1:08 PM on May 25, 2010

Late to the party I know, but I've got some thoughts I hope are helpful:

Jack, who will be three in August, adores riding around London in his Hamax Kiss rear seat. So much so in fact that he gets ticked off if I pick him up from his child minder in the car or we have to take the bus. I’m an experienced cyclist and am totally comfortable cycling him about in a city with quite unbelievable traffic.

The Kiss is rated to 22kg so will be good for a while yet. He’s nearly 14kg now so I’m thinking that I may reinforce it at some point by seating it on a rear rack but that’s me being overcautious perhaps.

If I could do it all again, I’d have bought a more expensive seat which is reclinable because your little person will nod off in there (so cute).

I too have a roadie but I bought a mountain bike for the child seat. Firstly , I’m really not sure about that much weight – and the seat is heavy as well as the child – on 700c wheels. I know that they support 200lbs plus sprinters but even so I got the fear.

An additional concern is that the gearing ratios on a roadie are going to be way out once you start adding that kind of weight. Also, once you've added that much weight aerodynamics are not a consideration and drops pointless so you're better off with straight bars.

Listen to the good Doctor above. The handling will change radically. I suggest that you put a big bag of potatos in there and go for a few training rides to get used to the new handling charateristics. I also elected for rigid front forks.

On the plus sides, it’s the ultimate in ‘train heavy, race light’ conditioning, you will get kudos from club riders as you suffer your way up the hills to encouragement in the form of ‘faster daddy!’ from behind.

To this day, my favourite moment in Richmond Park – which I spend a lot of time riding around – was finding someone in club colours taking a tow from Jack and me, while being mercilessly teased by his friend.
posted by dmt at 10:12 AM on June 7, 2010