Bike riding with a one-year-old - options?

[janey99]

Hi all -

I'm wondering if anyone does bicycle riding with their very young toddler?

I'd like to do more than walk with the stroller to increase my activity level and also share the activity better with my other DS, who is 10yo, but of course I want to be safe.

Do people use the seats that attach to their bikes for kids that young, or do you use a "tow wagon?" Do kids wear a helmet in both? Any other issues to consider if I want to explore doing exercise this way?

Everyone is so diverse on the DIS I know you all will be helpful!

Thanks,

Jane

 

[RadioNate]

I personally wouldn't take a child under 18 months in a bike. We use an attached bike seat for DD and she absolutely wears a helmet (so does everyone else.) Trailers can be very bumpy. We'd like to move to one someday but not until she is older.

 

[mrsv98]

We always used a trailer with DD, she wore a helmet and the harness that came in it.

I don't think it was horribly bumpy and she liked having room to take her stuffed animals and whatever treasures she found along. The one we had converted to a stroller so it was handy for vacations.

 

[janey99]

Thanks for your comment. I have not started exploring this at all yet. My impulse would have been to say that a trailer is safer/better than those molded seats you attach behind your own seat, because the baby is in a stroller-like situation, rather than sitting upright exposed to the elements. I suppose it would be bumpier, but doesn't the construction of the trailer mitigate that with shock-absorbers, or something?

If you wouldn't put an under-18mo on a bike, why? Body strain from sitting in the seat, lack a availability of helmets in the correct size, perception that it is just more dangerous under 18months rather than over?

(Sorry to leap right on your response, but I'm really curious to hear someone else's opinion, especially since you seem to have actually considered this issue!)

Thanks,

Jane

 

[RadioNate]

Thanks for your comment. I have not started exploring this at all yet. My impulse would have been to say that a trailer is safer/better than those molded seats you attach behind your own seat, because the baby is in a stroller-like situation, rather than sitting upright exposed to the elements. I suppose it would be bumpier, but doesn't the construction of the trailer mitigate that with shock-absorbers, or something?

If you wouldn't put an under-18mo on a bike, why? Body strain from sitting in the seat, lack a availability of helmets in the correct size, perception that it is just more dangerous under 18months rather than over?

(Sorry to leap right on your response, but I'm really curious to hear someone else's opinion, especially since you seem to have actually considered this issue!)

Thanks,

Jane

My kids didn't have the necessary body control to sit upright without bouncing around until around about 18 months.

We have a bike seat but my neighbors have a trailer. My DD bounces around the trailer a lot since there is way more room in there then in like a stroller for example. Maybe it is their trailer. It is designed for 2 kids. However, even buckled tightly she isn't as secure as I am comfortable with.

We will move to the trailer when she gets older.

Right now we use the molded plastic seat. She seems much more secure in that. It seems to 'fit' her body better and support her head/neck better.

 

[NotUrsula]

We also use a molded plastic seat, the Bell Cocoon: http://www.amazon.com/Bell-Cocoon-M...ie=UTF8&s=baby-products&qid=1247070180&sr=1-5

This seat has a fair amount of flexibility, so much so that it almost seems loose at times (It's not in our case; the bolts are torqued up VERY tight.) The danger issue with a bike-mounted carrier is that if you fall, the child falls, too, and from a distance that is greater than their height. A well-fitting helmet is a must. That's a big part of the age issue -- they don't make helmets for infants.

DD has been riding for a year now, she just turned 2 -- it is her FAVORITE activity in the world, she begs to go out daily. I won't kid you, it can get pretty hard to balance when they get to be heavier than 20 lbs., so you'll want to take it easy at first and stay off major hills and any kind of bumpy terrain.

We did not use a seat like this with DS, and he never developed an interest in bicycling. At 12, he is still a marginal rider, and will not voluntarily ride a bike.

 

[sunlover13]

When we were shipping for a plastic bike seat that attaches to the bike, we couldn't find one anywhere. We asked the guy at the bike shop and he said most places do not sell them anymore b/c they are not safe. If you fall off your bike, your toddler will fall with you. If you fall off your bike and have a trailer, the trailer does not tip over, but stays upright. The trailers are safer in that regard.

So, we purchased the trailer and DD loved it. It must not have been too bumpy b/c she would sometimes fall asleep in it. However, it does tend to get heavy quickly so once she was old enough, we purchased one of the bikes that attaches on to mine so she pedals also. I like this option a lot better b/c she could help pedal.

 

[janey99]

Thanks everyone for your thoughtful replies!

Jane

(who just realized there is no bike-riding smilie!)

 

[dancingdisneygirl]

My sister bought a trailer for her bike this summer and my nephew loves it. I don't find it to be bumpy at all. He wears his helmet and brings some toys to play with also. My nephew was about 16 months old when he started using it.

 

[Beavers5]

We started using a bike trailer with DD when she was 14 months. She always wears a helmet and loves going for rides. I decided on the trailer over the molded seat, because the trailer was easier for me to balance. We have never had an issue with it being too bumpy... ours has decent shocks and a hammock seat, both probably help with bumps.

 

[golfgal]

We put DS16 in a bike trailer in his car seat when he was that age. It worked great. He LOVED to go on the rides. The town we were in had a bike trail that circled the city and connected to most of the parks so we would ride while he napped and stopped at a park when he woke up. It was a great way to spend the day.