April 2007
Bike seats and trailers for children
Hauling the laundry basket up and down stairs and chasing around a toddler-wannabe certainly qualify as exercise. Still, if
you get the feeling it's not enough, a bicycle-mounted child seat or a bicycle trailer can help you cover some ground in the
name of fitness and fresh air without having to hire a babysitter.
Bicycle-mounted seats are mounted behind or in front of a cyclist's seat and can transport one child age 1 to 5 or so. In both seats, the child faces forward. They're potentially less safe than trailers, which have two bicycle-type wheels and a long hitching arm that fastens to a bicycle from behind and rides low to the ground. In an accident, a child would fall about three feet from a mounted bike seat, compared with a fall of about a half a foot from a trailer. With the added weight of a little passenger at the back or front, a bicycle with a mounted seat might be harder to handle, which can be unnerving or just annoying, depending on your cycling experience. Getting on and off a bike with a baby in a mounted seat can also be difficult.
Trailers attach to the rear axle or frame of a bike, and can carry children from age 1 through 6 or so. They provide some protection to passengers since children are seated, strapped in, and usually enclosed in a zippered compartment. Trailers have a rigid frame enclosed in durable fabric, which offers some protection for young passengers if the unit rolls over. But children still must wear a bike helmet. (See our helmet Ratings.) As we mentioned, because a trailer is closer to the ground, it's potentially safer than a bicycle-mounted seat in a fall. Some designs have a hitching arm that allows the bike to fall without affecting the trailer.
Still, trailers pose safety problems because their low profile makes them difficult for motorists to see, especially in limited light. They should have a 3½- to 7-foot-tall, high-visibility orange flag. Trailers are also wider than the bike, so they take up more of the roadway. If you're riding on the shoulder, the trailer can stick out into the road if you're not careful. And trailers can tip over if you turn abruptly or turn when one wheel is going over a bump. As you speed up, braking becomes harder, especially on wet surfaces. Trailers can become snagged on bushes or other objects.
SHOPPING SECRETS
Take a trailer or a bicycle-mounted seat for a test ride. Put some weight in it if you test it at the store. Don't test-drive it with your child in it. Save that for home, after you've selected a seat, installed it according to the manufacturer's directions, and feel comfortable with it. Bring your child along when you shop, though, to see if the seat is a good fit. If you can't test-drive at the store, borrow a friend's bicycle trailer or mounted bicycle seat and take it for a spin with weight in it, such as a sack of potatoes (not your child).
Buy for your bike. In our tests, some bicycle trailers couldn't be mounted on bicycles with disc brakes, and some bicycle-mounted seats couldn't be used on bicycles with oversize tubes. The Wee Ride 98055, for example, a seat that mounts in the center front of an adult bike, could be mounted only on bikes with a small head tube, the metal tube between the handlebars and the front forks. So keep compatibility in mind when you're shopping.
Avoid buying a trailer or bicycle-mounted seat that you're not able to examine carefully, such as one sold exclusively over the Internet. Keep your receipt and the trailer or mounted seat's packaging in case you discover a fitting problem when you get home.
WHAT'S AVAILABLE
The major brands of mounted bicycle seats are, in alphabetical order: Bell (available at retailers and e-tailers such as www.rei.com and www.target.com), Fisher-Price (www.fisher-price.com), Kettler (www.kettlerusa.com), Topeak (www.topeak.com), and Wee Ride (www.weeride.com). Prices range from $23 to $160. Some mount behind the bike's seat, while others mount in front, accommodating one child from 40 to 50 pounds (it varies by manufacturer).
The major brand of bicycle trailers are, in alphabetical order: Burley (www.burley.com), Chariot (www.chariotcarriers.com), InStep (www.instep.net), and Schwinn (www.schwinnbike.com). Prices range from $90 to $785 for one- and two-passenger models, and the trailers can hold up to 100 pounds.
RECOMMENDATIONS
Don't buy a bicycle trailer or a bicycle-mounted seat until your baby is at least 1 year old. We don't recommend bicycle trailers and bicycle-mounted seats for children younger than that because they may not be physically equipped to withstand the forces they'll be exposed to when riding in a bicycle seat or trailer. And when they're younger than age 1, they can't support their head properly with a helmet on, which all riders should wear.
Choose based on your needs, riding ability, and where you are riding. Trailers are "off-road vehicles"; use them only in parks and on safe, smooth trails where there's no risk of encounters with cars. Follow the manufacturer's recommendations regarding the maximum weight, which is usually up to 100 pounds.
The better bicycle trailers have sturdy construction, tinted windows, a comfortable interior, and a wide wheel base. But before you buy, ask yourself if you will use the trailer enough to justify the price. If you think you'll use it only occasionally, buy the most durable trailer you can find at the low-end price. Also, consider how much weight you'll tow. If the weight of the bicycle trailer plus the passenger or passengers exceeds 50 pounds, you may start to feel like a beast of burden. Pedaling uphill can be especially difficult. At that point, maybe it's time for riders to get their own bikes.
Take your cycling ability into consideration. If you opt for a bicycle-mounted seat, you might find a rear-mounted seat with a child in tow unnerving and exhausting to operate. If you're a novice or not in top shape, you'd probably be better off with a front-mounted seat. If you go with a bicycle trailer, ride with only one child at a time if you're an infrequent rider. Finally, have your child wear a lightweight, well-fitting bike helmet, and never leave a child in the seat with the bike on the kick stand, which isn't made to support the weight.
Bicycle-mounted seats are mounted behind or in front of a cyclist's seat and can transport one child age 1 to 5 or so. In both seats, the child faces forward. They're potentially less safe than trailers, which have two bicycle-type wheels and a long hitching arm that fastens to a bicycle from behind and rides low to the ground. In an accident, a child would fall about three feet from a mounted bike seat, compared with a fall of about a half a foot from a trailer. With the added weight of a little passenger at the back or front, a bicycle with a mounted seat might be harder to handle, which can be unnerving or just annoying, depending on your cycling experience. Getting on and off a bike with a baby in a mounted seat can also be difficult.
Trailers attach to the rear axle or frame of a bike, and can carry children from age 1 through 6 or so. They provide some protection to passengers since children are seated, strapped in, and usually enclosed in a zippered compartment. Trailers have a rigid frame enclosed in durable fabric, which offers some protection for young passengers if the unit rolls over. But children still must wear a bike helmet. (See our helmet Ratings.) As we mentioned, because a trailer is closer to the ground, it's potentially safer than a bicycle-mounted seat in a fall. Some designs have a hitching arm that allows the bike to fall without affecting the trailer.
Still, trailers pose safety problems because their low profile makes them difficult for motorists to see, especially in limited light. They should have a 3½- to 7-foot-tall, high-visibility orange flag. Trailers are also wider than the bike, so they take up more of the roadway. If you're riding on the shoulder, the trailer can stick out into the road if you're not careful. And trailers can tip over if you turn abruptly or turn when one wheel is going over a bump. As you speed up, braking becomes harder, especially on wet surfaces. Trailers can become snagged on bushes or other objects.
SHOPPING SECRETS
Take a trailer or a bicycle-mounted seat for a test ride. Put some weight in it if you test it at the store. Don't test-drive it with your child in it. Save that for home, after you've selected a seat, installed it according to the manufacturer's directions, and feel comfortable with it. Bring your child along when you shop, though, to see if the seat is a good fit. If you can't test-drive at the store, borrow a friend's bicycle trailer or mounted bicycle seat and take it for a spin with weight in it, such as a sack of potatoes (not your child).
Buy for your bike. In our tests, some bicycle trailers couldn't be mounted on bicycles with disc brakes, and some bicycle-mounted seats couldn't be used on bicycles with oversize tubes. The Wee Ride 98055, for example, a seat that mounts in the center front of an adult bike, could be mounted only on bikes with a small head tube, the metal tube between the handlebars and the front forks. So keep compatibility in mind when you're shopping.
Avoid buying a trailer or bicycle-mounted seat that you're not able to examine carefully, such as one sold exclusively over the Internet. Keep your receipt and the trailer or mounted seat's packaging in case you discover a fitting problem when you get home.
WHAT'S AVAILABLE
The major brands of mounted bicycle seats are, in alphabetical order: Bell (available at retailers and e-tailers such as www.rei.com and www.target.com), Fisher-Price (www.fisher-price.com), Kettler (www.kettlerusa.com), Topeak (www.topeak.com), and Wee Ride (www.weeride.com). Prices range from $23 to $160. Some mount behind the bike's seat, while others mount in front, accommodating one child from 40 to 50 pounds (it varies by manufacturer).
The major brand of bicycle trailers are, in alphabetical order: Burley (www.burley.com), Chariot (www.chariotcarriers.com), InStep (www.instep.net), and Schwinn (www.schwinnbike.com). Prices range from $90 to $785 for one- and two-passenger models, and the trailers can hold up to 100 pounds.
RECOMMENDATIONS
Don't buy a bicycle trailer or a bicycle-mounted seat until your baby is at least 1 year old. We don't recommend bicycle trailers and bicycle-mounted seats for children younger than that because they may not be physically equipped to withstand the forces they'll be exposed to when riding in a bicycle seat or trailer. And when they're younger than age 1, they can't support their head properly with a helmet on, which all riders should wear.
Choose based on your needs, riding ability, and where you are riding. Trailers are "off-road vehicles"; use them only in parks and on safe, smooth trails where there's no risk of encounters with cars. Follow the manufacturer's recommendations regarding the maximum weight, which is usually up to 100 pounds.
The better bicycle trailers have sturdy construction, tinted windows, a comfortable interior, and a wide wheel base. But before you buy, ask yourself if you will use the trailer enough to justify the price. If you think you'll use it only occasionally, buy the most durable trailer you can find at the low-end price. Also, consider how much weight you'll tow. If the weight of the bicycle trailer plus the passenger or passengers exceeds 50 pounds, you may start to feel like a beast of burden. Pedaling uphill can be especially difficult. At that point, maybe it's time for riders to get their own bikes.
Take your cycling ability into consideration. If you opt for a bicycle-mounted seat, you might find a rear-mounted seat with a child in tow unnerving and exhausting to operate. If you're a novice or not in top shape, you'd probably be better off with a front-mounted seat. If you go with a bicycle trailer, ride with only one child at a time if you're an infrequent rider. Finally, have your child wear a lightweight, well-fitting bike helmet, and never leave a child in the seat with the bike on the kick stand, which isn't made to support the weight.
|
CERTIFICATION |
 |
|
 |
Best Baby Products Order Consumer Reports' Best Baby Products, the only book that helps you shop for the best value on the safest baby products, based on impartial and independent research and testing by the experts at Consumer Reports. |
|
|
