Baby bike seat questions

[emilypsf]

We got a co-pilot bike seat for my 30 lb 2 year old.  When she rides in it, my bike feels very top heavy and likely to tip over easily.  If she turns her body, I can really feel it.  I have a road bike.  Is this any better with hybrids or mountain bikes or is it just a matter of getting used to the weight distribution?  I'm also wondering how you get your kids into a bike seat without a kick stand on your bike - is a kick stand even enough to keep the bike up while getting a child into the seat?  I can't get her in and keep the bike up by myself unless I'm standing facing her with the bike between my legs.  But then I have to turn around to get into my seat, and I can't keep the bike up while doing that.  Any advice?

[Goldielocks]

Great questions.  A kick stand definitely doesn't work.   Kid takes the bike over at least once out of every three times.  Good thing they are wearing a helmet.  (only partly kidding here).

After mounting the kid seat to the rear of the bike, I realized the same thing, and that the kid seat that mounts between your arms on the cross rail is so much better, you can control the weight better there.   2 year olds (who have almost fallen over while strapped to the bike seat) get to understand pretty quickly when you say don't do that, don't shift / turn, and they understand even more if they are right between your arms.

As for getting on... 1) second person, even a stranger to hold the bike works.  2) I think I used to use a solid wall / fence as a prop, or good bike rack (with rear wheel in the stand).  Put her in, hold onto bike as it was standing leaning on wall. or rack. turn around and mount the bike.  (flexible leg motions required here). 

As soon as possible, convert to a trail a bike.  Much safer for the kids, but they are at least 3, some are 4 before they can do that.

[dilinger]

It's a pretty common problem.  If you put a child seat on a normal bike, it will be very top-heavy and awkward.  There are various options, though.

1) Get a front seat.  That only works for smaller kids, but they're much easier to handle.  The ibert has a 38lb limit.  The bike will still be top-heavy, but at least you won't have to turn around.

2) Get a better kick stand.  There are kick-stands made for cargo bikes that have two legs instead of one.  They balance much better.  I wouldn't leave a wiggly kid on one while you wander off for a snack, but they're fine while you're getting onto/off the bike and arranging the kid.

3) Get a trailer.  You won't be able to have a conversation with your kid (and on the bright side - you won't have to have a conversation with your kid).  But your bike will no longer be top-heavy, and you can put them in without worrying about the bike falling over.  Best when paired with a mirror or something so you can make sure you have enough clearance when going through narrow points.  An added bonus is rain protection.

4) As someone else mentioned, a trail-a-bike.

5) Get a bakfiet (or similar; Cetma, Bullitt, Metrofiet, etc).  These are dutch-style box bikes with the box in the front.  The weight in the box is very low, so the bike is not at all top-heavy.  If you like having your kid up front, this is a good way to go.  It's expensive, though; these start at $3k.  Rain covers are available, too. 

6) Get a mid- or long-tail.  The most popular of these is the Xtracycle, but there are plenty of other options.  Some of these are top-heavy, but some aren't; for example, the Xtracycle Edgerunner has a 26in front wheel and a 20in back wheel.  That means you're up higher, while your cargo in the back is over the smaller wheel; hence a lower center of gravity, so less top-heavy.   These don't typically have rain protection (though I have seen covers that people have hacked together).  They're typically also pretty expensive, but less so than bakfiets.  They start at $1k for the less fancy models, and the Xtracycles start around $2k.

[emilypsf]

Thanks so much for the info.  How do the front seats do on road bikes?  I'm wondering if it will block my vision since I'm seated leaning over.

We are mostly biking with the kids for recreation, not transportation right now, so I don't think the fancier bikes are worth it for us.  Maybe we will get one if we have a bike commute to elementary school for my son in the fall.  We're waiting to find out where he gets into school. Currently we just walk to preschool.  Do any of the dutch style or mid/long tail bikes fit on any car racks?

I'm also going to look for a trail on craigslist.  My 4 yo will be able to use it now, and we'll let the 2 year old do it as soon as she is able.  Does anyone have experience with the trails that attach the child's bike to yours?  I'd prefer one of those over one that has its own wheel because we live in a city with a small garage that is already full.

[Venturing]

We have a wee ride seat that goes in front of the rider

[Goldielocks]

Thanks so much for the info.  How do the front seats do on road bikes?  I'm wondering if it will block my vision since I'm seated leaning over.

We are mostly biking with the kids for recreation, not transportation right now, so I don't think the fancier bikes are worth it for us.  Maybe we will get one if we have a bike commute to elementary school for my son in the fall.  We're waiting to find out where he gets into school. Currently we just walk to preschool.  Do any of the dutch style or mid/long tail bikes fit on any car racks?

I'm also going to look for a trail on craigslist.  My 4 yo will be able to use it now, and we'll let the 2 year old do it as soon as she is able.  Does anyone have experience with the trails that attach the child's bike to yours?  I'd prefer one of those over one that has its own wheel because we live in a city with a small garage that is already full.

WE tried both the second bike attachment and trail a bike.  The bike attachment was used only three times.  it was hard to put on and wobbly, especially when compared to the more stable trail a bike.

[KCM5]

To me it sounds like the issue is that you're using a road bike.

A bike with a longer wheel base that is more stable will be easier to control with the child seat on the back. I have a dutch bike (Gazelle) that has a longer wheel base and so the child seat on the back is not a big deal. I don't feel her wiggle. I can't stand up to get up hills because the bike is less stable, but that is the only difference between having the child in the seat and not.

Maybe consider getting an older, step through bike with upright bars like an old schwinn or something? They are more stable and wouldn't be so twitchy.

Regarding the kickstand, if you get a double kickstand loading the child onto the bike is much, much easier. They're about $30, so they won't break the bank. Don't leave your child on the bike with simply the kickstand, of course, but the bike is stable enough that there is no danger of falling over while loading/unloading. Although, like someone said upthread, a wall does work as well.

[dilinger]

Thanks so much for the info.  How do the front seats do on road bikes?  I'm wondering if it will block my vision since I'm seated leaning over.

We are mostly biking with the kids for recreation, not transportation right now, so I don't think the fancier bikes are worth it for us.  Maybe we will get one if we have a bike commute to elementary school for my son in the fall.  We're waiting to find out where he gets into school. Currently we just walk to preschool.  Do any of the dutch style or mid/long tail bikes fit on any car racks?

I'm also going to look for a trail on craigslist.  My 4 yo will be able to use it now, and we'll let the 2 year old do it as soon as she is able.  Does anyone have experience with the trails that attach the child's bike to yours?  I'd prefer one of those over one that has its own wheel because we live in a city with a small garage that is already full.

They shouldn't block your view.

Car racks aren't standardized, so you kind of just have to test them to see what fits.  That said, one of the selling points of mid-tails is their ability to fit on many bus racks.  Here's an example list of a bunch of mid-tails: https://www.reddit.com/r/citybike/comments/2x8oh5/midtail_bikes_miniroundup/.

Regarding the price tag, two points to keep in mind:
 - Unlike cars, they keep their resale value as long as they're stored inside, kept in good condition, and are a well-known quality brand.  I bought mine new (4 years ago) for $3500, and new ones of the same model now sell for $4500.  I could EASILY get $3000 for mine, and probably even more. 
 -  Depending upon where you live, there may be decent deals on craigslist or ebay.  Also keep an eye out for the occasional bike shop clearance sale.  For example, a bike shop near me just had one where bikes were 25% off: http://familycyclery.com/end-of-the-year-sale/

[chouchouu]

My four year olds weigh about 16 kilos and I don't have any issue with stability apart from initial take off. I have slim road tires so think it would be a bit more stable with a mountain bike but since its only a few seconds before I pick up speed it doesn't bother me. To mount them I put the bike between my legs and face rearward. I pick them up and strap them in and then grab the handlebar and turn myself to biking position.

Fwiw I have the trek fx and the child seat is the yepp maxi. The yepp had good reviews for stability and was quite easy to find second hand. I got the version that attaches to the seat post which is supposed to feel more balanced.

[emilypsf]

Thanks again for all the advice.  I'm going to keep my eye on Craigslist.  Iberts and trail-a-bikes seem easy to come by on there.  The others, it's hard to find a deal.  People basically want full price for trailers and the fancy stuff.  I have a friend with a bucket bike, and I'm going to try it out with my kids.  Happy biking!

[hyla]

Xtracycle.  I have one that I use to carry adult passengers that weigh up to 200lbs, so your 30lb 2 year old, or even both kids at once, would be no problem.  It is also possible to attach all kinds of railings, seat cushions, and handlebars to an xtracycle rack to make your kids secure and comfy - there are somewhat pricey official options, but it's also pretty easy to DIY that stuff - my xtracycle has a cushion made out of a gardening kneeling pad ($10) and passenger handlebars made out of a threadless stem and shortened MTB handlebar attached to my seatpost (old parts free from local bike recycle).  You can also chat with your passenger on a longtail, which is nice. 

[dryingwood]

We have an iBert and love it.  It's very reasonably comfortable and balanced having baby between your arms.  It's not certain to fit on a bike with drop handles though.  Got it for $40 on craigslist (though more often they seem to be posted at $60-$70 there).