These trailers also come with many features to make life easier for you to use and more comfortable for your child, including suspension, anti-roll mechanisms, reclining seats, easy fold and storage compartments. “Aero” shape helmets are not good for children in child seats or trailers since the tail hits the back of the seat and forces the child’s head sharply forward out of a natural position, can push the helmet forward over their eyes and can add tension to the chin strap choking the baby. Alongside our range of bike seats for kids we also have a great stock of child bike trailers, with options from great brands like Thule, Wehoo and Topeak. The best baby bike trailers on the market can be found at the bike trailer guide website.
Our range of children’s and baby bike seats is versatile, with options to suit all kinds of bikes, riders and needs. Due to this concept, some states in the USA have implemented the one year law that prevents such underage kids to be placed in rear bike seats or baby trailers. Baby bike trailers are a great convenience in this regard as they not only let the kids have the fun but provide support to the parents as well that does not want their children to miss out on the fun.
I didn’t find it in any publicly available literature, but Agran sent me some AAP guidance acknowledging that trailers shouldn’t be used on the roadway because they may not be seen by motorists,” but their advice for parents biking on the road is just that if you must carry your child on a bike,” put them on a rear bike seat and don’t do it until they’re a year old — old enough that their necks can support a bike helmet. Even in bike trailers with seatbelts, roll cages and covers to protect the child inside, it’s still important for kids to get in the habit of associating a bike with a helmet on every single ride.
A Japanese survey published in the Daily Yomiuri reported that 49 percent of injuries occurred when children fell off their seats as bikes driven by their parents were being parked, 17 percent were injured when children fell off bicycles while in motion, and 13 percent were hurt in collisions with cars, other bicycles or pedestrians. We see online postings by some parents who put their children in baby seats of one design or another and take them along on trailers starting as young as five weeks. Although both types of bicycle carriers have safety issues, the American Academy of Pediatrics states that is preferable for a child to ride in a bicycle trailer rather than a front or rear-mounted bicycle seat because a young passenger on an adult’s bike makes the bike unstable and increases braking time.” (See the AAP’s tip sheet) The AAP believes that a mishap at any speed on a bicycle-mounted seat could cause significant injury to a child.
According to the Bicycle Helmet Safety Institute, nearly one-third of injuries involving children in bike seats occur when getting on and off the bike. Thankfully, child bike seats and trailers offer a great way to keep that ever-watchful eye on your kids while enjoying your ride. Bike trailers are usually two- or three-wheeled trailers that will seat one or two children, can be attached to the rear of the bike, and will be pulled along behind it.
The most popular choices are child seats and trailers, though cargo bikes are getting more common and many people swear by them for the school run. Let the newer cyclist set the pace and mileage, and you can also level the playing field by fitting any bike trailers, child seats or luggage to the bike of the more experienced or stronger cyclist for the bulk of the ride. But in the U.S., not many people bike with infants, and makers of bike trailers and child bike seats recommend you don’t bike with a baby younger than nine to 12 months old.
This bicycle trailer also has some safety features in the form of a safety harness on the seats, a foot guard tube to protect your child’s feet and of course, a safety flag. When compared with bicycle-mounted child seats, there were fewer reported injuries to children associated with the use of bicycle-towed trailers. Two children (33%) injured in bicycle-towed trailers and 2 (5%) injured in bicycle-mounted child seats were admitted to the hospital (Fisher exact test, P<.06).
If you have more than one child, extra luggage or just want an alternative to a bike seat, then bike trailers could be for you, with some having the capacity for two children along with storage room at the back. Our new baby bike trailer is perfect for you to ride a bicycle with your lovely children together. The trailer is very comfortable for children during a ride since it is equipped with large wheels, soft seats, and an adjustable suspender.
This lightweight, bike-only trailer features comfortable seating for one or two children, tinted windows and plenty of space for cargo. When I asked Agran if they’d looked into the safety of putting a car seat into a bike trailer, as some parents do with children far younger than 12 months, she said she wasn’t aware that they had. Bicycle-towed child trailers are safer than bike-mounted seats.
Trailers tend be best for use with young kids If you are comfortable with it, you can even buckle a carseat into a trailer For parents of multiple young children, a trailer is often the ideal option as you can put two kids in there. Bicycle trailers can carry multiple children, gear, and even kid’s bikes. I’ve moved children and cargo with bikes and trailers for nearly 40 years, beginning with a Shuttle, which mighty soon had its moulded plastic wheels replaced with something that would not collapse.
Trailers also have a greater weight-carrying capacity than child bike seats, so you can keep using them even when your family has outgrown other options. To understand the benefits of bike trailers for kids, first we have to recognise the limitations of other options, such as child bike seats The issue of child numbers is an obvious stumbling block. Nobody offers safety training for users of trailers or child seats, so you just gear up and ride.
Your child — wearing a helmet — can ride in a bike trailer (those little carts with wheels that you pull behind your bicycle) starting no sooner than 12 months old. Better suited for longer rides than front child seats, MTB kids trailers can also take luggage so that you can pack more food/clothes/nappies or whatever. There’s obviously no suspension, anti-roll mechanism, reclining seats or additional comfort and storage features that you get with the more expensive trailers but it does come with a high visibility flag.
The Thule Chariot Lite 1 has all the same safety features as the Chariot Cross so you have the same peace of mind about your child’s safety, and it’s also a bike trailer / stroller with option to upgrade for jogging and ski-ing. At the other end of the price spectrum, cheaper single seat bike trailers cost between £85 to £110 These obviously aren’t manufactured to the same rigorous standards, but can provide families with a budget way to cycle with their child and are popular for gentle bikes rides on smooth traffic free surfaces. With double capacity, this queen of comfort comes standard with features like reclining seats, premium seat pads, adjustable suspension, full-length tinted windows, aggressive-tread 20″ tires, and easy-to-use quick receivers that make transitioning from trailer to stroller the easiest we’ve ever seen!
Child bike seats and trailers are safe, reliable ways to carry your most precious cargo and allow you to share your love of cycling with your children at a young age. Children’s bike specialist Islabikes offers a range of road and mountain bikes with light aluminium frames, simple gearing and easy to reach brakes, ranging from balance bikes right up to its Pro Series bikes for kids who love to race. A lot of lower-priced children’s bikes are under-specced and overweight; 15kg is typical, which can be half the rider’s bodyweight. For more information be sure to visit bike trailer guide.
If you want to have a family outing with a distant destination, as you child outgrows their child seat (~ age 3) or trailer (~ age 4), there are a couple of options to consider: tandems (and even triples and quads) with child stoker kits (a.k.a kidback, kid-back or kid kit) on the rear seat(s) and third wheel / trailer cycles In both cases your children will be right with you no matter how fast you ride. In the event of a crash, with rear child seats – even a well designed one with heaps of safety features – the child is likely to suffer at least minor arm and neck injuries. I feel a bit sorry for children being strapped in trailers, buggy’s or carseats for ages.
Any leads on rental services with baby bike trailers or baby bike seats would be appreciated!
Leave a Reply