Child Bike Seat/Trailer Recommendations

[jaylea]

I know several people on here bike a lot.

I just got a new bike, and we want to get a seat or trailer for our toddler, so we can go for family bike rides.

Any recommendations? Pros/cons of seat vs. trailer? Any tips on what to look for?

TIA

[2curlydogs]

I had asked this on the nest a bit ago.. let me dig up the responses...

[2curlydogs]

Ok, for the record? I tried the Nest search and it turned up no responses. I tried a google search? Second hit. Fuck you, Nest.

rayskit:

We have a Chariot. My husband did a bunch of research and he went with the Chariot Cheetah. I don't know the ins and outs, but he read on line reviews and asked people we know who are serious bikers (not fatties like us who just use it to toodle around the neighborhood). Some people suggested some of the higher end Chariots but we went for the middle of the road version and it's been great. We got the push attachment and can use it as a good off-road type stroller when we go places like music festivals.

One thing that was always said about Chariots is they have great resale value. When DS#1 gets to big to ride anymore, we'll sell the double and downsize to a single for a couple years until DS#2 outgrows it and then sell that one, too.

terpsfan

We have a wee hoo

www.weehoobicycletrailer.com/

I'm not sure what the minimum age on it is but we started using it last summer with the 3 year old. We love it. I haven't tried the 1.5 yo with it yet...he goes on the back of my bike with the TopPeak (sp? that yellow seat) while DH does the wee hoo with DD.

kelbrian

We have a Chariot Cougar and love love LOVE it! The Cheetah is a great option, too. My SIL has that one and adores it. She can still use it with her 7 year old.

I use the biking, strolling and jogging attachments with it, but you can also purchase hiking and skiing attachments.

They definitely have great resale value and are fantastic quality.

We used ours nearly every single day for two years until we bought our cargo bike. I still use it for taking DD for walks and for jogging, and it's great to have as an addition for shopping if H and I both go to make a big run. It can hold quite a bit of groceries in the back pack (not sure if the Cheetah has that or not), and it's a very smooth ride for the kiddo. It has suspension to soften any jostling from bumps, potholes, etc. and a five point harness to keep your child contained. The inside also has mesh pockets for your kid to put their junk in. Liliana loves to store her water bottle, snacks, etc. in there.

It is absolutely worth every single penny. I can't say enough great things about Chariot.

ETA: I also highly recommend the Lazer brand for helmets. They are flat-backed, which is great for the trailer. It doesn't push their little heads forward. It was also the only helmet that fit my kiddo at a year old. It is adjustable and still fits her today, although we've gone for a helmet with a visor now that she's sitting in the cargo bike.

More:
www.thenest.com/forums/life-boards_politics-and-current-events_npcer-recommend-your-bike-trailer

[2curlydogs]

Also, GOD I love being able to curse here. Fuck fuckity fuck.

[EloiseWeenie]

Common sense disclaimer: One of our good friends has a chariot. He had his 2 boys in the chariot, was riding pretty fast, and went around a corner a little too fast, and the trailer flipped, leaving the boys really banged up (him too).

We were given the bike seat that attaches behind the seat. If we were to have bought something ourselves, it probably would have been something like the chariot.

[jaylea]

I'm leaning more toward the seat that attaches to our bike, since we have only one kid in need of a ride, and I like that he'd be right with me/H. Does anyone know anything about safety of a trailer vs. bike seat?

[Deleted]

May 14, 2012 10:27:46 GMT -5 EloiseWeenie said:

Common sense disclaimer: One of our good friends has a chariot. He had his 2 boys in the chariot, was riding pretty fast, and went around a corner a little too fast, and the trailer flipped, leaving the boys really banged up (him too).

We were given the bike seat that attaches behind the seat. If we were to have bought something ourselves, it probably would have been something like the chariot.

on the road last week, i saw a man take a totally normal turn at a relatively slow speed and his chariot flipped into the road. scared the shit out of me, driving chaos ensued, the kids cried, the man freaked, etc.

as a non-biker who knows nothing about balancing a bike with kids and riding on the road and everything else, those low to the ground things scare me half to death ALL the time because i keep thinking about people who don't look and rough turns and so forth. i want to share the road with (non-jerky) bikers, and i try to do it well. this isn't an anti-bike rant. just a non-biker perspective.

[heightsyankee]

May 14, 2012 10:40:57 GMT -5 cville said:

on the road last week, i saw a man take a totally normal turn at a relatively slow speed and his chariot flipped into the road. scared the shit out of me, driving chaos ensued, the kids cried, the man freaked, etc.

I was rayskit10 on TN, so that 1st quote is from me.

In this case, it must have been attached wonkily because my DH's bike doesn't have a kick stand and sometimes falls over when we are parking or loading and the Chariot doesn't flip empty, never mind when the kids are in it weighing it down.

Another thing I like about the Chariot- it has storage capacity on the back. There is a large pocket where we bring all kinds of things, from diapers to food, when we're going to be out for a while.

Despite the 2 bad stories above, I am freaked out by the thought that if I fell on my bike and my kid was in a seat, they would automatically fall too. I swear I'd have them in a kevlar vest to ride with me. At least if a trailer flips, they're inside something and not just hitting the ground! That being said, I know a lot of people who have the seats and have heard no such stories IRL. This is just one of my irrational mommy fears.

[liveintheville]

We have a weehoo double trailer that converts to a stroller. We love it because we didn't have to buy a conversion kit, it came with everything for about $300. Also, it attaches to the rear axle instead of the seat post. So if the bike flips or crashes the trailer stays up.

[Deleted]

I recently flipped my trailer, but I suspect it was because it was empty and I hit the curb.

I have a trek trailer and love it. It is 15 years old and still goign strong. I prefer the trailer to a seat mainly because I use the trailer when I go grocery shopping.

[heightsyankee]

May 14, 2012 11:16:31 GMT -5 liveintheville said:

We have a weehoo double trailer that converts to a stroller. We love it because we didn't have to buy a conversion kit, it came with everything for about $300. Also, it attaches to the rear axle instead of the seat post. So if the bike flips or crashes the trailer stays up.

yes, this is how our chariot hooks on, too

[northerwolf]

We have an Instep bike trailer. Works fine for our purposes.

[csquared]

We have a Burley trailer. It will hold DD longer than a seat attached to my bike (weight wise). I also share the mommy fear of falling on my bike and having DD fall from 2 feet up to the ground. She's more protected in the trailer and it does stay up even if the bike falls. I did have to get a kickstand installed on my bike to make it easier to attach the trailer. I also only ride on trails where there aren't cars, so I may have a different answer if I were riding on streets with lots of cars (I'd be nervous with her in the trailer behind me even with the safety flags).

[curmudgeon]

Get a fucking flag on whatever you get. And if you are biking in traffic, pleasepleaseplease follow the rules of the road.

/signed: live in an area with a lot of stupid bikers.

[lauralala]

We use an attached seat - DH feels like he has more control over it than with a trailer. Right now we just have a pretty basic one from Academy, and it works fine. This is the one we have:
www.amazon.com/Bell-Cocoon-Mounted-Child-Carrier/dp/B003VDQO9E/ref=sr_1_15?s=cycling&ie=UTF8&qid=1337059056&sr=1-15