to use a front fitting child bike seat?

[Digggers]

Had a horrible experience today that has left me feeling quite sad, angry and worried.

i've bought one of these content.onestepahead.com/assets/images/product/detail/04600_1.jpg for taking my wee boy on bike rides on the cycle paths, parks, proms and canal paths around my city. i'm not planning on going on the roads. I'm going to try it out in the park tomorrow to see if he and i like it and if it works for us before deciding to send it back or not

I know rear fitting seats are more common, but I can't find a rear fitting seat to fit my bike, and all the research and reading I have done on child bike seats doesn't rate a rear fitting seat as any safer than a front fitting one. Both have their pros and cons and both are inherently as dangerous as riding a bike itself is if you are inclined to think that way about risk.

I fitted the seat myself and then took my bike and the seat into my local bike shop today to check that it was on tight enough, and was treated like the worst mother ever!

One of the staff refused to serve me , saying that I was using my baby as an airbag and as a parting shot saying "atleast tell me that youve got a helmet for him"
Another member of staff refused to even talk to me, just standing staring in mock horror at me and my bike.
The guy who did serve me said he had to tell me he didn't endorse what I was doing, but had decided to be professional and let me make my own mind up.

I feel horrible now. But everything I've read says that rear fitting seats, forward fitting seats and bike trailors are all as safe/dangerous as each other depending on your view point.

You've done your research, so have confidence in your decision. I think it looks great - your DS will get a good view, and you'll be able to see him.

Every fall I've had on my bike has been a sideways fall - especially if you're only going on the flat.

Enjoy your cycling.

PS Was it a proper bike shop or was it a crap one like Halfords?

That's shocking treatment - probably stemming from complete ignorance, but that's no excuse!

For what it's worth - these are so common in the Netherlands; nobody would bet an eyelid - also very common to have one front and back

Don't let it put you off - you've done the research and made a well considered choice; that's all you can do

We've used one for years. My local bike shop were nothing but complimentary about it!

No

that seems like an odd and rather extreme reaction: I had one of these and DD and I absolutely loved it (some scumbag arseholes stole my bike with this great big bright green child seat on). The bike was stable, I felt like I could anticipate what was going on. I miss it very much :(

The guys in that shop were morons, imho

I asked about these in my local (and very good IMO)bike shop. They responded much as the people in your shop. The main argument they gave is that these are illegal in many countries.

Sounds like you done you research though.

I want one, it seems to make sense to have the child between your arms and where you can talk to them. The nearest to falls I've had is trying to see what DD is doing when she's sat in the rear seat. YANBU

Thank you all, that makes me feel better, I was anticipating a flaming.

It was a good bike shop, apparently one of the best in town. But pretty disparaging about my Dutch bike too.

Glad that other's have enjoyed using them. The one I've got is the Bobike mini. Anyone have any experience of that?

Why are they illegal in other countries?

I have a kangaroo one, everything I read told me they were safer than the rear seats - better centre of gravity etc.

My SIL uses one and it was recommended to her by her local shop. I think it's a lovely experience for a child and if I was confident on a bike and lived somewhere with decent off road places to go I would have one.

That's insane.. I always thought front seats were safer and better anyway! If I got a seat I'd certainly get one like that. Surely if you fall off your bike then your arms are around your child so you can cushion them??

People in the bike shop were very unprofessional - was it part of a chain?

Oh, and they're just WRONG about your Dutch bike.

Nope, it wasn't a chain, was an indepedant bike shop. They really unsettled me.

I love my Dutch bike too!

I think I might print off some research and take it into them.

Surely the Dutch know what they're doing when it comes to bikes?

I think that the issue might be about Safety Standards - the i-bert seat I linked to does not meet the US safety standard, but that is because the standard only refers to rear-mounted seats. The i-bert does meet British Safety standards - you might check this for your seat (I did, and it does) and print off the information for your bike shop

They are in widespread use in Cambridge, and it's not a big deal at all. Don't worry. The important thing is that all children wear helmets. If an adult has a bike accident, statistically they are most likely to break a limb. If a child has a bike accident, statistically they are most likely to get a serious head injury. So that's your main worry, not the type of seat.

I don't at ALL agree with how the staff treated you - and I agree there are lots of advantages to a forward fitted bike seat.

But I do think that rear-fitting seats just look and feel safer to most people. We have one like <a class="break-all" href="http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=babybikeseats.net/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/33a7e03ae7a0a29a90651210.L2-199x300.jpg&imgrefurl=babybikeseats.net/copilot-baby-bike-seats/copilot-limo-bicycle-child-seat/&usg=__iMbbGmZsglXgEpEhj2q8xJD99gg=&h=300&w=199&sz=19&hl=en&start=0&sig2=_9A21hVLOfwXFqBEPnhgbA&zoom=1&tbnid=2Z-RlrpeFv_lqM:&tbnh=126&tbnw=91&ei=3TLwTI3HDpKKhQf2jp2vCg&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dcopilot%2Blimo%2Bbike%2Bseat%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN%26biw%3D1366%26bih%3D543%26tbs%3Disch:10%2C228&um=1&itbs=1&iact=hc&vpx=1167&vpy=114&dur=2186&hovh=240&hovw=159&tx=121&ty=133&oei=3TLwTI3HDpKKhQf2jp2vCg&esq=1&page=1&ndsp=25&ved=1t:429,r:24,s:0&biw=1366&bih=543" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">this and the difference is that the child is almost completely enclosed within the seat so they just LOOK more protected. If you have a sudden stop their head is supported, and if you fall to the side the plastic of the seat shields them. Whereas the example you linked to is much more open. And also the centre of gravity issue, rear fitted ones are usually lower down the bike, which is inherently more stable than a higher centre of gravity.

Having said that, I think that in a "real" bike crash, the fitting probably wouldn't make much difference! It's FAR more important to cycle safely and go all-out for max visibility and safe, defensive cycling.

Don't feel horrible - you're happy with your choice and the staff sound very judgemental and arsy. I find a lot of bike shops can be like that for some reason. They always want to tell you why THEIR preferred brand of light/chain/lube/lock is the ONLY one you should consider and ALL the others are RUBBISH and will DESTROY your bike. Specially if you're a woman.

I have front fitting bike seat & much prefer it to the rear one. When ds2 was in the rear seat he would be rocking from side to side, getting his feet out of the straps & kicking me, taking his helmet off & I'd just been trying to keep us on the bike.

With the front one, he's much happier, can ring the bell constantly & I can chat to him as well as see what he's up to. I certainly feel much safer riding with him on the front than the back.

As another poster said, you've done your research, have confidence in your decision. I bet your ds will love it

Indeed, the Dutch surely must know. But every bike shop I've encountered since I got my Dutch bike has been utterly disparaging!

so miss crazy, are they illegal in the US then? Wonder why they don't have a safety standard?thanks for that, it's a good idea. I may well do that.

Hey boff! How's you and felix and brood? You might remember me from our antenatal thread? Tis a few namechanges ago, but I was freckly back then xx mwah x

Thanks tilly and the young! X that's kind of you. Starting to feel better now.

Yes I think bike shops are like that in my experience. Certainly won't be going back to that one!

I'm not planning on cycling on the road anyway, and am a very slow and cautious cyclist anyway. I usually only take cycle paths. Infact I'm not really a cyclist, more a pedestrian on a bike!

My Grandad used to cycle with me sitting on the handlebars (I'm too old to have worn a helmet as a child too)
I'd much rather have my child in front of me too.

No, YANBU. The staff at the shop are being ill informed, close minded twats. I would make a formal complaint to upper management, and not use them again. Feel free to name and shame. We have used a bobike on my dh's bike in central London and also have used a rear fitted. He felt very clearly that the front fitted was safer due to the centre of gravity /control of cycle argument.
Enjoy your cycling with your littlie.

I remember sitting in my mum's shopping basket on her bike ! :-)

The guy Who eventually served me said that in the shop's opinions bikes are made for one passenger and anything else compromises safety.

Never go back to that bike shop again. Seriously, never! They don't deserve your money or your custom. In fact, name and shame them and I'll make sure they don't get much other business either.

I lived in Holland for 3 years and was amazed at the women riding bikes around there with 2-3 kids on them, grocery bags hanging off the bars, and a bouquet of flowers tucked in for good measure. Never saw a single crash the entire time I lived there.

Enjoy your bike and your child seat! You'll be creating a lifelong cyclist.

So now I'm wondering if the response that you (and I) had to these in bike shops comes from them foolishly confusing these seats with the front seats with no restraints that did get a fair amount of negative press a few years back.