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Original poster

Bike Seat Advice for fairly heavy toddler

17 replies

GlummyMummy · 08/04/2017 19:45

My daughter is about to turn three and is a fairly heavy child. We had a shot of a bike seat for her but couldn't use it as the weight of her was causing the seat to bump about and rub onto the rear tyre.

Any recommendations for a bike seat that's easy to fix and is suitable for larger kids please?

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Piffpaffpoff · 08/04/2017 19:50

I had this one which slots onto a rear luggage rack that fits over the back wheel of your bike. Expensive but excellent and good eBay/gumtree resale value once you are finished with it.

You might need to get a bike shop to fit the rack but the seat itself goes on and off the rack really easily.

Original poster
GlummyMummy · 08/04/2017 20:01

That looks great thanks! Can see the benefit of that one if you're out cycling by yourself as getting on and off the bike with a 3 year old on the back seems tricky! Ideally looking for one where they're up higher over the wheel if I can track down the right thing.

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Piffpaffpoff · 08/04/2017 20:15

I don't think you'll find one that sits higher over the wheel than this tbh. (See pic)

Bike Seat Advice for fairly heavy toddler
Original poster
GlummyMummy · 08/04/2017 20:37

That looks better than one we had to be honest

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SkiBike007 · 08/04/2017 20:43

How about a tag a long a proper one with its own wheel and handlebars not a pole that attaches to their bike. We moved our 3yr old onto a tag a long and she loved it. You can't go so far we also mixed it up with a trailer until she was four. It's a tricky age 3-4yrs as they can get tired quickly sitting on a bike. She loved the trailer with a pillow and teddy. We got it second hand.

Original poster
GlummyMummy · 10/04/2017 19:05

Never heard of tag alongs, this is a whole new area for me!!!! Ideally want one for over the rear tyre but I'm wondering if they just aren't made for this age group

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SkiBike007 · 10/04/2017 22:50

I think they don't make them as the kids are just too big by that age. The trailer was our main bridging "tool", until the tag along was a favourite then you move into the 6-9yrs age group when you slow right down again as they ride their own bikes. We've just got our 9yr old up to speed and the youngest is starting to get too flipping heavy for the tag along....so back to short slower rides againSmile as she rides her own bike.

BarchesterFlowers · 11/04/2017 08:52

We had a wee hoo. Good resale value.

www.sjscycles.co.uk/trailers/weehoo-igo-turbo-2015/

Original poster
GlummyMummy · 11/04/2017 09:33

Looks fun, though not a lot of off road cycling round us so not sure how safe we'd be with her in there on our twisty country roads!!!!

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BarchesterFlowers · 11/04/2017 10:04

I live rurally and did an eight mile school run on twisty rural roads on it - I rarely go off road!

SkiBike007 · 11/04/2017 10:57

I find riding with kids a bit like going swimming with them if YOU actually want to do any riding/swimming you have to go out without them, but it's lovely teaching them and enjoying a few miles of pootling. We did take both trailer and tag along to France when youngest was 3 and oldest 7, planning to do 10-20mile flat Brittany cycle routes but we soon realised the oldest just wasn't up to it even with lots of stops. Youngest was happy in trailer but we had to watch the sunshine temp.

BarchesterFlowers · 11/04/2017 17:10

We had a fab time with the wee hoo, moved on from that to a Thorn tandem. Manage 30/35 miles a day these days (at ten years old) but did 20/25 for a couple of years.

What worked for us was lots of cake stops and sightseeing.

DD is still on the tandem on long holidays (her choice), great fun.

SkiBike007 · 11/04/2017 18:03

Ooh would love a tandem 😀But we have ten bikes at last count in our garage Grin mix of kids and adults maybe I'll keep my eyes open for a secondhand tandem one again.

TheLongRider · 11/04/2017 21:08

We had a trailer from 7 months to 5 years old. We took it in holiday to the North York Moors, doing 17% hills was interesting on the way up and down. The trailer was fabulous, it was a Chariot now owned by Thule. I loved it for the crèche run on busy suburban streets.

I preferred a trailer to a child seat because we could use it in all weathers, DD would fall asleep in the trailer. I don't think she'd have been as comfortable on a seat.

Piffpaffpoff · 11/04/2017 22:04

We had a trailer too, more flexible than the wee hoo in that they were covered in bad weather and there is a bit more protection if it tips for any reason. We just got a cheap one off eBay but if I had my time again, I would have got a Burley or Thule on the basis of resale value. (We learned about this too late - each islabike we had cost us about £10 per child cos they held their value so well!)

TheLongRider · 11/04/2017 23:13

I can recommend Frog bikes as a good alternative to Islabike. Slightly cheaper and the build quality is just as good.

Original poster
GlummyMummy · 12/04/2017 21:31

Thanks everyone for the suggestions, off to look at some of these online now! 😃

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