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Original poster

Calling anyone who uses a child chair on their bike

27 replies

hercules · 24/08/2005 15:05

I went to Halfords today to look at their ladies bikes and child chairs and was told that the only way I could use a child chair was to get a bike who's seat would have to be raised so high to fit the chair at the back I wouldnt be able to ride it. I'm 5"5.

What do people do?

OP posts:

iota · 24/08/2005 15:06

put it on dh's bike

tarantula · 24/08/2005 15:08

weve got ours on dhs bike too.

but Id go to a proper bike shop if I were you adn check with them.

Xena · 24/08/2005 15:13

DD's is on DH's bike too!

koalabear · 24/08/2005 15:14

on DHs bike, but friend who is 5 foot 2 inches has it on her bike - so this sounds like Bs to me - go to bike shop like Evans - they should be more knowledgable

Rowlers · 24/08/2005 15:15

Ignore them.
They are being over-cautious.
I was told the same. I bought a Hamax sleepy Joe (think it's called that) on the internet and it fits fine. Fair enough, she's quite close to me but she's fine with it. She loves the bike in fact.
Try an independent bike shop.

Anchovy · 24/08/2005 15:18

Don't understand this. I've got a cheapo ladies road bike with a seat for DD (23 months) on the back. Seat is bog standard one called, I think, Co-Pilot. DH has same seat on back of his bike for DS (3.10). Can't understand why anyone says it can't be done unless you have some strange sort of bike (off the top of my head unicycle or similar). Halfords are total pants - go to a real cycle shop and I'm sure there will be no problem

haggered · 24/08/2005 15:27

Hi.. Iam 5.5 and both my children have been on the back ( not at the same time ) you can now get seats for the front got mine from Toys R us my 3 year old loves it !!!

Original poster

hercules · 24/08/2005 16:32

Thanks for replies. I want one for me as I'll be going cycling far more than dh as I have 13 weeks holidays!

trouble is halfords do a bike for 90.00 and I went to 2 independant places who were minimum 200 pounds for a bike and only had expensive chairs. I can also get it on credit from halfords as now is a struggle but in a couple of months financially we will be far better off and be able to pay it off but I want it for the rest of the holidays and cant wait!

Haggered - please tell me more about your front carrier as this might have to be our option. I read somewhere they cant lean back so not as good as back chair.

OP posts:

haggered · 24/08/2005 16:36

no they dont lean back but it does have a leaning self so that helps them to support how old is you ickle one ? wE wouldnt be without our front carrier as DS prentends he is the cyclist.

bensmum3 · 24/08/2005 16:50

hercules, I would check it further, Iam only 5"4.5 and use a rhode gear bike seat on my cheapy mountain bike without having the seat raised, I got my seat on ebay at half the price of in the shops.

Original poster

hercules · 24/08/2005 16:58

She's nearly two and fairly petite. I'll check out the seats you've all mentioned.

OP posts:

motherinferior · 24/08/2005 17:03

Herc, I know Halfords is doing a cheap deal and you may have no option but I agree with Anchovy, they're pants. We had to get bikes from there on our insurance recently (ours were pinched from our garden shed while we were on holiday) and I cannot tell you how appalling they've been.

motherinferior · 24/08/2005 17:04

Can you just get the bike and then take it to a proper shop?

Original poster

hercules · 24/08/2005 17:08

Thanks, I might wait a month or so then and in the meantime hunt on ebay.

OP posts:

Anchovy · 24/08/2005 17:19

A woman came up to me in the park the other day and said to me - fairly accusingly - "how did you get that seat on your bike with a pannier?" She said that...guess who, Halfords..had told her it couldn't be done. As the seat actually clips on to the pannier thingy (and this is the most common sort of seat there is) I can only conclude that Halfords are complete and utter lazy know nothing muppets.

Good luck - DD adores her bike seat more than anything else in the world, other than possibly her bike helmet, which she would wear to bed if she could. Her ideal outfit would include her swimming armbands and her helmet.

ThePrisoner · 25/08/2005 02:01

I've got an adult tricycle with two fixed seats on the back!

Xena · 25/08/2005 09:36

Where did you get that from theprisoner?

hovely · 25/08/2005 21:52

just to add my tuppenceworth I have a Hamax Kiss on the back of my perfectly ordinary bike, but TBH I don't see that you could get a pannier on as well, so I have a handlebar basket for bags. DS adores the seat, and it is the easiest thing in the world to get it on and off when you want to ride without it. My saddle isn't affected at all.
have you looked into getting a second-hand bike? If you live near a biggish place esp with lots of students there may be loads of fairly new second hand bikes around.

fqueenzebra · 25/08/2005 21:57

Bike seats fixed to pannier racks are not as good (stable or secure) as bike seats fixed to seat posts, you can see the CTC technical guidelines about why this is a bad idea. The Blackburn childseat comes with it's own special pannier rack, that's a bit better, but... personally, I just do without the pannier rack.

Otherwise agree with the advice about going to a specialist bike shop.

fqueenzebra · 25/08/2005 21:58

Xena -- Cyclists Touring Club (their magazine, maybe their website in the future, too) has adverts for tricycles with seats in the back, sometimes. Must be other places to buy them on the Internet...

Keep in mind that adult-size trikes are very impractical to own, and the old-fashioned childseats on them don't even come with safety belts.

ThePrisoner · 25/08/2005 23:00

Xena - I bought mine secondhand in a small cycle shop in deepest Buckinghamshire about 8 years ago! I'm not sure, but most trikes are by Pashleigh/Pashley/Pash ... er whatever, and used to be based in Stratford-upon-Avon ??

ThePrisoner · 25/08/2005 23:03

My trike has a fitted safety belt to go around the waist and between legs of child, but I also attached reins to the frame of the bike/seats/child, and also used safety helmets. I also ask for written permission from parents to take children on trike.

Original poster

hercules · 26/08/2005 09:08

Thanks everyone. I've looked in bike shops and prices for bikes start from 200 but I'm also watching ebay and will get local papers today as is Friday.

Thanks for advice about the chair as well. Haimax is 50 pounds in bike shop so I'll probably buy from shop. They told me it would fit most bikes.

All I can say is dontb go to Halfords!

OP posts:

Original poster

hercules · 26/08/2005 09:09

Thanks everyone. I've looked in bike shops and prices for bikes start from 200 but I'm also watching ebay and will get local papers today as is Friday.

Thanks for advice about the chair as well. Haimax is 50 pounds in bike shop so I'll probably buy from shop. They told me it would fit most bikes.

All I can say is dontb go to Halfords!

OP posts:

Original poster

hercules · 26/08/2005 09:09

Thanks everyone. I've looked in bike shops and prices for bikes start from 200 but I'm also watching ebay and will get local papers today as is Friday.

Thanks for advice about the chair as well. Haimax is 50 pounds in bike shop so I'll probably buy from shop. They told me it would fit most bikes.

All I can say is dontb go to Halfords!

OP posts:

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