Front-mounted bike seat... any recommendations or problems?

[loomer]

DH needs to put a bike seat on his mountain bike for taking DD (13mo) to nursery. We both like the idea of the front-mounted seats from a sociability point of view, but more importantly DH needs to use panniers on his back wheel, so that rules out a more conventional seat. Worryingly though the guy in our local bike shop doesn't stock them as he reckons they're less safe.

Do any of you use them? We've looked at the Weeride Kangaroo, and the Bobike Maxi. Both look safe and funky. How do we choose?

I have a 'Centric Safe Haven' I like it. I think it's now a Weeride? I have had a small crash with two kids on the bike, and everyone was fine.

Um, the only bobike maxi I can find online goes on the back.

I do prefer a front seat, for sociability. The only downsides:

• if the kid is tantrumming, they can bite your arms, and otherwise interfere with your biking.
• the kid is more in the wind.

Upsides:

• sociability
• kid can see more
• you can see them better
• I think the bike is better balanced this way.

I think the Weeride seats are no longer EU-compliant or something? Not sure. The bar that the seat goes on is a pig to fit, from what I know. Oh, and it forces you to knee out a bit while riding (no bad thing for me), and means you can't have your seat too high as you can't pop off the seat when you stop.

Oh, there are rear seats that attach to the seat post, so you can have panniers and a bike seat ... can't think of the name of them, though, we've never had one.

Yeah, just checked, it's the same as a weeride kangaroo.

my next door neighbour had one and I asked her as I was thinking of getting one and she strongly advised against it as it made the bike much less stable, plus the child is much less protected in the event of an accident.

So I didn't get one.

Hmmm, I don't think they're less stable than back seats. And I don't think they're less protected than in a back seat, tbh.

Wow NQC, thanks for the quick response!

I'm confused as to how the child could be less protected, as they sit between the cyclist and their handlebars, so they appear to be 'cradled' in their arms, IYSWIM. Don't know that I'm too fussed about EU regulations either, if I know that people are using them safely (and surviving a small crash).

They are absolutely legal in other countries, like Canada and the US.

The small crash I had, my front wheel hit a (right-turning, non-signalling) car. My front wheel was written off. I had some bruises. Neither child on the bike had a mark on them.

I should note, it was quite a low-speed collision, which no doubt helped. But the bike did go down, with me on it.

I used to have a centric haven, which we both loved - ds1 and I had great chats when out and about and he loved ringing my bell. I did crash twice - nothing to do with the seat, my bike skills I am afraid, and both times, he was completely unmarked as I acted on instinct and hurled my arms around him as we went down. I prefer them as I find the balance easier, and you don't have the falling asleep to one side problem that you can on the back, which can be hard to compensate for. I was recommended it more than a bobike as it is centrally mounted rather than on the front stem, and apparently the fittng matches a wide variety of bikes, whereas the bobike needs a particular sort of front stem, like a dutch type bike, and won't fit on many GB bikes. I don't know if that's true, as I never researched it further, but the Centric Haven fitted my Mountain bike no probs. Anyway, I sold that one, when I had DS2 and moved onto a trailer, which was ace until they started beating each other up! I now have bought DS1 a trail bike which is the extra wheel and seat and handlebars fitted behind my bike, and a front mounted seat called a SAFE-T-SEAT (I can't do links, but have checked and if you google under that it comes up) for DS2 and we go off together on one long contraption which is great. I like the safe-t-seat the best of all, as it doesn't affect your riding position and is very easy to get them in and out of. I am still using it at 7 months pg with no3, and the boys and I go all over the place in it, which they both love. I haven't ever found balance a problem, even in my huge state. Hope you're still awake after all that!!!!

Yeah, I use my Centric on the front and DS1 on a trailer bike on the back. We get stared at a bit, particularly if DS2 is trying to bite me, and DS1 is singing a loud song about the weather, while we bike through central London.

yes, the boys love being stared at (which is a hobby here in Germany) and they wave cheerily and yell 'guten tag' as people leap out of the way!