Need advice picking a child seat to attach to adult bike (is NQC around?)

[ChocolateSucksWithoutSugar]

The lovely people at the local council must have had some money left in their coffers at the end of the financial year, as they have laid a decent track on the bridleway opposite me (well, half of it so far ).

This means that I will be able to go for a bike ride without needing to tackle a huge hill on the way back home, so it's time to dust off the bike that I haven't used in years .

This of course means that I need to buy a child seat which attaches onto an adult bike, so that I can take dd (14 months) with me. So what do I need to look for when choosing one?

DH found this site which seems to have a good range. Cost isn't an issue at all, but obviously don't want to pay for a load of pointless features.

Currently liking either the AVENIR SNOOZE DELUXE, HAMAX SIESTA 07 (esp if this is the only make that we can get spare brackets for, so that it could also go on dh's bike), and for novelty value the TOPEAK BABYSITTER, but this is based on absolutely no knowledge of these things.

So can someone with more knowledge than me please advise?

i think the topeak needs to attach to a special rack over the back wheel.

the others fit down on the bike. look at the attachments a bit more closely and see which suits you.
if you have a small fram woman's bike then it may be hard to attach the first few to your frame i think.
The topeak will be better if that is the case....
errr. not sure what else., but will have a look at the ones you mention.

Oh yes, prob worth me saying that I have a (non-suspension) mountain bike, thanks MrsJS.

yes, should have looked at your link first.
If you look at the first few, there is a couple of bars that come out of the front of the seat and these will attach to the tube that your saddle attaches to, down low.
I had a man's bike and this type of seat was fine on that one.
However it was nicked so i had a new woman's bike and now my old seat won't fit becuase there just isn't the space for the connector on the bike frame.
So I have the rack over the back wheel, and am just about to buy the topeak which apprently clips onto the rack. The topeak aslo has its own suspension- not sure if this is good or it it is one of those stupid bikey gimmicks

Do you reckon it would be worth me taking my bike into a shop and getting them to try a few rather than just getting one online then?

Are these ones all 'known' brands - no baddies there?

i don't know much about the safety of them all. I do know about how they fit- is yours a female or male bike?
i think that is the key unless the frame is very big i just don't think the others will fit.
CAn you see on the photo- the topeak actually shows a rack too? this is the only one that will fit my new bike...

my last seat was a hamax and was fine, nothing broke, was comfy for ds1 and everybody was ok... didn't have any bumps or anything though.

Mine's female. Sounds like a trip to a shop might be worth a go, even if I then choose to buy online. Think there's one fairly locally so might pop there tomorrow whilst the idea is fresh in my mind.

Thanks for your help.

there is no way the hamax types would fit onto this cycle
but \limk{http://www.evanscycles.com/product.jsp?style=71346\this one seems to have more space under the crossbar and it may well fit onto this one}

so is uppsoe you need to look at your bike and see how much space there is below the cross bar under the sadlle.
as i said, if it is a man's bike the i am sure either will be ok, but the probs happen with the deifferent fram of a woman's bike.

sorry, second link this one

Went to have a look in a shop this morning (only sell Hamax) but have now hit upon another snag...

Obviously wanted to get dd a helmet to wear, but even the smallest size in the smallest make was too big for her . I find this a little odd as it was supposed to be from 46cm, and her head was measured as 45.5cm at 12 months (was measured then because she was (and still is, but growing ok) disproportionately low on the centile chart at her 8 month check).

Don't really want to take her out without a helmet on, so it seems to have put paid to cycling until she has grown a bit , unless anyone knows of any smaller helmets anywhere?

i got a small olne from halford today, thwat has an adjustable strap that goes on the inside. It was a winnie the pooh one and was about £17 IRRC
it goes quite small around the head. DS2 is 19months and quite small and it adjusted dwon to fit him, so maybe worth looking there, it was 46cm-54cm IRRC.
hth

you reminded me to order my new seat for him last night, so thanks we have a topeak on the way to us soon

Will you let me know what you think of the topeak when it arrives MrsJS?

Sorry, hadn't spotted this thread before!

These are all normal brands, and I'm sure they're EU-approved, so safety should be fine.

If you may be doing long distances, a reclining seat might be worthwhile, but honestly, nobody ever seems to recline the seats, and reclining them doesn't help with stability, anyway (moves the baby's centre of gravity even further back, if you are a small person, this might be a problem). They always fall asleep slumped forward against your bottom. Get used to it.

Re: helmets - my boys both have helmets which change size by twirling a little dial at the back. Very very very clever, and excellent for growing heads, hats in winter, etc etc.

If you want to be able to put the seat on different bikes, the type that goes on a back rack is fine - you just both have to get racks, which are good for putting luggage on ... except for when you've got a seat on the rack, anyway.

I'm a big big fan of the WeeRide Safe Haven, but it isn't EU-approved, and is hence a real hassle to source. I think the EU just doesn't like front seats? I'm not sure. I've been using mine for years now, and am not about to change. It goes on a special bar between your seat and the handlebars. (Hassle: you'd need to get a spare bar for another bike. Also the bar is a bit of a hassle.) You can talk to your kid while you go, and see them, and give them food, and whatever. Much more sociable.

I have a ladies bike and our childseat fits on the back on a rack that dh fitted

can see what seat it is if you want (will involve going out in the garden) .. we've had no problems with it and have had it for at least 5 years

re helmets .. you just get the sponge velcro things to make it smaller don't you

Helmet solutions:

1. go to another bike shop. They may have a more adjustable one? Ours is a Bell

1. Put a hat (soft) on your DD's head under the helmet until it fits?

My kids giant weirdo heads, so this isn't a problem I've faced.

Oh, and we have a Rhode Gear Limo which goes on a rack. Works fine.

Hey NQC - that was lucky that I bumped it when you were online .

'If you are a small person' - hmm, you don't remember me from November then - I'm definitely not small!!

Am liking the sound of your twiddly helmets - what make are they?

I do like the sound of having dd in front of me, but am not sure dh would approve of me having a non-approved one , and am picturing it being quite difficult to reach the handlebars with her there, although maybe I'm quite wrong about that.

Good point about the recline. I can't imagine doing long distances with her, but that's because at the moment I am a lazy arse - maybe all that will change once we discover biking together!

Ah cross posted re which helmet!

I was being nosey and found this link to buy WeeRide seats in the UK...HTH
WeeRide Seats for sale

And what a good simple idea to put a hat on her first! Will try that in another shop. Thank you.

Ooh I am liking the look of the WeeRide (thanks BE), although it's hard to see what the seat itself is like. I presume it does have a back, and doesn't just rely on your body to support them?

we have a rhode gear

Ahh, just searched and found the 'Rhode Gear Limo', which looks awfully like the Topeak, except for it making no mention of built in suspension. Could be another contender, thanks Twig.

Yes, it has a back

Rhode Gear has no suspension. I don't think it makes any difference unless you're doing a lot of off-roading? (And does anyone do that with a baby?)

The wee ride does have a back, but only up to the back of the neck, iyswim. The child has to be able to sit upright holding their head up, with a helmet on, in order to be old enough - it's only recommended from 1 year.

I do really love it.

Pros:

• you can talk to your kid
• they sleep on the front rest bit, which works fine.
• you can put another kid on the back, on a trailer bike or normal seat (i do this a lot!)
• the seat position forces you to knee out while biking, which is good if you tend to pronate - I think this saved me from knee damage in my second pregnancy
• more stable - child is in the middle of the bike.

Cons:

• it is a pig to fit
• if your child is tantrumming, they can bite your arms, grab the handlebars etc
• you can't pop off the seat at lights, so you have to have your seat lower

I've been told by my local shop, who used to stock it, that it's not EU-approved. It is ok in Canada and the US, though, so I don't think it's actually made out of toffee or anything.

If it helps, I had a small crash with two kids on the bike, one in a wee ride on the front, the other in a Rhode Gear. The bike went down. Neither child was even scratched.