Which child seat for a road bike?

The Kennington Kaiser

Hello all,

First post on the family and kids section so I hope you can help. My son is a year now and about to go to nursery for three days each week and I've been tasked with getting him there in the mornings. As the nursery is on route to work I'm keen to get him on the back of my commuting bike, which is a Cannondale R600 road bike.

I spoke to a guy today in the LBS who told me that they didn't stock any seats that would fit the frame because it has no pannier attachements/bolts etc Is this the case? Surely there must be some models that can attach to the tope tube and seat stays/seat post. Any suggestions gratefully received? Roadies must be able to carry their kids too mustn't they?

KK

yahboo

Entirely possible - you just need a seat that attaches to the frame down tube... must be a crap LBS if they don't know this!

I picked up a child seat from Decathlon which fits my road bike. Basically it has a bracket which attaches to the frame down tube. The seat then attaches to this bracket through a clip system. It's very good quality.

Check the seat out here:
http://www.decathlon.co.uk/EN/little-duck-17253285/

This is the bracket which attaches to the down tube:
http://www.decathlon.co.uk/EN/kiss-slee ... t-3956069/

baudman

Yeah - some roadies (but not many) would have brazed on mounts.

I would agree with yahboo - that style of seat would suit. However, a few more considerations.

Those mounts can potentially scratch up your seat tube quite a bit. What rims/spokes do you have. the R600 tends to come with something pretty slick - so built for low weight. You may need to look at rims that are a bit less 'race' and a bit more 'strength'.

Have you considered a trailer? Or how far is your commute? If not too far, perhaps a cheap 2nd-hand bash bike would be more appropriate, and keep your roadie for the fun stuff...?

wasp707

Decathlon also stock Hamax seats which clamp to the frame. I use a Co-Pilot Limo but these needs braze-ons for the rack it attaches too.

The Kennington Kaiser

Thanks for the replies everyone - might get to the nearest Decathlon and try them out.

Baudman - I've got mavic open pros and 105 hubs so I hope they'll take the extra weight. Wonder if it's worth putting some 25c tyres on the rear wehhel rather than the 23c that I have now? That said, I'm only taking him about a mile and a bit to the nursery in the morning.

Now all I need is the lightest and most aerodynamic one and I can still train on my road bike

yahboo

Be aware - from my own experience - that road bike handling becomes far more challenging with the seat attached. There are stability issues due to the inherent "bounce" of the seat - since it's mounted on flexible rods rather than on a rear rack. Put on the fattest rear tyre you can live with (though I stuck with my 23c's). Having said that, once you learn to adjust your riding style (so practice with your child on the seat somewhere safe), it's absolutely fine. Don't expect to crack along too fast though!

On the other hand, this hybrid city bike:

http://www.decathlon.co.uk/EN/b-twin-7- ... -34963560/

Which I picked up specifically to carry my son around on is a joy on all terrains (parks, canals, rough country) with this seat:

http://www.decathlon.co.uk/EN/dms-17253640/

Using the bike with him on the back, I reckon I get a pretty good workout - getting back on the road bike it feels light as a feather!

Good luck - but take my word for it, carrying your child on the bike is an incredibly rewarding experience as they get older (and chattier) - and you'll miss it once the sprog gets too big.