Co PIlots!

gtvlusso

Anyone got a co-pilot or child seat fitted?

Can you make any recommendations? Tips? Not sure whether to go rear mounted or top tube mounted? Any restrictions with fitting/bike?

Cheers

asprilla

Also interested in this. I'll be needing one in the summer.

navt

Depending on age/size of child (it is for a child right?). Young and small, recommend top tube. All others (adults and pets) recommend rear mount.

SimonAH

We tried a trail-gator. Other people swear by them and the reviews were brilliant but we set it up, went fifty yards down the road and sold it on ebay. My daughter HATED it.

I have to say though that the rear mounted seats scare the bejasus out of me. Just think of the leverage on a strapped-in childs head hitting the deck if you were to wash out the front wheel on something slippery and hit the deck even at super slow speed.

staringatthesea

I have the Co-Pilot with the Blackburn rack. It was excellent for my kids, managed a slow reverse somersault in Blaise Castle once with no ill effects.

You're welcome to borrow it for a try out. I had promised it to my sister in law but as i don't think she even has a bike I don't think there's much chance of her calling that in in the next few months.

I fitted it (or Bike on the triangle did) to a mountain bike originally so it has funny extensions on the rack to connect it to the seat clamp rather than the stays, which may or may not be useful to you.

Blue Meanie

I fitted a saddle to the top-tube, with a foot-rest on the forks. Little tyke could have hands on handlebars and felt much safer/engaged. It's really not allowed to modify a bicycle to transport two, unless buying purpose built seats.

gtvlusso

Yeah - my other problem is that both my frames are race frames - no clearance for mudguards and no braze ons for racks.

Assumed I can fit one anyway!?!

@Simonah - I agree wholly with your sentiment about kids vs gravity. I am looking to just use it on family hols and on cycle paths - would not go near the road with one!

Not sure whether to go top tube or rear mount. I think that my bikes are too low profile for top tube - i.e. juniors head will be buried in my chest!

Thought or pics?

staringatthesea

I have a trialgator too which has been great, but my kids were just starting to ride without stabilisers when we started with it. I think it would be tricky if your child hasn't yet learned to balance a little. And they need to be clamped VERY tightly to the front of the childs bike which isn't always possible.

Gussio

We have two Hamax Siestas. Chose these over the Co-pilot because they don't require a rack and take about 2secs to change between bikes (we bought an extra bracket with the first one). Tend to use them on trails, so the "suspension" is helpful for the kids (although I have heard people complain that the seat can move around too much). Would certainly recommend - the kids love them.

cjcp

We've got the Co-Pilot, and used to have the Hamax before our eldest moved onto the tag-a-long.

IMO, the Co-Pilot's much better.

rjsterry

gtvlusso wrote:

Yeah - my other problem is that both my frames are race frames - no clearance for mudguards and no braze ons for racks.

Assumed I can fit one anyway!?!

@Simonah - I agree wholly with your sentiment about kids vs gravity. I am looking to just use it on family hols and on cycle paths - would not go near the road with one!

Not sure whether to go top tube or rear mount. I think that my bikes are too low profile for top tube - i.e. juniors head will be buried in my chest!

Thought or pics?

I would have thought you'll need P-clips if there aren't any braze-ons - not sure what weight they can take though.

asprilla

Has anyone got any preference for chariots over seats and why?

I must admit that I'd prefer our little one to be towed behind but Mrs A is insistant that it has to be a seat.

cjcp

Asprilla wrote:

Has anyone got any preference for chariots over seats and why?

I must admit that I'd prefer our little one to be towed behind but Mrs A is insistant that it has to be a seat.

We've got a double-chariot. It's great in somewhere like RP, but thought it stuck out a bit far for the roads around me, so prefer the seat to the chariot. They also got big and pulling two of them up the hill from Ham Gate sent me into the red.

Gussio

Asprilla wrote:

Has anyone got any preference for chariots over seats and why?

I must admit that I'd prefer our little one to be towed behind but Mrs A is insistant that it has to be a seat.

Have seen plenty of chariots out in Richmond Park and always think how great they look, particularly for little kiddies. Eyewateringly expensive though and you'd need somewhere to store them. Seat allows you to have a conversation with the kids about what they can see, etc..

Gussio

cjcp wrote:

They also got big and pulling two of them up the hill from Ham Gate sent me into the red.

That is a steep little hill - hard work with just me on the bike!

cjcp

Gussio wrote:

cjcp wrote:

They also got big and pulling two of them up the hill from Ham Gate sent me into the red.

That is a steel little hill - hard work with just me on the bike!

I know. The kids would shout, "Come on, Daddy! Go faster!"

I had to respond under my breath. I've since got my revenge, though: I've made my five year old cycle from the river to her tennis class (part of the way up Kingston Hill), and also to Hampton Court and back. :twisted: Not that she's being groomed for the BC Youth Development Squad or anything. Oh no.

@Asprilla - if you want to check out the Co-Pilot, you're welcome to pop round to have a look.

Butterd2

Gussio wrote:

We have two Hamax Siestas. Chose these over the Co-pilot because they don't require a rack and take about 2secs to change between bikes (we bought an extra bracket with the first one). Tend to use them on trails, so the "suspension" is helpful for the kids (although I have heard people complain that the seat can move around too much). Would certainly recommend - the kids love them.

Not sure the make but we have one that just attaches to a clamp on the seat tube, it did seem like a lot of leverage but seems to work just fine and as mentioned above adds suspension. It is clamped to an old steel framed MTB though, not sure I would attach it to the CR-1!

shouldbeinbed

I'd always go for a rear mount, more structure around them if you do go over, more riding stability, control and visibility and less chance of a swinging foot going into the wheel or a random grab at the bars taking you by surprise and to the ground

I've dropped a bike with 3yo son in child seat on the back with no ill effects, as long as they're strapped in properly its incredibly hard for them to contact the ground.

I'd recommend a cowhorn kickstand too to allow for proper bike stability whilst you're strapping them in/out or attending to them mid ride.

I also have tipped a double trailer onto its side with 2 kids in it (Heaton Park mini railway line & thin tyres) they both stayed strapped and hanging in situ and thought it was the best bike game in the world. Asking me to tip them again. (Didn't tho)

jejv

Hamax "Smiley" has brain-damaged straps - theres a V, with the tops of the V fixed to the seat, with a clip on the bottom of the V cliping on to a central bottom strap.

It may be hard to get the V over the child's head, or impossible with a helmet.

I've seen a few arround with the straps undone - perhaps because of the defective design.

We got one, but I replaced the strap with the "Siesta" straps, with some sewing.

The Siesta has a rh strap - Right shoulder to between the legs, and a left shoulder strap that clips into the right strap.

There's different platforms available if you have fitting problems.

Didn't fancy a trailer. Worried about visibility to motor vehicles, & forgetting about the extra width. And it wouldn't work off-road.

El Gordo

We have a couple of Hamax seats which we're pretty happy with. The only downside is that they can bounce off the back wheel on big bumps. That depends on the frame size of the bike and the weight of the kiddie though.

I tried a Phillips trailer once and it was the most unpleasent cycling experience of my life. The thing weighed a tonne, every bump it went over was like slamming the brakes on. It took up half my shed. It made the bike do odd things on corners and to cap it all the girls hated been so crammed in (but then they were having 'sharing' issues at the time).