Best way to carry luggage with a child seat

scrumpydave

Anyone had any experience with this? I often have to carry stuff when I go places with my daughter on the back of the bike. Obviously this takes the rear rack out of commission and I end up having to take a rucksack which is not ideal.

I've got a trailer already but they are too cumbersome for a lot of journeys and I've got no mounts for a front rack. I've got a handlebar bag too but it is too small to carry much. Anyone got any suggestions for good ways to carry luggage in this situation?

baudman

How much stuff?
The trailer is your obvious solution, as you've said. You could mount front panniers in addition to the handlebar bag, depending upon what bike/forks you have. You say you have no mounts, but there are often ways you can put them on. If you have 'v-brakes' there's racks that can be mounted to them. Or, you may be able to use 'p-clamps' to go around your forks to provide a mounting place. Certainly not optimal, but hey, it could be a solution.

If not too big, the backpack worn backwards (so, on your front) so as not to be in your child's face. This can impede pedalling though, depending upon the size of it, and your bike's geometry. I've also seen people put their backpack on the back of the rear childseat. Each to their own, but even more weight way out there would not be my preferred option.

These days, our family rig means most of the time the cargo is on Thing1's bike's panniers. (Rack sourced from my 20" Dahon folding bike) Or if additional is required, a messenger bag on my back.

Note that a front-mounted child seat better allows for that.