First time in a bike seat (9 months)

graeme_s-2

Starting a week on Thursday I'm going to be picking my son up from his childminder in the afternoon and then cycling a mile home. I have a rack mounted co-pilot seat and a rack, so will be attaching these to my little used Revolution Courier Race hybrid. I'm planning to get him a helmet a water proof, and also to get a kick stand of some description to ease loading him into and out of the bike seat. I'm wondering about keeping his head warm (I know we won't be out for long, but it can still be pretty cold at the moment, especially if it rains) - any suggestions for something skullcap like that might go under a baby helmet? Or would I be better of finding something with a hood that would go over the top?

He's sitting up really well now and has good head control, so I'm I think he should be ok sitting in the seat.

I'm planning to give the bike a quick service (particularly checking the brakes).

Anything I've missed? Anything that sounds wrong? Anything that might make things easier?

Crazyjenkins01

Sounds good to me. I'd go for a large (adult maybe?) hat to go over the helmet. Something underneath might cause the helmet to slip around and if he can't see he may not enjoy it!!

That's what I'm planning when my boy is a few months older!

oxoman

Don't load up the bike and rely on the stand to hold the bike and the littleun, seen to many tip over and the youngster get hurt. Load up and DON'T let go, they have a habit of looking around making everything wobble a bit, be prepared for the wobble whilst riding as well it tends to get worse as they get bigger. Finally enjoy and stay safe.

FishFish

I think he'd prefer a child seat in a new Ferarri - can't you at least do that for him?

Crazyjenkins01

I'd agree with oxo, don't let go!
I got a nasty gash on my leg when I nearly dropped the bike with the daughter in her seat on the back, we'd stopped and I was standing over he frame at the time too so just be careful with unpredictable loads!

graeme_s-2

oxoman wrote:

Don't load up the bike and rely on the stand to hold the bike and the littleun, seen to many tip over and the youngster get hurt. Load up and DON'T let go, they have a habit of looking around making everything wobble a bit, be prepared for the wobble whilst riding as well it tends to get worse as they get bigger. Finally enjoy and stay safe.

I'm planning to go for one of these double leg kick stands rather than a chainstay one that just goes on one side:

http://www.decathlon.co.uk/700-double-l ... 71359.html

Point taken though, I'll use it to help steady the bike rather than relying on it to hold the bike up.

FishFish wrote:

I think he'd prefer a child seat in a new Ferarri - can't you at least do that for him?

Given how much the boy enjoys being outside and the wind in his face I reckon he might enjoy the bike more than a new Ferrari

graeme_s-2

First test ride successfully completed after work last night. He started giggling and shuffling about excitedly as soon as I put him in the seat, and whooped and giggled the entire time I was riding around with him. Off to pick him up from the childminder later this afternoon and really looking forwards to it

Crazyjenkins01

Awesome, give him a few years and it'll be time to hit the trails together!

slowbike

Yay

we've put our squidge first in the trailer from around 3 months (in his car seat) and then in a bike seat like yours from around 7 months - he loves it.

We don't go far or fast and take care not to go in conditions that'll challenge him - ie wet, really cold, windy.
We use an adult buff for his neck/head and really need to put gloves on him when he's on the back seat - less of a problem in the trailer where we can pop the cover down ...

mikpem

Good stuff getting him out early, I put my lad on the back around 9 months too and he has always loved it. As they get a bit bigger and grow out of the snowsuits I found the Regatta puddle suits (fleece lined in winter) are great. I pick him up once a week all year round regardless of the weather so a waterproof suit is always in his bag. A buff for the neck is handy and you will probably find that you go through a lot of gloves! (I bought a load of wool mittens from Poundland and we generally lost one every couple of trips).
He is 2 and a half now and still loves going on the back of the bike, the only problem I have is if I go too slow I get shouted at to go faster, if I go fast he wiggles about whooping with joy (wiggles at speed can be worrying) and if I overtake anyone he points and laughs in their face!

graeme_s-2

Thanks Mikpem. My earliest memories are being in a bike seat on the back of my Dad's Claud Butler touring bike. Also we only have the one car, which my wife uses most of the time and I tend to get around by bike, so being able to move him about is kind of essential.

mikpem wrote:

I found the Regatta puddle suits (fleece lined in winter) are great.

Excellent - we bought one of these for a few quid in a Debenhams sale recently - not used it on the bike yet.

Tomorrow should have been my second time of picking him up from the childminder's. Unfortunately he's been ill this week and although he's fine now he won't have been symptom clear for 48 hours, so no childminder's tomorrow.

Crazyjenkins01

no chance of going out for a spin on the weekends?

jimmocrates

I've bought a Humax Siesta for my little boy's first birthday :-)
Any tips on what helmet to get/where to get it from? I use CRC/wiggle/Ribble for my stuff, but don't know where to get kids stuff from.
ta!

graeme_s-2

I'll be honest, I went to halfords and bought him the one that fitted him. I did try my local Evans before that, but it was a newly opened store, and they'd only had a couple of baby helmets in stock, which they'd already sold.

In reality the helmet's only really going to protect his head from impacting the side or rear of the seat