Rear Rack AND child seat

Special K
Special K Posts: 449
Looks like a lot of child seats won't work with a rear rack and panniers.

Anyone use both?
"There are holes in the sky,
Where the rain gets in.
But they're ever so small
That's why rain is thin. " Spike Milligan

Comments

  • cycledad2
    cycledad2 Posts: 50
    Hi,

    I use both on my Hamax Plus system. The panniers are designed to be used with the rack. I actually found i could just squeeze my ortlieb rollers on as well. A little work with a file and they'd fit in very easily. I've done a fairly comprehensive review of this system on my blog.

    The hamax Siesta type seats which are also very good fit onto the seat post tube and so in theory your rear rack is free. In reality, you balance having the child as low as possible, while still being able to fit your panniers on. So more space\height for panniers meanes the child seat is higher (so therefore less stable). The hamax plus system really defines the position for you and keeps the child seat very low while maintaining some space for small panniers.

    In balance the hamax plus system works great for me. I'm sure the Siesta type seats will achieve the same effect. I do love my Hamax plus though. Its just so substantial looking.

    Good luck hunting.
  • Ian Sims
    Ian Sims Posts: 735
    My only comment would be that having both child and luggage at the back will mean that there's not much weight over the front wheel. I've always used front lowrider panniers when carrying children on my bike, but then I've only used a rack-mounting seat.
  • cycledad2
    cycledad2 Posts: 50
    yeah it does shift the weight backwards. It depends on your bike geometry whether thats an issue.

    For my dawes sardar, it does hurt handling, but not severly.The bike seat is almost hanging off the rear of the bike. However, the drop handlebars allow me to move a lot of my weight forward, so its not an issue.

    I dont even notice it on my heavyweight kalkhoff Agattu, but thats partly because the rear wheel is further back on that bike.