🚀 go-pugleaf

Definately take your baby bicycling!! My children love it. We have a
Fisher-Price rear mount model that we like very much. It holds the child in
place with a large plastic T-shield (similar to car seats) and buckles in
over the shoulders. It has wheel-well type foot rests, and there is a sturdy
plastic "sheet" that covers the spokes of the rear tire - very important to
protect dangling feet. We used this for our now 4 year old from the time she
was 1 until 2 1/2. We just started using it again with our 8 mos. old. We
tend to ride in our neighborhood or on paved bike trails. Never on busy
roads. This summer we will be renting a trailer called a "Burley", which
attaches to the back of the bike and allows 2 to sit together (side by
side), but we are only using this on Cape Cod, where they have an amazing
paved bike trail. I don't know too much about it, but it seems to be the
most predominant trailer used there. Anyway, have lots of fun and don't
forget bike helmets and sunscreen!!
Sasha

Jim Fulker <fulker@nc.com> wrote:

>Anyone know what the scoop is here? My wife and I want to ride
>with our 10 month old, but I'm not sure what the safest/best
>thing is. I didn't find anything in consumer reports...

>3) Trailers
>   I want to have more control and flexibility than I think
>   these contraptions will afford. 

Try one. They have no perceptible effect on control, other than the sheer
weight of the cargo. The same cannot be said of having 20+ lbs of
high-mounted weight on a bike. As the kid ages or gets joined by a sibling
or cargo, there is no comparison.

I'd estimate (though I have no figures) that the tipping risk of seats is
the largest hazard of all.

>   Plus, they're low and trail
>   behind the bike, and as a result, at risk of being driven
>   over by impatient car drivers not expecting a trailer.

Their sheer eye-catching nature and visibility more than outweighs this
possibility. You can fit a flag to overcome the low profile, if you wish;
Burley supplies one with their trailers.

>   Seems like Cannondale's is the best.

Burley and Equinox have the best long-term reputation among cyclists, but
there are over a dozen competitors in the market, now. Try
http://www.wicycle.com/compare.html for links to most of the manufacturers.

>4) Don't do it at all
>   The "what to expect" book implies that not taking your baby
>   with you on a bike is best. Probably right, but...

True, it is a risk--from the figures I've seen, I'd estimate about twice
the per-mile risk of driving. It's one that I'll take.

In <3558BE2E.47DB8DD0@nc.com> Jim Fulker <fulker@nc.com> writes:

>Anyone know what the scoop is here? My wife and I want to ride
>with our 10 month old, but I'm not sure what the safest/best
>thing is. I didn't find anything in consumer reports...


>3) Trailers
>   I want to have more control and flexibility than I think
>   these contraptions will afford. Plus, they're low and trail
>   behind the bike, and as a result, at risk of being driven
>   over by impatient car drivers not expecting a trailer.
>   Seems like Cannondale's is the best.


I used a trailer with my son from when he was 5 1/2 weeks old until
he graduated to the back of the tandem at age 4.  Since I don't drive, I
rode many thousands of miles with the trailer, including several tours
of a week or longer.  I found that car drivers gave me much more
room than they give a single bike.  Trailers are quite visible, and
more importantly they are perceptually salient (i.e. drivers not only see 
you, they notice you).  

I chose a trailer over a bike seat for several reasons.  First, 
trailers are difficult to roll (not impossible, but difficult), and
if the bike goes down, the trailer stays up.  Second, the trailer
has a cover to protect the child from sun and rain.  Third, trailers
have cargo room, to carry the diapers, toys, books and spare clothes
that seem to go along with young children.

There is no doubt that it's harder to pull a trailer than to ride
a bike with no trailer.  It's not the handling that's the problem, 
though--  a bike handles well pulling a trailer, but trailers are heavy
and catch the wind.  For me, the extra safety, comfort and carrying
capacity outweighed that disadvantage.

In my opinion, the best child trailer on the market is the Burley. 

-- Anne Paulson

Jim Fulker wrote:
> 
> Anyone know what the scoop is here? My wife and I want to ride
> with our 10 month old, but I'm not sure what the safest/best
> thing is. I didn't find anything in consumer reports...

My godson's parents have three kids (now aged 6, 4 1/2 and 1), two bikes
and no car (ok, we're in Europe :)), so I take their word for the
following: The trailer is the safest, the only way to carry a baby, and
you can load extra luggage. As a driver, I must say they're very visible
in traffic; all those I have seen are bright yellow and take some
missing, you can see them much better than the bike. On the down side,
they are heavy to pull, as all the weight is behind you. As for the bike
seats, it seems that the front seat is easier to use- you can see the
child and you have more stability. My friends say that front-monted is
safer in the sens of avoiding accidents: the bike is more balenced as
the extra weight is closer to the center of gravity, the child's
movements aren't felt so much. However, they don't have backrests, so
can only be used for older children who can sit a long time without
support (say about 2 years old). I don't know which would be safer in an
actual fall; it's about time someone published some tests on these
things!
Happy riding! 
Jo

Thanks for your response... I just found a page that has useful
information about trailers and seats. Still no real statistics,
but pretty much what I was looking for.

http://www.ibike.org/sfinfant.htm



Josephine Georgakopoulos wrote:
> 
> Jim Fulker wrote:
> >
> > Anyone know what the scoop is here? My wife and I want to ride
> > with our 10 month old, but I'm not sure what the safest/best
> > thing is. I didn't find anything in consumer reports...
> 
> My godson's parents have three kids (now aged 6, 4 1/2 and 1), two bikes
> and no car (ok, we're in Europe :)), so I take their word for the
> following: The trailer is the safest, the only way to carry a baby, and
> you can load extra luggage. As a driver, I must say they're very visible
> in traffic; all those I have seen are bright yellow and take some
> missing, you can see them much better than the bike. On the down side,
> they are heavy to pull, as all the weight is behind you. As for the bike
> seats, it seems that the front seat is easier to use- you can see the
> child and you have more stability. My friends say that front-monted is
> safer in the sens of avoiding accidents: the bike is more balenced as
> the extra weight is closer to the center of gravity, the child's
> movements aren't felt so much. However, they don't have backrests, so
> can only be used for older children who can sit a long time without
> support (say about 2 years old). I don't know which would be safer in an
> actual fall; it's about time someone published some tests on these
> things!
> Happy riding!
> Jo

I'm also wondering about this.  I know Burley is supposed to be the best
trailer, but I don't think it is in our budget this year.  They have a
model made by Pacific on sale at Toys R Us and I'm wondering if anyone
knows anything about it.  I'm having a hard time finding any info on it.

Any help would be appreciated.  Our daughter is also 10 months (almost)
and I'd love to take her out with us this summer.  I just can't quite
get the whole bike seat vs. trailer thing worked out!

Thanks!
Laura and Maggie

Jim Fulker wrote:
> 
> Anyone know what the scoop is here? My wife and I want to ride
> with our 10 month old, but I'm not sure what the safest/best
> thing is. I didn't find anything in consumer reports...
> 
> 1) Rear mounted seat
>    This seems to be the most common choice in the states,
>    and aside from the falling-over risk, I feel like it's
>    the least risky. So, what brand is best?
> 
> 2) Front mounted seat
>    Mostly used in europe. I don't know enough about them,
>    except that the makers of front-mounted seats claim
>    they're safer than rear-mounted. I don't trust them as
>    much... maybe because I first saw one advertised in a
>    United Airlines sky-mall magazine.
> 
> 3) Trailers
>    I want to have more control and flexibility than I think
>    these contraptions will afford. Plus, they're low and trail
>    behind the bike, and as a result, at risk of being driven
>    over by impatient car drivers not expecting a trailer.
>    Seems like Cannondale's is the best.
> 
> 4) Don't do it at all
>    The "what to expect" book implies that not taking your baby
>    with you on a bike is best. Probably right, but...
> 
> Any ideas or opinions are appreciated. Thanks.
> 
> -Jim

In article <355B7576.A6C6AADA@ibm.net>,
  lrompot@bigfoot.com wrote:
>
> I'm also wondering about this.  I know Burley is supposed to be the best
> trailer, but I don't think it is in our budget this year.  They have a
> model made by Pacific on sale at Toys R Us and I'm wondering if anyone
> knows anything about it.  I'm having a hard time finding any info on it.

Burley is one of the best.

I saw one Trek trailer at a bike show that was as good as the Burley,
but I haven't seen it for sale.

Whatever you choose be sure:

a) Aluminum frame, not steel

b) wheels supported on both sides (cheaper trailers have the wheels
   mounted on axles that stick out from the frame, but they are not
   supported on both sides).

I'd stick with Burley. You can sell it for a good price when you're
done so the total cost of ownership is no more than it is for buying
a junky trailer.

I'd avoid Cannondale and Winchester trailers.

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