Cycling Child Seats

Do you want to know more about child seats?

Child seats are a very useful and common accessory that allow you to carry your child on your bicycle in a comfortable and safe way.

Babies can ride with you from eight months old, in a special chair attached to the bike. Of course, your child must be able to sit up independently. They can ride in the chair until weighing about 25 kg.

Before carrying your child on the bike you can test and practice riding with the seat, by placing a weight similar to that of your child in the seat and going for a cycle to see how you adapt to the new sense of balance. In this way, you will feel safer and avoid unnecessary risks with your child on the bike.

We mustn’t ever forget to use a helmet either, both your child and yourself. This should be compact, resistant, with ventilation openings and as light as possible so that the child feels comfortable. You have to make sure that it fits their head perfectly and that it is worn at all times.

When you travel by bike with your child on board it is also convenient to make stops every so often.

Which child seat to choose.

Not all child seats are compatible with all bikes, so before buying, you must be well informed. They must include a harness to fasten your child in at all times. If they are not properly secured by the straps, braking can destabilize them. In addition, it must have a footrest and side protection, to prevent the trousers, shoes or laces of your child from getting caught in the spokes of the wheel.

There are three types of child seats:

- Seats that are placed in the rear luggage rack of the bike are bulkier and have a higher backrest. This allows children to be very comfortable and to be able to lie down and sleep if they fall asleep while you are cycling. They are also easy to carry on your bike and stop the wind from blowing in your child’s face, being placed behind. They also tend to be able to hold a greater load than the rest of chairs, about 25 kg approximately.

- Seats that are fixed to the central bar of the bicycle frame are the most stable, according to their manufacturers, because in the centre of the bike is the centre of gravity and it is more difficult to be unbalanced by the weight. The strongest ones usually support up to 22 kg, although it depends on the manufacturer.

- Seats that are attached to the handlebars of the bicycle allow the adult to control their child at all times. They are usually used especially with babies of younger age. These child seats can usually carry children of up to 3 years of age maximum, or a maximum weight of approximately 15 kg, although it depends on the manufacturer.

Finally, remember that the child seat should be checked and tightened every time it is used because due to the movements of the child and the ground it can loosen slowly and end up weakening the material.