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Bringing my 4 year old on bike rides

Skoal CatSkoal Cat Registered User regular
edited October 2011 in Help / Advice Forum
My son has just about outgrown his
new_weeride_kangaroo_bike_seat_for_kids_25_brainerd_chattanooga_tn_7985060.jpg
He is 35 lbs but so tall that its just not a good fit.

And he is too young to put him on his own bike and have him keep up with me. I'm not exactly biking marathons here, but for god's sake, he's four. It seems that I have a few options, and I'd like some opinions on them.

We could go for a
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but good lord does that look something awful

Then there is the totally bad ass looking
511S9aIC04L._AA300_.jpg

And finally the bizarro version of what I currently have
tyke4.jpg
This has a max weight of 40, so in terms of getting my moneys worth I should probably consider something else.

Maybe I've missed some other ideas out there, but if anyone has any experience with any of these, I'm all ears. Ideally we wouldn't just go for pleasure rides, but do some errand running and such too.

Skoal Cat on

Posts

  • curly haired boycurly haired boy Your Friendly Neighborhood Torgue Dealer Registered User regular
    you might want to look into a rear child seat for your bike. it's something that can hold more weight and offers better control since it's over the back tire.

    the 'half bike in the back' concept is probably your best bet for a long-term solution, though.

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    Registered just for the Mass Effect threads | Steam: click ^^^ | Origin: curlyhairedboy
  • Skoal CatSkoal Cat Registered User regular
    edited October 2011
    Ah, should have mentioned those.
    Rear bike seats seem to have a weight limit of about 40lbs, though some absurdly expensive ones (200+) seem to hold 50ish. That is a retarded amount of money that I would have a hard time justifying.

    example: http://www.amazon.com/Kettler-Flipper-Child-Bicycle-Seat/dp/B000RPEZPY

    Skoal Cat on
  • QuidQuid Definitely not a banana Registered User regular
    Do you just not care for how the trailer looks or are you worried how it would handle? Growing up my aunt and uncle used one for my cousin and I and it worked just fine.

  • Skoal CatSkoal Cat Registered User regular
    I live on a second floor walk up and the trailer looks like something I'd have a bitch of a time on roads/sidewalks with what with how wide it is, let alone the absolute pain in the ass it would probably be bringing it up and down the stairs.

    I could be completely out of line though, and since my son is getting bigger I may just have to deal with more inconvenience. The bike extension doesn't exactly look like it would be the easiest thing to carry up some stairs.

  • DangerousDangerous Registered User regular
    Trail-a-bikes are pretty sweet. I'm not sure which ones you've been looking at, but the official ones have a quick detach mechanism and fold up nicely.

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  • Skoal CatSkoal Cat Registered User regular
    edited October 2011
    Good god $$$
    http://www.amazon.com/WeeRide-96455-Co-Pilot-Bike-Trailer/dp/B000I4255G/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1319426133&sr=8-1
    seems a bit more right, money wise, and my wee ride seat has so far been solid

    I also have damned fine panniers, so the added bonus of the trailer as storage isn't that much of a bonus.

    Skoal Cat on
  • Blake TBlake T Do you have enemies then? Good. That means you’ve stood up for something, sometime in your life.Registered User regular

    On the last option.

    If you can work in a small vertical on the bend the frame will then be good enough for around 52 pounds. The weak point will be the chair itself.

    Saying that you need to be comfortable that your bike frame can take an addition point load of 12 pounds in the middle. (I would guess that it can)

  • AldoAldo Hippo Hooray Registered User regular
    What distances are we talking about and where do you live? I'm from Holland, so any advice re:bikes would be either terribly inappropriate, impractical or impossible depending on where you are.

  • Skoal CatSkoal Cat Registered User regular
    edited October 2011
    I'm in the US and would like to be able to do a 20 mile ride (maybe more, certainly less, I like options)

    edit: I have access to mostly bike paths, no hills, or back roads without much traffic

    Skoal Cat on
  • Aurora BorealisAurora Borealis runs and runs and runs away BrooklynRegistered User regular
    I like the bike on back of the bike extension thing. The advantage of that is that it helps him get used to the feel of pedaling, which is supposed to make it easier to transition into riding a bike himself. It's a lot more active than just riding in a sidecar or trailer, and there is more a feeling of independence than there is with a crossbar seat.

  • mtsmts Dr. Robot King Registered User regular
    if you are thinking that far i would probably lean towards the trailer. seems like thats a long time for a little one to be in a bike seat

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  • SkeithSkeith Registered User regular
    I'm also thinking the trailer if you're looking for bang for your buck, but mostly because you'd probably be able to fit a healthy amount of groceries once your son is large enough for his own bike.

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