I will be looking at getting a seat for my lad (currently 3 months old) soon. I have a full suss and would like to know how people have found riding with a seat and child added on. Or is it worth me buying a hardtail which is what i have told the mrs 😉

Also any reccomendations on some decent seats would be appreciated.

I’ve got hamax siesta and wife’s got a similar but non reclinable one. they’re good but not sure if better than others. Don’t fit on my FS bikes as no room on seat tube for clamp. Briefly mounted one to wife’s FS seat post but was a bit high for easy balance so got a cheap on one inbred and built up fir her. Also, when riding off road (I’ve done various blue bits and bibs and some natural stuff with the kids in seat) the seat does buzz the back tyre occasionally in wallows or after small drops, and that’s on a 29er hard tail. Would be worse if the back wheel was free to move towards seat I’m sure. My recommendation would be get the ht. most child seat makers seem to not recommend use on carbon frames, presumably due to crushing risk. Mine is steel so no worries there, but suspect carbon would be fine so long as you’re careful and it’s not super light.

Hamax Siesta former user here. Works well on larger frames or on frames without sloping top tube. Wouldn’t work on a lot of modern FS bikes. Good seat if it fits your frame though.

I have have a Hamax one (I forget which model) with the extended small-frame support bar.

I have it on my small-framed hardtail and both my lads have loved it. I’ve never fitted it to my full-sus but it would fit if I were to put it on there.

Buy a hard tail, better still, buy a fatty. Weerides are fairly perfect. But:
They can be colder as the baby’s up front.
Wait a bit beyond the moment when they can hold their head up.
As I’ve said before:

He was riding with me on smooth tracks from about 9months in his weeride. I had him in his trailer from about 6 or 7mths, which if I’m honest, was too young, even though he could sit up by himself. We were out yesterday on the fatty along the beach. He loved that, especially when we stopped for ice cream. Proper off-road stuff is a definite no as they get flung about way too much (you try being strapped down to your top tube by your waist and shoulders as you ride off a kerb when your head weighs >30% of your total mass.)

I have noticed that our trailer is a complete pile of Chinese tat (second hand, suspiciously lacking in logos, suspect tesco own brand) compared to a burley or chariot – the safety harness being the worst bit of design. My sister’s burley is definitely a far better place to be and I’m now on the lookout for a replacement for ours. Weerides are great for a few miles, but they can be darned cold on longer rides.

You can get mini windscreens for the bobike seats to help with the cold winds

I’ve got a wee ride. It’s the one I had to go for as I didn’t want to clamp a Hamax or similar on a carbon hard tail’s seat tube.

However, with number 2 coming, the new one (in a few months) will be in the wee ride and number 1 behind me. We’ve an Inbred for that.

I do think a fatty ould be the perfect bike.

FWIW, trailers are much better than seats in almost every way. We don’t have one as I can’t source one here in Thailand.

Used both the CoPilot and the WeeRide and given the choice WeeRide on full suss every time. LOCT (I still use one) or MacRide (not used but looks like the new LOCT) as they get bigger.

As for cold, a waterproof splashsuit and a polartec suit underneath helps front or back, as do snowboots. All these things are useful getting small children outside year round on or off the bike anyway.

I haven’t used Hamax, but I hear good things from those that do – just check they’ve used other types too in order to rate their opinion.

I’m selling a Hamax Siesta in the classifieds if of any interest?

I’ve had weeride on commie meta 5, onone 456, cotic rocket.

Get a weeride.

another BIG vote for a weeride. Our little guy loved it as he could see everything. And because you are so close, it is easier to talk whilst riding along.

Some of my best moments riding a bike. And that’s a competitive category.

weerides are ace but starting to get a bit cramped at nearly three.

which is fine as my new macride should turn up in time for christmas…

Isn’t the op enquiring for a 3 month old?

I looked at the weeride but went with the Yepp Mini in the end, it gave me just a bit more room at the front.
I agree that front mounted seats are great, you get to interact that bit more. Proper off-road is a but much though when they are little, as mentioned above.

Oh, and I also managed to justify a new hardtail. It’s for the baby, of course!

I’ve had both mine in hamax over the years, on a steel hardtail. Nothing I can really add to the comments of fitting, etc. The one point I would make though is that the bike handles totally differently, so take time to get used to it before committing to proper off roaring. Specifically, if you stand up and move the bike beneath you, the combined weight makes it sway quote alarmingly! So single speeding and needing to climb out of the saddle needed a fair bit more arm work to keep it upright than I’d anticipated.

If weerides and the like had been more available I’d have tried them. But having a two year old slapping your arse and shouting faster!! Faster!! is entertaining enough

I have the hammax siesta – would’ve liked a wee ride but I’m a shortarse & didn’t want to cyle bow legged.

But having a two year old slapping your arse and shouting faster!! Faster!! is entertaining enough

me too!

Bobike Mini – check!
Make or Brake to Caddon Bank – check!
Giggling kid – check!

*NOT at 3 months though.

Started at about 1 year, graduated to tagalong at 3.5 years, as wee brother moved up to the Bobike.

+1 for a Weeride
Daughter is 4-1/2 110cm is getting slightly cramped but still possible (need flat pedals as you ride with slightly bowed legs)
Weeride has largely been replaced by a tag-a-long now though (although I won’t be selling it, keeping hopefully for no2 (if there is one) as it was so far the best bike related article I’ve bought, provided so many fun days
We made a hand muff that slotted over the headrest for the cold days as windchill on her hands was quite bad

i have a co-pilot on one bike which my (petite) 5yr old daugher loves, since she can see where she is going, play with my disney princess bell (the shame) and pull the brakes on when I’m least expecting it.

I have a Humax on the back of my 29er which my 2yr old son loves, he’s got cerbral palsy so the co-pilot is a bit of a non-starter since he’s not got the necessary stability and can’t use one arm yet. that said he yesterday demonstrated the abilty to pinch monster munch from the pocket of my cycling jersey with his less affected hand

I used to find my daughter would get bored in the Humax and fall asleep, no such issues when on the front.

We have an iBert and it’s fantastic, is on my Tallboy just now and has been on a variety of bikes. Works really well, kid adores it and will happily be in it for 2 plus hours off-road.

Cheers people, some good info to churn through. Really looking foward to taking him out.

+1 for weeride

I would say the hamax is one of the better ones for off road use as it’s got a bit of Built in flex. I use it on my cross bike with my 10 month daughter and it’s good fun off road. Wouldn’t fit on my full sus, will be putting it on my fatty when it arives 🙂

How do you find the stem mounted ones like the Bobike and iBert affect the steering?

I always imagines the stem mounted ones would not be great as they put so much weight on the stem so went for the Weeride, but the bow legged riding needed for it is playing havoc with my already dodgy knee.

The WeeRide is an excellent excuse for a dropper post. You can’t slide off the front of the saddle with a WeeRide (well not with my girth).
So bolt on a dropper. Drop post, climb on, load up, set off, raise post. When stopping drop post first. Really helps bow legged riding as well as loading starting and stopping.