The trailer has arrived. Today the little'un gets a taste of high speed fresh air. She is only 4 months and has a tiny head. What helmet?
Toddler, kids, youth are all too big.
I'm considering covering it in bubble wrap.

Bubblewrap?

Don't. The kiddies neck wont be strong enough for the weight of a helmet. If you don't want them to go out without a helmet then wait until they are much older

If the trailer has a roll cage and they are strapped in a decent seat they will be fine. Do you put a helmet on them in the car? When you are walking down the street?

A helmet can also push their head forward into a awkward position as the seat is unlikely to be designed to be used with a helmet

I've never thought they were a good idea in a trailer. Personally, I'd say 4 months is a bit young for a trailer (my 3rd is just over 3 months now), give it a couple of months and see for yourself how uncomfortable it looks with a helmet in the trailer, I doubt you'll want her to wear it.

I worked on the rule that until they can hold their head, they don't go in a trailer or bike seat.

What TJ said, DON'T put a helmet on a baby that young.

Helmetless is the route I was thinking.
Their neck is pretty strong and she can hold it well, but as TJ mentions, she'll be safe as houses in the trailer all strapped in and there's no way her head will impact the ground in a tumble unless she came out, which I doubt could happen. I've taken advice from people that have used this set up with their young ones, I'm confident she won't get damaged. Game on.

My daughter is 6 months and much as i want to take her out in a trailer i am waiting until next year.

I would suggest that if there are not helmets available small enough, then she is perhaps too small to take out?

Thats just my view though.

EDIT: – But i would be interested to hear what others have done and how it goes with your trailer run, as it would be nice to take her out.

I wouldn't take a baby that young in the trailer personally, even with the baby inserts, as to me going over potholes and bumps with the trailer behind is an unknown quantity. I waited until 12 months and don't use helmets, the harness and structure of the traile should provide all the protection required IMO

Far too young. Mine is nearly 6 months and we just strap her car seat into the trailer. Your little un's neck would not take the bouncing about the trailer will give even on tarmac. Seriously – not advised by anyone for the under 6 months.

I'd echo the above. In a trailer (at least in a Chariot) a helmet is not necessary, and I've tested it twice albeit off road. His little head was nowhere near contacting anything on either occasion he just dangled upside down.

He'd not have liked wearing a helmet (a sunhat is always a battle) and it'd have pushed his head forward awkwardly I reckon.

He's now 10 months old and in a bike seat so the helmet is being worn, and without complaint I'm glad to say. We went for the pisspot with skull and crossbones on the side for added cool factor!

NB: It's my neighbours yard, mines immaculate, obviously. And the helmet's been adjusted properly since this was taken.

PS: He was in the trailer from about 5 months I think, but in a baby sling.

If she comes back broken I'll post an appropriate "advice for putting young babies in trailers" thread.
My view is that the car seat and the trailer harness set up is pretty much identical. Why wait?

Why wait? To ensure your little un isn't damaged by your over-enthusiasm to put them in a trailer without proper head and neck support.

http://swinny.net/Cycling/Child_Trailers/-2768-Buying-a-Child-Trailer-for-your-bicycle

Why ask if you don't like the advice given and will do your own thing anyway? Not convincing enough?

Well we took our kiddie out once or twice when she was very young. BUT we have a Chariot trailer with suspension, were were going super slowly over the smooth ground and we also had the baby sling that you can get for the Chariot. So she was laid back in a sort of hammock affair, not sitting in a seat.

We didn't feel she was strong enough to go sitting up, even with a support, until she was maybe 10 months and she's a pretty solid kid – 11-12kg even then. Although she could hold up her head, there's a big difference between looking about at home and keeping your head upright for a couple of hours rattling along a bike path.

I'd say you're ok if you have a reclining sling for the kid… and preferably suspension.

had the baby sling that you can get for the Chariot. So she was laid back in a sort of hammock affair, not sitting in a seat.

That's the key. My cheapy trailer is nothing like a car seat in terms of support. Plus mine almost always drop off in the trailer (critique of my steady-as-she-goes riding style no doubt), so when they are a bit bigger they wedge themselves against the edge more easily.
We have secured the car seat with the baby in it once, but I would not want to repeat that on anything other than flat traffic free routes for around 30 minutes.
Most all terrain prams aren't recommended till 6 months, that should tell you something.

Baby's heads are soft and impact absorbent anyway.

LoL @ Dr Bates piccy – you can also turn that helmet upside down for potty and balance training in one!

We ordered the skull one for our eldest but only got the plain one through 🙁 – couldn't be bothered to swap it mail order.

My Son is 4months and his skull still has an open-patch along with his skull is still knitting. I can wait a year or two before I strap him to a bike.
He'll get stimulation from different areas.

Guys I really don't think you should putting a small baby on a bike. Whose benefit is this for? Yours? You think the child will remember the sensation? You want to show H&S morons that it is safe and you want your child to grow up with an understanding of risk?

He'll just dangle if the bike falls? What happens if you go over the bars and/or land ontop of your child to boot?

Plus even if it does hit the ground in a helmet- when you've knocked your head in a helmet it still jolts your brain doesn't it?

**** ell. Sorry. Plus- their necks. A great way to either strengthen their neck muscles or give them whiplash.

I just question whose benefit this is for. Benefit v potential risk. They arent going to remember this. Just wave flashy toys around them and talk etc for now. Wait a year or two.

We used a trailer, like I say, with lots of comforts – made quadruple sure she was comfy, safe and not being bashed about. The reason we did it was so that me and Mrs Grips could get out riding together when we didn't have the option of getting babysitters in. Otherwise Mrs Grips would never get out riding.

Would not use a bike-mounted seat though. Especially not that one, since if you hit something and the bars twist round you could hurt his legs. Very easy to do even (or especially) when pootling about slowly. And if you hit something and get thrown forward, your body could squish him.

Whose benefit is this for? Yours? You think the child will remember the sensation?

Good point, in my case it was mainly so I could get out and do some excersie and the wife could get a break (twins you see). I'd like to think they get something out of it too, but they are well over a year old. As I said above I think sticking a 4 month old in a trailer is dangerous. When my 20 months old are asleep in it their heads flop around and I basically have to stop or wait until they wake up.

Incidentally I have a croozer kid 2 and enjoy using it as an all terrain jogger than a trailer.

Good point, in my case it was mainly so I could get out and do some excersie and the wife could get a break

I tend to walk with our dog or if needed I'll put him in the jogger buggy and push/run with the dog alongside.

I just don't see a benefit for the child versus the risk to a child. NO offence but at that age such product(s) strike me as lifestyle rather than beneficial.

I've put my Childs Car seat in there, it's for a baby, and it stops sideways and rocking motion.

Whose benefit is this for?

It is a mode of transport? In our case to get to and from nursery on cycle paths.

if you hit something and the bars twist round you could hurt his legs

I'm not sure I've ever hit something hard enough to do that sufficiently, and that includes when I've ridden off road and not carefully to nursery.

Really I am all too aware of the risks but you can take it too far.

You think the child will remember the sensation?

Maybe not 'remember' but benefit from it….yes I do. And there are many benefits for both of us in spending time with him in a mutually enjoyable way to boot.

Wine is kicking in.

It should say, it stops his head from swinging and rocking.

I took finally took ours out for a ride in the child seat when she was 8 months old, finding a helmet that fitted was a nightmare, the Specialized lid that got “bigged up” various places didn’t have a cat in hells chance of fitting her, Evans were useless, as were Mothercare and ELC for nipper helmets…

In the end I wound up taking her to Toys ‘R’ Us of all places where I found a cheap lid that just about fitted (in girly pink with a flower on it too of course). Should fit her until she’s 15/16 months (just turned 1) but it was a bugger getting a basic, fitting helmet for any child under 18 month old IME…

I'd agree that 4 months is a bit young, but my son has been on the bike in a front mounted seat since he was about 7 months when he could sit up pretty well. He loves it.

Naturally we pick our routes and tend to stick to quiet lanes and mellow trails, and of course ride sensibly. Although it's front mounted, his weight is in the middle of the bike, so an endo would be very unlikely unless you were riding a DH route flat out (or have no idea how to brake properly). He's protected by my arms, can see what's going on….he's genuinely at no more risk on the bike than he is in his buggy or a highchair.

I disagree totally with Hora… I'm surprised he leaves the house with an attitude like that. Getting babies used to doing fun stuff outdoors is surely a benefit to everyone involved.

Oh, and getting back to the original question, we bought our lad a Met Elfo S helmet from Wiggle – which is designed for infants. Wiggle are out of stock, but I think you can still get them from ChainReaction.

Here you go:

http://www.allterraincycles.co.uk/product/115873.html

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?PartnerID=79&ModelID=32918

I have the Chariot with sling. The realism is, as of a few minutes ago, that it'll have to be slow, smooth road, short and gentle rides. The suspension is taking the edge off the bumps as I pull her round the garden but I can see and appreciate the whip lash, head bobbing risks especially if braking hard.
Me and Mrs Gnarly are going to enjoy some outside bike time together but I can see that the Bjorn chest harness and a walk in the hills will continue to be the safest and frequent option for now.
Appreciate all the comments and opinions. Ta. Watch out for GnarlyJnr in a few years.

@Hora –

Yep 4 months is too young but you'll be Shocked by how fast your nipper grows up, at 8 months she was ready for tow path pootles on a front mounted seat, the seat protects her legs from twisting bars, she loves it, 3 mile trundle to a pub with the missus, daddy has a pint, return journey is faster… responsible fun, Honest…

My nephewsa were taken on their mums bike from a few weeks old – in a papoose at first, then in a front mounted seat tehn n the rear. Never a helmet. they are dutch tho and this is the norm over there.

Guess what – they are fine as are the many children who do this every year.

Hora – do you take your child in your car? Which is the more dangerous – a car seat in a car or a car seat in a cycle trailer?

LHS – Member

What TJ said, DON'T put a helmet on a baby that young.

Hora – do you take your child in your car? Which is the more dangerous – a car seat in a car or a car seat in a cycle trailer?

One has a great deal more protection than sat ontop of a wobbly metal bike with a polystrene strip around your head.

cookeaa – agree but Im still going to wait for a year or two. Hes the only son I have.

hora – not on a child seat – in a trailer – thats in the same seat as you have in the car so the same amount of protection – but the car is capable of much greater speeds.

Car generally has more suspension, ie some. If you saw my twins in the trailer jiggling about going round the tasmin trail (smooth hardpack) in Richmond park then you'd never take a newborn.

Actually maybe I'm overstating this risk, as a baby fell out of a first floor window and was unharmed round the corner from me last week, but I wouldn't want to be the guy finding out!

Guess what – they are fine as are the many children who do this every year.

Lol. You never fail to amaze me TJ. You bang on and on about scientific methods and research, then you come out with the old 'so and so's kids were fine' line.

Just because something is the norm doesn't mean it's a good idea. 20 years ago you could have made the same argument about car seats in cars.

molgrips – its about rational understanding of risk – something people on here seem unable to do.

The child is no more at risk in a bike trailer than a car – and helmets are bad for tiny ones. You would put them in a car seat in a car but not in the same seat in a bike trailer?

Its a shame people on here accept the myth that cycling is dangerous – when it simply is not.

It's not so much that cycling is "dangerous" TJ just poping the most precious thing in the world to me in a CAR seat intended to be fitted to a CAR and work in conjunction with my car's it's various crumple zones and side impact gubbins…

As opposed to strapping her in said car seat (effectivly a plastic shell stuffed with EPS so about as useful as an giant upturned cycle helmet, outside of the car) and then placed in some shonky assemblage of Aluminium tubing with a canvas top, well bellow the eye line of dappy cows in Range Rovers…

Bike trailers were originally designed for crustys to haul veg from their allotment to their squat, not for middle class parents on an economy/ecology drive to sacrifice their children beneath the wheels of Chelsea carriage…

Unless a manufacturer specifically designs a trailer which has anchor points similar to that in a car for the use of car specific baby seats then they shouldn't be used. You have no idea of the pedigree of said baby seat within that kind of structure and dynamic environment.

cookea – what utter bollox.
Still – you simply prove the point that STWers are ( on the whole) completely unable to make any sort of rational risk assessment.

A car does 70+_ mph, a bicycle ridden carefully?

Where is GW? He talks sense on this and has kids.

We waited till ours was a year old for the trailer; we are all 'grown ups' when we ride around with the trailer. Whilst she does wear a 'Spesh' helmet I am more concerned by being hit by another bike on the flat trails we ride than anything else. Rough/ pot holed tracks are avoided or pushed.

This weekend she suddenly cried after about 15mins ride. No obvious reason. Then five minutes later I suddenly cried out; fly in the eye. That was a risk i hadn't thought about. So for the rest of the ride the fly screen was down despite our youngests protests!

We don't cycle with traffic. It wouldn't feel right yet. But then it still doesn't feel right when I cycle with my skilled and fit 11 year old son in traffic.

TJ, a kid is way way safer in a car than in a trailer – is this not obvious? For one, trailers are really low down near the ground, low enough to go under the wheels of a truck.

But anyway – forgot to add in this that we never take our kid on the road in a trailer. Just cycleways, and the odd connecting street for a few yards. I don't think I'd ever feel confident pulling her along so low down, behind where drivers were expecting something to be.