I have bought a Yepp Mini bike seat for my 9 month old for Chrimbo. I fitted it on my HT at the weekend. All fitted well and feels nicely secure etc.
Unfortunately I can hardly reach the bars around the seat. I am 6′ tall and the bike is an 18″ frame so not odd sizing. The back of the seat is digging in my chest while I am at full stretch to steer. It doesn’t feel as safe as I had hopes to ride it and the steering is compromised by the foot holders against the cross bar.
Does anyone else own one of these and fitted it to an MTB? Is it time to treat Mrs Wachowchow to a Pashley lady bike? I do hope not, I was hoping to get the little chap out in to the woods next week. I was thinking I could fit some pull back bars to the bike so I am sat up / back a bit further. Anyone got any links to ape hangers with 38.1 clamp area?

That’s the problem with top-tube seats. They’re great that your head is close to the little one’s so you can talk, and they can see where you’re going, but its tricky to ride.

My tip is to use flat pedals as you’ll be riding with your knees out, clown style. If you’re clipped in, its a pain. Its also dangerous if you stop and can’t clip out. Not that I ever did that, oh no…

Don’t forget to wrap the boy up if you’re out this time of year. You’ll be warm from pedalling, but they’ll just be sitting there, not even getting the body-heat he does from a sling.

My eldests lad, at just over a year old:

I used to sell loads of these seats at my old shop, but generally only on Dutch bikes. They’re a pain in the arse to use on MTBs because they’re not designed for it.

Is yours the newer style one which mounts to the stem/steerer (so it turns with the bars)?

You might want to try some wider bars with a shedload of backsweep- something like the on-one mary bar.

Oh, and if you’re going to get your missus a bike for carrying the kids, don’t get a Pashley. They look pretty, but they’re not very useful for these types of childseats. (they have very slack HAs, so they don’t respond well to being loaded up at the front)

Better with something a bit more modern: http://www.cycle-heaven.co.uk/bikes/brands/gazelle/gazelle-chamonix-pure-women-s-2013/

or a bit cheaper: http://www.cycle-heaven.co.uk/bikes/brands/gazelle/gazelle-esprit-7-speed-2012-women-s/

Thanks for your help guys. It is the newer version that fits to the steerer. Ihad to buy an adaptor for it to suit the Ahead type. Some bars with backsweep would be a better option. The shed is almost full and as such will be coming down this year to make way for something that even Footflaps may be envious of. Until then, no more bikes if I can avoid it.
I will take a look at the on one bars. I looked at the Ragley odd shape beasts but the handle part is no further back than my Eastons in relation to the clamp area.

No worries.

My old shop specialized in this kind of thing, and I always found the Yepp childseats to be leaps and bounds ahead of anything else on the market.
Might even be worth swapping your stem for something a bit higher rise, and getting a set of modern dutch bars (very wide, and loads of backsweep.) They’re not that expensive (£20 max, i think) and they’re dead comfy.
Give the guys at Cycle Heaven in York a call, and they’ll be able to help you out.

Edit: I just accidentally the last sentence 😳

I changed out the 70mm stem in favour of a 90mm with 5 degree rise in order to make way for the clamp. Now it’s all together, it looks as though I could get the 70mm back on if I use a headset spacer between the seat clamp and the stem to clear the bar clamp part of the stem. This should shorten the reach a tad but I’m not expecting to hear angels singing. Some big back swept cruiser bars would be ideal I think. Its not like I am going to be looking for red trails or pump tracks with me boy up front anyway.
I will check out Cycle Heaven, thanks.

@ir_bandito,

It will be cold for him next week. Off to Go Outdoors for a snow style onesy.
Also Yepp do a windscreen for these little seats which I am considering. This of course would give me full licence to sing the CHiPS theme tune wherever we go, nice!

FYI- that windscreen also makes a handy riot shield 😉

I don’t use the YEPP, but I have used the WeeRide and the LOCT.

I found as short a stem as possible helped, but don’t go too wide on the bars as it stretches you out again, and risers or spacers help as they bring the front end up (you’ll have enough wright on that anyway on the downs).

Finally an in line post (dropper for preference) gives you another inch or so which helps again.

Basically tweak the bike so you have a more upright position.

Of course it may be that none of this is relevant to a YEPP seat.

Also if you’re checking out Cycle Heaven, then I’m in Copmanthorpe if you want a look at my solutions.

Hi igm. These are all good tips and I think I am heading in this direction with it. Dropper fitted previously anyway. Not too much space around the steerer as I built the bike before we were collectively up the duff as it were and hadn’t considered needing more steerer than getting the hight right for me.
As you say, a few little tweaks and I may be there.
I started the thread for advise to ensure I wasn’t barking up the wrong tree.
Given the response, it appears it will just be case of trying a few things to get ridable. The challenge then will be getting the fairer half to be able to ride comfortably too. Hmm, big gel seat and sweepy bars FTW.

Be aware that a WeeRide can be had for £60-70 and sadly that might be the simplest way of opening space up. The YEPPs do look nice though.

I did look at the Wee Ride with great interest. Unfortunately it requires 20mm of spacers below the stem.
All my bikes have much tidier steerers than that!
I am tied in to the Yepp and I really like the product. Another 2″ on each arm would do it.

WeeRide doesn’t need any spacers beneath the stem – it goes onto the head tube and needs about 3mm of head tube / headset above the top tube. On the one we’ve got anyway.

The only issue is if your top tube is too wide for the mounting beam of the WeeRide.

I don’t have any spacers beneath my stem
WeeRide fits just fine as igm says
Bike is a 1996 Voodoo but it also fits my other bikes too

I use a Bobike Mini and it is fine. I can’t stand out of the saddle and pedal, and I do use a dropper post which helps with stopping and starting. We’ve ridden some stuff like the Loch Gamhna singletrack and some techy stuff in Inchriach/Feshie areas, and Make or Brake and Caddon Bank at Inners. The wee lad giggles like a maniac…

I have looked at so many kiddy seats before I took the plunge with the Yepp. I thought the Weeride was the iBert safeTseat which is where the confusion about steerer space came from, sorry 😳
I have ordered some Onone Mary bars to see if that will make me fit a little better around the seat.
I also have a 13 year old daughter. I always had here in the kiddy seat behind me when she was little and loved it. I can’t wait to get the little monkey on 2 wheels and out in the woods.