We’ve just moved & the school run is proving a bit too far/too hilly for the littlest one to ride her balance bike everyday and I hate using the car for small journeys… and so of course the only solution is to buy a new bike (and child seat!) 😉

My brother works for Madison and so can get me any Genesis for less than 50% RRP (I love my brother!) and I was going to go for their ever so practical ‘Smithfield’, but they’ve sold out for the year and so I’ve just opted for the very lovely (though potentially far less practical?) Genesis Day One Alfine 8.

I’m really excited about it and think the Alfine 8 and disc brakes will be ideal for starting and stopping while carrying such a heavy load, but I was just wondering if anyone else does the school run/nursery drop on this kind of bike? I guess I just want to check I’m not being totally nuts?! I can always change the bars out if I’m not confident carrying her while riding on the hoods, but with the alfine and brakes, I’m guessing it could be more tricky than I might be thinking? Any thoughts from the STW collective?!

Also, very happy to hear any more general reports from any owners of the Day One Alfine!

After a bit of a break from bikes, I’m genuinely really excited about getting to ride regularly again! 😀

Is it a front or rear mounted kids seat? I can’t see any problem with a rear mounted, seen others use them no problem. Front mounted ones might be a bit more difficult, something like a Bobike (I believe imported by Madison) which mounts on the stem may not be the easiest as it puts all the kids weight on the steerer and impacts the steering noticeably.

Do mine on a Whyte Kings Cross though I tow a trailer instead of a kids seat.

Works really well. Much better than the mountain bike I use around the forest.

Well, I ordered a co-rider (front mounted) seat but that was when I thought I was getting the (flat barred) Smithfield. My worry is that I’ll be too low and forward for that seat with this bike… Still, I guess there’s only one way to find out.

Good to know it is do-able, I haven’t noticed anyone transporting kids on anything but mtbs here, but then riding parents are few ad far between around here. I guess I might just need tweak the set up – either changing her seat or my bars/stem combo, but good to know I’m not trying something that unusual and I guess playing around with bike builds is all part of the fun, isn’t it! 🙂

Used the pompino for the nursery run for a time – nae bother at all with the hamax. Only time it would be sub-optimal would be with ice, although I don’t remember actually seeing any for the year or so I did it.

I used a croozer trailer to being with and am trying to remember the timing of stopping that – I think it was that her brother is 3 years older and outgrew the trailer, so I preferred having him cycle and her in the bike seat, rather than her on her own in the double trailer. Sold the double with some plans to get a single, but never did.

I also used to leave the seat at nursery and cycle in with just the rack. I like the front seats but recall it wasn’t obvious that they fitted a drop-barred bike at the time I was looking.

I tool around with Jr. on a drop bar bike with a rear mounted seat. It changes the handling hugely, a light bike is not necessarily an advantage in my view (mine is not light- approx. 13kg). The front end feels very light, and the back end very heavy. Drop bars mitigate this when on the move by moving the rider’s weight forward to a degree, but can still be a handful when pushing.

hollandbikeshop.com (or something similar sounding) delivered a rear-mounted Hamax Caress (one of their best offerings) for about £65, a third off the best UK prices I could find. Note- a front mounted seat with a similar name (Caress Observer) exists but might not be what you are after. The max weight limit with the front mounted seat was too low for me.

Oh, and check your alloy frame will take the default seat tube mount(strength-wise), otherwise a rack mount is available(EDIT- as shown in the photo above!) as a cost option (assuming your bike has rack mounts).

I did lots of riding with a Hamax kiddy seat on the back of my drop bar bike (not only school runs, but also camping trips and longer trips out). Mine even has derailleur gears and dual pivot rim brakes. Can’t remember it being any more difficult than on a flat bar bike (which I used far less for kiddy duties), though I do a lot of riding on drop bar bikes, so very comfortable on one. As mentioned above, I’m not sure I’d want to use a front seat, but then I’m not very keen on those anyway.

Mostly on my winter training bike, but also rode this quite a lot with a kiddy seat:

(yes it does have mini tri-bars, yes I did use them with that load on the back)

My worry is that I’ll be too low and forward for that seat with this bike… Still, I guess there’s only one way to find out.

Ah yes, there’s that issue as well. With the Bobike I’d say there was no way I’d be able to use drops as his head is against my chest even on the flats. Will vary greatly according to the exact bike setup, seat setup and height of the child. But as you say, only one way of finding out, I’m on my second kids seat as the first one didn’t work out position wise.

I had a similar dilemma, use a bobike seat on my old Raleigh MTB, was thinking of a drop bar replacement but figured out I would never have the room for the kids seat and don’t really like rear mounted ones.

I used my track bike !!! drops vs flat bars isn’t an issue, more important to get the seat position right

hamax rear seat was no bother, I didn’t go with a front mount because they grow so quickly, but the Yepp seats (which I now have) are much nicer and a rackmounted would be a better option than the clamp on which can be a bit waggly

child at the rear has the bonus of them being wind protected by you

now that the eldest is 4 and I have another child to transport I bought a 2nd hand kona ute from the classifieds

aracer and I went to the same training camp, although my rear ballast sat a little lower on the bike. Day One Alfine is probably as heavy as a tandem – at least the orange one my colleague rides feels like it!

Thanks guys! (Love the pics!)

It sounds like a rear mounted seat with drop bars is the general consensus… Like TiRed says, the bike being too light for all the weight at the rear won’t be an issue! The Day One is pretty weighty!

I do love the idea of a front mounted seat (not the plastic moulded ones, but the more co-rider type, which allow a bit more room… though quite possibly, not enough)

My bro can get me any child seats that Madison supplies for approx. 40% of retail, so I could buy one of those too and see which works best as there won’t be too much risk of losing money when selling the one I don’t go for…

Any specific child seat recommendations? (Maybe that’s a different thread?)

Wish I had the budget for an Ute! 8)

Argh… now all I want is a proper cargo bike! 🙄 Damn you STW!

I have an Orange Alfine Day One but (thankfully) no urchins to lug around on it. Urchinless, it weighs as much as Pluto so some training you are going to get 🙂

Ha, thanks Boblo. I had heard it weighed as much as Jupiter, so pluto doesn’t sound so bad…

I am seriously questioning my sanity now though as bike plus child seat, plus daughter is going to weigh approx. 32kg and I weigh 48… that’s a pretty decent bodyweight percentage I’m going to be attempting to lug up the massive hill we live on, all while encouraging/nagging/shouting my 5 year old to keep ridind her singlespeed… hmmm… 😐

Easy, more pies. 48kg? Tsskkkk just bugger off will you (unless you’re actually Warwick Davis :-D).

I used a trailer. No balance or loading issues and plenty of space for all the crap you end up lugging to and fro (spare clothes bags, lunch boxes). You could even squeeze the 5 year old in, most kids SS bikes are geared for Graeme Obree so even mild hills can be a challenge (depends though, one got up a hill I could barely manage in the granny ring as a) he weighs nowt and is v strong and b) I bet him a quid he couldn’t).

I’m not Warwick Davies, but I’m am a fairly petite 5’3″ woman! 🙂 When I’m running fit, I’m actually 2kg less, but I’ve been eating a lot of pies lately. Not even joking.

Ha, brassneck, I reckon if I bet my youngest a doughnut she’d ride up anything! Trailer is definitely another option… Trouble is, the longer I sit here (watching Peppa Pig on repeat with my poorly 3yo who won’t let me leave her side), the more I’m thinking I really do need a full on child carrier cargo bike! 🙄

Think my bro can get me a trailer cheap too though, so will look into that, you’re right, the kids do some with a lot of crap!