Expecting a baby – here comes the obvious question

How young can you take a baby in a trailer? I know most people will say ‘when he can hold up his head’ but Chariot make attachments to carry babies as young as 1 month. Of course, it says not to take them cycling before age one, but that seems to me like legal *ss-covering.

What are your experiences?

9 months (and Stoner Jr was 2months prem) with the chariot padded insert – the one with the side pads and head rest.

Still loves it.

It all depends on your attitude.

If the child is in a car type seat are they any more at risk in a bike trailer with a roll bar than in a car in a car seat?

My sister (in Holland) was taking her kids on a front mounted kiddy seat from about 12 weeks I think. This is the norm in Holland. As for holding their head up I think that really only applies for rear mounted seats not trailers.

You pays yer money and takes yer choice.

Interesting TJ. I am thinking the infant sling might not be stable enough in the event of a tip, but the baby head-holder might be alright. I am only considering fire-road 100% off-road rides with a baby.

Vibration is a worry. Although I seem to think you can get big fat tyres in 20″, so maybe I’ll just run them tubeless at 15psi 🙂

Molgrips – she rode a bike with the kiddie in a sling / papoose as soon as she could – say a couple of weeks old. At 3 months he was using a seat that mounts on the bars with a headrest and windscreen. It was her only way of getting around the city and getting the older one to nursery – she had the younger one in the front mounted seat and the older on on a carrier mounted seat.

The seat was something like this

This is the set up my sister used

I have seen tiny tots in car seats in trailers and I intend to do this when mine is born in July, especially as my car is having to go to save money to pay for the new addition.

Given the prevalence of numbskulls wanting to take out cyclists I dont think I’d want my kids near a bike and a road until they were aware enough to take their own evasive action!

LOL I thought the obvious question would have been one of the following:

How far into labour can I stay out on the bike for?
How soon after the birth can I go for a ride?
How soon can I get the little nipper onto two wheels?
How old does the little nipper have to be before I can buy the 24″ jump bike of my dreams on the basis that said 24″ jump bike is large enough to be pased off as being for the little nipper?
How long before the little nipper is panning my ass on the descents?

Anyway, I’m with you in spirit mate – congratulations – I just got the same news myself.

The more important question is “will I ever be able to afford to go biking again after we have kids?” 😥

2 months and she is coming out with me on rides in a papoose thing on my front
whatever you do don’t ask anyone on here because the consensus is that you will be killed and the child will be mauled by dogs

we had a great time, rucsack next I think then have a look at trailers and other options.

Oh god, don’t mention riding with a baby carrier on.
I did once.
Big mistake.

I dont think small children (under 10 months, say) in trailers is a great idea. I have watched my 1 yr old in my trailer over my shoulder on fairly smooth tracks (Richmond Park) and his head was shaken all over the place – enough to make me think that around 1 year is when I would want my child in a trailer. A baby with poor/weak head control would get knocked about a fair bit IMO.

That said I also wouldn’t ride with a papoose/baby carrier either.

Try to see someone else’s baby in a trailer and make your own mind up.

Vibration is a worry.

babies love it – it sends them to sleep. I recall a lodger’s fractious baby – I’d push her pram with one wheel in the gutter to increase the vibration – she’d soon quieten down!

A baby with poor/weak head control would get knocked about a fair bit IMO.

Yeah fair point, but the Chariot gizmo is kind of like one of those things they use for spine trauma victims. It really holds the kid’s head. The only thing is if you hit something or have to do an emergency stop the head could go forward. The fancy Chariot trailers also have suspension, but I dunno how good that actually is. It’s adjustable tho for light weight little kiddlies.

see

i got killed and baby got eaten by dogs

in reality we have a nice family ride when we go out, it can put some strain on your back, but you would get that from walking anyway
you are a dad and you will be as carefull as you deem fit with your child

oh i thought the obvious question was ‘whodunnit?’

So whats the beef with no helmets all round, TeeJ?

I have a chariot trailer with the baby sling suspended in it for our 5 month old and use it normally with our 2 year old. We have taken the 5 month old out in it on-road since she was very small – circa 4 weeks. Now she seems to like it very much. Coldness is a real issue and I think more important than stressing about whether or not you’ll go to hell for wobbling your baby a bit or risking their young lives on the road. We use a spotty otter down suit that we got second hand and this keeps the cold off. Hot nalgenes inside the sealed trailer also just take the edge off a bit.

Now go offroad on fire tracks a reasonable amount and use the buggy conversion for a walk to the shops etc….. Trailers are excellent and have saved us getting a second car. Thoroughly recommended.

Sorry, just to make it clear you SHOULD use the chariot suspended baby sling before 6months so that they layback flat rather than sat up in the standard ‘infant’ headsupporting, side bolstered seat stoner is talking about.

So……

Baby – suspended sling
infant – headsupport and bolster
child – errr just the trailer and seatbelt. (I tried towing my 4 year old and gave up….it’s heavy

Oh yes, I forgot the weight issue. I have 2 boys with a combined weight of only 25kg or so but towing them in the trailer is becoming a real “drag” (pun intended). To be honest the get bored too so the whole thing is a bit of a write-off for me.

I have a Chariot trailer, with suspension. I think the suspension + the large wheels does probably help. Also like the stability.

Using the baby sling, I took my daughter in it from 5 months old and she still loves it now at the age of 21/2.

I’ve said it before but common sense has to prevail…

I didn’t take either of my boys out in a trailer until they were at least 1yo. There is plenty of evidence out there to suggest that below that age the potental shaking/vibration is not good for them both physically (spine/neck injury as their muscles are so weak) and neurologically (shaken baby syndrome – possibly causing brain damage).

Not worth the risk IMO.

daim – children are not that fragile.In other countries people take their young children on bikes all the time without ill effects.

shaken baby syndrome takes rather more than some road vibrations. Ok going down spooky woods may not be the best of ideas but a gentle pootle round some forestry roads? No problem

@TJ – I am not saying that If I had taken them around Sherwood Pines a couple of times before they were 1yo that they would definitely have suffered any ill effects. I just wasn’t prepared to take the risk and was happy to wait until I felt that any risk was negligible. Even at a later stage my eldest wasn’t happy about the ride in the trailer saying he didn’t like the shaking.

That said, the Chariot trailer equipped with suspension that jms mentions sounds like a great piece of kit. My trailer is crap and has none.

Mine are both beyond trailers now though. My 4yo rides better than I do and can’t wait to get his hands on a DH bike.

As soon as our little one could hold his head up he was straight in!

lying flat – from birth. I took mine in a trailer when they were in their ‘Phil & Ted’s’ padded bag thing. Worked OK.

sitting up – once they can hold their head up. Before that I’m sure the neck is strong enough to stop the head falling off, but they look very wobbly.

some trailers can take the lying flattish car seats in them. that might work

Grizzpup, what Chariot do you have? With suspension or without? I am thinking of the suspended one, but it’s only leaf springs and not damped or anything… Although it might be possible to send it to TFTuned for some upgrades 😉

Also, Chariot do say not to use it for cycling – any idea why? Got any pics of your setup?

on the front mate – so many advantages – check out a centric safe haven