Young babies on bikes

Righty – got a new baby who will be 12 weeks old when we pop off on holiday shortly in a campervan.

Is there any safe way of moving around on a bike with a baby that young (thinking lanes etc). Got myself an old ’70s Puch with a bike rack…. so want to be able to safely get from camp site to town or village a bit quicker than walking….

Everything I’ve looked at seems to suggest baby is at least 9 to 12 months old. If I’m missing something, tell me…..

If it isn’t safe then so be it…. but I’m sure there are some good folk on here that have questioned the same…

Ta

Baby in a car seat, in a kiddie trailer is what I used.

Cue the STW H&S hand wringers….

My understanding is that the age ranges are given to ensure that the child is well developed enough to support their own head (+helmet) without it wobbling around as you cycle. As I recall, at around three months you’re still giving a lot of head and neck support when you pick the child up…

Car seat in trailer idea as above sounds a reasonable way around the problem, especially if it’s the lie flat kind of ‘seat’, but it’s not something I’d do.

I really wouldn’t, but it’s your baby.

*off to buy some luxury cookies from M&S for this thread*

as iDave says… i’m sure people will be along soon to tell your you’re a horrible parent and might as well throw your baby at spikes dipped in poison.

if it was me i’d gaffa tape it to the toptube so you can glance down and check it’s ok during jumps and drops.

You won’t get far with a normal bike seat – as Markie said they need to have proper head/neck support for that which a 12 week old won’t be close to having yet.

papoose on your chest as used by millions of european cyclists or as idave says

In the UK we have a crazy attitude to this. In most of Europe its quite normal to take a baby on a bike – papoose until its old enough to sit well then front mounted seat. This is what my Amsterdam living sister did and its the norm there

I didn’t take my kid out in a bike-seat until he was able to hold his head up for long periods with a proper helmet on. Not much less than a year old, I think.

You can take them out when they’re younger but if you want to avoid breaking your sprog’s neck, you’ll need a proper trailer that can take a car seat or a special sling so they can stay lying down and strapped in securely. Some people take tinies in a baby bjorn body-sling type thing; that might work, I suppose.

I’d have to be really confident in those 1970s brakes and fittings, too…

At that age a bike trailer is the only thing that is going to be recommended. My Croozer (with special Baby Sling bit) said gentle cycling from 12 weeks. I think I’d have been fine with a pootle down to the shops. I took her running in another pram with car seat fitted at that age and that was fine.

The downside is that a)they are jolly big, and b)the only ones with decent baby seat bits are the expensive ones – Croozer is I think the cheapest, and you’re looking at well over £300. The Croozer is brilliant though – well worth the money, and lasts until the baby is a decent size, so maybe think of it as a long term purchase, you need to have one anyway!

Some people just carry babies in a sling / baby bjorn, (something that supports their head well) and cycle around with them. It doesn’t feel safe to me though.

Joe

I used the same approach as iDave. Obviously you take it easy and don’t try to jump on speed bumps etc – but having carefully watched the bouncing our little one got in the trailer the other half concluded it was no worse than in a buggy/jogging.

If you have shed loads of money then the Chariot trailer comes with a sort of hammock thing for really young kids.

You’ll not get a helmet to fit properly whatever you do which means that most people will look in horror. I have however crashed a pram with a child in it who wasn’t wearing a helmet and can confirm that survival is a possible outcome!

In most of Europe its quite normal to take a baby on a bike

Means nothing. In most of Europe it’s quite normal to smoke like a chimney in front of your kids, stub fags out in their sandpits and let your dog sh*t all over their playing fields.

For me, it’s trailer with either big soft tyres or suspension, very smooth trails or ultra quiet wide roads or pavements/cycleways, and kid in a car seat or specialist baby hammock in the trailer.

Wouldn’t put a kid in a child seat until way after they could hold their head up. Holding it up whilst sitting around playing is different to being forced to hold it up for hours on end whilst being rattled around with a helmet on.

Also would not put a kid in a papoose on a bike unless it’s a vertical sit-up one. My stem and bars are just too close for my comfort.

Oh and BTW Chariot say no cycling less than one year – this is just to comply with US legistlation in some states I reckon. Aren’t they made by the same people as Croozer anyway?

12 weeks is way too early IMHO, ours is nearly six months and he’s not ready (he’s probably slightly above ave. size). IMHO Cycling with a baby in a papoose is nothing like walking, as the forces you put on a baby if things go wrong on a bike would be much greater then walking.

TJ – do you know what a 12 week old baby is like?

Lodious – yes. My nephews were both on a bike from 8 weeks old in a papoose. I rode a bike with one on at 18 weeks old in a handlebar mounted seat.

Perfectly normal thing to do in most of Europe and there is no great epidemic of dead babies.

TJ – do you know what a 12 month old baby is like?

DON’T wind him up!

Perfectly normal thing to do in most of Europe and there is no great epidemic of dead babies.

That’s not what we’re saying will happen is it, you stupid sod… AARGH NOO STOOOOPPP!!!

Lol @ philconsequence.
The trailer with proper seat attached sounds like the best option to me.

trailer with car seat or specific baby hammock in it.
That said, I didn’t start that early with my child.

Molgrips what are you on about? Why if its perfectly normal and safe inmost of Europe is it tottally unsafe here?

iDave – Member

Cue the STW H&S hand wringers….

so predictable.

TJ – do you know what a 12 old baby is like?

😆 he does seem to feel he’s missing out if he can’t respond to threads about children.

TJ – I honestly think you don’t know what your talking about and your ‘advice’ is dangerous. IMHO 8 weeks is too young to even walk in a papoose, it take a baby on a bike at that age is crazy.

Lodious – all I am telling you is what my sister did with her kids. 8 weeks too young to walk with a kid in a papoose? How on earth do you get anywhere ever? Clearly dutch kids are made of different stuff to UK ones

Bike seats are fine as long as you make sure they can’t fall out.

until the baby’s neck is strong enough to support it own head then a papoose or a trailer is a bad idea imho.

after that point, i can’t see a problem with either.

i can’t actually remember how old they usually are when this happens.

IMHO 8 weeks is too young to even walk in a papoose

Well that I have to disagree with. Mini-aracer did several miles round an orienteering course in one when he was only 7 days old (I was competitive dad even back then), and it doesn’t seem to have retarded his development. On a bike is another matter – the Dutch tend to ride with far more upright bikes than we have for a start, and personally I’d also worry about the consequences of a crash.

Perfectly normal thing to do in most of Europe and there is no great epidemic of dead babies

…but most of Europe is a lot more cycle-friendly anyway, isn’t it? I wouldn’t like to ride my bike on the roads around the Peak District with a baby strapped to my front. Tissington Trail I could cope with if I had a sit-up-and-beg-bike. My brother’s place in Sweden is a great example. Loads of bike trails means you hardly ever have to ride on the road to get from a to b.

Clearly dutch kids are made of different stuff to UK ones

Ha ha, you really don’t help yourself do you?

I wouldn’t put an 8 week old in one of those big backpack style papooses that they need to sit up in, but one of those sling-like front carriers gives plenty of neck support. AFAIK it is still called a papoose, so before we all fall out, let’s agree on what a “papoose” is 😉

Two bungee cords and strap it to the handlebars length ways, use an extra on round it’s head if your concerned about neck strength:

Any whining and just tell the baby to BTHFU!

IMHO 8 weeks is too young to even walk in a papoose

Depends on the ‘papoose’ in question. Fabric wrap around front carrier – great. Some rucksacky types – perhaps not. I’ve seen some kids being majorly jiggled about like ragdolls in those Tomy front mounted ones.

FWIW in Germany most people ride sat-upright city bikes for their general toddling about needs. Lots and lots of trailers in evidence too, although I’ve never seen a kid being carried on a cyclist’s person. However their general cycle craft is diabolical, I’m amazed I haven’t seen more carnage.

still tortoise – the one my sister used was a front mounted one with a head support

Oh and BTW Chariot say no cycling less than one year – this is just to comply with US legistlation in some states I reckon. Aren’t they made by the same people as Croozer anyway?

Ah sorry I think I mixed up my brands beginning with C. http://www.croozer.com.au/custompage.aspx?custompage=Accessories

TJ – I honestly think you don’t know what your talking about and your ‘advice’ is dangerous. IMHO 8 weeks is too young to even walk in a papoose, it take a baby on a bike at that age is crazy.

Eh – our kid were in a papoose from the day they came home – so 8 days not 8 weeks. They were carried around the house (including up and down stairs), and to and from shops (including crossing roads with cars). From a comfort perspective I think a “european” style sit up and beg traditional bike would be more comfortable for all involved than a roadbike or even an mtb. I’d possibly loose the spd’s too (as 99% of my silly falls on sensible ground are unclipping failures – and even though they are rare they are avoidable).

Perfectly normal thing to do in most of Europe and there is no great epidemic of dead babies.

TJ – there’s no point – we’re all moulded to eliminate ALL risk not just reduce it to acceptable levels; and a dead or seriously injured kid is too emotional for people to formulate sensible measured approach to risk.

one of those big backpack style papooses that they need to sit up in

If we’re doing definition of papoose, that isn’t a papoose (though I can understand the confusion given what came up when I googled). Personally I’m talking about a Baby Bjorn.

until the baby’s neck is strong enough to support it own head then a papoose or a trailer is a bad idea imho.

but if its in a car seat in the trailer then whats the problem.

also, I wouldn’t worry about a helmet in a trailer, my 1 year old doesn’t wear one. the chances of anything happening while I pootle about on cycle paths are virtually zero.

OK TJ, can you kind any manufacturer of papooses who suggest their products are suitable for babies less then three months (you can include dutch manufacturers if you like)?

I’m genuinely interested.

Edit – I found one….looks like i’m gonna get some abuse ;-(

Right so we’ll cut this short:
Many people have different opinions about this subject.

Look at your child and think carefully abt what they are doing and how they are doing it. Is the baby turning it’s head on it’s own yet? Are they holding their head up on their own? Do they still do the ‘wobble’ and lose control if you turn them rather suddenly or if they startle? –

If they do not have control of their head at all times then a bike seat with helmet is not an option yet for you.
This leaves you with the option of a car seat secured in a bike trailer, a special baby sling secured in a trailer, or riding with the baby in a carrier of some sort on your person.

You can get trailers second hand for cheap and with some thought and consideration can probably rig up the straps for the car seat. Have a good look at the trailer options you have available to you and the carseat you have at your disposal. If you feel that spending the money on a trailer is too much and you won’t use it enough in the future it might still not be the option for you.
The last option of carrier/bike is possible but you must consider the situation which you will be riding your bike. Are you very upright so the head of the baby will still be supported by you chest? or will you be rather sloped meaning support would still be needed for the head? How close are the tubes and handlebars if an accident does occur? Do you feel that the baby and you will be able to safely survive and not be injured if a fall occurs? (will you end up being too nervous to ride in this manner?)

Our children are precious as we all know and we want to do what’s best for them as well as make our own lives as easy as possible. Hopefully you can find a good solution or compromise to the problem of getting to the shops easily.

car seat in a car or taxi, job done.

I already answered that, lodious.

Lodious

http://www.babybjorn.co.uk/products/baby-carriers/baby-carrier-miracle/baby-carrier-miracle/

Perfect fit from newborn

can you kind any manufacturer of papooses who suggest their products are suitable for babies less then three months

Baby Bjorn[/url] is what we used from birth, great little things, provide loads of support for the kid’s head.

Good post there honey 🙂

Re trailers being expensive – a large number of people on here have a shed full of bikes of value that dwarfs the cost of a Chariot.

Perfect fit from newborn

Hmm.. lots of space to roll that head around though. Personally I favour this – more secure imo.

I’ve got a babybjorn, brilliant item