Bicyle Baby Seat Versus Trailer

We went with the trailer option for the simple fact that if there is a "wipeout" on the bike, the trailer stays upright and the child does not hit the ground as they would with bike seat. It is also more comfortable for the child.

I love love love my ibert too!!!!!!!!!!! It is so great. I started riding with my daughter when she was about one, she loves it. And I love having her on the front, I feel balanced, I can see what she is doing, and she can see where we are going.
The one and only problem I have found is that it is hard to sleep in. Once she fell asleep and i kinda had to hold her head up between my arms as I rode. BUT she shouldn't be sleeping on a bike ride anyway...

We had and loved our trailer for four years until this past spring we ended up flipping it. Not sure what happened as my husband didn't crash, he hit a bump and the trailer flipped twice. We were pretty sure he was going too fast, but still, we never expected that to happen. I think what you prefer depends on what you're going to use it for. We only use it on the trails, so I liked the trailer, but if we were to frequently ride on the road I think I would have preferred a seat where the kids would have been more visible. I also liked that both kids could ride in it. My son usually rides on a trail-a-bike, but occasionally is just too tired to make it the 13 miles trip we usually do. It is nice still being able to go with him in the trailer instead of not having that option. It was also nice for the kids to be able to have snacks and drinks and toys etc. to last them through the long rides we took. If you have the option of trying anyone's out before you buy, that would probably be the best choice. I don't really like the feel of having the kid in the seat behind me, but I know they sell the front mount ones now, so they may be better.

Definitely a trailer --they are SO MUCH SAFER than bike seats. They do not tip over, even when crashing. We have ridden our 4 boys thousands of miles in our 2 Burley trailers and they are absolutely the best. The parts are excellent and easily replaced if needed. Do not buy a cheap trailer or you will regret it and probably not use it very much --they are heavy and awkward and the kids are not as comfortable or as secure. We have friends who have also really liked trailers made by Trek and Chariot. It is an investment to buy a good one but you'll both love it and so will your son. They also go easily from one bike to another --I do it myself all the time with very little effort. Good luck and happy trails!

Since I have both I thought I would give you my 2 cents. My first time using the co-pilot bike seat (I think we paid about $109.00) it was very nervewracking. I am 6'0" and fit but you have to have balance because there is another roughly 25 lbs behind you that you have to worry about. Taking the first step to get balance to ride made me nervous. Needless to say that was the only time I used it. My husband used it another 1/2 dozen times. But we are not the avid bicyclists that you and your husband are.
I got the bike trailer because I needed a double jogging stroller and for roughly $140 it was a deal. I love it! I run around town atleast 4 days a week. My husband has taken it on his bike at least a dozen times and the kids have fun. You can take them in the rain because it has the rain guard already attached. I had a one year old in it and a 4 year old. Now they are 2 and 5 and I know I can use this thing for another 2 years. You can take this on unpaved trails too. I have taken it into Target but it is not a stroller to go where there is lots of foot traffic because it has the wheel sticking way out in front. Even though they fit 2 people side by side you can use it with just the one child. The bike trailer got 50 times more use than the seat for our lifestyle. Hope that helps.

My vote is for the bike trailer. To be fair, I haven't used a bike seat, but I feel like there is more safety in a trailer. Even if the adult on the bike falls over or crashes into something, most of the time the trailer stays upright. There is also a lot more protection from insects, rocks, and weather in a trailer.

Also, I don't know if things have changed, but I was always told not to put my babies in the trailer or on the bike until after their first birthday. They told me their neck muscles weren't yet strong enough to handle the jostling until that age. I remember just aching to get those babies in the trailer and take off!

Have fun! Putting our kids in the trailer has lead to a great family love of biking together. Enjoy!

Bike trailers are so awesome! Our kids love theirs--- until they were old enough to ride themselves. They'd even fall asleep during a ride sometimes! And you can get another connector so you can hook it up to either bike and leave the hardware on each bike. They're stable in a wipeout, the trailer stays upright and there are safety hooks just in case it comes loose somewhere. My brother got a seat for his bike and totally regretted it because it actually makes riding hard, if the child falls asleep, they usually tend to lean and then you have to compensate... and if they're leaning anyways, and toddlers do, you're compensating.... all the time... so it makes for a frustrating ride. We just got the one from Target when it was on sale, so we didn't go for bells and whistles, but it's been worth it. I'd buy the same thing again. Make sure they have helmets on, tho! :)

The trailer is much safer, I have had two, both burleys and they are great! And I have even crashed and the trailer flipped over onto its side, the boys were fine. Usually if the bike goes down the hook up will pivot and the trailer will stay upright. I was taking a sharp corner on a slope and down we went, the roll bar did its job. I got my trailer at REI and burley has a great site to order parts. I needed to install a retro fit hook up which is the original hook up, because my bike is older. The REI guys were pretty helpful.

We had the same dilemma with our son and finally opted for the baby seat that is called the "WeeRide". Our son loves this seat! It is unique because it puts the baby between the adult and the handlebars so he can see everything. We have ridden with it on both trails and the city and have not had any problems. We opted against the trailer because we didn't like the way kids kind of "check out" during the ride. Our son will still fall asleep in the WeeRide but is much more of an active participant in the bike ride. Good luck!

We used a Burley Bee (trailer) when dd was a baby. It worked great. We'd toss in some stuffed animals, a sippy cup, some snacks. She'd play back there and watch the world go by, the be lulled off to sleep at some point. We were able to go on long rides - 30+ miles - and she had a great time.

I think with younger kids it's probably too exhausting to have to sit upright and stay awake throughout long rides. Being able to squirm around and play in the trailer is much easier and more natural for them - about like being in a playpen. Their safety profile is great, too. Even if your bike falls over, the trailer stays upright, and it has it's own rollcage.

We had a big yellow flag mounted on top, and if we had to ride on a street, I'd ride flank on the trailer (my husband pulled it behind his bike) so that any cars would see me first and have to clear the trailer when they passed me.

When she turned 4 we switched to a tandem bike hooked to the back of my husband's bike, and she does great. But the trailer was definitely the better way when she was little.

I suggest the wee ride as well. Our daughter loves it. She gets to see everything that's going on and we can see what she is doing as well. She doesn't throw off the balance when she's moving around. Not to mention if heaven forbid we did crash, she's right there in front of us to protect. You can also buy an extra mounting bar fairly cheap to transfer the seat between the two bikes. Good luck and have fun.

Definitely the trailer. If you crash your bike with a child on the bike itself, the kid falls too. With a trailer, the child stays upright and you take the spill, just ask my husband. Plus I think the trailers are easier to switch between bikes. If you were out for a ride and pulled the trailer out and you wanted your husband to pull it back you wouldn't even have to remove your son, just unhitch and switch to the next bike. When he gets older and wants to be wiggling around and looking at things he is less likely to throw you off balance if he is in the trailer.
Now as to which one, your in-laws may want to go halves with you on my personal preference. When our son came along my mom wanted to get me a trailer that converts to a stroller easily so I could do some light weight shopping without lugging our son in and out of carseats, shopping carts etc. Our family has always been active with outdoor activities, hiking, biking, skiing, etc. We found Chariot products to be perfect for our family. They are top of the line, but worth every penny. Mom bought the basic stroller "cockpit" for baby shower, then for Christmas we bought the skii attachments and for William's first b-day got the bike attachments. When we got the bike hitch we bought two of the axle pins that replace our original axles so it is really quick and easy to switch over. William is now 3 1/2 and we still use his chariot for bike rides and it is now the only stroller I use with him because it handles so nicely even with a wiggly 35 pounder in it. It is the best gift/ investment we have made in the last 3 years. We have used it as an off road stroller over various rough terrain from grass to deep cinder gravel to river rock cobbles. Chariot is out of Canada so there are very few bike shops that keep them in stock, but most should be able to order it for you if you take web page info in so they know what you are looking for. We live near Redding and got ours through Gary at Chain Gang. For this area that is who I would recommend you use. Especially if you are planning on haveing more children, the chariot should be the only bike trailer you will ever need. We only have the one child but got the double stroller. The extra room is great for keeping your hands uncluttered.
http://www.chariotcarriers.com/
If you live near me and want to try our trailer or want any more information about this product feel free to e-mail me at ____@____.com

I have the Wee Ride and love it. I'm not too tall (5'2") and my bike has a fairly small frame so we had to mount ours onto my husband's bike. It hasn't been a problem for me at all and my son loves to ride in it. If I had more money, I would have purchased the I-Bert, but this one is great. I highly recommend it!

dear J.,
I know you've had quite a few responses but I hope you read mine. I bought an iBERT seat kangaroo-style seat for my daughter about a year ago and we both LOVE IT!!! I get compliments every single time I ride. So many that I have a little script I usually follow now when talking to people and recommending this seat to them. I recommend the seat because: it's affordable, it's safe, the child sits in front of your body which makes the bike much more stable than a rear-seat, it's easy to remove when you're riding your bike without baby, loading and off-loading are easy, and you can talk to your child while you ride. They can see everything coming. When they're on the back of the bike, they see a little, but mostly they see your backside. With an expensive trailer, the kid sees not much. If you go on trails they'll be eating tons of dust.
Here's the site to check out.
http://www.ibertinc.com/
Again, I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS BIKE SEAT FOR YOUR LITTLE BOY!!!

The only drawback is that you should wait until he's about a year old before using it. We waiting until my daughter was a year and she felt really secure. He should be ready by the time we get some nice mid-February weather.
~A.

Hi! I use to lead bicycle tours and was Associate Director for Michigan Bicycle Touring, and I highly reccomend the trailer option! They are safer & far more comfortable for the kids. However, remember that the kids still need to wear helmets and get a tall orange flag for it so that all the cars can see!

The brand that we liked best was Burley (www.burley.com to find a dealer near you). They are a bit more expensive, but worth every penny in safety & comfort.

Happy riding!

I bought a Chariot Caddie bike trailer for about $400. I liked it but it was tough on the hills. It felt like I had an extra 50lbs behind me. I bought it for my husband to take my daughter riding. He loved to ride and needed to spend time with his daughter. I thought this would give him daddy/daughter time and me some time off. I ended up using it.

Here's a great website that points out the pro/con of each (down the page) http://www.ibike.org/education/infant.htm

I'm thinking of getting one of those attachments that has a seat and peddles for my daughter, so we can ride places together and I can feel safer (I'm in control.)

Good luck,
Stephanie

Hi J.,

I also have the "Wee Ride" ($100) as do many of my friends. I can't say enough about how good it is. My son started riding in it when he was about 8 months old and he is over three now and he still enjoys it! We are almost ready to transition him to one of those tandum extension bikes to go on the back so that our new baby girl can ride on the front, but she is still too little.

One of the things about crashing...one of my friends crashed on my bike with my son on it and he was not hurt at all. The seat postion and the buckles kept him in place and he did not even hit the ground! He was crying because it was scary, but he did not even have a scratch!

I have heard that the trailers are a little sketchy because you can not see what is going on back there, and like another mom said, they can "check out." Also, my sister looked into this also and found that it is really a bumpy ride back there and can make it hard for a child who does not have complete control over their neck muscles. I was also told that sometimes there can be more accidents with the trailer because motorists can not see it as well because it is low to the ground.

My son loves bike riding and can ride his own bike now. He is not afraid and at the same time he uses caution. He knows about crossing the street and looking for cars. I feel like he would not have learned so much about the road and bike saftely if he had not been "at the wheel" with me for the past 2+ years. Also, we were really enjoying time together when we rode the bike. We would talk about what we saw and he would ask questions. It was quality time together. I can't see how it would be that way if he had been behind me where we couldn't interact.

Have fun!

H.

I just got a bike trailer. I didn't try the baby seat, but I didn't like the idea of having to balance him as well as me on the bike. Plus with the trailer, you can put in the useful bits and pieces like diaper bag and other supplies. I plan to use mine to run errands, so that is very handy. The only issue is that he can't really sit properly in it, esp when he is wearing his helmet. I'm going to try the boppy nursing pillow as a support next time i use it.

E.

If you want to use paved and unpaved trails I would go with a bike seat. I don't have either, but my thought with the trailer is that it sticks out and seems a little scary to me with others around (I'm afraid of people not paying attention and running into my kids, or if I'm riding in the street of cars not paying attention).

When we bought my bike, I insisted on a bike trailer. I have found that just like driving a truck with a trailer, the bike trailer makes it's harder to stop, it takes longer so no sudden stops! Because I can not stop suddenly i tend to not go as fast as I would like to. This could be because we purchased a cheap bike, i'm not sure.

If you choose a seat be sure that you feel safe and secure riding the bike with the seat. I have a very VERY memorable childhood memory about riding in a bike seat. My mom always fell or wrecked her bike and for some reason she still thought she could ride her bike with me in a seat and be safe...this was before helmets were required!!! I was in Kindergarten and on the way to school she wreck us into a ditch....a deep ditch, scratched up my knees and ripped my leotards. I will never forget that so, I didn't trust myself to put my own children in a bike seat.

We loved our trailer, and then we got rid of it when we moved. SO then we got a bike seat. My daughter hated it. THere was no room, it mounted badly, and i flet like i was sitting in her lap. Poor thing. If she were still small, i'd like to try the seats that mount in front. Good luck. I LOVED the trailer, and it was a double, so she could bring a freind sometimes.

I have a bike trailer and love it and use it all the time. The plus with a trailer is it holds 2 kids, so if you have a second child or even pull along your child's friend its great. My son is 4 and still loves riding in it for longer bike rides when he can't ride his bike. I pulled both my kids in it on trails, street, dirt trails, shallow sand (that wasn't very easy, but we made it!!) We looked at bike seats first and we couldn't find one that we could afford that would work on my husband's bike because of the way his seat and shocks were on his bike.

Hi J.,
I have used both when my kids were younger. Thay are now 8 and 6. I preferred the seat on the back of my bike. I liked the fact that they were close to me and we could talk. I did fall once with my daughter on the back. I went down very slowly and the seat never hit the ground. She was fine just a little scared. I taught my kids to always keep their hands in. They always wore a helmet and are very well strapped into the seat including their feet.
I stiil have my bike seat which I was about to list on Craigslist for free. You can have it if you want. I live in Walnut Creek and can email you a picture. You can respond to me through this website.
Bikes shops which rent bikes also rent trailers. Try out both types and decided which works best for you.
E.