Cycling with Wilsons Wheels

Going for a family bike ride has for many years been a great day out and aside from the few dramas thrown in along the way, it’s a memorable experience for everyone involved, especially the children! Preparing for such an outing can be a task in itself, so here are a few things to consider when investing in a child seat for your bicycle.

• Buy a new child seat or at least one you know the history of. Child seats that have been poorly treated or even crashed will not be safe. 
• Child seats are sold by load bearing capacity and not by age category. There is always a weight limit for the child being carried which ranges from 20kg to 25kg and the seat should be fully adjustable.
• Fitting the child seat to your bike can sometimes be tricky. Unfortunately, they don’t tend to fit very well on full suspension bikes or ladies mountain bikes with a trapeze frame (lowered cross bar) due to lack of space for the clamp. There needs to be at least 3 to 4 inches of clear space on the frame so the clamp can be attached. 
• Top tube child seats (those that fit on the cross bar) were not available to buy for a while as they did not pass recent EU Health and Safety regulations. However, in the past year the manufacturer has re-designed them, and they are on sale once again. The old model was popular due to its lower price (it was half the price of a rear-mounted child seat) but after the modifications which ensure the seat meets regulatory standards it is now in the same price bracket as a rear-mounted seat.
• A helmet for your child is a must, even if they are sat on your bike and not riding their own. Any good helmet will be fully adjustable, designed to fit the child’s head snugly and safely and should not be free to move around. The Kali brand helmet is great as it comes with a crash replacement guarantee.

With a properly fitted child seat and a good helmet you’re good to go, so get out there and enjoy the ride, whatever it brings!