Child Bike Seats: Put the Kid Up Front!

I bike around Chicago, a lot. I used to commute to work when I was working downtown. My oldest often wanted to go with me on my rides.

I began looking for child carriers. I examined trailers and rear-mounted seats used by my neighbors and friends. I was never quite comfortable with any of these. I wanted the kiddos and I to be able to interact, to sing, to talk and to share the riding experience. The rear-mounted seats and trailers didn't allow this.

One day I saw a BoBike child carrier. Now this was more like it! The little guy could sit in front of me and see what was going on.

I researched every front-mounted carrier I could find. I found 4: WeeRide, BoBike, Hamax and a newer product, iBert.

The big difference between the 4 is the mounting system. WeeRide comes with a mounting bar that attaches to the handle bar stem and seat post (technically a center-mounted system). The other 3 mount only to the handle bar post.

That's primarily why I chose the WeeRide. It seemed safer with the more secure mounting system. Also, the WeeRide has footrests that enclose the little guy's feet on the sides, versus the others that use straps to keep little feet in place. Also, the WeeRide has a small platform in front that allows Gabriel to hold on, or, if I bike too far, he can rest his head.

I've been very pleased with the WeeRide. Please check back for a step-by-step, showing how I put the WeeRide on my bike.

Don't forget to get a helmet for your tike, before you bike!

Your child must be at least one year old and able to hold their head up. Kids up to 40 lbs/18 kg fit the WeeRide. As a rule of thumb, if the child's knees fit under the handlebars while in the WeeRide, they can ride.