Originally Posted by
livedarklions
Where you go off the beam is describing equipping a bike with proper carrying seats and trailers as being "slapdash" and thinking that those of us who have done this only got to the "I think this might work well enough" level. I've ridden with toddlers in a rear seat and a trailer on hybrids. They didn't work "well enough", they worked beautifully. I never had any issue with control, braking or balance.
A bike that's built to carry 250 kg is not "built for purpose" to carry one small child. and I don't think OP was asking for recommendations on putting a 100 pound child on their bike. That's a totally different issue.
When I worked at the bike shop we were named co-respondents in three different PI cases involving child carriers. I have personally witnessed a child launched from a child carrier and was witness for plaintiff. No idea how many broken carriers I have seen. Lots. No idea how many broken and damaged frames seen due to child carriers. Lots. Most home mechanics can’t bolt on a kickstand without damaging the chainstays. Installing a child carrier is a great deal more complex and consequential than a kickstand. Did you ever work on other people’s bikes? Kickstands basically always crush the chainstays. Home mechanics can get that one wrong when their framebuilder gave them a dedicated chainstay plate.
Of course some of us are omnicompetent. Some of us can get it right every time without thinking about it.
Many different possible bike designs allow for carrying substantial loads. Standard bikes really don’t carry much. Ten pounds of groceries is enough to make the bike handle different. Not unsafe, noticeably different. Few standard bikes work well at all with over twenty pounds. I know lots of people carry much more and never give it a thought, never have a problem. If you can do it on a standard bike and not even notice, that’s you, you are different.
OP started by talking about carrying a child on a criterium race bike. Possible. Possibly someone could ride around the world on a track bike carrying a child in their arms. Bad idea for most of us.
Half the posters on these forums are afraid of their shadow and imagine they are risking life and limb every time they balance on two wheels. Another big contingent is ready to insist that it is all good. Doesn’t matter what is recommended or contemplated, it is all good. Good for who?