ahaga09

Good evening everyone,
So I am an agriculture teacher and just got the chance to move to the high school near my house. I bought a bike to use as a way to commute back and forth since it is very close now. I have a 2yr old that I drop off at preschool on my way to work and am wondering what would be the best way to transport him. I’m a larger rider at 285lbs and my concern is my weight plus my toddler’s weight on my bike. He is around 35lbs and I’m wondering if he should ride on the bike with me on a shotgun style seat or something else.
I just got a 1995 specialized hardrock ultra 19” frame and 26x2 tires

Thank you for your time and consideration

mtnbud

Your toddler will keep growing and eventually you won't be able to carry him on the bike. I'd look at getting a trailer for kids and eventually a tagalong bike when he's able.

squirtdad

this is the answer 100%

I really strongly suggest getting a good set of front and rear lights and set them on blinking for daytime... makes a huge difference in car's seeing you, and toddler helmet

I like the cygo lite brand https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Maelochs

I could never understand how parents felt safe with their children in those Kiddie-Catapult seat over the rear fender. If the bike falls the kid takes a three-foot drop, and hits the hard plastic side, which is less abrasive than pavement but no less rigid.

Trailer is the best way.

Kai Winters

Trailer

Iride01 

And when the kid out grows the trailer, you can put your dog in it so it can enjoy the ride with you. You won't believe how many trailers I see here that have pets in them instead of a child.

Chuck Naill

I noticed a cargo bicycle at the pool the other day used for hauling children. This would sort of grow with you if you turned it back into a grocery hauler or other when your child grows and has a bike of their own.Longtail Cargo Bikes | Big Dummy Bicycle | Surly Bikes

mtnbud

https://rideweehoo.com/Check out this one

indyfabz

What will they think of next?

My relatively new next door neighbors have a modern version of something like the Big Dummy linked to above, except it's an e-bike. The husband rides around with their toddler. Wouldn't surprise me if they get Weehoo once she's old enough to pedal.

10 Wheels

Don 't do This.

veganbikes

A trailer is a great option. It will be easier for as they grow up. You could also consider a bike like the Tern GSD or HSD which can carry quite a bit of weight but can have larger passengers on the back.

Blinking or flashing front lights at any time for any reason other than an absolute emergency situation is always bad and please do not do it unless you have your own private road that you own and nobody else would ride on. If someone literally has to turn their head and look down away from the road because of a flashing light it means it is not safe.

Broctoon

I second this.

We got a trailer for our kids about 20 years ago, a Burley d'Lite. It is excellent. It's starting to show some wear now, but still serviceable. I've recently turned it over to our daughter (who rode in it when she was little) so she can take her toddler in it. To be able to continue taking our grandson on rides, I bought another one, this time a Burley Bee. Its quality isn't quite as nice as the old one, but it has some good design features that I prefer. Most notably, the hitch on the new system is a much better design. I'm sure Burley's hitch would work fine on the OP's '95 HardRock.

Thule has a model of kid trailer that gets good reviews, although I've never used it. Aside from the Thule and any model from Burley, I don't know of any I'd be inclined to buy. There are many cheap-o models that might work just okay. With this kind of thing, I think getting a quality product makes a real difference.

Trailers are great because kids enjoy them, they're reasonably safe, reasonably easy to use, and they can also carry cargo/groceries/laundry/whatever you've got.

LarrySellerz

I don’t think the weight of a kid on your back is concerning to your bike especially with the smaller wheels.

Kai Winters

I tried a bike seat for my kid and being a small person...5'4"/135lbs at that time lol...every time my daughter looked around I could feel the bike swaying...it was a Spesh Rockhopper around '87ish.
I wound up buying a Burley trailer and it was a game changer. We went everywhere in style. She napped in it while I was pulling 'her majesty' around town lol. Eventually I was pulling two kiddos until they outgrew it.
Thanks for triggering some of my most favorite memories...my daughter was born in '85 and son in '87.

Smaug1

First choice: buy a Lectric Expedition. Check out the accessories while you’re at their site. It will support you and the kid no problem and take you up to 28 mph. Between the commuting and grocery shopping you’ll do with it, it will soon pay for itself.

Second choice: get a child seat mounted on your current bike. Tag-along when he’s too big for the child seat.

Trailers are SO draggy; I don’t recommend them.

Maelochs

Yeah, this is the kind of things that would worry me ....

Leisesturm

Yuba, Tern, Surly and a couple of other companies besides Lectric make e-assist cargo bikes and they all look to be a better fit. Why? Because with few exceptions the tires don't get any bigger than 2.1" to 2.4" plus size. The 4" FAT tires on that Lectric look badass but they are overkill and will sap power from rider and battery alike. And 28mph is unlikely and not just because of the obvious. Few parents will be reckless enough to take a Class 3 e-bike to Max speed with precious cargo onboard.

Our trailer is not draggy but it is not a child trailer. I don't disagree with you, they look plenty draggy to me too but I see way too many folks zipping along with them and they aren't rocking any e-assist. And there is always the option of having an e-assisted bike to do the trailer pulling! TL;DR: Standard (26")or compact (24") or super compact (20"f/r, 24"f/20"r) cargo bike with or without e-assist. Integral child compartment OR child trailer pulled by one of the preceding or a legacy pedal bike.

BATTLESTAR75

This year's favored finalist for the Darwin Awards.
Really? A child on your shoulders, one hand on the bike?

jpescatore

I did lots of trying of different methods with my daughter, a trailer until she was big enough for a third wheel/trail a bike kinda thing was my choice for both safety and the ability (with the trailer) to put toys, food, drink etc. in there for her when she got bored.

I did try one of those top tube seats like I saw used in Europe a lot. From a safety point of view, supposed to be a good choice but I could never get comfortable with it.

Smaug1

Well, none of those are in the < $2k price class, either.

They are 3" tires, but with a street tread, so not nearly as draggy as the 4" knobby/fatties. They're probably a big part of the reason it has such a high weight rating. Point taken though, about tires being fatter than necessary for the given duty. When I went from my 4x20 fat-tired bike to my 2.4"x70c, it was a huge decrease in rolling resistance.

28 mph is not necessarily wreckless, even with a child onboard. For example, in my city, they just rebuilt a major highway going through town. Speed limit is 45 or 50. It has bike lanes, but they're not separated with a curb or anything. In this case, I would argue that 28 mph is safer than 15 mph, due to a lower closing speed between cars and bikes. We have one member in the eBikes subforum here whose wife and two kids were hit by a car on a Lectric Expedition; they did OK, and he attributes that largely to the sturdy frame of the Orbiter accessory.

Just to clarify, when I said draggy, I was referring to a combination of aero drag, weight and friction drag. It all adds up

**************************

One thing we should think of is that in a year or so, the child will likely want his own bike; maybe a balance bike or something. But he won't be ready for commuting. In another two years, he'll likely be on a regular bike without any kind of training aids. Still not ready for commuting. (lack of speed as well as being erratic) The Lectric I recommended will haul a full sized adult on back. It will last throughout the kid's whole childhood and still be a good tool for the OP, unliked a trailer, tag-along or child seat. Then of course there's The Big Electric Advantage: the OP can work as much or little as he wants. A sweaty workout is not always wanted. ;-)

Broctoon

When my oldest daughter was about 3 or 4 years old (around year 2000), she loved to go on rides with me in the Burley trailer. We would set her up with some snacks, a few books, and her Fisher Price cassette player. We sometimes rode for hours. She would read, sing, watch the scenery pass, talk to me, or take a nap when she got tired. I remember a few longer adventures in particular. Sometimes her younger sister would join, and later, I would sometimes take our second and third daughters together (by this time the oldest one was able to ride her own bike).

Now my two year old grandson goes with me, and he loves it. The funny thing is, as much as he enjoys rides, he almost always falls asleep. It has proven to be the most reliable method for getting him to take a nap. In every case, I use it as a way to connect with the kids. We always sing songs together, talk about whatever comes to mind, or look for animals. On the latest ride ride with my grandson a few days ago, we saw some cows, a few horses, a goat, several dogs, some sheep, and some ducks and geese. We live in a semi-rural area, he likes animals, and we make a habit of keeping inventory of the ones we see; we also like to make the sounds of each animal we spot.

To those who feel a trailer is too "draggy," I would ask, "How fast are you trying to go?" Trailer will slow you down a bit. If you're not in a hurry to get somewhere, it's fine. If you ARE in a hurry, and you're a bit on the heavy side, and you have a '90s vintage mountain bike, maybe you should drive your car. I know that's not a popular recommendation in this forum. I emphasize the first part of my statement: "If you're in a hurry." The other option would be to cough up the funds for an e-cargo bike.

I've said this before... pulling a kid in a trailer makes easy hills seem moderate and moderate hills seem steep. Going up steep hills? I don't know; I've never tried it. (Technically, I've pulled them up some steep but very short hills. I wouldn't do a long one.) Other than this, trailers are no problem. I ride solo and I get a good workout, and I take longer to get somewhere than I would in my car. I ride with a kid behind me, same, and... same.

Maelochs

Anyone who thinks kids weigh less in a trailer ..... anyway, as @Broctoon notes, you don't load up the kids for a race.

That's like saying, "All you people touring should ditch all that baggage, it is heavy and it catches air."

Ummmm .... unclear on the concept?

Pulling kids, the issues are not top speed, or whatever ... the important factor is the experience of the cargo. Otherwise we would stick kids in tiny torpedo-shaped tubes, tell them not to breath, and strap them to the rear rack. The kids would be deeply psychologically damaged but at least drag would be lower.

Seats on the rear rack leave the kid out in the wind, but I don't feel they are safe---load to high, for stability and for launching purposes. Trailers are more comfortable and relaxed, and altogether a better environment. Sure a guy could hit the trailer ... but that same guy could hit the bike with a seat on it.

Passengers don't vote but I bet most would vote for trailers. Also, trailers are multi-use, and also can be used even on days when a kid who Could ride a tow-along just doesn't want to.

BUT .... I don't have any kids and I don't want yours, so you do what you like with them.

Russ Roth

Never really heard of it being an issue though I'm sure it won't happen. I never understood the ones that mount in front, I've had so many cars cut me off in their eagerness to turn I couldn't imagine turning my kid into a single use air bag because I rammed into the side of a car that turned without caring. Just had this happen a month ago, I managed to stop in time but my daughter ran into the back of me. Didn't want to wait for us so they just drove barely past and turned right into a roadside parking space.

Longer steep hills make you feel like Sisyphus as you slowly and painfully crank up the hill wondering when gravity is finally going to catch on and drag you back down by the trailer. Thankfully, only ever had to do that once.

OP, I'll echo a lot who say go with the trailer and then jump to a trail-a-bike. Although I never heard of anything bad happening with rear child seats, I just never trusted them either. So I went with the trailer, up side it will hold 2 kids up to a combined 100lbs in case another is on the way, before pulling them on a trail-a-bike. Once they get past about 50lbs on the bike you have to watch out, it can become the tail wagging the dog if they wiggle too much but the kids always liked the ride.

LarrySellerz

We talkin the burly flatbed?

jlaw

[QUOTE=ahaga09;22977666]m/QUOTE]

Many good suggestions here so I don't really have anything to add...other than to say I think it's great that you are getting your kid onto a bike early in life.

My dad started me riding on the back rack of his bike in a home-made plywood seat. This transitioned to rides we would take together early Sunday mornings - after pancakes! - once I was old enough to pedal my own bike. This started a life-long love of riding for me. Early Sunday mornings are still my favorite time to ride.

Just one thing to remember - when your kid turns 15 you need to switch places.