Tuesday, August 23, 2011

Toddler Bike Seat/Helmet Advice Needed

Hello....

We are entering into the biking world with twins. So, we need great bike seats and helmets.
AND we need a bike seat that is lightweight, easy to install and.....can fit in a large suitcase.
Because there's a good chance these boys are going to be biking both in NYC and in far away lands....

So far, I'm sold on the iBert bike seat.
Helmet?

Thanks!

8 comments:

Casey said...

Ibert is great, but probably not for long. Roozle already grew out of hers height wise (as in, we couldn't see over her because it's so high). The ibert is awesome for little tiny one year olds, not so much beyond that in our experience. It also doesn't go well on all bikes (I couldn't use it at all because my knees hit it when I pedaled, my wife loved it on hers but not for long). We love the Little Nutty nutcase helments and giro toddler helmets (fit better, are cheaper and have a little sun shade for the face). Good luck!

Strawberry said...

We tried out a seat like the ibert a while ago...when he was 14 months old and about 24 lbs. I'm 5'1 and thin, but in-shape, and found it really difficult to use...especially when stabilizing the bike during a stop. More than once the whole bike almost toppled over, it was really scary. Based on that, I wouldn't use anything but a bike trailer at this point. Just my experience. Definitely try it out before purchasing anything, maybe at a bike rental place.

Strawberry said...

oh, and the seat I used was for the back of the bike, not the front, but looked similar.

Jen said...

No experience with bike seats, but chunk has this toddler helmet and I really like it. It is bulky (as most helmets are) but has an adjustible wheel in the back for a better fit. http://www.amazon.com/Schwinn-Toddlers-Skull-Boy-Helmet/dp/B0030RSB6U

Joy said...

we actually love the ibert with our 25 pound 16 month old. I am 5'5'' and haven't had any problems with balance/knees. The only think is...the back of the ibert is fairly low and if he falls asleep he ends up slumped over with his head resting on my arm. Oh, and when he gets bored he likes to dangle his arms down and pat my knees as I pedal.

Unknown said...

I am too short to use that type of bike seat. Besides, as a single mom of twins, its a trailer or nothing.
For a helmet, I can strongly recommend that Nutcase brand. Its a bit pricier than some, but its amazing. It's very adjustable so will last for much longer than most. Its can also be used for skiing and snowboarding (and ice skating too). They have some cute styles. They are available at many places but here is a sample (we have one of these) http://www.adelineadeline.com/helmets/kids/nutcase-little-nutty-dots.html
I'd seriously consider a trailer. And if you get one, get one that converts to a stroller making it multipurpose.

Next in Line said...

Bee has a nutcase helmet and we bought a used Chariot cougar trail from Craigslist. The helmet will fit her for a long time and is awesome. The Chariots are the best trailers out there. We never tried the ones that attach to bikes.

Anonymous said...

Probably speaking out of turn but it's something I feel strongly about...guess you and Chicken have helmets too? I live in a place in the UK with lots of cyclists, lots either carrying their kids with bike seats or towing them, and I fret about the number I see where the kids are wearing helmets and the parents not. Surely it's a no-brainer??(potentially literally.....) Guess as my dad died in a cycling accident when I was a baby I have a biased view. In fact a helmet wouldn't have saved him, but still it's something that will often be a life saver. Excited by the far-away places! daisy xx