Why I Chose A Front Mounted Toddler Bike Seat

The debate between rear and front mounted toddler bike seats crippled my decision making for a few weeks, but I finally made a purchase. Here is a recap of our internal debate, along with why I chose a front-mounted toddler bike seat.

As thoroughly discussed in this post, I recently saw the need to purchase a second bike seat for CZ. Currently, JZ has a rear-mounted seat on the xtracycle, which is great for daycare drop-offs and weekend rides. However, since we are car-free, sometimes CZ and I ride the train because of scheduling conflicts, even though I would prefer to bike. All in all, without capacity to put CZ on my bike, our activities together were unnecessarily limited.

I read lots of articles, reviews and blog posts weighing the debate between the rear and front mount. I wanted to be 100% sure of my choice because I’m cheap and a bit nervous about carrying such precious cargo. Initially, I leaned towards the rear seat because I thought CZ was too close to the upper weight limit on the front seat to make it worth the investment, although I liked the prospect of increased enjoyment from riding in the front. So I mulled it over for a few days.

And then forgot about it. A week later, JZ started pushing me and incessantly asking, “what did you decide?”, “do you want to weigh her again?” “when are we going to get it?”, “Are you going today?” “How about today?” and so on. I finally relented, made a choice, and purchased a bike seat.

The Decision – Front Mounted Toddler Bike Seat

I am now a proud owner of a blue Yepp Mini front mounted child seat! After some slope regression equations and plotting projected weight growth over time, it was determined that CZ likely has a year before hitting the 15 kg limit. Twelve months of jubilant front riding would be worth it. Plus, Yepp Mini seats are quite durable and it’s possible that we could resell it and recoup some of the cost.

We rode over to Glow Worm Bicycles for their weekly family ride, and arrived early for purchasing, installation and a test ride of the new seat. On our previous test ride, CZ loved the detachable bunny pillow so we indulged her with one of her own. With pure delight, she promptly kissed her new friend as soon as we strapped her onto my bike. Five minutes into the ride, bunny was unceremoniously discarded along the greenway. Luckily we had keen eyes behind us, and have since kept the bunny attached to her handlebars with a safety pin and ribbon.

The Glow Worm family ride provided the perfect opportunity to gain confidence with my new seat, first with a friend’s heavy backpack and then with our little passenger. It is one of the only family bike rides in Sydney (as far as we know), and is great for young riders looking to cycle a little further than around the neighborhood. The distance might be a bit much for preschool age peddlers, as we covered almost 5km each way, but there are plenty of opportunities to jump into a Dutch box bike. Even as I wobbled a bit, adjusting to occasionally bumping my knee on the seat base, the ride leaders set a slow and steady pace.

As we pulled into Steele Park, I felt confident with the seat and eager to give it a go with a passenger on the return trip.

First Impressions

I felt victorious riding back to Glow Worm and on to our house with CZ in front. While not the fastest decision, I am very happy with my choice. I am still adjusting to some aspects of the new set-up, here are a few of my first impressions on riding with a front-mounted bike seat:

• Awesome conversation –  We conversed and pointed out various sights and sounds: trees, birds, and most importantly, DOGS.
• Great place for naps – She nodded off on our way home and managed to rest her helmet in the groove of the pillow, which kept her head stable. I was super sensitive to pedaling slowly and not bumping her, but occasionally her head would roll to the side.
• Maintain maneuverability – The increased weight on my bike noticeably impacted my gearing; However, the weight felt evenly distributed and stable, even when CZ suddenly turned her body to look at a dog.
  • I am still adjusting to quickly dismounting. This is more relevant when CZ is not on the bike, and I am weaving through pedestrian crowds. I used to be able to transition from riding to walking fairly seamlessly, but I am missing much of the clearance between my knees and handlebars. I’m sure I will improve as I adapt to the seat placement.
• Bell ringing assistance – CZ remembers ringing the bell from the test bike at Omafiets, and kept trying to ring my bell. Unfortunately/fortunately, my current bell is a bit harder to ring and she can’t quite manage it yet. She has a penchant for percussion, so I am sure there are lots of loud bike rides in our future, once she figures it out.
• Lots of smiles – She seems to love being up front, playing with the bunny, and the closeness to me. CZ is generally a happy toddler, but we got extra smiles on this ride.

A few weeks in and I still love the seat and bike set up. Honestly, JZ is a bit jealous that he doesn’t get as much CZ interaction on his bike now. I am so thankful that Jessica from Omafiets suggested the front seat, and look forward to more Mum and CZ bike adventures.