Why choose a Front Kids Bike Seat?

What can a Front Kids Bike Seat offer your family? The main advantage with a Front Kids Bike Seat is being able to ride early with a very young child securely harnessed to a seat. The slightly reclined seat is suitable from 1 year of age. These seats achieve the ultimate in interaction with your child seated between your arms sharing the view and experience with you.

The position of the Front Bike Seat with your child between you and the handlebars (in front of your chest) can make some of the skills of riding a little more challenging… like mounting the bike, stopping & starting, balance and your reach to the handlebars. As the adult rider you need to feel capable and confident that you can ride safely with a seat in this position.

If you are wanting to ride with multiple children the front bike seat offers a good solution as you can have an older child on a rear bike seat or choose a stable towing option.

Below is a table with the available Front Seat solutions and a quick comparison guide. As well as more detailed information about factors to consider to understand the right solution for your family.

If you think a front kids bike seat could be a good solution for your family, to open up your riding opportunities and experiences, then please read on…

Age of Your Child.

There is a reason front seats only work for a short age range.  The weight these seats can take is restricted to 15-17kg.  A front seat is a great option when buying for a very young toddler (anywhere from 9mths+) as you will get lots of use out of one.  If your young one is heavy or large for their age you will get less use.  If you are buying for a 2+yr old this type of seat is probably not the best option in terms of value for money.  However, if you plan to expand your family buying a front seat that can then be used by a younger sibling is a great investment.

Bike Compatibility & Attachment Points:

A front bike seat attaches to or just below your handlebar stem and requires space for you to successfully do this.  Not all bikes will work with front seats so you need to do some research to determine whether your bike is a good match;

Front Kids Bike Seat (Thule Nexxt Mini) Attachment to: handlebar stem, requires at least 20mm of space. Compatible with both a Threaded & Threadless Stem if space can be created.  Best used with threaded stems. Learn more at Will a Thule Nexxt Mini Front Seat fit my Bike?

Mountain Bike Front Seat (Urban Iki Mini) Attachment: just below horizontal handlebar stem, requires at least 5mm of space.  For use with Threadless Stem, rings or spacers need to be removed. Learn more at Will a Front Seat for Mountain Bikes Fit my Bike?

Front Seat & Windscreen (Urban Iki Mini) Attachment to: handlebar stem, requires at least 20mm of space. Compatible with both a Threaded & Threadless Stem if space can be created.  Best used with threaded stems. Learn more at Will a Front Seat & Windscreen fit my Bike?

If you have a SMALL FRAME please see our story – The Best Seat Solutions for Small Bike Frames

How does it feel to ride with a Front Kids Bike Seat.

Riding with a Kids Bike Seat will feel different compared to riding solo

The position of the front bike seat with your child between you and the handlebars (in front of your chest) can make some of the skills of riding a little more challenging… like mounting a bike, stopping & starting, balance and your reach to the handlebars. It is important to understand the changes so you feel capable and confident that you can ride safely with a front bike seat.

When do you want to start riding with your child and how long do you want the seat to be used for?

Front Seats are suitable from approximately 1 years of age, through to 2 and a half, to 3 years old.  Your child must be able to sit upright unassisted and will need to wear a bike helmet. The seat is slightly reclined making it a great option for young children. To get the most out of your Front Seat it is best suited to families that want to ride early and often.

Where do you want to ride?

When riding with young children it is recommended to predominantly ride on smooth surfaces. Where you can ride is influenced by your comfort and confidence when riding with your young child.

Where are you comfortable and confident to ride: In Traffic, bike paths, easy trails and possible multiday.

Front Seats & E-Bikes.

If your E-Bike is compatible with the attachment requirements for a front seat then using one with an E-Bike is a suitable option.

As always be aware of your safety. E-Bikes give you the ability to travel at a much faster speed than you would achieve under your own power.  What does this mean when riding with a young child?  E-Bikes are generally heavier than standard bikes so please consider how this may effect the skills that can be a little more challenging when riding with a Front Kids Bike Seat.

Switching Between Bikes.

It can be great to have the flexibility for your child to be attached to more than one bike. This allows different family members and bikes to be used.

When you buy a Front Bike Seat you can choose to purchase a second adaptor so you can attach the seat to more than one bike.  Both the bikes you want to use will need to meet the same attachment criteria.  The Front Seat for Mountain Bikes comes with the special MTB Adaptor as well as a Standard Adaptor meaning without adding to your purchase you have two adaptors – one for a mountain bike with 5mm of mounting space and one that requires 20mm of space to mount.

All Front Bike Seats are easily attached and removed from the adaptor (mounting bracket).

Storage at Home.

Front seats can be easily removed from your bike and are reasonably compact, so can be easily stored at home while not in use.

Riding with Multiple Children.

Having the ability to ride with two children can offer more riding opportunities. There are two main things to consider when riding with more than one child…

Can the adult rider ride safely with the added challenge of weight and how this will effect balance?  Having two children with you will be challenging.  Think about your fitness, strength and the places you want to ride.  You should be a skilled rider to consider doing this.  An E-Bike will help enormously with your enjoyment of riding with two children.

How does the set up of the front seat restrict the attachment of an additional bike seat or towing solution? A front seat offers the ability to ride with a second child on a rear bike seat or with a stable towing solution attached to your bike. Eg. The Follow Me Tandem 

Alternative Options – if a Front Seat is not the right solution for your family.

If your bike is not suitable to attach a Front Seat to, or you would prefer a seat that will give you an attached solution that will allow you to ride with your child for a greater age range 1-6yrs, then we suggest looking through the Rear Kids Bike Seat Buying Guide

Riding stories, support & solutions that will make you & your family SMILE.