What is a Front Kids Bike Seat?

A Front Kids Bike Seat is a seat suitable for riding with your child early and is positioned in front of you – between you and your handlebars. It is a fully supported and harnessed seat

Why choose a Front Kids Bike Seat?

The main advantage with a front kids bike seat for mountain bikes is being able to ride early with your young child. 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, stopping, balance and your reach. As the adult rider you need to feel capable and confident that you can ride safely with a front bike seat.

LEARN MORE: Front vs Rear Kids Bike Seat – What Should You Choose?

How does it work?

What riding ability does the rider need to have?

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, stopping, balance and your reach around to the handlebars

The more space you have between you and the handlebar the easier these bike skills will be. This can be acheived If you are tall and ride a large sized frame, These seats are best suited to riders riding in an upright position as this maximises the space between you and the handlebars

If you do not have a lot of space between you and the handlebars…then a front mount child bike seat for mountain bikes may not be the right solution for you.

What age can you start riding with a child?

To use a Front Kids Bike Seat your child needs to be able to wear a Bike Helmet correctly , See First Bike Helmet and be able to sit unaided. This seat is recommended from the age of 1 year and up to 17kg in weight.

What riding environments is the Front Kids Bike Seat best suited to?

When riding with a young child you are best suited to smooth surfaces. You need to feel comfortable about your safety and your childs safety wherever you choose to ride

Where does it attach? Is my bike compatible?

The Front Kids Bike seat clicks into a mounting bracket that attaches to your handlebar stem

The brands available vary on what is required to fit the mounting bracket/ adaptor to your bike

A  standard mounting bracket/ adaptor that requires 20mm of space…and can be attached to a threaded or threadless stem.

A Mounting bracket/adaptor called an A -Head or compact adaptor provides the ability to mount to a threadless handlebar stem (commonly found on mountain bikes) by removing a 5mm spacer from your stem.

The Mounting brackets are not compatible with carbon handlebar stems

LEARN MORE AT:  Will a Front Kids Bike Seat for Mountain Bikes fit my Bike?, Will a Front Kids Bike Seat ( Thule Mini) Fit my Bike

Will there be a anything permanently attached to my bike

Yes… most riders will choose to have the mounting bracket/adaptor to be permanently attached to your bike so you can easier in a few seconds attach the seat to your bike and be ready to ride with your wee one. However it can be removed if you choose to do so

Can different family members and bikes be used to attach the seat?

It can be great to have the flexibility to quickly change your seat from one bike to another.  This allows different family members and bikes to be used.

The Front Kids Bike seat offers great flexibility for the family: You can purchase additional mounting brackets/ adaptors so your seat can be attached to more than one bike. You just need to ensure that the bike is compatible with attachment requirements

Note: The Front Kids Bike Seat for Mountain Bikes comes with 2 adaptors the A-head and standard adaptor so it can be used on different bikes without any additional purchases as long as the mounting bracket is compatible with that bike.

What about using with an E-Bike?

It can be a great option to use an E-Bike for riding with a child. If your E-Bike is compatible with attaching the front kids bike seat then using a front bike seat 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.

How big is it and how much storage space do I need at home?

The front kids bike seat is a compact seat.  If it is not attached to your bike then you need to have space to store it at home.

Can I install the Front Kids Bike Seat?

You need to allow yourself a bit of time for the initial set up  to get the mounting bracket/ attached to your bike…once set up it is very easy to attach to the front kids bike seat to your bike when you choose to ride with your child. We successfully set up the Front Kids Bike seat for Mountain Bikes so we are confident you can to.

Can I use it to ride with multiple children?

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.

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 size and effect in front of their chest  How this effect your balance and bike handling skills  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 an attachment of an additional bike seat?  

Multiple Children Options: You can attach a rear kids bike seat and also stable towing options : Bike Tow Frame and bike trailers

What do I need to know to ride safely with my child the first time and for regular riding?

There are some simple things to do and check to keep both you and your child safe when riding with a Front Kids Bike Seat – for the first time and as it becomes a regular activity for you and your family. Use our resources to help support your enjoyment of riding with a Front Kids Bike Seat

Want to understand more about all options to tow kids who ride their own bikes see… Front Kids Bike seat Buying Guide…Riding with Kids what are my options

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