How Does it Feel to Ride with a Front Kids Bike Seat

1. Takes up space/adds bulk/length to your bike

Adding a Front Kids Bike Seat plus your child is going to take up space on your bike. Removing some of the space that you are used to having when riding solo.  

• Some bike skills that you most likely do, without even thinking about them, you may need to alter as the space you need to do these skills has been reduced or removed and replaced with a front seat and your child. You will need to learn how to adjust these skills to ride with a kids seat or trailer.

2. Adds weight to your bike

Adding a Front Kids Bike Seat  plus your child is going to add weight to your bike. This increased weight will alter the riding experience.

• It will require a higher level of strength and fitness to ride and get to a destination compared to riding solo
• Leaning the bike to get on and off the bike will feel a little different
• Pushing the bike when walking with it will require you to balance the extra load and can change the feel when you manoeuvre the bike
• When you are riding you will need to balance the extra load when steering and going around corners. The bike will also feel different when you go over bumps etc
• As your child grows their weight increases so you will notice the effects of this increased load and have to adjust again

Taking up Space/Bulk 

• A front seat sits in the space that you (the adult) would usually use to get on and off your bike and when starting and stopping. The more space that is left between your chest and the kids bike seat the easier it is to manage these skills. Upright riders and/or those on larger bikes will have more space and are therefore best suited to riding with a front kids bike seat. Alternatively you can lower your bike seat so your feet can touch the ground. This allows you to start and stop without coming off your seat and therefore these skills no longer need the space in front of you  The down side to this is your riding is less efficient with your seat low. If you are riding a mountain bike with a dropper seat post this will make these changes easy to manage. Just use the dropper to lower your seat when stopping and starting and return it to the right height when riding.
• With a front seat positioned in front it may effect your reach to your handlebars – you have to reach around the seat to grip your handlebars.  If you ride in an upright body position and/or have big sweep back handlebars this will be easy.  If you ride in a forward lean body position it may be hard to reach your handlebars without coming into contact with the back of the seat at your chest and/or neck. For smaller bike frames this contact will definitely happen, medium and above it will be manageable.

Added Weight 

• a front seat is fairly close to the mid point of your bike so you should be able to get used to the added weight and how it effects your balance quite quickly. If you are riding with a young child they are still quite small and light and so the change won’t be significant and you will adapt becoming fitter and stronger as you ride together and your child grows and develops Steering will feel slightly different with the weight at the front, slow right down for corners and never attempt to turn sharply.

The more riding you do the quicker you will adjust to the new feeling your bike has with a Front or Mid Seat and child on it.  It will initially feel a little different but you will quickly adjust.

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