You and your family might want to go for an outing this weekend. It is cool if you take your bicycles with you. A picnic on a park or a getaway to the beach is the perfect place to ride with bikes and see the breath-taking views. But, how about your little kid? It is unfair if you don’t take your kid with you along the ride. It is cool how the genius people think about “What about those little kids? Parents can’t leave them there unattended while riding”. So, they made an extra seat that can be mounted on the bikes so that bigger guys can take the little ones with them.

An extra seat while riding a bike also has a science applied. Physics tells us that a child, in an extra child’s seat, mounted on a bike can raise the center of the gravity of the bike. This changes how the bike can be handled but doesn’t add significantly to instability. It has a greater impact if the child is heavier. But, the weight of an infant is negligible compared to the size and the strength of some adults. So, usually the change in balance while riding a bike is not acceptable. It must take a little practice if you want to take your kid with you for a ride. You can do that by placing something heavy, like books, strap it on and take it for a ride.

There are two types of seats which for an extra child passenger on the bike. The first one is the traditional rear seat and the second is one the modern front mounted seat. There are advantages and disadvantages, but, whatever it is just focus on being precautious to avoid further unwanted incidents.

The traditional rear seat, in event of a crash, even a well-designed one with lots of safety features can have the child suffer from minor arm and neck injuries. There are also dangers with some poorly designed rear seats. The foot of the child might get caught in the spokes of the tires.

The front mounted child seats are very popular in some countries for decades. Many people say that it is more convenient using this type of seat because they can keep an eye for their child. They can have conversations with them, unlike if the child is in the back seat. The child can see the view unlike in the backseat where the child can only see the back of the parents.

Weight distribution is also shared in the single position and that affects the stability. But, a front-mounted seat has unique hazards associated with them. An object that a child is carrying might fall and get into the spoke of the bike, seize the wheel and cause a head-first fall.

However, looking at the advantages and disadvantages of the seats, it is your choice which one you will take. Thinking about safety and comfort is the main thing, if you are taking your kid for a ride.

By: Athena McDonald