With a kindergartner on the verge of riding a bike on his own (I think it’ll happen this summer, but let’s not jinx it), I thought it may be fun to review the various contraptions (there’ve been many!) I’ve used to bring him along on rides ever since he could hold his little head up. Some of these child carriers won’t safely work with a recumbent bike or trike, but I did manage to adapt a couple of them as you’ll see.
Child-in-front seating
When my son was one year old, it made the most sense to have him in front of me within eyesight and also within reach in case of a fall. At that time I was riding a Surly Straggler that was set up as an upright and comfortable commuter.
I chose the Kangaroo by Kazam because unlike other front child seats that mount directly to the steerer, the Kangaroo mounts to a bar behind the head tube. This bar runs along the length of the bike and is secured to the seat tube at the rear and the head tube at the front. I like this design because it prevents the child from being a counterweight which would make steering more difficult.
Child-in-rear seating
The following year we tried the Thule Yepp Maxi rear seat. A unique feature of this seat is that it can mount directly onto a luggage rack or to the frame’s seat tube with a special attachment. In my case, I didn’t have much confidence in the strength of my rear rack, so I opted to mount it to the seat tube.
The seat is made of lightweight, high-quality foam-like material that provides both comfort and built-in suspension. The footrests are adjustable and have shielding to prevent little feet from hitting the rear wheel.
When I bought my first recumbent, I was hoping to attach the Yepp Maxi to the bike, but decided against it. While I did find one instance of someone mounting a rear child seat to the rack of an Azub recumbent bike, it didn’t looked particularly safe to have so much weight on the rear rack.
Bike trailer
Bike trailers are safe, all-weather solutions to bringing a child along on a ride. They mount to the rear axle of your bike with a small hitch attachment and work as well on recumbent bikes as they do with regular bikes.
My son enjoyed some rides in the comfort of a Burley Bee bike trailer, not unlike a little king being pulled in his chariot. Unfortunately, he got bored and lost interest. I don’t blame him. In the trailer, you don’t feel the wind on your face, and you’re too far to chat with Mom or Dad. I’ve met families that routinely use bike trailers, but it wasn’t working for us.
Pedaling “Weehoo” trailer
The Weehoo is a single-wheel bike trailer where the child is seated in the recumbent position (!!) and has a set of functioning pedals in front of them. The seat position can be adjusted fore/aft, and it comes with useful features like a removable canopy and panniers for storing snacks and a jacket.
Because the Weehoo attaches to the seat post of your bike, it won’t work with most recumbent bikes. That being said, I was set on using this (after all, it was a $20 Goodwill find by my wife!). Because my Azub MINI’s frame is open in the back to receive a rack, I designed a faux seat post that could be inserted into the frame in place of the rack, and had it fabricated by a local machine shop.
The best thing about the Weehoo trailer is that the child can pedal if they want to and feel like they’re participating in the ride. This was a game-changer for my son. He had a blast and learned how to pedal without the fear of falling.
Tow bars and tag-alongs
Both tow bars and tag-alongs attach to your bike’s seat post. A tow bar, such as the Trail Gator, lets you tow your child’s bike, while tag-alongs are essentially bikes without a functional front half.
We’re currently experimenting with the Trail Gator using the faux seat post on the Azub MINI. So far it seems to work reasonably well, provided the tow bar is attached as high as possible on the seat post (otherwise the entire setup is too unstable). Generally, I think the tow bar is a better option than a tag-along since it allows the child to “detach” and ride solo when they want and then be towed when they tire out.
One other device worth mentioning in this category is the FollowMe Tandem. It’s similar to a tow bar in that it allows you to pull the child’s bike. However, instead of attaching to the seat post (which limits its use with recumbent bikes), it attaches to the rear axle and seems much more stable. The FollowMe Tandem should work with just about any recumbent bike as well, as long as the rear wheel is at least 26”. Sadly, because my current recumbents are both 20”, I can’t try one out at this time.
The Laid Back Cyclist 