I have no experience with a front mount, but I would Think would be a common issue. That's a lot of real estate to be sitting between you and the H-Bar. Was it in the way other than the affect it had on your pedaling? For me the trailer was a safer solution.

Out of curiosity, what was the appeal of the front mount??

 

Updated... Yep Mini vs WeeRide

I have no experience with a front mount, but I would Think would be a common issue. That's a lot of real estate to be sitting between you and the H-Bar. Was it in the way other than the affect it had on your pedaling? For me the trailer was a safer solution.

Out of curiosity, what was the appeal of the front mount??

As an aside, we also do have a chariot trailer - the nice thing is that can go on any bike... but the front seat is just so much for fun for both of us!

Here's the Yepp Mini on the bike:

I got the WeeRide and installed that in place of the Yepp Mini this past week..

The strange thing about the two pictures is it actually looks like there is more room for me with the Yepp, but I think it mounts so high that there is no way to straddle the bike between the Yepp and my seat. The Yepp is also a bit more laid back, while the WeeRide is much more upright.

I like the Yepp Mini seat & straps much better (more substantial), but the smaller WeeRide gives me a lot more room on the bike due to that size. My daughter is much more cradled in the Yepp, but she did fine in the WeeRide (she's a small 14 months).

I also prefer the Yepp Mini "handlebar" to the WeeRide and will fashion something similar.

I modified the bracket for the WeeRide and picked up a seatclamp that provides a spot to mount a rack - much nicer without that big bracket attached to the seatpost. It now allows me to put the seat up/down so someone else can ride the bike:

I definitely like how the bike rides with her seated on the "frame" vs the steer tube. And the steering issue is 100% solved: I'll definitely take her out on smooth singletrack with the WeeRide.

The straps on the Weeride need a little bit of help while she's small... I'll have to modify or add to these to make them a bit better.

Incidentally, I had purchased the spare Yepp Mini steel bracket and did some mockups with it attached to the WeeRide cross bar, but the seat was just too large to make this work.

So, for us - we're going to return the Yepp and stick with the WeeRide.

 

The biggest issue was that I was hitting my legs on the baby seat when pedaling such that I had to pedal bow-legged. But also as I mentioned above, I had to be careful mounting and dismounting because there is little space between the saddle and the baby seat, and I was leaning so closely over the seat that I'm sure I would have been in my passenger's personal space had she been on board.

The appeal of the front seat, to expand on what I mentioned above:

• seems like fun to have the child up front to interact with
• our baby is still pretty small (only a year old) and I'd like to keep a close eye on her
• retention of a "normal" center of gravity--keeping her "in" the bike with me has to make it easier to control the bike than having her in a seat on a rear rack
• a friend has one and spoke highly of it.

I'm sure a trailer is the safest option, though it has its own hazards, but I'm too much of a minimalist to get one. All the baby stuff we've accumulated over the past year is driving me a little nuts. If at all possible, I don't want to contribute to my own insanity.

 

My wife has the Yepp Mini mounted on her Upright/Hybrid bike. I mocked it up on my Rockhopper and said NF'nW... I have ridden her bike for short distances with the front mounted seat. Other than the bike frame being a little small for me, it's not too bad. She loves it, as does our son, the only issue we have is we didn't have it for any of our other kids...

 

Absolutely the best child seat I've ever used, and I've used all types, these, rear mount, trailers, and trail a bikes. I believe wee ride was the brand we had. As far as I know they were the first company to make them. We got one about 10 years ago before they were readily available in the US, had to order it from Australia.

As long as the child has the strength to sit up in it, as they don't have the neck support that a rear-mounted seat has, it's by far the best seat I've ever used. I was able to ride almost everything that I normally could, single track no problem, something that is impossible with a trailer. Obviously stay off super technical or rocky stuff but I used ours at least 2 summers up on Colorado single track. Center of gravity is mostly unchanged. Child isn't staring at your back, so it's way more fun for them.

I used mine on my medium size bontrager privateer without any issues except I would sometimes hit my knee when trying to dismount. Otherwise, it's mostly like just adding some weight up high to the bike.

 

It sounds like my experience was more like @BigJimG's with his Rockhopper rather than yours with your Privateer, @jestep. I'll look up the Wee Ride and see if maybe there's anything that might indicate it would sit in a different location than the Thule I got. Thanks for the replies!

 

Do you know what your top tube length is? Off the top of my head, I believe mine was about 23". I think we also did have the child seat as far forward as it would go before it would cause an obstruction while turning.

 

I use a front seat when I carry BOTH kids (the bigger on the back). Whenever I carry only one, I always use the rear, and leave the front at home.

The front seat disrupts your ability to control the bike, to the area where you can call it "not very safe": it's very difficult to turn or go around obstacles; it's very exhausting because your legs have to be awkwardly tilted outwards; starting/ stopping is also a hassle, because the seat takes a lot of space between the saddle and the handlebar.

It does work better on easy-riding bikes, like the Electra Townie.

 

Your experiences sound similar to mine @oren_hershco. Be careful out there!

Sent from my XT1053 using Tapatalk

 

I used the Ibert for both of my children and found it worked out great on my mtb bike. The thing I did was to set different expectations - adding the weight on the front of the bike will definitely change the way the bike handles. BUT - having the child on the front makes it much easier to interact with the child than if the child is on the back or in a trailer. I had a trailer but felt that the kids were just to far away for me to enjoy their experiences on the bike.

 

Although I never got to the point of actually putting my little one in the seat, the added weight on the front of the bike wasn't my chief concern. The problem with the geometry of my bikes and me is that, like @oren_hershco and @BigJimG with his Rockhopper, I was obstructed from pedaling and from getting on and off the bike safely with the seat installed. Sounds like that isn't much of a problem for you, @scoon? For me not to hit the seat while pedaling, the seat would need to be probably 4 or 5 inches higher, and for me to have adequate clearance for mounting/dismounting/coming to a stop, I would want another 4 or 5 inches between the adult saddle and the child seat.

 

I did not have much of a problem. I had the seat mounted on a 1998 Santa Cruz Chameleon. It was tight, but I never felt unsafe with it.

 

Hey folks,

We have done some test fitting of the Thule Front Mount and Rear Mount child bike seats and we found that the front seats tend to fit better (with the rider) on bikes with larger frames such as cruisers and hybrids. The size of the rider in relation to the bike also contributes to the level of comfort when riding.

From our experience and the feedback we have received, front seats are generally a more popular solution for short trips or short daily commuting with a child. When you mount and dismount from your bike frequently, it can be easier to swing your leg over the back of the bike instead of hiking it over the top frame tube with a child attached.

Historically front bike seats have been more popular in Europe, but it has grown in the Unites States over the last 10 to 15 years, mostly in larger cities where bike commuting is more common.

 

The 52cm Cross Check has a 21.5" top tube (pretty short but it is designed around a drop bar). I think my mountain bike has a top tube around 22 or 22.5".

Sent from my XT1053 using Tapatalk

 

Thanks, @etrailer Expert! Good information!

Sent from my XT1053 using Tapatalk

 

As I'm riding full suspension mountain bike, I used weeride at first, when my son grow out of it , I get tyketoter.
Tyketoter is the best! just few seconds to mount or unmount.

 

i LOVE my yepp mini. however you must be very particular about what type of bike it gets mounted on, headset and headangle. I have a lot of bikes, was only happy with this seat on one of them

 

I own a Yepp Mini as well. I have plenty of great things to say about it, but I haven't done a tonne of *real mountain biking on it yet, as I only got it last year.

So far I would say:
1) There are a LOT of things you need to balance in the "fit" equation. Definitely try/tweak/love before your 30 days return policy is up.
2) One Mary (mustache) handlebars were required on my Rocky Blizzard Fatbike in order that I could reach around my first born comfortably to the handlebars.
3) I highly recommend a dropper post... without it I am either bow-legged pedalling or teetering dangerously at a stop-light or trail obstacle. Having the dropper increased my safety confidence 100%
4) The build quality of the Yepp Mini is top notch... baby loves it... comfort is there. The only issue is fit. On my bike her head is often bouncing on my chest. I feel the need to bend/tilt the mount to get her head a little more upright , but I'm hesitant for obvious reasons.

I can compare to a WeeRide. I didn't ride it on the same bike, but despite it's awkward crossbar, I actually found it more comfortable from a fit perspective. The child is far more upright, so way more forward head bobs and their legs are more bent... seems like it would be less comfy for them. But that said, it gives you more room in the cockpit.

Finally... I've seen an i-bert in action and perhaps it was the bike head tube angle (it was on a dualie Pivot), but it seemed to sit lower and more laid back. The child's bum seemed to be more on a reclined angle, closer to the top tube than either the Yepp or the WeeRide. This seemed to put the child's head lower against your sternum/abdomen.

THE POINT: These are all going to fit differently depending on your bike, your kid and you. So take the time to try them out in person (or online with return policies).

And then be ready to tweak.... once you do, true "oh I'd take any rider here... good for all skill levels" single track will be super fun for you and the little one. I love the shrieks of excitement I get as we round a banked corner and head on a short decent. Obviously you have to be on trails you rate a 6 and no higher for your personal difficulty... but it is fun and I am doing trails that would be way too narrow to dream of with a bike trailer.

PS: Note, I was certain I wanted a "headset mount" style seat rather than a "extra crossbar" style. In fact I bought the Yepp anyway when I knew the WeeRide was going to be a hand-me-down. I'm happy with the Yepp, but expect the WeeRide will also find a permanent place on my wife's bike. In the end, you'll be swinging your leg over the rear of the seat to mount and there simply isn't room between seat and saddle to step off (hence the added utility of a dropper post).

 

@frgeoff Good gosh, man! Don't leave us hanging! Which one?!

Just kidding. Yes, it seems the takeaway here is that when they work they can be great, but whether or not they work for the individuals and bike involved is another matter altogether. I ordered a rear rack seat from my LBS. I'm not anywhere near as excited about it as I was about the front seat. But if I can get my little one to put her helmet on, we should get to ride this weekend!

@CaRaBeeN I looked up the Tyketoter. Definitely for older kids but looks interesting. I imagine it would only work on a bike that a front seat also works on, which would rule me out.

 

i bought so many bikes over the years, but an old Huffy Cranbrook cruiser is my bae. you need to get the older ones with hiten steel and TIG welding. not the new junk with seam tube and mig welding. Put some good cranks, headset and wheels on her, love the bike

the only other bike ive been tempted to try is a Trek Custom Cruiser

 

Just to let you know that the Weeride Kangouroo has no better knee clearance. I used it a lot, but for short trips. The only time I went far (20km), I believed it triggered a hip bursitis from the bowlegged position. I tried it on the following and always had to pedal bowlegged: Santa Cruz Blur LT, Norco Bigfoot, Salsa Vaya, older Kona Explosif, all of wich are sized properly for me. Haven't tried my Giant Simple cruiser, might work because of the ultra slack geometry.
At 2.5 years old she now rides either in a Weehoo iGo (not perfect but still awesome) or a Yepp maxi at the back of an Extracycle Edgerunner. We have a Chariot Chinook but she got bored a lot quicker, so we stopped using it. It is also cumbersome when riding and bouncy offroad. Plus you can't really interact with your kid. I can't wait for her to be older and try something like the Tyketoter or even better the Mac Ride, if it ever actually ships (Mac Ride)
Nothing's perfect put don't let it stop you from riding with your kids

 

I've used both the iBert Safe-T Seat and Tyke Toter with all three of my children. I find front mounted the only interesting way to ride with my children as we can share the enjoyment of the road together.

Both systems were used on a medium size Novara Buzz One Hybrid Cruiser (mustache bars), medium size Haro Mary SS (converted to flat bar), and now a Nashbar flat bar road bike 21 inch. I'm 5'10" and believe all these bike to be a tad small for me, but felt having a smaller framed bike gave me the ability to plant my feet on ground and "around" the child seat.

Also, I watched a friend mount a weeride to his toptube and it seemed ridiculously complicated compared to my iBert (2 bolt stem) or Tyke Toter (Quick-release clamp). And that style of seat demanded that he ride bow-legged.

I only rode groomed bike paths and city streets and never felt any safety issues. At times you will find it necessary to be slightly bowed in the leg, but never a problem bumping knees. I never rode more than 10 miles/trip though as the child doesn't have the patience for it or even falls asleep. For a longer haul, a rear seat where a child could rest his head would be preferred. I found the quick trips to the park and ice cream store the best with front mount seats. If I was riding farther, I'd leave the kid at home quite frankly.

I've enjoyed both products immensely with my kids. The iBert roughly ages (1-3yrs) and Tyke Toter (3-5 yrs). I find it funny though that I was willing to spend $100 each on a piece of plastic injection molding for one and a single aluminum bar post for the other AND NOW I wince at spending over $100 for a full on bike on craigslist as I constantly search for their next ride!

 

Thanks for the comments, @frgeoff and @danradfahren. I can see a cruiser working with a front seat. Also, @danradfahren, sorry to hear about the hip injury. The 4 miles I rode with the seat attached to get home from work, that was my fear. It was not only uncomfortable, but I thought that dinner it later it would result in an injury. Coincidentally, the mountain bike I alluded to in my original post was an older 26er Explosif. Still love that bike.
@lawstudent Your comments open up the discussion as to which seats might work better than others for the adult rider.
Thanks, all, for your thoughts!

Sent from my XT1053 using Tapatalk

 

I tried front seats, back seats, and a trailer (for road rides) and finally I just said screw it and put him on my back with a mei Tai wrap. It's amazing, his weight is my weight, he can still see everything, it's the only thing I've used that I really love.

 

I just wanted to +1 the i-Bert. I'm 5'10" and I've mounted it on both my medium-sized hardtail and large-sized full suspension bikes. I've ridden on streets, bike paths and even singletrack trails with a 1-1/2 to 2-1/2 year old at the helm, and both of my kids just loved/love it. There are some situations where I feel comfortable in "letting the throttle go" and we zoom down the trail, and my son/daughter are comfortable and stable in the seat (and yelling "go faster!"). It also helps that your chest can act as a little bit of a headrest. I do hit my knees on it in certain positions, but with a little adjustment (spreading the knees outwards and moving back on the seat), I can ride no problem for hours, and even do some technical climbing by dropping the gears down and readjusting my expectations on speed. It's been super fun to share the trails with my kids this way.

 

Just tried the Yepp Mini for two rides this past weekend. Set it up on my older Stumpjumper FSR 26r, size large. Have also ordered a WeeRide to try that this week.

I love the front seat position for my daughter and second what everyone who's ever used a front seat will say is true - great interaction the whole way and loads of "talking" and obvious delight (she's 1 yo).

Generally felt quite safe and comfortable, but one challenge I discovered was that I could not turn the handlebars as much as I wanted - she's short and the foot platforms are high enough that they bang into the frame and limit steering for any slow speed maneuvering. Obviously not a problem once rolling, but anything slow speed (i.e. parking lot maneuvers, slow climb single track etc.) are problematic.

This seat does require me to ride slightly knees out - noticed it more on a climb - but not terribly so. Tried riding with my saddle lower than normal on the first ride, but moving it into correct height actually minimized the banging my knees on the seat.

Those that have used this or the iBert etc. will probably agree that you can feel the weight on the steering, particularly w/one hand... feels almost like a cruiser bike front wheel flop. No big deal, but something to take note of.

I did install a spare pair of 710mm riser bars + slightly shorter stem than I usually use which made it quite comfortable to ride with her there. And I love Huckers suggestion of a dropper post as teetering on/off could be problematic at some point. Also there is no room for me to stand over the frame between the Yepp mini and my saddle.

I'm looking forward to comparing this to the WeeRide - I like the design of the Yepp Mini: supportive but soft and ventilated seat, overall really well made. The limited steering issue @ low speeds on my bike, however, really restricts where I might try to ride with her.

 

Would something like a a setback seatpost correct the knee issue, or would that mess up your position too much?

 

hmm... I'm not sure I would recommend a set back seat post. Everybody is different, and I admire fly like a longer top tune, but I found it difficult to reach around the seat... My normal body position was on top of where the seat is... I needed to grab some On One Mary bars to allow a more upright position.... "Admire fly = admittedly

 

Yeah, right? Which is the lesser of two evils - get that seat slammed back and get further behind the bb and maybe the knees completely clear or keep same position as other bikes, yet have to splay out the knees a bit?

I was thinking a dropper makes so much sense... so to your point, maybe make sure the one I get has some setback which would leave me working room to play around with the setback.

 

I just installed the Weeride Kangaroo today on my Highball, I will try to give some better feedback once I get a chance to take my boy out for a spin this weekend. I'm hoping it works out well, my only first glance concern is the seat looks very small for my boy. We will see though.

 

Well, the weeride seat fit my son perfect...It was a good ride, we rode our neighborhood and he loved it!!! As far as pedaling there was no issues as far as my knees hitting, my only issue was the bars felt low since you lean over your child. The straps to hold your child in the seat were a bit of a pain when doing them by yourself, not bad with help.