Carriers focus on safer family biking
From bike seats to pull-behinds, cycling accessories made for children can grant Mom and Dad time to exercise with kids in tow. Indeed, cycling with kids is among the easiest ways to stay active as a parent. This roundup covers four new products for cyclists looking to take along a kid for the ride.
Zigo Leader
A modular three-wheel bike that puts kids front and center in a “ChildPod.” It is marketed to parents who may not feel comfortable towing kids out of sight in a trailer. Mom or Dad can peer down to assess their little one’s state of happiness or distress while riding. Beyond the bike, the Leader comes apart and can be transformed into a stroller, a jog-stroller and a multispeed city bike that parents can pilot solo when junior is with a sitter.
•$1,349 for bike and pod; accessories extra; www.myzigo.com
Topeak BabySeat
Upping the ante in bike seat safety, the Topeak BabySeat is touted to be a “virtual cocoon of protection” for a kid in tow. A six-point harness and a padded handle locks closed. Molded footrests keep kids’ feet away from spinning wheels and spokes. The seat is topped with a “roll bar” extension to protect a helmeted head in a crash. For comfort on bumps, the company’s built-in suspension cushions jolts when Dad hits a pothole or pedals off a curb. Bigger kids can ride in the BabySeat, too. Weight limit is 48.5 pounds, according to the company.
•$139.95; www.topeak.com
iBert safe-T-seat
Riders with this unique center-mounted bike seat can pedal with a kid essentially cradled between their arms. It mounts on a prong of metal attached to your bike’s stem under the handlebars. The seat hovers a couple of inches above the frame. Unlike a rear-mounted seat, a child in the safe-T-seat applies weight close to the middle of the bike, which may help with stability and control. The compromise: Some riders will have to pedal slightly bow-legged, as it’s possible to hit the iBert with your knees. The company recommends the seat for kids 12 months and older and up to 38 pounds.
•$94.95; www.ibertinc.com
Chariot SideCarrier
Like a motorcycle sidecar, the Chariot SideCarrier puts your kid within an easy sideways glance of your attention while on the go. A pivoting hitch connection keeps the carrier level while you bank and turn. The unique riding position – which accommodates one kid only – is marketed to make the bike-and-sidecar setup no wider than the footprint of a two-child trailer. For dirt roads, trails, or on muddy days, the side-by-side position puts your kid and the trailer out of the way of tire spray.
•$500; www.chariotcarriers.com
On the Net: www.gearjunkie.com