Child seat for a small child 3 years old on Air Friday or AirGlide

[David Bardenstein]

DOes anyone have experience with how a safe  rear child seat could be used on Air Bikes?

Any specific seat recommendations ?

ANy technical aspects like needing to install a rack like to the seat tube stub and axle or something?

THanks 

Dave

[John Thurston]

I have had a lot of Fridays over the years. I consider myself to be a problem solver, willing to take a manufacturer's statement 'X is incompatible with Y' be a invitation to explore. I also have a couple of children (now grown and flown).

There is no way I would consider trying to bolt a kid-seat on to the back of an Air Friday. In the same way I would advise someone not to pry a stuck plug from an electrical outlet with  a fork, I say: 'No, please. Don't do that. And if you insist, please let me leave the room first."

A $100, 30 year old, steel 'mountain bike' procured through Craig's List is better (and safer) place to put that kid-seat.

-- 
John Thurston
Juneau, Alaska

[robert clark]

I'm with John ...  though I'd offer as a suggestion ... 

 the option of buying a 2 wheel  bike trailer for the kid

As it will be useful long after the youngster is riding their own bike

Burley's trailers were originally made  by Alan, the same guy that got Bike friday going,,,

[John S. Allen]

A child seat on the back of any upright bicycle designed for one person
is a poor idea. The weight of the child high up in the rear lets the
bike easily tip over when held by the handlebars.  The front wheel slips
out from under and the bike rotates around a line connecting the
handlebar stem and the rear-tire contact patch. The child cannot safely
be on the  bike when the adult gets on or off but there is no way to
avoid that. A child seat behind the handlebar poses a different hazard,
a double face plant, and interferes with pedaling and handling. All the
romantic "isn't it nice" pictures of Dutch parents riding with children
in child seats merely reflect that they don't have anything better.

Bike Friday has good solutions  with the Haul-a-Day -- example here,
scroll down --
https://cyclingsavvy.org/2021/04/e-bike-benefits-and-challenges-its-a-different-machine/
maybe also the EveryDay  A backfiets (front-loader) cargo bike or a
trailer is also a good working solution and especially if electrified to
compensate for the added weight. But best of all once the child is old
enough to sit, hold the handlebar and pedal is a tandem, because the
child is a full participant in the experience, not only pedaling but
also able to make hand signals and help the captain scan for traffic. A
Bike Friday Family Tandem, or any tandem with a kidback adapter, fills
the bill! I had many good times with my son on a tandem when he was
little. I'd describe the experience as priceless, and no less so because
the tandem let me get out of the house and get some exercise, go to the
local deli for lunch etc. when I was caring for him.

On 7/19/2025 11:33 PM, robert clark wrote:
> I'm with John ...  though I'd offer as a suggestion ...
>  the option of buying a 2 wheel  bike trailer for the kid
> As it will be useful long after the youngster is riding their own bike
>
> Burley's trailers were originally made  by Alan, the same guy that got
> Bike friday going,,,
>
>

--
John S. Allen

CyclingSavvy Instructor
League Cycling instructor
Author, Bicycling Street Smarts
Technical Writer and Editor, sheldonbrown.com

[David Bardenstein]

Thanks for the feedback guys

Friday has done so many custom and innovative things, that I was hopeful,  but I personally couldn't see an easy way to use the lower "pseudo seat post" and chain stays at the axle perhaps to have a rack that would support the seat but you all are devoted Friday users with more experience than me.

Unfortunately due to back issues the only way I can ride is an Air bike and I like the proximity of the seat.so that seems completely out.

Are there any particular pull along trailers you recommend for Air Bikes or Fridays in general?

Dont know if you did this but as kids in elementary school we used to get 3 kids on a bike with ease using handlebars, top tube, seat and standing position to give 4 potential seat positions.  Some people also had axle extensions that they could stand on and hold on to the person pedalings shoulders. 

I would not do that with a grandchild though.

THanks again for the guidance

Dave

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[John Thurston]

Burley the brand I recommend, but the connection will be tough. The Burley hitch I know relies on the steat-stay/chain-stay angle to carry the load. The Air Friday has none of that. I suggest a call to Burley to ask their recommendation.

As far as I know, the Bike Friday/Greangear trailering system (using a quick release air chuck) has NEVER been rated for carrying any living creature (human, or otherwise).

On 7/21/2025 1:02 PM, David Bardenstein wrote:

Are there any particular pull along trailers you recommend for Air Bikes or Fridays in general?

-- 
John Thurston
Juneau, Alaska

[robert clark]

Burley  Co-op era trailers used 2 406 front wheels  Alan Sholtz  design supports both sides  of the hub 

They had a reorganization the brand name now Privately owned,  Burly brand is now 2 single sided 16" wheels.

Hitch the same , the  QR Skewer (or axle nut if non QR) clamps the hitch on the left axle end.

that is the tow center, a bit off to the left...  Wike a Canadian brand has a similar - pin through an elastomer- hitch .

Thule Chariot another brand   hitch style slightly different, but also held on the left end of the axle...

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[Eric Daume]

Burley has a hitch that just goes onto the rear axle. It’s a lot simpler than their classic triangle hitch. 

Eric

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[Rob MacLeod]

Yes, the Burley mech is pretty clean now and the biggest upgrade might be a long skewer or replacement axle.  The Robert Axle Project has an amazing collection of solutions for all sorts of special needs and I was able to get everything I need from them to fit the attachment hardware to all my bikes with through-axles. 

But all I needed for our older BF was a longer skewer to hold the attachment.

Cheers,

Rob

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[David Bardenstein]

Again THanks to all.  Friday community is great!

Dave

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