Kids Stuff - What child seat fits what bike?

[Paul Clifton]

I know this topic comes up frequently. I've learned a lot from reading previous threads, but with the impending BOSCO BEBE and an eight month old who's anxious to get on a bike, I've got some decisions to make, and I'd love some input.

I'm pretty set on a front seat. It just seems like more fun. I'd love to test a few seats out (front and back) before I buy anything, but I'm not sure I have that option. Does anyone in the Atlanta area have a baby seat or two I can test fit/test ride on a few different bikes? I'd really like to test one of the Yepp models, but any seat I could try out would be really helpful.

My big question is, given my stable and the BOSCO BEBE, should I buy the best seat for one of my current bikes, even if it's not the one I want, or should I buy the seat I think I want, Yepp, mount it on a less than ideal bike. Then shuffle the stable and the checkbook around till I get a bike that works with the seat.

I know the normal people answer is buy a seat for your current bike and just ride, but I'm hoping to take lots of great rides over the next 2-3 years, so I can justify a dedicated bike/baby seat combo. I'm just not sure what I want that to look like yet.

Here's the bikes I've got that will work with a seat. Has anyone used a front seat on any similar bikes? How'd it work out?

1. MTBUBBE - appears that the long head tube makes front seats less than ideal. I'm not sure about the handling with an extra 20 lbs towards the front.

2. 1984 Trek 720 - The frame is relatively light, but it rides well with a load. The clamp spot for a front seat seems more reasonable, but it might still be tight and the top tube is completely horizontal. I could try it with riser bars instead of drops.

3. 1985 or so Peugeot MTB (Crazy Horse) - It's an 80s MTB. Super fun to ride. No idea how the seat would fit and how it would handle. Any thoughts?

4. 90s Cannondale MTB - Pretty similar to the Peugeot, but nicer, newer parts and a threadless stem.

I'm not really interested in trailers right now, even though it's likely that I'll use one eventually.

Maybe a rear seat is the way to go?

Does anyone have any tips on how to determine whether a front seat will work well on a particular bike?

My guess is that in the end this is all pretty child-dependent, and I shouldn't sink to much time and money into this until I know that my child like to ride bikes. So maybe I just need to experiment a little bit. How would y'all solve this "problem".

Paul in ATL

P.S. Anyone selling a used child seat in good condition? I'm your market. DM me.

[Shoji Takahashi]

Hi Paul,

I used Yepp Mini with both my kids, and I highly recommend it. Those were great rides because they were right up with me. I later had a Yepp rear seat, but it wasn't the same.

Yepp Mini was used on my Hunqapillar and a Surly Cross Check. The only downside to either ride was that I had a very slight need to pedal with my knees out. For me, it wasn't a big deal, but I know it can be bothersome to some people.

Why do you think long head tube would make front seat "less than ideal"? I think taller head tube might improve knee clearance. Also, having front seat stabilized steering on the Hunqapillar and Cross Check for me. It felt similar to putting on low rider rack+bags.

FWIW: I found Yepp Mini installation was easier and nicer on threaded stem. I used the front seat with albatross bars, and I liked how it would reach around the seat.

Good luck!

shoji

[Coal Bee Rye Anne]

I currently own two (front/rear) Thule/Yepp child seats but only actively using the front at the moment on my 65cm Clem H.

The front is the Thule Yepp Nexxt model. Which appears to differ slightly from the Yepp (non-Nexxt) models but they effectively work the same as far as I’m aware. What sold me on the Nexxt version was a sale price that made the more costly Nexxt the same price as the non-Nexxt and a lighter listed weight (of the seat itself) for the Nexxt version. I almost bought the non-Nexxt version at a LBS until I called them to confirm availability before taking the ride over ( I knew they stocked it but wanted to ensure they actually had stock on hand with limited free time that week) and when speaking to the shop they noted a different (baby) weight limit than I remembered and noted the model they carried went up to 27lbs. I had thought both Yepp front models went up to 33lbs. So I held off and looked them up and found the Nexxt does state up to 33lbs for child while also listing a seat weight of nearly half the weight of the non-Nexxt Yepp model. (3.something lbs vs 7-ish lbs of the latter.)

When I later found I could get the lighter seat with higher weight capacity for same price I went for it.

Notes on fit... you’ll want a long top tube. Swept back or semi swept bars with a more upright ish posture would be best. The front seats take up a lot of space between saddle and bars. I’m on the low end of the pbh sizing for the monster 65cm Clems and have the seat mount and stem slammed as much as the combo allows with riser Jones bars and think the combo works great. My son also loves being front and center and interacting with him during the ride is lots or fun.

I was fortunate to also be gifted a hand me down rear seat; Thule Ride along, which mounts directly to the Seattube and requires no rear rack. This did not fit my Clem due the width/spacing of seat stays and the way the seat mounts and is suspended from the seat tube. It does appear to be a very versatile seat, however, as long as the seat stays are not too wide up near the seat tube/top tube junction and you have a sufficient amount to seat tube space to clamp the mount. This has since been installed on my wife’s Velo Orange Camargue but she has not yet ridden with our son on it.

Best of luck,
Brian Cole
Lawrenceville NJ

[Paul Clifton]

Thanks for the feedback, Shoji. I love all the photos of the many ways you've biked with your kids!

Maybe it's not just the tall headtube, but the combo of tall headtube and slack headtube angle? The photo of Dave and li'l Dave on the Blahg is what makes me think there's a bit of a problem. The seat is just up and back more than seems ideal.

(Credit to Blahg: https://www.rivbike.com/blogs/peeking-through-the-knothole/slkjf)

If the only real effect is splayed knees, I definitely just need to try it out and decide if it bothers me. Maybe I'm short enough that I won't be a problem. I also have Albas on my MTBubbe right now, which might work better than the Bullmoose in the photo.

Paul in ATL

[Coal Bee Rye Anne]

I'll add that I have no issue with splaying my knees during the ride on the Clem H with front seat installed.  I also find no issue with the seat being mounted so high on the Clem's high headtube, and maybe that contributes to the knee clearance I have.  My setup is much like Dave's as pictured, except with the H top tube on the Clem so I have less stand over clearance but still don't have much trouble mounting/dismounting.  The greatest issue, which is also apparent in Dave's picture, is the lack of "wiggle room" between front of saddle and the back of the baby seat.  It's not a big issue in practice and I've already become accustomed to it and relearned my mounting technique to accommodate.

I'll add that one of the greatest features of the Thule/Yepp seats, both the front and the Ride Along Rear, is the quick release on/off.  It's a matter of seconds to unlock the mount and release the seat when not riding with your child (the base stays mounted) and an added benefit is that if you want to ride with different bikes you could get extra bases/mounts separately and move the seat easily from bike to bike. 

I have not yet purchased extra mounts since my wife and I now have the different seats installed on our respective bikes and we only have room for one bike each in our apartment but I may eventually get an extra mount for the rear seat to use on another of my bikes once our son out grows the front seat.

[Paul Clifton]

Thanks Brian. This is all really useful info. It definitely makes the Nexxt version sound appealing. I'd notice the 3 lb weight difference, but I didn't realize the standard Yepp only went up to 27 lbs.

I definitely won't have a top tube as long as on your 65 Clem, but I am on the short side for my MTBubbe, so it's worth a try, maybe.

The easy on/off is good too, because I'd rather not give up my touring or mountain bike options, but maybe instead of a BOSCO BEBE, I could get a hold of a fancy modern MTB ...

The Siren song of N+1

[Paul Clifton]

Thule lists both the Yepp Mini and the Yepp Nexxt Mini for up to 33lbs.

[Coal Bee Rye Anne]

I wonder if the LBS I spoke to is simply being more conservative with the stated weight rating, was mistaken, or maybe they just have remaining stock before a change was made on the original model? Not 100% sure, and didn’t intend to provide any misinformation but when they mentioned the weight limit I questioned it believing I did in fact read 33lbs for both models initially but they insisted the limit was 27lbs for the Yepp model front seat they carried, which was not the Nexxt version, which I noted the last time I was there before ready for the purchase as the vent holes molded in the seat are different between both and the Nexxt version has less of the Crocs type foam padding on the exterior.

[Paul Clifton]

I figured it was some model revision, LBS stock issue, or similar. I was just making sure the thread had the current info straight from Thule. I should've said that.

The Nexxt seems like a good upgrage, even if the weight limits are the same on both Yepps.

Now, I'm wondering about some of the cheaper options or the Thule RideAlong Mini.

This one looks bulky, and the attachment seems less than great, but it's only $50. I'm guessing child seats are a case of you get what you pay for:

[Coal Bee Rye Anne]

I didn't even realize they offered a front Ride Along Mini seat that mounted at the seat tube like that.  It mounts the same exact way as the rear I have just in reverse.  Interestingly, the rear Ride Along was also the priciest model they had the last I checked.  I stopped researching after receiving the rear which I was generously given by a friend who received it as a gift only to find it was not compatible with their bike, but for different reasons than why it did not fit my Clem at the seatstay.  Their smaller frame did not have the correct size seattube for proper height clearance at the rear wheel and also had top tube cable routing down the seattube to front derailer that interfered with the base/clamp/mount.

I'm attaching pics of our current setups.  My wife's Camargue with rear Thule Ride Along installed (with the "low saddle rail adapter" that was needed to replace to stock rails/supports) and my Mega Clem with Yepp Nexxt Mini installed on the quill stem adapter for a threadless 31.8 stem to use the Jones loop bars.

[dgstringfield]

Hi Paul,

I would definitely recommend a front seat.  I used the iBert for the first 3 kids and for the 4th I bought the Thule Yepp Nexxt Mini.  I like them both.  I believe the iBert is rated to hold more weight, but I liked how the Mini attaches to the bike.  With the Mini the bike is still use able without the seat, but with the iBert you have a metal rod sticking out and not something I was comfortable riding around with.  Each of my kids love/loved riding in the front seat.  I also have the Thule Ridealong rear seat which works great, but you don't get the same connection/experience that you do with a front seat. 

As far as what bike to use, it depends on the top tube length and how high you can mount the seat.  I currently have the Mini mounted on my Kelly RoShamBo mountain bike since that bike has the longest top tube of all my bikes.  I would be even happier if I had another inch or so of length.  A quill stem helps in that you can generally mount the seat higher which also gets it away from your knees.  Like Shoji, I recommend a handlebar like the Albatross or Jones H-bar which will allow you to ride a bike with a much longer top tube.  I'm definitely interested in what Rivendell comes up with.

Here is an album with pictures of the iBert in use and various other cycling with kid pictures, but I just realized I don't have any with the Mini.

https://www.flickr.com/gp/26987936@N07/B7b8HN

Let me know if you have any specific questions.

-Dareck

Hamden, CT

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[Vincent Russo]

I have a Yepp Mini on a 64cm Clem L and it's absolutely perfect. With my first child I used an ibert on an 80's Trek 400 and it wasn't great, their just wasn't enough room due to the relatively short top tube. I'm not sure what you mean about the Bubbe's head tube, I think a long head tube is helpful for getting the seat up higher and out of the way of your knees.

Vincent
Rockaway Beach, NY

[Diego J. Garza]

Hi Paul,

I’ve been using an iBert front seat on my Specialized Hard Rock and previously on my Bridgestone XO-4, I believe the max weight capacity is 40lbs? I’d have to double check. I’ve used the seat with quill stems and either moustache bars or as seen below, set up with Nitto Boscos:
(Attached)

I’m also very curious about what the new Bosco Bebe will be like. My 2.5 year is quickly growing out of the iBert and our newborn gal won’t be ready to ride for another year. I was considering maybe purchasing a tow along trailer but I’ll prob hold off till there’s more updates on the new Riv.

Diego

Los Angeles, CA

[EasyRider]

Paul, I think you're wise to borrow one first. These front seats tend to work best with large frames/top tubes. If you are about my size (PBH ~79), you may decide to wait for the Rosco Bebe or to get that trailer a little sooner.

I can only speak to the iBert, but after installing one on my Trek 950, which I think has a top tube around 57-58cm, there was hardly any room left between the nose of the saddle and the backside of the iBert. (It wasn't a "tight squeeze" it was a "there's no way I could ever fit in there" kind of space, and I'm a trim 155 lbs.) I'd have needed to lower my saddle way down so that I could safely straddle the bike and plop my dude in the seat and buckle him in. And then I'd be riding around with knees splayed and legs never fully extended. This the problem that the Rosco Bebe would address by having a "legendarily long top tube" and swept back bars.

Pete

Arlington, VA

On Tuesday, July 24, 2018 at 11:19:55 AM UTC-4, Paul Clifton wrote:

[Dan McNamara]

I used a Bobike Mini on my 52 Bombadil. That bike (early version) had a 59 TT and I used Bosco bars with it. My PBH is 84.5 so there was plenty of height clearance. The clearance to the nose of the saddle was good - I never had a problem with feeling crowded. The Bobike is more upright than the iBert which is a good thing for clearance. 

Anyway, the front seat was great until she was 3 1/2 and then I stitched her to the back of the Cheviot with a Yepp Maxi seat. She never liked the Burley trailer. 

A friend used the Bobike after we outgrew it and really liked it as well. He used it on a threadless mountain bike. 

Dan

San Rafael, CA

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[Paul Clifton]

Thanks for all the info everyone. It's been really helpful. The bigger longer bikes clearly have more room. The Clems and Dareck's Kona appear to be the roomiest. But it looks like plenty of people are happy with front seats and less roomy bikes. I'll have to figure out for myself how much space I need.

I'm getting better at spotting bikes that might work. Justin posted another thread over on iBob with some useful photos of seats on bikes that sorta kinda fit.

I think most important is getting a seat and riding. Finding the perfect bike/seat combo could take as many years as finding the perfect bike ...

Paul

[Tony DeFilippo]

Three more combos that work ;

Yepp mini with Clementine 52, albatross knock off bars
Yepp mini with XO3 59, albatross bars
Yepp mini with HHH small, Jones loop bars

One that does NOT work;

Yepp mini with Jones Plus 24, Jones loop bars - the HTA is just too slack

I'll say that the front seat is as good as everyone else has stated. My wife, at 5' 5" ish is less enthusiastic as my daughter's head/helmet is closer to her chin and just more in the way. For me the head/chest clearance is ok but I do bow my knees to clear the seat.

I'll also give a heart endorsement to Burley trailers,I picked up a used d lite trailer and coupled with the hub axle hitch it's now my go to. For one my daughter is right at the 30lbs threshold for the yepp and for another it allows her to sleep more comfortably. Just yesterday I had a nice 10 mile loop ride during her nap time.

Having her closer in the front seat is really cool for shorter rides where I don't think she'll fall asleep though.

Tony