Toddlers & bikes, how do you carry your kiddo?

[wookumus]

What is your preferred method of travelling with a kiddo and a bike?  See poll...  And what do you think is the safest?  I use a trailer because I am not comfortable with the extra weight on my bike and it's nice for carrying extra stuff, my husband loves the rear-seat attachment.

[greenemami]

I have a front seat attachment that I loved for dd and for ds...although he is getting a bit too big and I will probably get a rear one for next summer until he is big enough to ride on his own.  I like the bike seats because I feel like I can interact with the kiddos more than if they were in a trailer.  However, I only ride on trails and for fun.  If i was going to be riding longer distances or more seriously, I would probably do the trailer.

[quantumleap]

I voted trailer, because that's what we have to use as the wee-ride we have doesn't work on my bike. :( I prefer the front mounted seat though because I find it easier to maintain normal biking habits with it. The trailer + two kids = heavy, and I hate dealing with the inertia issue with it. I do think trailers are safer in the case of an accident though. 

[sunnygir1]

I have a trailer and love it.  I like being able to pull both my kiddos in it if I'm the only adult on the ride (ds is almost 2 and dd is 4.5).  I like being able to haul things in the back of the trailer.  I feel like my kids are pretty safe and secure in there.  I like that they have a screen to keep bugs and flying objects off them.  I've never used a seat, but I feel like it would be easier for a squirmy kid to throw me off balance, and I would worry about breaking their arm if I fell -- not that I have EVER fallen off my bike with my kids in the trailer (or even maybe since I was a kid).

[LaughingHyena]

I prefer the trailer though I have also used rear mounted seats. The big problem for me was getting them in and out of the seat safely, I found I needed a wall or something to lean the bike against and I couldn't always guarantee one at the destination. Once we were off I didn't find the seat that much of an issue.

As soon as we had room to store one we switched to a trailer, it's great having somewhere to carry luggage as well as DS and getting him in and out is much easier. He also likes sitting and playing with things in there or often falls asleep.

The trailer can be difficult to park, it doesn't always fit neatly in bike racks, there are also a couple of places on our route to school where I'm always worried I'm not going to fit through the gaps but so far we've been OK.

[RoamingWidgeteer]

We just bought a front mounted iBert for 12m old ds. He wouldn't have sat still in a trailer for any length of time, and I wanted to be able to talk & interact with him. I agree the trailer is generally safer, but I'm experienced in carrying heavy loads on the bike, and figured this would be the best option. Oh, and the iBert actually fit on the touring bike with drop handlebars with just a little knee contact, so I'm happy.  Ds went "Whee!" the first time we tried it, so I think he's happy too :)