Biking With Baby

Our son was 7 months old and we were still new at taking him out in the baby seat on the back of our tandem bicycle. Toby hadn't stopped screaming since we put his little helmet on, but we thought that the movement of the bike and the fast-moving scenery would distract him. After four blocks we couldn't bear it any longer, and I got off to ply the baby with a biscuit. It was then that I noticed I had caught the delicate skin under his chin in the supposedly "pinchless" clasp of the helmet.

The problem had an easy fix, and its consequences were minor, except for the pangs of guilt I felt until the red mark on Toby's throat faded. But there are other, more serious issues to consider when biking with your baby. How she rides, what she wears and what you take along are all important if your family wants to enjoy the third most popular sport in the U.S.

For biking babies and toddlers, the two main modes of transport are seats mounted on the back of a grown-up's bike and trailers that mom or dad can tow. "The most important feature in a baby seat is that it have an integrated rack," says Don Marino, a product manager for PerformanceBike catalog. These seats have a custom rack that mounts on the bicycle, onto which the baby seat can easily be locked or removed. Marino says this type of seat is safer than the kind that is attached to the bicycle permanently with a complicated assembly of rods, nuts and bolts. "[The integrated rack is] more rigid, the seat will tend to sway less, and the chance of misassembly is lower," he explains. It's also more convenient. "You can take it on and off very quickly so you don't have to constantly travel around with the seat on the bike," says Marino.

Steven Selbst, M.D., chairman of the department of pediatrics at AI DuPont Hospital for Children in Wilmington, DE, advises parents to buy a seat that's sturdy and keeps little feet away from the rear wheel, to prevent spoke injury. Children should be at least 6 months old before riding on a bike, and should be able to sit unsupported, recommends Selbst, who does not advise biking with baby in a backpack.

Carrying your tot on the bicycle with you has its advantages. Your child is within arm's length, giving both of you a sense of security. However, the added weight can take some getting used to, and the arm-waving and leg-thrashing of even a little tyke can make your bike unstable. A trailer you pull behind you may be heavier, but it won't affect the stability of your bicycle.