Do bikes and babies mix? Most women don’t want to jump straight back on their bikes after birth, whatever the delivery was like. But if the bike has been your main mode of transport before baby, other options can feel slower and less convenient. I started looking into options of carrying babies with bikes while I was still pregnant, and by the time my first son was four months old, I was definitely ready to ditch the bus pass.
We chose a trailer as it could be used from 16 weeks, converted into a (huge!) pram and had plenty of room for luggage. It’s an expensive option (prices range from around £100 to over £500), but I worked out that if I used it twice a week for 18 months instead of getting the bus, I’d have made the money back. That was four years ago. Our trailer also gained the nickname The Magic Sleep Machine for its amazing ability to bring about naps in no time!
Once a baby is older and sitting up independently (if your child wears a helmet, they’ll need to be strong enough to sit up with the helmet on), you have the option of using a child bike seat, either mounted in front or behind the adult rider. These are cheaper than trailers and your baby or child is close enough to talk to, but they do affect the balance and steering so can take a bit of getting used to. It can also be a challenge to carry all your luggage as well as the child. We started using a seat to get my older son to his childminder when he was around 16 months, but failed to take into account all of the things we needed to carry as well as him, and packing nappies, spare clothes and lunch was a challenge. Now he’s out of nappies it feels like a much more practical option!