New Dad here. Child Carrier or Trailer?
 

My daughter is turning a year old in a week. She's old enough and now able to safely to fit into a helmet according to the state of Oregon. With the weather making the turn, I was wondering what would be the best bet on transporting her around?
A bike seat carrier wouldn't affect riding style much. It would be the same weight and resistance as having panniers attached. Would it be worth it? She will outgrow it quickly and want to graduate to a strider in a few years?
A bike trailer would change riding style. I would have to be more aware when riding. It's longer on turns. Would there be much more resistance? Having a trailer would be more of a long term use, as I could get a double seated one if another kid comes along the way.
If any parents on here could help me decide and the reasons why you went that route would be much appreciated. Glad to have another reason to go on a bike ride.

Just my opinion: For rural/casual use, I'd go with the trailer. Good for going shopping b/c you could throw a couple of bags of groceries in there with her, and short trips are conducive to kids. For urban use, I'd be more inclined to go with a seat/carrier; when there's traffic, I want the kid to be as physically close to me as possible, not 'back there' in a trailer that falls under car-bumper level.

Kid will fall asleep instantly in either. : )

From this Grandpa's perspective, a trailer. I found a used trek that went through 4 grand kids. Once they are a little older they can bring snacks, sippy cups, and a favorite stuffed animal.

My earliest memory is sitting behind my dad as he pedaled us all around.
I got my own set of wheels before the trailer ever even came into it.

Having never ridden in a trailer I vote seat carrier! It has to be the better ride, eh?

Had both. Now only have the trailer.

Weatherproof - Has rain cover and keeps them warm in cooler temps.

Versatile - doubles as stroller or jogger. And can carry cargo/groceries.

Weight balance - child seats are way too high.

Safety - bike tips over, the trailer will most likely stay upright. Don't want to think about what happens to the child strapped high on a bike.

And if you can, splurge on a Chariot.

Trailer but one detail, arent cheap so I would advice to get like a charriot, their suspension system works really well, again... are expensive.

Another detail, try to use it as much as possible so you get your money out of it specially if you want one new. I had the charriot for 2 kids. U have the excuse to get a nice hybrid like road bike to pull the trailer maybe? :P

Enjoy your girl, start looking for a balancing bike meanwhile...

I went with trailer because I figured it'd be safer - bike seat height is pretty high for a one year old should I have wrecked and fallen over...

we did the trailer thing so i could get in laps around the local mup. didn't do any 'real' rides with it cuz i didn't want to be an hour out when the kiddo decided he was done sitting in there. it works perfectly well for that purpose, as well as a hauler if you happen to go to a farmer's market or something.

couple things to note with the trailer:

get fenders - water and dust will kick up into the trailer and all over the kid. worst part was during the dry months (most of the year here) there's lots of dirt and sand on the mup so the kiddo would come out of the trailer with a coating of dirt stuck to the oily sunblock. i tried closing just the front rain cover but it gets really really hot in there, it's basically a rolling greenhouse. fenders don't stop it, but makes it much better.

gear down - kinda pointless to put that thing on your A bike if you ask me. if you have a cafe cruiser or old mtb, it's much better suited for this. if you're doing this to also double as ride time, then shift your thinking from miles to time.

kid is boss - not necessarily a parenting thing, but more a pragmatic one. if they want to get out and look at something or they refuse to sleep in there, then let them dictate the day. roll to the park or playground. otherwise, they pretty quickly refuse to even get it the thing. my second kid didn't take to it, and the chariot ended up on craigslist quickly thereafter.


looking back on it after the fact, it was an expensive way to get in some saddle time. it went from new to craigs after maybe 50ish uses over several years. but i'm really really glad i had it. most rides were mundane, with the kid sleeping and my wife getting some quiet time at home. but there were a precious few days there that really stand out.

I do agree with vq in everything.

Man.. I never even thought to use the kid/trailer as training weight...

Jeez.

yes, everything vq said. there were times when the kids liked it but be sure to take snacks and toys along and be close to a restroom if they are out of diapers. plan for a fun place to take them, playground or jamba juice was always good.

I went trailer, I was too afraid of the kids tipping over in a higher bike seat. I got a double Chariot used, and it was awesome. I didn't love being in real traffic in it, so I used it in the park and on MUP mostly, but when I was on the road, cars were pretty respectful. My boys loved it, and I sold it for not much less that I originally paid for it after many years of use. I biked that thing to the neighborhood playground for years.

You need this: http://1d8piv1xedxt3k9gin22z4pqb30-w...my-1150268.jpg

If you want to be able to start right away, I don't think the trailer will work. Mine didn't. I got all geared up and ready to go after building the trailer out of the box, put my little guy in and instantly realized he wasn't big enough. I guess if I had read the box I would have known. :rolleyes:
I am pretty sure he was more than a year at that point. Maybe the more expensive ones have a lower weight requirement?

I don't get this ^^^^. Why is the physical size of the kid an issue? (unless he's too big and doesn't fit, but that's not what you're saying)

Do really mean your son "wasn't big enough" or did you mean "wasn't old enough?"

I always thought one key issue with young kids in bike seats is whether or not they have enough neck strength to hold their head up.