Carrying a child's bike

[mark a.]

My 4 year old son is at the point where he'll happily ride his bike while I'm walking, but at some point he'll get tired and want to walk. Or I need to carry it to nursery so he can ride it home.

The shape of the bike (Islabike Cnoc 14 large) means it's difficult to carry other than just holding on to the frame or saddle - I can't throw it over a shoulder or anything. It's fine, but gets tiring.

I can't be the only parent in the history of raising cycling children to have this problem, so what solutions have people come up with? Some kind of strap? Backpack? I'm talking about carrying when I'm walking, not when I'm cycling too.

[thelawnet]

I used to put it in the pannier on my cargo bike. Child on top. Sorry no idea about carrying a bike while walking.

[keyboardmonkey]

When my son had a Cnoc 14 and got bored of riding or whatever I just carried it, but now he has a bigger bike with a QR seat post clamp. Sometimes I park away from his school and wheel the bike there for him to ride back to the car. I do this by loosening and extending the seat post to a height high enough that I can comfortably hold the saddle while I push the bike without having to stoop. Could you similarly extend the Cnoc’s seat post?

[RickH]

How about the MTB hike-a-bike technique with the bike sideways with the frame resting across both shoulders? With a full size bike it would usually be the downtube across your shoulders & hold onto the front wheel & /or crank, the technique might have to be adapted a bit with a small bike or you may end up with a chainring in your ear!

Or there's cyclocross style with you arm through the frame holding the bars on the other side to your body & the top tube resting on your shoulder.

[Vorpal]

I've carried a child's bike on my trailer. There have been other threads on here in the past.

I'll have a little look later, unless someone else beats me to it.

[Vorpal]

viewtopic.php?f=54&t=119751

[[XAP]Bob]

just Need something to clamp onto the bars/steerer to bring a virtual handlebar up to a sensible level for you to walk it on?

[Vorpal]

doh. somehow missed that this was for *walking*

Get a clamp-on handle for it. They are for some reason called 'parent handles'

This one is an Ammaco https://www.amazon.co.uk/BICYCLE-PARENT ... G5FHYYESB7

Other brands have them, and they come with other handle types, as well. There are cheaper ones, but they mostly are fixed to the bike (without a quick release)

[ratherbeintobago]

We have a micro scooter towing strap (loop on one end and eye on the other); could sling over your shoulder if you can find a suitable strap?

[Postboxer]

Ride it, knees out, heels on pedals. Or maybe strap it onto the back of a padded, filled rucksack, which would hopefully carry it comfortably without knocking into you.

[The utility cyclist]

Bungee strap it to your back or use a luggage strap and a bit of foam to avoid it digging in if that bothers you. I've just carried them over my shoulder.

This is how I transported my grandsons bike by bike

[mjr]

Other brands have them, and they come with other handle types, as well. There are cheaper ones, but they mostly are fixed to the bike (without a quick release)

Yes, I saw the attached in a car spares store today and wondered if it would allow the bike to be pulled backwards, rendering the steering an irrelevant trailing wheel, or if you could strap the handlebars to hold the steering straight.

[thirdcrank]

I've had this problem and generally solved it before setting out by explaining that granddad is too old to be carrying bikes. Among the many things I've invented and never got to the Dragons' Den stage has been something similar to this, fitted to the stem or centre of the handlebars and long enough to hold without bending. (Bending my back that is, not the gadget.)

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Topeak-BarXten ... MHZP94PM9H

Otherwise, enjoy this stage of their lives while you can: it passes very quickly.

[[XAP]Bob]

The steering will hold itself straight, most of them also have a ‘lowest angle’ they’ll run at, so you could just lift the front wheel for kerbs etc.

[Vorpal]

I've used them without kids on the bike. You just steer by leaning, and as [XAP]Bob indicates, you can also tilt the bike, and just use the back wheel. Or pull it behind you. Or whatever is easiest