Cycling UK Forum

We took our one year old our on the bike seat for the first time.

It is a Hamax siesta, rear fitted to the saddle pole.

Even on a smooth cycle path, it bounces up and down so much, especially when peddling hard uphill. There is a lot of give in the poles that attach the seat to the bike. She is a very light toddler, but even so, she was bouncing up and down and her little head rocking about everywhere. I didn't like it at all.

Is it normal for a child seat to bounce about so much on a smooth surface?
We chose the hamax, as it is meant to be the best - so very dissappointed. Would another brand be better?

I am not happy with her going on the bike, to be thrown about so much... but my husband is so kean, he bought the seat before she was even born.

Lastly his bike has rear suspension. Even though it was blocked. Would this make a difference? He is adamant that it cannot, without understanding mechanics, I have read that rear seats and rear suspension are not compatible.

Thank you so much for any advice.

The Hamax rear child seats I am familiar with are designed to clamp on the bicycle's frame, on the seat tube, not on the seat post (or seat pin) that goes between the bike frame and the saddle.
I have seen such seats mounted on seat posts, which puts the child seat quite high up. I would of thought these then have a high centre of gravity, also if the bike fell over, there is further for the child seat to fall.
If the bike has rear suspension, then as far as I am aware no rear child seat is designed to fit on it. Supplying a photo of bike with child seat (or at least showing the mounting bracket) would enable a more definative answer.
There are child seats that fit between the adult and the handlebars that would fit any bike (I forget the name, clamps round the top of the seat tube and the top of the head (steering) tube.)

To put your mind at rest re bike falling over, normally happens while the child is being strapped in/adult getting ready. I have seen a bike fall over with child in seat (they were test riding in a shop with a view to buy), child totally unharmed, and the adult went on to buy the bike and seat!

Guy at my kid's school rides in with two kids, one on a front seat, one on a rear seat.

Last winter he overcooked it into a corner and went down hard. Kids both fine, one had a scratch).

My children (now 4 & 7) have spent many hours in a Hamax child seat. They are bouncy; my children never minded. More often than not, they went to sleep. In fact, on another bike, I use a seat mounted on the luggage rack, and I think that the Hamax mounting is probably more comfortable for the child.

That said, Hamax specifically advise that the seat cannot be fitted on a bike with shock absorbers, and that the seat mounting bracket must be mounted to the downtube, not the seat post.

In case you don't know which bits are what, there are diagrams in their user instructions, which are available from http://www.hamax.com/Downloads/User-man ... and-Smiley

You will see in the instructions that the seat can be moved on the mounting bar, so that it is closer to the bike. They also make alternative bars to change the mounted position, if necessary. You might be able to reduce the bounce using these, if you felt it necessary.

Good luck & enjoy the cycling.

I suspect that the main reason they specif the seat cannot be fitted to a full suspension bike is that it is impossible to give fitting guidelines as designs vary so much. There is also the real likelihood that in compression the wheel hits the seat or a suspension arm fouls the mounting.

hamster wrote:I suspect that the main reason they specif the seat cannot be fitted to a full suspension bike is that it is impossible to give fitting guidelines as designs vary so much. There is also the real likelihood that in compression the wheel hits the seat or a suspension arm fouls the mounting.

Most bikes with rear suspension don't have a mounting point, other than the seat pin. Seat pins are not designed for the loads applied by a child seat. It's probably okay with a small child, but I don't think I would do it.

[quote="PT1029"]There are child seats that fit between the adult and the handlebars that would fit any bike (I forget the name, clamps round the top of the seat tube and the top of the head (steering) tube.)
quote]

I think PT1029 was thinking of a Wee Ride Kangaroo seat.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/WeeRide-Kangaro ... +bike+seat

We have one and love it. It allows you as rider to see what the child is doing and also it enables better communication between adult and child as you are closer together than if the child is behind you. The 'Dashboard' is great when they are little as it can be used to deflect the wind from the childs face and as they get bigger you can clip maps to it so they can follow where you are. With the seat on the seatpost it also makes it easier to get on and off the bike as most people put their foot behind their rear wheel to get onto the bike. The seat can be quickly and easily taken off the support bar when not needed.

I would recomend one as our kids love it.