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From: clarke@utcsri.UUCP (Jim Clarke)
Newsgroups: net.bicycle
Subject: Re: Concerned Beginner
Message-ID: <1475@utcsri.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 8-Oct-85 15:11:12 EDT
Article-I.D.: utcsri.1475
Posted: Tue Oct  8 15:11:12 1985
Date-Received: Tue, 8-Oct-85 15:19:17 EDT
References: <1445@utcsri.UUCP> <380@varian.UUCP> <894@burl.UUCP>
Reply-To: clarke@utcsri.UUCP (Jim Clarke)
Distribution: net
Organization: CSRI, University of Toronto
Lines: 54
Summary: 

In article <894@burl.UUCP> eproj@burl.UUCP (eproj) writes:
>I've been reading this newsgroup for only two weeks now so if
  ... me too, but I'm getting used to embarrassing myself.  Here goes again.

>I guess my biggest concern is safety with my baby girl riding along.
>My wife and I want to get back into riding our bikes (Raleigh's) and
>would like to be able to take are baby daughter along. I feel very uneasy
>about this and any suggestions on the right/wrong/not at all ways of
>doing this would be appreciated. Our little girl is only 3 mos. old
>so it will be a while before I even attempt to include her on our
>rides.
  ... It had better be a while!  Babies can't even sit up properly until
they're at least 5 months, and their spines are pretty tender for a while
after that.  I wouldn't take a child on a bicycle seat until it (<-- non-sexist
but traditional) was at least a year old.
     Then there's also the problem of trying to jump out.  I prefer to ride
with children who are old enough to be told not even to try to get out, and
old enough also to begin to understand about falling on one's head.  A year
should do that.
     Another thing to worry about before you even start:  the straps.  Those
single plastic straps you get with the seats look inadequate to me.  My wife
and I adapted a Mothercare carriage harness for our child seat.  It has
over-the-shoulder straps and a good, reasonably child-proof buckle.  We got
it in England, but Mothercare has stores in the US too, I think.  (But other
riders may think the seat manufacturers' straps are OK.  We didn't actually
try using them.)
     And another thing:  get a helmet for the child.  If you fall over, she
can't save herself at all -- she's strapped in.  She'll hit her head.  I know.
I've tried it -- one of the worst moments of my life.  Get a helmet for your
child even if you don't get one for yourself.

Now you're ready to ride.  First thing you notice is this huge weight over
the rear wheel.  If you don't watch it, the back end declares its independence
and falls over while you helplessly fiddle with the handlebars.  Don't worry
-- you get used to it, and it isn't really all that bad.
     You do have to ride more carefully, and the cars aren't going to be any
more thoughtful.  They may occasionally lean out and tell you not to carry the
child, but they won't offer any other help.  You don't really need any help,
though, because you'll naturally adjust and be more cautious.

When to stop riding?  Around four years old or so, when the child is really
too heavy to carry, and besides has begun to whip her body around to watch the
scenery.  Having 35 or 40 pounds suddenly turn from one side to the other over
your back wheel is a little unnerving.

Hidden bonus to carrying a child:  You wouldn't believe the acceleration you
get when you're *not* carrying the child.

I've posted this instead of mailing it, because others might want to disagree
with points I've mentioned.  Sorry about the length.
-- 
Jim Clarke -- Dept. of Computer Science, Univ. of Toronto, Canada M5S 1A4
              (416) 978-4058
{allegra,cornell,decvax,ihnp4,linus,utzoo}!utcsri!clarke