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From: jan@hou2g.UUCP (J.NAGEL)
Newsgroups: net.bicycle
Subject: Re: Concerned Beginner
Message-ID: <668@hou2g.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 9-Oct-85 13:41:56 EDT
Article-I.D.: hou2g.668
Posted: Wed Oct  9 13:41:56 1985
Date-Received: Sat, 12-Oct-85 07:08:46 EDT
Organization: AT&T Bell Labs, Holmdel NJ
Lines: 26

>> Most veteran bikers prefer to use trailers such as the "Bugger" to the
>> more commonly seen bicycle child carriers, which are a much greater risk
>> to the child.  The trailers can hold two toddlers, who ride facing
>> backwards, securely belted in. The child is much safer with this arrangement
>> rather than a child carrier because of the tendency for a bike to pitch
>> forward and flip in a front-end collision.  I've taken a dive over the 

I have carried my children in traditional kid carriers and in a
trailer.  When carrying a child, I ride very carefully
and have never fallen.  A large child mounted up on a kid carrier
changes the handling characteristics of a bicycle considerably.
However, I am not sure that there is "much greater risk" when riding with
a child in traffic using a carrier as opposed to using a trailer.  When
pulling a trailer, I worried about how much the left trailer wheel stuck
out into traffic and about avoiding grates and glass with the right
trailer wheel.  The things are too wide for riding comfortably in traffic.
Also, my kids complained bitterly about bumps because it is much harder
to find three paths around bumps than one.

My advice to the Concerned Beginner is to take your daughter along
in a good quality kid carrier, but first get enough practice
so that you are confident of your ability to handle your bike in traffic
with all that extra weight high up over your wheel.  Also, get her a helmet.

	Jon Nagel
	hou2g!jan