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Mom putting toddler into trailer attached to bicycle.

How to enjoy cycling with children – babies and toddlers

Having kids is life changing but you can still enjoy cycling with children – it just needs a bit more planning than in your happy go-free days before parenting. A few key items of kit and a bit of imagination will set you on the right path to years of fun family cycling.

 

Taking baby cycling with you

Bike trailers for children

Most manufacturers of bike trailers recommend that babies need to be over a year old before using them and must be able to safely sit up and support their own head. Some brands such as Thule offer a supportive hammock for your smallest passenger to use until they are big enough to sit comfortably in a seat with a five-point harness.

Most children enjoy the experience of seeing the world from the trailer and find the motion of the rear wheel in front of them mesmerising! There is space in a trailer for them to play with their own toys and books, which is handy for longer rides to stave off any boredom. If they nod off you know they are safe and secure, just check their position is supported and they are not slumped forward with their chin on their chest.

Having your child behind you makes it a little bit harder to keep an eye on them and communicate with them, but for longer rides, or if you want to carry other things such as a picnic or camping gear, a bike trailer makes a lot of sense. Despite the extra weight behind you a trailer doesn’t affect your bike handling and you can still confidently ride out of the saddle on hills. Children can comfortably sit in bike trailers until they are four or even five so a bike trailer is a great choice as a long-term cycling investment.

 

Bike seats for babies

As with trailers, babies need to be able to sit up and support their own head before they can use a bike seat. Bike seats are in many ways simpler to use than a trailer, they are less cumbersome, take up less space to store and, of course, are much lighter for the person pedalling. There are loads of innovative designs for baby bike seats to suit different styles of bikes.

One decision to make is whether you prefer your child to sit in front or behind you. Rear seats are larger than front-mounted seats and offer more features such as the ability to recline, suspension, and shoulder straps with more adjustability. It is also easier to get on and off your bike with a rear-mounted seat. However, you need to check compatibility with your bike, as many need a rack or pannier mounts.

Front-mounted seats are the smallest seats and are suitable for ages 9 months to about 2.5 years old. With the baby bike seat placed between the rider’s arms, it can feel safer and cosier for both parent and child. Seats that mount on the top tube, like these baby bike seats designed for off-road mountain-biking keep the child’s weight over the midpoint of the bike, making it feel more natural for the adult to ride and steer. It also gives your child a taste of how controlling and moving a bike by bodyweight feels, especially on off-road trails.

 

Never too young to feel the wind in your hair

Making cycling part of your child’s routine in the early years of their life will stand you in good stead as they get older. When the time comes to introduce them to their own bike they will most likely be excited to have a bike like mummy’s or daddy’s and be keen to experience the freedom of their own two wheels. Seeing the adults in their life enjoying cycling makes healthy activity a normal part of everyday life, setting them off on the right track for a life-long enjoyment of exercise.

 

Next month we will be talking to Cycle SOS Consultant Solicitor, Paul Darlington, on how he supported his children on their own journey into competitive cycling.

For more information about our services or to start your claim, call 0808 100 9995 and speak to one of our specialist solicitors. We’re here to help. You can email us or schedule a callback.

Written By:

Emily Pheysey

Litigation Executive

Emily has over 7 years of experience in the legal sector, handling road traffic accident claims to recover compensation and support her clients. Her focus is to ensure all clients feel comfortable and at ease with the claims process so that they can focus on their recovery.

Emily considers rapport to be an essential part of the role and strives to always provide excellent client care.

Away from work, Emily enjoys spending time with her family and friends and travelling as much possible.

Diane Holderness

Litigation Executive

Diane is a Ministry of Justice (TOJ) Team Leader within our Cycle Department. She has 11 years’ experience managing road traffic accident claims, and 6 years’ experience managing MOJ claims.

Diane enjoys a challenge and always strives for the very best results for her customers; something that is clear in the way her team continually adapts its strategies in order to secure the most desired outcome. Diane has worked her way through the legal ranks here, and is proud to now have a strong, specialist team that is committed to customer satisfaction.

Diane believes that happy clients make a happy working environment, and it is this that ensures a productive and efficient workforce.

Nina Haddock

Chartered Legal Executive

Nina has over 30 years’ experience in the legal sector. She specialises in recovering compensation for injury claimants as a result of road traffic accidents. Her focus for each and every claim is to help her clients secure the funding that they need to pay for ongoing treatment and support.

Nina became a CILEX Fellow in 2006 and now helps her clients and their families at a time when they have been through a traumatic experience, and everything they hold dear to them appears to be changing.

One case Nina is particularly proud of is supporting a client who had successfully sought asylum in the UK, following a road traffic accident. The claim was successfully pursued through the MIB and the client was left with significant injuries. Her client was able to use the compensation to aid family members with their applications to seek asylum in the UK.

Julian Fox

Cycling Accident Solicitor

Julian qualified as a Solicitor in 2005 and has worked in all areas of personal injury since 2000. Julian has a well-rounded understanding of personal injury law, having represented both claimants and defendants.

Julian always aims for maximum damages to meet his clients’ needs for injury and rehabilitation expenses, and can often secure interim payments to help meet clients’ financial needs. Julian is highly proactive in ensuring cases are progressed, ensuring a timely conclusion.

When not at the office, Julian is a keen cyclist, both on roads and virtually -he will often do an hour of ‘Zwifting’ in the mornings before starting work.

Richard Atherton

Cycling Accident Solicitor

Richard has 12 years of legal experience and qualified as a Solicitor in February 2014. He has been a Team Manager with us since 2019. Throughout his career, Richard has specialised in personal injury, handling an array of Road Traffic Accident cases, in addition to employer and public liability.

Richard prides himself on his very strong strategic and planning skills, which come into their own in complex injury cases where more technical arguments are involved. On every case, he is committed to ensuring that his clients receive full compensation for their injuries.

Away from work, Richard enjoys sport; he is a season ticket holder at St Helens Rugby Club and a Liverpool FC fan. Not only a spectator, Richard also likes going to play golf as often as he can.

Dave Gardner

Litigation Executive

Dave has over 20 years of experience in the legal sector. His specialism is personal injury and he has dealt with hundreds of cycling injury claims during his career. Excellent client care and communication is paramount to Dave. He prides himself on being accessible and available, attending court hearings where damages are in dispute to ensure the best outcome for his clients. One case Dave is particularly proud of is when he supported an elderly client who suffered serious injuries following a road traffic incident. The police had not taken any action against the defendant, so Dave had to be proactive and act within a 24-hour window. The case proceeded and the client was in receipt of £30,000 in damages, which he would not have been entitled to had the client not approached Dave. He is also an avid supporter of Glasgow Rangers and travelled abroad on many occasions to see them play in European competitions.

Gerard Horton

Partner

Gerard is a Senior Solicitor at Cycle SOS. In his 13 years of experience, Gerard has built a national reputation in the catastrophic injury sector, dealing with high value and complex cases. Alongside his legal role, Gerard supports several charities including Headway Central Lancashire, Northwest Regional Spinal Injuries Centre and spinal injury charity, Back Up.

Julia Eyton

Partner

Julia brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to the Cycle SOS team.

Specialising in representing those who have had life changing injuries, Julia handles some of the most serious and complex personal injury cases both within Cycle SOS and nationally.

She often works on high value claims and is skilled in winning complex liability cases.

NADIA KERR

Partner

Nadia has over 30 years of legal expertise and has represented hundreds of vulnerable road users. With a focus on ensuring timely rehabilitation, speedy repair or replacement of bikes and kit, and securing fair compensation, Nadia is committed to advocating for justice and client rights. Alongside her legal career, Nadia actively participates in national campaigns to benefit vulnerable road users and acts as a Trustee/Director for the national cycling charity, Cycling UK. Nadia was named in Cycling UK’s ‘100 women’ and was a founding member, now running a women’s cycling group, TeamGlow in South Manchester. Among her many achievements, Nadia takes pride in her spot on BBC Breakfast, where she provided expert commentary on long term government funding for pothole repairs.

Caroline Morris

DIRECTOR OF SERIOUS INJURY

Caroline has specialised in personal injury for over 25 years, recovering more than £56 million in damages during that time, to help clients rebuild their lives after injury.

Caroline is committed to achieving rehabilitation options early, meaning her clients benefits from the best care and treatment at the earliest stage possible.