Bike Seats versus Bike Trailers

Becoming a new parent is full of tough decisions, not least of which is deciding the best way to include your child into the fun activities you enjoy. For many moms and dads, choosing how to travel with their child on a bicycle is a big decision that starts when the child is about a year old. The biggest debate is bike seat or bike trailer? Both of these methods are generally safe for your child, but depending on where you live and what kind of riding you will do, they each have their pros and cons to consider.

Bike Seat

The classic bike seat seems to be the preferred method among parents who ride around the city or trails that don't accommodate larger trailers. A bike seat allows the cyclist to more readily interact with the child as the child is physically nearer to him or her. Bike seats generally accommodate children between 1 and 5 years of age.

Some of the downsides of the bike seat include:

• Increasing time to brake and destabilizing the bike
• Does not work for transporting multiple children
• Quickly outgrown by child
• Child can fall from ~3 feet off the ground

Trailer

Trailers may seem more cumbersome to cyclists, but they are ultimately deemed safer by the American Academy of Pediatrics. Although a bike trailer takes up more space behind the bike, and is therefore not the best choice for riding on the shoulder of a road or going off-road, the trailer has surprising benefits:

• Can take a set of twins or siblings
• Can keep your kids low to the ground
• Kids risk falling only a few inches if the bike or trailer tips
• Easier to maneuver bike with a trailer and mount or unmount the bike

In the end, it is your decision to make. Many parents swear by the bike seat, which they feel allows them to have more control over their child. It only takes a small window of time to adjust to the added weight of a bike seated-child on the bike, and parents soon get comfortable maneuvering the bike. Bike trailers can be ideal in the suburbs when riding along wide sidewalks where there is minimal foot traffic. To ensure the trailer can be seen by cars, attach a long flagpole to it with a high visibility orange or reflective flag.

For any injuries caused by pedestrians, cars, or other cyclists, seek medical attention right away and consult with a personal injury lawyer who can handle everything from car accidents to consumer products. Whether a driver was at fault or the bike trailer itself was defective, you deserve compensation for your accident. Speak with James Vasquez of The Law Offices of James Vasquez, PC today. Call 862-247-8711 for a free legal consultation.