thanks, jerserygirl'smama. here i am again. wow, 15 votes for a trailer and only 1 for a bike seat (and that was from me!)
okay, i have both a double trailer (instep) and rear bike mounted seats, one (a kettler) on my main bike and one (a topeak) on DW's main bike. frankly, i prefer the bike mounted seats. the bike is just easier to ride without a trailer. the trailer adds an unbelievable amount of drag. it feels like i'm going uphill even when i'm on level ground. with kiddo (38 lb) in the bike seat, i don't even feel it.
however, i can see how some people prefer trailers. trailers can take more weight (usually 100 lb, as opposed to 50 lb max for the bike seats) and there is no learning curve. they are also easier to get kiddo in and out. kids can stay dryer in the rain. and then there is the perceived safety factor.
safety-wise, it's actually complicated and depends on your situation. studies show that more accidents occur with bike seats than with trailers. however, the same studies show that the majority of those happen when mounting/dismounting because it's hard to do with a kid on the bike, and those accidents are minor. so, even though trailers experience fewer accidents, they tend to be severe in nature, causing serious injury or death (rollovers from hitting curbs, or getting hit by a car!). since i ride in a city and have to deal with traffic, i feel much safer not having the large footprint of a trailer to worry about getting hit by a car, or me hitting a curb.
this is an intersection i have to ride through daily:
the bike seats do require getting used to, but if they are installed correctly and have appropriate adjustments (the better ones have front/back, up/down, and angle adjustments), you can actually LOWER the center of gravity of the bicycle from what it is normally without a child seat. the child's center of gravity is below yours, and does not contribute to the instability that some people describe. but the extra weight does take getting used to. after awhile you simply forget about it. DW was nervous the first time she rode DD2 on her bike. i suggested she first take a ride with a backpack full of books strapped into the seat until she got used to it. after one ride, she was comfortable enough to ride DD2.
trailers offer no protection if they are to flip over (and flip-overs can happen very easily, from misjudging a curb to hitting a big bump). a well-designed bike seat fits the child like a carseat (see jersergirl'smama's link to older thread. which has photos of my german-made kettler seat). combine that with a proper fitting helmet, and injuries from falling from a bike are likely to be minimal. i definitely wouldn't use a cheap-o bike seat with no side protection or adjustments.
my kids also prefer the bike seats. they see MUCH better than in a trailer. we can hear each other and have conversations. we can't do that with the trailer-- we just can't hear each other unless we shout. in a trailer, unless they have the "windows" closed, they get dust and debris kicked up into their faces from the bicycle tire. and they are also sucking in more exhaust fumes from traffic. i thought my girls would love being side by side in the trailer, but after only one ride they never wanted to do it again. they felt cramped and didn't like not being near me and being able to touch my back (DD2 likes to pull on my back pockets
). i call the bike seat the choice for AP parents
.
if i were to ride strictly on bike paths for leisure riding, i would probably opt for the trailer for the added weight capacity and the benefit of having both kids. but for any type of road riding, the bike seat is the only way i will transport a child. i have a basket in front to carry a backpack, groceries, and whatnot.
i've been riding a child on my bike at LEAST three days a week, for over 1.5 years. so i've done this a LOT. since my kiddos don't like the trailer, i'm thinking of gutting it and turning it into a flatbed utility trailer for home depot runs!
