Bike Trailor or Bike Seat Attached to Bike for 1 Year Old?

Well first we have the trailer and the seat attached and also a tag-a-long. The tag-a-long is for a child at least 3 yrs.
I would purchase the trailer. The trailer is much more versatile then the seat connected to the bike. The trailer comes with a rain guard which I have used on more than one occasion. My trailer is for two children.
We are avid bikers and even though my youngest is now 4 yrs we still use the trailer ( or the tag-a-long)

We have both a double Burley bike trailer and an iBert. I'm seeing more and more iBerts, and I saw that REI is selling them now. I'm not surprised that only one person suggested it because they're not that common, YET. I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the iBert. Seriously. I can't say enough awesome stuff about it. I think it's hands down one of the best purchases we ever made. Our youngest son, 2.5 yrs. old, feels the same way. This is his second summer riding on it. He doesn't like riding in the Burley because he can't see nearly as well as on the iBert. The weight limit on the iBert is 40 pounds. (My son weighs 38.5.) Very few people or "experts" as some other people have posted, know about the iBert. But it's all over Europe and Australia. It's safe because it's on the front of the bike, and not the back; it's easier to balance that way. You only have to be a year old to ride it. But, I will say, the Burley is nice for all the reasons others have stated: you can bring the diaper bag, snacks, etc. with you in the trailer. How we ride now is my husband takes our two oldest on the iBert and the tag-along, on his bike. I use the Burley with our youngest. In the end, I recommend them both. But, the iBert is the best if you're only purchasing one of them. (We use helmets on all our kids, all the time, btw.) Good luck and happy biking!

I just purchased the ibert safe-T-seat, used it for the 1st time yesterday, and LOVE it! I would highly suggest it to anyone!
You can google a TON of revoiews on all options out there....
Here's one:
http://reviews.mtbr.com/blog/ibert-safe-t-seat-child-carr...

Hope you find what works for you!
~K~

As most have stated the trailers are much more safer than the seat on the back of the bike. Helmet is a must and you can get great trailors on craigslist for 1/2 the cost (they are very spendy). We just got our Burly for $250 and they're originally $500-600.

We use a Burley, and still use a bike helmet in there as well. Finding a small enough helmet was a challenge when my daughter was just over 1 last summer, but the Giro Me2 Infant Bike Helmet fit her well. (Purchased on Amazon.) The Burley folds quite compact and I keep meaning to get the stroller attachment so we can use it as our stroller when camping - one less thing to haul! Last summer she only enjoyed the Burley for shorter rides, I'm hoping this summer she's up for longer ones.

One thing I happened to see yesterday is someone biking with their daughter in a seat on the back of the bike. She had fallen asleep on the ride and her head was bouncing all over the place as her dad biked along. When my daughter would fall asleep in the Burley, she at least had something to rest her head against.

I have an almost 2 year old who I use a seat for with a helmet , she loves it on there. Yes you can get helmets for toddlers , I have a friend who's son just turned 1 in Feb and he rides in the seat with a helmet.

A seat attached to bike is good only until the child reaches 30 lbs., so keep that in mind. Also, be aware of how much weight you think you can balance. I am a strong rider, but I once tipped my bike over with my son in the seat on the back because I stopped to do something and just happened to get one of my wheels on a rock and unbalance the bike. That was really scary. I have a bike trailer, too, which I used and still use. It is a pain to attach it to my bike every time, but it folds up quite flat (6" or less) and I can fit it into my teeny, tiny trunk. Also, my bike trailer becomes a stroller, so that's a bonus. I also like the bike trailer because I can store gear in there to take to the park or wherever we're going, and, in addition, if my child is tired, I feel MUCH more comfortable putting him in the trailer (where he can fall asleep safely) than in the seat, where his head bobs up and down when he falls asleep. You will need a helmet for either choice. Target sells toddler helmets, but if you are not certain about how to fit a helmet correctly, I would recommend going to a bike shop just to have them show you how to fit the helmet on your child.

When we were at your stage with our first, we went to a bike shop. He said it is pretty dangerous with the ones that attach to your bike for the reasons you already stated. A trailer is much safer and yes they make helmets for toddlers. Go to Toys R Us.

I agree with the other comments on the helmet. You can get them for toddlers and they're a must regardless of whether your one year old is in the seat, the trailer, or any other device with wheels.

I have heard trailers are the best. We're looking for one right now for our one year old. There are a lot of options out there, and I have even seen ads lately at stores like Target.

We just bought a WeeRide Kangaroo from Amazon about three weeks ago for our 2.5 year old son, who is about 30 pounds. The WeeRide sits in front of the bike "driver," and we love it. He gets a much better view during the trip, and it is very easy to talk to him while riding. Plus, I think your balance is better with the child in front vs. behind you. We got the LTD version, which is more padded, but there is a less expensive version as well. Check out the Amazon reviews - they are stellar. There is another version called the iBert which also got good reviews, but the WeeRide just looked more comfortable to us. Have a great summer!

We love the Burley we have. We have a lot of friends in the bike industry that won't even sell the seats for safety reasons. Burleys are more expensive though you can find them on Craigslist used (make sure they have not been in an accident) but there are other brands of trailers that are cheaper. Best of luck!
They DO make helmets and we use it all of the time - check out Penn Cycle or Erik's.

I went with the seat because it made me nervous to have my daughter behind the bike and low down--I was more worried she would get hit. I'm sure there are safety trade-offs with either. Riding a bike carries some risk, of course. I think you should use a helmet with either option though.

We purchased the trailor for our son last summer when he was 14months old. We paid about $130 for it from Target. Can't remember the brand. He definitely wore a toddler helmet every time as well. Was a little big on him last year, but should fit him just fine this year. We thought the trailor was best and safest. Also, it has a cover on it so it shades him from the sun when you ride for a longer period of time. He loved it last year... had his juice cup next to him and looked at the scenery. We haven't used it this year yet, but intend very soon!

The trailers are not harder to transport and they are much easier to balance. We loved ours and it was actually more reasonable at that age because we could go farther with the extra room to carry a diaper bag and snacks. In fact my daughter used to have toys and books in there too and would make a big deal about which stuffed animal got to come for a ride with us. She didn't have to sit completely still in order not to tip the bike so it was much more relaxed for all of us. Summer was a lot of fun with the ability to ride bike and stop anywhere to have a picnic or go shopping and have room for a few bags.

I wasn't too crazy about the bike trailer and the bike seats behind me when I sit on the bike, but I did purchase the IBERT (http://www.ibertinc.com/) bike seat that positions the child in front of you between your arms. I got a helmet for my little guy and he loved it! I got it for him when he was about 8 months old - depends on how big your child is, but thinking at 1 year old, it should be fine. I purchased mine off of Amazon (cheaper than actual ibert website). My little guy is 19 months old and it's still used. Really easy to install - took me 15 minutes and if you purchase a second metal thing for your significant other's bike, the switching of seats is like 5 minutes. Best thing I bought!!! I'm a petite person, so if you have long legs you might feel like your biking bow-legged, but w/Amazon, you can always return it. Alternative options would be a front seat at Walmart or go to this site (http://www.onestepahead.com/catalog/product.jsp?productId...) . If you get this seat, I'd purchase the clear screen. Otherwise, attaching a binky will work so the child doesn't eat bugs. Mine would hoot, holler, & sing on the bike and was afraid a bug or two would get in his mouth, lol! Got the helmet at Walmart.

First, they do make helmets for toddlers, and you should use one no matter which option you choose.

Secondly, I recommend the trailer if at all possible. When I was searching, it was what I was told was best and safest. My son loves it (he's almost 3 now). It's very stable, and even if you fell, the trailer is unlikely to tip. My concern with the seat is if you fell, your child falls too, and even with a helmet, there can still be injuries. Plus, the addition of the extra weight does change your balance.

That being said, it would be easier not to pull a trailer if you're in an urban environment where you would be on a lot of busy roads. And another downside is the extra drag on you peddling. It does give you a good workout, however!

There are many types of trailers, and many of them do fold up, so transport may not be as bad as you think. Check them out at a store and see what you think.

Most safety "experts" will tell you not to use the seat that attaches to the bike itself. We have with our daughter, and she wears a helmet like Kate says.

I personally don't have strong legs, at least not strong enough to pull the kids behind me as I'm going up hills in a bike trailer, so this was the cheapest, most enjoyable alternative for us all.

Good luck.

When my daughter was young I used a trailer and she loved riding in it. The best part was it had a removable wheel for the front so the trailer could be turned into a very comfortable stroller too. That way we could bike to the store, zoo, park and still have a stroller. The trailer also carried water and snacks for her. Not to mention it doubled as a grocery carrier when she was not with me.

Eventually we sold it at a garage sale.

S.