Review: WeeRide Bike Carrier

My husband is an avid bike rider.  Now that our kiddos are getting order, we would like to make biking a family activity.  Since Peanut is the only one who isn’t riding a bike we need a way for him to travel with us.

From what I have seen, there are two possibilities – a trailer and a seat on the back of an adult bike.  I have some reservations about each of these.

But oh…I was wrong.  There is another option!  And boy do I love this one!

Friends introduced us to a bike seat that fits in front of the adult rider.  So, I did some research, contacted the WeeRide company, and tried one for myself!

The WeeRide Kangaroo Child Bike Seat is awesome!  With Peanut riding directly in front of me, I was able to talk, interact, and check on him.  He was protected with my arms around him.  And I loved, loved my time with him.  I felt like he was part of our bike ride instead of being along for the ride.

Now for the specifics:

• When we first got the WeeRide Kangaroo Child Bike Seat, my husband didn’t think it would fit on my mountain bike.  I was crushed!  I asked him to just try…and it worked!  The WeeRide.com website claims that the seat will fit on most bikes.  If you have concerns, simply email them a picture of your bike and they will make sure.
• Since the seat is in front of you, your legs have to straddle the seat.  So, your legs are not exactly perpendicular to the ground.  At 5′ 6″, I had no trouble doing this.  Nor was it uncomfortable.  I do suggest that you scoot the seat as far forward as possible to give you the maximum amount of space between you and the seat.
• The child riding in the seat must wear a helmet.  Period.
• The bigger the bike and the taller the rider the easier this carrier is to use.
• The seat can be used for children up to 40 lbs.  I rode with Little Man (who is a very tall 3-year-old) and had no trouble.  I had no problem seeing over him and pedaling his weight.  With an older child it is of extreme importance that the child understands that he/she can not touch the handlebars.
• It is recommended that you not use the WeeRide Kangaroo Child Bike Seat with a child under twelve months of age.  I definitely agree with this.  It takes a lot of neck strength for a baby to hold a helmet on his/her head and sit up straight.  Talk to your pediatrician if you have questions.
• The seat has a wonderful hand pedestal.  Peanut even took a nap on it during our last bike ride.
• Because I am not tall, it is a little harder to get on and off the bike with the carrier attached.  I had to lower my seat (making my legs unable to fully extent) so that I could easily touch the ground if needed.  This was not a problem for me, but it isn’t the best biking form – if that is a concern of yours.
• Since the seat is in front of you, the child takes the blunt of the wind.  Even though you are warm, remember that the child is not doing any activity.  Dress the child accordingly.
• When you first see the seat, you will be shocked at how small it is.  It is amazing how well it fits a 40 lb. child!  The footrests allow the child to keep their feet still during the ride.
• The carrier was easy to install and use.  It comes with two longer screws in addition to the normal length four screws.  For my bike it would have been easier to install if it came with 4 longer screws but we made it work.
• BEFORE EACH RIDE, bike a distance without the child in the seat to make sure that the carrier does not interfere with your ability to pedal, brake, or steer.  You may need to raise the footrests to allow for full steering.

We went on a 10-mile bike ride last week and loved it.  Looking forward to many more rides together, thanks to the WeeRide Kangaroo Child Bike Seat.  If you desire to bike with a toddler, I highly suggest this to all of my friends.

Update:  Have three years we still LOVE this seat.  Peanut is getting almost too big for it but I won’t give it away but will keep it for grandkids.  Yes, I love it that much!

Thank you to WeeRide for allowing me to review this wonderful product.