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Mini-clubber is 20months old but like his Dad, tall with correspondingly big feet. Over the summer, I was struggling with riding with him in a childseat because his toes were catching the back of my shoes - we just about managed by taking off his shoes while he was in the seat but by the time it warms up enough to be going out again this spring/summer, there's no way that'll still work.
I'd been toying with the idea of making an adaptor which would allow the seat to mount higher/further back to allow for more clearance but I suspect that'll mean that he's far enough behind the rear axle to make the bike wheelie whenever I'm not sat on it which will be a pain.
So, what's the solution? I have considered getting a 29er which should have slightly longer chainstays and therefore a little more clearance but last night stumbled upon this child seat which fits on a tag along. Now, figuring that I'll need a tag at some point, this could be a solution but has anyone tried one?
Or, any other suggestions? Feet-binding has already been considered thanks 😉
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Is he too big for one of those top tube seats?
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I had the same problem clipping feet with mine too, ended up using a trailer until they were big enough for a tag along.
In theory, I guess that wold work but I just don't really like them (would rather he fell on me rather than the other way round should the worst happen) and they make it a nightmare to get on/off the bike
I used the system in your picture for longer rides for quite a while until tyred jr was big enough to properly fit a tagalong with a normal seat, it worked well.
An [url= 
]xtracycle[/url] would allow you to run the seat further back without upsetting the bike too much, but its not cheap at £400. You'd have to fashion a mount for your child-seat. xtracycle do one but its mega-bucks.
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2tyred - thanks, good to hear that. Does it work with any brand of tag along or only the Adams one?
takisawa - interesting idea but expensive! I guess that if I had a use for the trailer at other times, that'd be a good solution though...
tag-along's are great - been using one for nearly 10 years with my two so had our money's worth. Still take my now 8 year old daughter to school on it most days.
They didn't do the 'child seat and then pedal when they're bigger' one when I looked but looks good - the only downside for me was that the kids had to be old enough to remember to hang on with the normal type.
The only real downsides of tag-alongs is that you have to use mud guards to keep the kid dry even if the roads are just wet (rather than it raining). I did run a crud catcher plus a fe crud catchers ont eh 'downtube' of the trailer bike for a while but it's not as effective as a full gaurd on the towing bike. You could get some sort fair/shield made up for the tag-along I guess, though.
I have this very problem with my youngest son, i popped into my LBS this morning and got a couple of extending bracket's for the seat, thus giving us both more room. I am taking both my boy's out this afternoon so i will let you know how i get on after fitting the bracket's..
The seat you posted above on the tag along is the one that my LBS supplied me with(extept in red) and i did not realise it could go on a tag-along, i will do some digging because it looks good - cheers 🙂
Moving the seat up and back will work but make the handling evil.
Tag along is the economic choice.
Or get a welding torch and make your own solution - mine should be 5th bike along on top row - full suss and kiddy seat 🙂
http://www.atomiczombie.com/gallery/tandems1.html
Or crazy german stuff
http://www.tout-terrain.de/2/products/trailer---kids-bikes/index.html
The one I used I bought from someone on the classifieds here (can't remember who!)
Its essentially a seatpost (to fit the tagalong) welded at the appropriate angle to a flat bed rack, which the Hamax seat slides onto and locks into place on. The tagalong's an Adams (I think), but providing you have the right diameter of seatpost I can't see why it wouldn't work with any make. Even if you didn't, you could probably use a shim.
Good solution, bit wobbly at slow speeds but fine once you get going. I'll be using it again in a year or so for tyred jr jr.
Great news all - thanks!