[Closed] Finally ordered my new Soul!.....but....

Put my seat on my Thomson post rather than the Soul Frame. Seemed fine.

If you use a long enough post then you could clamp this to the frame with the seat post inside reinforcing it. Putting it on just the seatpost might be more damaging as you'll be introducing additional and leveraged load on the frame itself. If you know what I mean.

I'd talk to cy about putting one of those on the seatpost - leverage on the frame would be huge.

As above - I'd go for a longish seatpost and make sure the clamp ont he seattube is where the seatpost is inside.

Don't use a shim...

Get the clamp high up on the frame and drop your post a bit, positions jnr a bit better in relation to your ass as a well.

good point on the leverage Tony, but thanks Scamper - sounds like it might be ok. I've bought a new seat post specifically for the frame so it won't need a shim or anything, and i'm shortish for the frame i think at 5'10 so should be able to keep plenty of post in the seat tube.

Might give Cy an email too though i think.

I'd buy a £69 bike from Tesco & just use that.

I'm on the cotic mailing list and after reading how stiff a 34.9mm steel seat tube is and how strong and durable the frame is, I personally wouldn't hesitate bolting a child seat to my soul if my kids were that small. I've run one on an Inbred without issue so the soul should be fine.

I put a Hamax child seat on my Soul a few times.

It was fine, although be warned that the clamp will probably mess-up the Reynolds 853 sticker (easily ordered direct from Reynolds if needs be).

I use the seat on my >X< instead now.

I used a carrier like that on an early 853 Rourkie MTB build. The tubes are so tough that the first batch worn out the seat tube reamers, my old frame now has to run a 27.0 post. Anyway you'll have no problem with strength, just a possibility of it marking the paint/transfers as mentioned earlier.

I used that exact seat on my Soul no problems - a tight wrap of inner tube to protect the paint and help prevent twisting did the job for me. It did a week doing (slow and\or easy-route) Scottish trail centres no problems, then many not-so-smooth local trails, until mini-me got too heavy to make offroad safe or successful. The seat is now on my Cross-check for child delivery duties.

I did have to modify the clamp a lot for my medium mk2 frame, as the front mech cable stop prevented me running the clamp high enough for the seat not to buzz the tyre over bumps. I simply cut the steel clamp section so the the round hole became a full slot that went around the stop.

Hi,
I work in a bike shop and never reccomend fitting one of these seats on a seatpost.Only fit this on the frame,the seatpost may snap! As said early a bit of modifying mite be needed to fit to frame but shouldn't be a problem.
Thanx,
Max

Hi,

Just about to order a Hamax Siesta for my Cotic soul. Question is, do I need a special adapter as well to go with it or will the standard one work. I notice on wiggle there are different types of support bracket for reclining etc...?!

Jim

Right, been out for a first ride with the seat clamped to the seat post. I ran the post well inside the frame, well beyond the welds and no problems. Seat is pretty high so balance is a bit of an issue though.

Comments above make me think I might be ok to run it on the seat tube though. It comes with rubber liners so won't mark the paintwork. I don't think any adjustments will be needed to the clamp, looks like it'll be fine.

Just need to bite the bullet and....

However.. Reply from cotic themselves

The shop staff were correct, it's not good to use those kind of clamps on the seat tube as it's only 0.6mm thick in the middle. The top 110mm of seatube is sleaved down to accept a 31.6mm seatpost, but lower down the seattube the seat post won't touch the sides so it won't offer any kind of reinforcement. Clamping it to the seatpost itself might not be a problem, but the seat will be quite high and potentially make the

Right, had a play and I can't see how the clamp could fit to the seattube as the front mech bits are all in the way!

So, here's my setup, perhaps Cy might comment if he's about? Obviously not going to do any bonkers stuff on this, just gives me an excuse to take my son out and have a ride too! Only downside I can see so far is my fat thighs rub a little on the clamp so might have to pedal a bit like john Wayne! Oh and yes, seat is pretty high, I've moved it right in close to the frame to reduce the force the seat will put through the seat post.

[IMG] [/IMG]

Good lord

I wonder if the leverage on that setup is any more than would exerted by a rider weighing same as you, plus seat, plus child ? Do you have an idea on the combined weight ?

that looks a bit sketchy to me.
regardless of the lever action on the seatpost, having that much weight so high up and also away from the bike will really mess up the balance and handling.
I ride a Soul with a Weeride seat on, where the weight of seat and kid (~20kg?) is low and between your legs but still has a big affect on handling.

That's how I had mine on a trusty Thomson. Convinced myself the combined weight not much more than someone heavier than me alone. Made my soul's handling interesting, mind.

Just bought exactly the same seat for my fat little pudding child. The instructions are pretty clear that using the seatpost is a Very Bad Idea.

That ^^^ does look pretty sketchy - centre of balance is sooo high. Nice bike!

For the record, my seat is clamped to a Boardman Pro Aluminium frame. If it snaps or folds, I'll have the perfect excuse to buy a decent frame...

Oh, and replace the pads on the shoulder straps with something more substantial. Over the course of a five minute test run, pudding-child's neck got really badly cut up by the straps. Many tears ensued.

Thanks for the replies guys, userremoved, did the instructions say it was bad because of the balance or in case of damage to the bike?

I had a half hours ride with this setup yesterday with my son in and the balance is... Different, but not insurmountable.

Weight wise, I'm 14 stone, so I think 90 kg? My son is 15kg I think, the seat maybe 3,so total around 110-115 kg.

How does the weeride fit then? Is that a better option? Is it easy to take on and off?

Why not buy a cheap bike, 2nd hand, for using with the wee one ? Can't imagine you will get much benefit out of the Soul in that setup and at least that way you wouldn't be likely to break the good one ?

Well if you couldn't manual before you'll be able to now

i had wondered about buying a hack bike from halfords or something just for the seat, but its just sheer space for storing bikes!

If anyone wants it, I've got a kiddie seat in my garage that as well as fixing to the seat tube has two struts to the seatstays as well. I think its a Hamax, no sure what model. Free to a good home as long as collected, Guildford area. I just need to make sure I still have all the fittings!

I'd say you would struggle to control the bike whilst trying to open gates and/or stopping on any kind of incline without the bike trying to loop out / get away from you sideways with the weight that far back / high. I couldn't fit my Polisport Boodie kids seat to my (early) Soul as the front mech cable guide is offset toward the drive side of the seat tube, so fouled the mounting bracket. I kept my Cube Ltd on, partly for jaunts out with the nippers, but even with the seat mounted down low / forward it's a handful when they get to c.15kg IMO.