iBert Safe-T Front Mounted Child Bicycle Seat

My wife, who doesn't ride a bike frequently, had no problem adjusting to this setup. It is very stable. She is 5'8" and her bike allows her to pedal quite comfotably without hitting her knees on the seat. We ride together, but she likes having our 1-year old close, whereas normally she would prefer that I do any extra carrying or transporting, etc. when we do outdoor activities with the baby.

I have only 2 drawbacks with this seat:
1) There is no head support for baby, so when they fall asleep, their head is unsupported.

2) The "stinger", the metal piece that holds the seat to the bike, has to be removed with an allen wrench if you want to switch it to another bike. This is a VERY minor operation, but for long rides it would be nice to switch from one bike to another more easily. So far it looks like a 2nd stinger, also a good solution, would cost $27 shipped, which is steep to me, considering that $27 is about 33% of what the whole seat cost me (shipped). It would be great if a 2nd stinger were included with the seats.

My son loves it. I was afraid I wouldn't be able to keep our balance if we ran into bumpy road but it handled like a champ. It didn't fit on my husband's new mountain bike but it fit well on mine.

I really like this seat. I've used it almost daily since spring came around. I'm a tall rider and have had no trouble with knee clearance. I ride in a fairly busy city most times, with all sorts of bad drivers, and quick maneuvers are no problem.

THAT SAID:

1.
The harness/strap system on this seat is cheaply designed and built and could be greatly improved on. Finding a good snug fit takes some work, and there have been times when my daughter (while falling asleep or twisting to see something fly by) has worked her shoulder out from under one of the straps. Not good on Westminster St.

2.
Speaking of sleep, what would it cost to fix-- or, even better, make a removable/washable-- pad to the crossbar? If your kid falls asleep, there's really no place for them to rest their weary noggin.

3.
The stinger system for mounting the seat isn't as solid feeling as I'd like. If I have to jump on the bike sans kid for a trip to the corner store (seat makes a nifty grocery holder), the empty seat rattles over every bump like it's not really latched on. It is, of course, but there's a too much play, I think.

Overall, it's a great seat. It does the job well. But I can't help but wonder how great it would be if they just took a little more time with it. A better harness, a place for kids to rest their heads and a more reassuring fastening system would go a long way.

This is a very easy seat to put on. I had to raise the handle bars slightly, but the piece is easy to attach and easy to remove for when I am riding solo. I love that I am so close I can leave over and kiss my son. Easy to balance, as they said before. We are riding daily. This has been a great purchase.

** I can see how it could be hard for long legged men. I occasionaly tap the seat with my knees. Probably have to raise it a little higher.

Some history. I own a Burley Solo Trailer, I have used the rear mounted child carriers, and I was a professional bicycle mechanic for 6 years. This is a great product with just a few drawbacks.

First the Pros:
- This is heads an shoulders more stable than a rear mounted child carrier
- Child interaction and supervision
- Fun
- Safer than a rear-mounted carrier
- Ease of mounting could not get much better

Cons:
- This is not for short riders. People under 5'8" will have trouble reaching the handlebars
- The safety harness is horrible but there are some relatively cheap and simple fixes to this problem.
- Safety of child *may* be slightly lower than a trailer style carrier (see notes below)

Installation Tips:
- I would recommend using this on a bike that has "riser" handlebars. The rise in the bar gives extra clearance for the children's legs/feet when getting them in/out of the carrier.
- Grease the threads of the stinger bolts. Grease is always a good thing, and since you are threading into steel you don't want the bolts to corrode.

Strap Modifications:
I would recommend using a baby-seat sternum clip commonly found on Graco SnugRide seats to help keep the straps positioned on your child. Without these, the straps just fall off the child's shoulder and flop down, basically doing nothing once they have fallen off. The strap material on this seat is CHEAP and could use some improvements. This is my biggest gripe.

Getting you kiddo in and out....
-As others have mentioned, putting the safety strap on is only possible without the helmet.
-I would also recommend that you carry shoes seperately and let them go barefoot. The shoes are what get caught under the handlebars and it can be more than uncomfortable if their legs get stuck.

The Burley is generally a safer device simply by design. It generally won't tip over if you do, it has side and top roll-bars to prevent contact with the child and the cement, it has a lower center of gravity which affects the steering none-at-all, and it trails behind with a huge flag letting motorists know that you have a child and to keep their distance. The iBert has none of these things.... but I still use the iBert 10 out of 10 times. Why? I am an accomplished cyclist and still have great control even with the small added weight on the bike's stem so I feel I am **more** manuverable than if I had a trailer. I can fit through smaller spaces, am more agile, can turn, stop and accelerate faster with the iBert than with the trailer. This perhaps negates some of the safety benefits of the Burley. I run 2 rear flashers (even in the day) to help motorists see me which I think helps address rearward visibiltiy issues. Burly trailers have a tendancy to throw up dirt and grit into you childs face because of their placement behind the rear wheel. In addition, if the child is shorter, when wearing a helmet, the seatback forces their helmet and head downwards making it not only uncomfortable but also painful (imagine a bumpy ride with your head being forced downwards while being pelted with road dirt and sand).

I recommend this product without reservation even given its limitations and rider contstraints. The one thing I am NOT looking forward to is putting my child back into the burley when she exceeds the weight limit of the iBert. I seriously doubt she will want to sit in the back once she has a taste of sitting "shotgun".