How to Attach a Baby Seat to a Bike

two bicycles resting against a fence on a sidewalk image by David Smith from Fotolia.com

Baby seats let you take your child with you on your bike rides. There are different styles of baby seats to choose from: Some attach between your saddle and the handlebars; the most common seats attach to a rear rack, behind your saddle. These rear baby seats will come either as one piece, with the rack and carrier attached together, or the carrier will have the ability to slide on and off the rack. If you have trouble installing your baby seat, take it in to your local bike shop for help.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

Things You’ll Need:

Baby seat
Rack
Set of hex wrenches

Step 1

Bolt the top arms of the rack to the seatstay rack mounts on your bike. These holes should be close to your rear brakes. Use the appropriate size hex wrench and tighten the rack just enough so that the bolts stay in place. Keeping the bolts loose will make it easier to adjust the rack once you've also bolted down the bottom of the rack.

Step 2

Bolt the base rack strut to your bike. The eyelets for the bolts will be close to the rear dropouts on your bike. Using a hex wrench, tighten the bolts just enough to catch the threads.

Step 3

Straighten the rack. Look at the rack from the side and make sure it sits parallel to the ground. It's not safe to attach a baby seat to a rack that leans either forward or backward. Because you left the bolts loose, the rack will move easily, so you can adjust it to the right position.

Step 4

Tighten all the bolts to securely attach the rack to your bike. Start with the bolts of the base struts. Snug the bolts down, making sure not to shift the rack out of position. Tighten the bolts on the top arms next. Use the appropriate size hex wrench and secure all bolts tightly.

Step 5

Attach the baby seat to the rack. Some baby seats come designed to slide on the rack they came with and click into place by a mechanism that doesn't require any further assembly. With these baby seats, make sure the child carrier fits into place and snaps on completely. Shake the seat to make sure it is attached securely.

Tips & Warnings

Always follow the directions in the user's guide for your specific baby seat.

Resources

ibike: Child Carrier, helmet and Bike Safety

Article Written By Kathrine Cole

Kathrine Cole is a professional outdoor educator. She teaches rock climbing, backpacking, cycling, and bike maintenance classes. She is a graduate of the National Outdoor Leadership School, a Wilderness First Responder, and a Leave No Trace Trainer.

Editor's Pick

Backcountry Camping Tips

You've already tried car and RV camping. You've camped at commercial campsites that had a convenient restroom and water supply. Now, you want to explore the road less traveled. Backcountry camping, also known as primitive camping, is a wonderful way to explore the remote...
More Backcountry Camping...
Popular Article

Beach Camping Near Pismo Beach, California

Pismo State Beach, California, has many attractions and activities including camping, swimming, hiking and wildlife viewing. Birdwatching is one of the primary activities in the area. The park also has the largest over-wintering colony of monarch butterflies in the natio...
More Beach Camping...
Featured Video

Common Sense Hiking Tips

The first and most fundamental thing is never hike alone. There are too many situations, especially as an unexperienced hiker, where you may find yourself without anyone to help you. So the buddy system works and applies very much in hiking.
More Camping Basics...