My wife and I wanted a child seat that would work on my mountain bike with disc brakes. This rack/seat combination has worked perfectly! The variety of extension brackets included make this rack simple to install on any frame with the pre-drilled mounting holes. All you need is an allen wrench, a screwdriver and a pair of pliers or small crescent wrench. It will also work on a standard (i.e. caliper brake) frame, so why not buy this one in case you decide to go with a disc brake bike in the future? It's big enough for our "oversized" toddler to ride in comfort as well. He loves it, we love it, and we would absolutely recommend it to anyone who's looking for a good child bike seat. It's difficult to find (we came to Amazon after being told we'd have to special order it at REI and pay $45 more). Great product. Topeak BabySeat Child Bike Seat with Aluminum Rack (Disc Mount Version)
I received this about a week ago and last night finally worked up the courage to install it (it was pretty intimidating for someone who doesn't know much about tools)! I don't have disc brakes but the disc-mount version works on either type and plus was the same price. Two hours and a trip to the hardware store later, I think the seat is about as secure as it's gonna get (it feels solid as a rock-very secure and very safe looking). One thing that bothered me though was that the allen wrench needed wasn't included in the box (luckily my next store neighbor had one). The instructions, to me, could have been a little more helpful, but I finally (I think!) figured it out correctly. (Another thing that is bothering me-I don't know why it says you need a screwdriver! I never used one...it seems fine but I will definitely get this checked out by my local bike shop before I use it.) The reason for the trip to the hardware store was that the two longer screws needed for one part of the seat weren't long enough (they were M5 x L25...I bought M5 x L30 and they were perfect). We haven't tried the seat out yet but it looks super comfortable and safe. Once the initial installation is done, it seems great. (My local bike shop said they would install for $25, but I figured I'd try it myself.) All in all, seems like a great product-I'll update if I have any problems after our ride today, but my son seemed to love it during our test-sit and looked snug as a bug in there. 4 stars only because of the installation snags I mentioned earlier.
**UPDATE**
I've been using this for about a week now and my son and I absolutely love it. Have had zero problems so far and I am glad that after (much) deliberation on the kind and brand of bike seat to get, I finally decided on this one. A great quality seat, my son is very comfortable and it's very easy for me to use. Would definitely recommend.
This is the old version of the seat. The rack is NOT MTX compatible, unlike the product description at the manufacturer's website. In addition, this has a lower weight limit. I'm really bummed I got this.
Even though my bike doesn't have a disc breaks I got this model to future proof my investment. It took me about 2 hours to install the seat, bike stand and rearview mirror (which I have purchased separately). The supplied instructions are pretty good and all the supplied parts fit together very well. I have used this seat couple of times so far with very good experience for both, the rider and the passenger :-). It is easy to put the baby in and out of it. The straps work very well to hold him in the seat. We have not used the foot straps since it seemed uncomfortable to prevent any movement and the way the seat is positioned on the bike and the shape of the foot rests it is hard to put his feet into the wheel. The seat seems to protect the passenger very well and we had a blast with it. I especially like that having him right behind me allows us to talk and share the experience.
I chose this bike seat because it looked safe, and convenient. Well after the bike having one small fall the plastic clasps that keep the child in place broke instantaneously. Yes thats right, so the bike fell over the clasp broke (making the 3 point harness unusable - child fell through the seat and was choked by the strap around neck. Thank goodness we had a helmet on - and no scratches on the kid (amazingly) but he was forcefully chocked.
This and of itself is enough to make me suggest that you should not buy this item however their customer support was not helpful either. When I spoke to them about the situation they directed me on where I could buy a replacement part. I think this is poor customer service - my concern was first SAFETY. I don't know if I'll do this again. I'm seriously investigating trailers. However, I would have expected that they offer a replacement part free of charge.
Obviously, one hopes the bike never falls over - however when it does you expect it to work. This failed. - Bike Seat - Child Carrier - Toddler Bike Seat - Cycling'
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