bicycle helmet size 8 image
Mrs. Kelly
I want to get a bike seat for my baby so she can ride with me. What is the minimum age she can be to ride/wear a helmet? Anyone know?
Answer
Obviously a child can't be on a bike until they can safely wear a helmet.
http://www.helmets.org/little1s.htm
Nobody we have met in the injury prevention field recommends taking an infant of less than 12 months in a bicycle child seat, trailer, sidecar or any other carrier. Nobody. And we do not either.
New York state law prohibits it. The US Consumer Product Safety Commission thinks it is dangerous to take a child under one year on a bicycle, and here is their rationale:
Maurice Keenan, MD, from the American Academy of Pediatrics [21], requested that a minimum age of 1 year be reflected on the label for helmets intended for children under age 5. This would better convey the message that infants (children under age 1) should not be passengers on a bicycle under any circumstance.
The Commission agrees with the commenter that children under 1 year of age should not be on bicycles. Children are just learning to sit unsupported at about 9 months of age. Until this age, infants have not developed sufficient bone mass and muscle tone to enable them to sit unsupported with their backs straight. Pediatricians advise against having infants sitting in a slumped or curled position for prolonged periods. This position may even be exacerbated by the added weight of a bicycle helmet on the infantâs head. Because pediatricians recommend against having children under age 1 as passengers on bicycles, the Commission does not want the certification label to imply that children under age 1 can ride safely.
Source: 16 CFR Part 1203 Safety Standard for Bicycle Helmets; Final Rule, page 11726
That explains why you will not find a child helmet on the market sized for a tiny tot. You certainly do not want to ride with a bare-headed child, and in some places it is illegal. In fact, several states have laws against taking children under one year of age on a bicycle, even with a helmet.
Parents love their babies and love their bicycles, so it is natural to want to put the two together. That thought occurs to every bicycling parent, generally before the child is born. We see messages on the Internet indicating that some parents do put their children in baby seats of one design or another and take them along on trailers starting as young as five weeks. Others use a baby backpack. At slightly older ages, people use front or rear-mounted child seats. A few (mostly in the UK) use sidecars. Each has its advantages and disadvantages. A disclaimer: our purpose here is to cover the risks, so you know what you are getting into. We are hearing more these days about undiagnosed brain injuries, with symptoms too subtle for doctors to detect, but very real to families. And that comes to mind whenever someone asks us about babies and biking. We worry about your six-week-old entering the first grade six years from now with a small but detectable mental handicap. That is alarmist; this is an alarmist page.
http://www.ibike.org/education/infant.htm
Infants: Child Seats Vs. Trailers Vs. Backpacks Vs. Third-wheel Cycles
The primary determinant of when an infant can join his or her parents on bike rides is the strength of the the child's neck. Because of the jostling and the additional weight of a helmet (8-10 oz.), this is a few months after a baby can first hold their head up. Note: Some jurisdictions have laws requiring passengers on bicycles to be at least one year old.
Usually by age 12 months parents can start checking with the child's physician to see if they have the neck development to safely go for a bike ride. Most toddlers' neck and shoulder muscles can tolerate the weight of a helmet and absorb shock from bumps in the road at 1 years old.
We know of no comprehensive study on the best method to carry an infant on a bike and there are risks associated with all of them.. Here are some factors to consider:
Obviously a child can't be on a bike until they can safely wear a helmet.
http://www.helmets.org/little1s.htm
Nobody we have met in the injury prevention field recommends taking an infant of less than 12 months in a bicycle child seat, trailer, sidecar or any other carrier. Nobody. And we do not either.
New York state law prohibits it. The US Consumer Product Safety Commission thinks it is dangerous to take a child under one year on a bicycle, and here is their rationale:
Maurice Keenan, MD, from the American Academy of Pediatrics [21], requested that a minimum age of 1 year be reflected on the label for helmets intended for children under age 5. This would better convey the message that infants (children under age 1) should not be passengers on a bicycle under any circumstance.
The Commission agrees with the commenter that children under 1 year of age should not be on bicycles. Children are just learning to sit unsupported at about 9 months of age. Until this age, infants have not developed sufficient bone mass and muscle tone to enable them to sit unsupported with their backs straight. Pediatricians advise against having infants sitting in a slumped or curled position for prolonged periods. This position may even be exacerbated by the added weight of a bicycle helmet on the infantâs head. Because pediatricians recommend against having children under age 1 as passengers on bicycles, the Commission does not want the certification label to imply that children under age 1 can ride safely.
Source: 16 CFR Part 1203 Safety Standard for Bicycle Helmets; Final Rule, page 11726
That explains why you will not find a child helmet on the market sized for a tiny tot. You certainly do not want to ride with a bare-headed child, and in some places it is illegal. In fact, several states have laws against taking children under one year of age on a bicycle, even with a helmet.
Parents love their babies and love their bicycles, so it is natural to want to put the two together. That thought occurs to every bicycling parent, generally before the child is born. We see messages on the Internet indicating that some parents do put their children in baby seats of one design or another and take them along on trailers starting as young as five weeks. Others use a baby backpack. At slightly older ages, people use front or rear-mounted child seats. A few (mostly in the UK) use sidecars. Each has its advantages and disadvantages. A disclaimer: our purpose here is to cover the risks, so you know what you are getting into. We are hearing more these days about undiagnosed brain injuries, with symptoms too subtle for doctors to detect, but very real to families. And that comes to mind whenever someone asks us about babies and biking. We worry about your six-week-old entering the first grade six years from now with a small but detectable mental handicap. That is alarmist; this is an alarmist page.
http://www.ibike.org/education/infant.htm
Infants: Child Seats Vs. Trailers Vs. Backpacks Vs. Third-wheel Cycles
The primary determinant of when an infant can join his or her parents on bike rides is the strength of the the child's neck. Because of the jostling and the additional weight of a helmet (8-10 oz.), this is a few months after a baby can first hold their head up. Note: Some jurisdictions have laws requiring passengers on bicycles to be at least one year old.
Usually by age 12 months parents can start checking with the child's physician to see if they have the neck development to safely go for a bike ride. Most toddlers' neck and shoulder muscles can tolerate the weight of a helmet and absorb shock from bumps in the road at 1 years old.
We know of no comprehensive study on the best method to carry an infant on a bike and there are risks associated with all of them.. Here are some factors to consider:
what kind of bike do i get for casual riding?
lasdkj
I'm looking for a bicycle that's cheap. I might even get one on craigslist.
I just need it to get to campus and back, and between classes.
1. BMX, mountain, road, etc. Or does it not matter?
2. What size? i'm a 5'7 male. All the bikes online say 20' or something. Is that standard?
3. Any tips?
thanks
Answer
las
You buy a bike, just like a car, for the type of use it will get. You don;t but a jetta if you are gonna haul wall board and sacks of concrete. Nix on the BMX. Get a mountain bike if you are gonna ride on mountain trails and rough roads. Get a cruiser or single speed if your needs are short, slow, riding on perfectly flat terrain. If those are not your needs, get a road bike. If you intent is not to race, then get a hybrid bicycle.
At your height, a 52 cm ( 20 inch) road frame will be just fine. The bike will come with wheels that are either 26 or 27 inches on diameter. The hybrid bike will have upright sitting, road type gearing, wider smooth tires, and a light frame. It will provide you with a fast, safe, and smooth ride on streets, roads, paths, and even light trails made of pavement, dirt, grass, gravel, and even packed sand.
For your use, put a rear rack on the back, and attache a large stainless steel basket to it. You can throw in books, soccer bags, even a large bag of groceries with no muss or fuss. You can use this bike for daily commutes, cardio workouts, or even long distance weekends rides in flats or hilly terrain with no problems.
Get two water bottle cages, quick releases for wheels and saddle... helmet, padded cycling shorts (road or mountain) and a cycling jersey shirt. For your emergency use you should get a seat pack with spare tube, tire irons, patch kit, and a frame mounted mini pump.
For security, because of the campus thing, get two locks, a Krypto Ulock, and a Schlage 6 ft x 5/8 inch cable lock (available at Lowe's) to use for securing your bike while at class or the library. Carry the locks in a back pack. If a high loss campus, or if you will be away for a while, take your bike's saddle and front wheel with you. Store your bike vertically, on it's back wheel, in the corner of your apartment or dorm room.... lock it up there too!
Learn how to ride properly. Read up, or ask about 'spinning' on this forum. There is a proper way to ride a bike.... and that is by 'spinning'. It would be like playing tennis without having a back hand stroke, or playing football without knowing how to block or tackle!
Soccerref
las
You buy a bike, just like a car, for the type of use it will get. You don;t but a jetta if you are gonna haul wall board and sacks of concrete. Nix on the BMX. Get a mountain bike if you are gonna ride on mountain trails and rough roads. Get a cruiser or single speed if your needs are short, slow, riding on perfectly flat terrain. If those are not your needs, get a road bike. If you intent is not to race, then get a hybrid bicycle.
At your height, a 52 cm ( 20 inch) road frame will be just fine. The bike will come with wheels that are either 26 or 27 inches on diameter. The hybrid bike will have upright sitting, road type gearing, wider smooth tires, and a light frame. It will provide you with a fast, safe, and smooth ride on streets, roads, paths, and even light trails made of pavement, dirt, grass, gravel, and even packed sand.
For your use, put a rear rack on the back, and attache a large stainless steel basket to it. You can throw in books, soccer bags, even a large bag of groceries with no muss or fuss. You can use this bike for daily commutes, cardio workouts, or even long distance weekends rides in flats or hilly terrain with no problems.
Get two water bottle cages, quick releases for wheels and saddle... helmet, padded cycling shorts (road or mountain) and a cycling jersey shirt. For your emergency use you should get a seat pack with spare tube, tire irons, patch kit, and a frame mounted mini pump.
For security, because of the campus thing, get two locks, a Krypto Ulock, and a Schlage 6 ft x 5/8 inch cable lock (available at Lowe's) to use for securing your bike while at class or the library. Carry the locks in a back pack. If a high loss campus, or if you will be away for a while, take your bike's saddle and front wheel with you. Store your bike vertically, on it's back wheel, in the corner of your apartment or dorm room.... lock it up there too!
Learn how to ride properly. Read up, or ask about 'spinning' on this forum. There is a proper way to ride a bike.... and that is by 'spinning'. It would be like playing tennis without having a back hand stroke, or playing football without knowing how to block or tackle!
Soccerref
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