The iBert-safe-T seat is a front mounting bike seat so you can actually interact with your child and they enjoy the view other than the back of your head. Here's a blog post about it from our friends at New York Outdoors Blog.  

Here's some info from the company: "We didn’t like the rear-mounted seats because our kids just got to see our backsides and it was tough to talk to them. Again, NOT FUN. The balance of the bike was off and the safety issues made us nervous. The safety advantages of our seat are that you always maintain control of the bike when loading and unloading your child, you can see what your child is doing at all times, and the center of gravity is closer to the center of the bike making it easier to control.

We tried other front mounted seats. They were complicated to hook onto the bike. And once you got them attached, it was another long process if you ever wanted to remove them. The biggest problem we had with the other front mounted seats is that we had to ride bow-legged and it was uncomfortable to ride for very long."

 photo by Beth Nazario   

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Totcycle has posted a great article on cycling with kids of all ages.  It starts:

"Now that I'm a self-styled family biking expert , I do get asked a bit about what bike or seat is best for such and such family configuration. And I'm always happy to answer at greater length than is perhaps hoped for.

So here it is, my opinionated take on what bike setup you need for you and yours. I should note my biases: for cycling a la familia I like big sturdy practical bikes with cargo capacity. Because you'll soon want to do a lot more than drive your bikes to Sunday toodles along the bike trail, and having some ever-ready cargo ability makes bikes so much more practical for errands, school dropoffs, and everyday cycling ...

I also don't love bike trailers, which seem to be the default way to bike with young kids in this country. Yes, they're easy to find, let you ride your existing road or mountain bike without much modification, work well with narcoleptic toddlers, and have good weather protection. BUT - the awkward maneuvering, lack of interaction with your kids, and the intense dislike or, at best, tolerance that they inspire in passengers (my daughter won't ride in a trailer unless another kid is along, which works until the squabbles start) make me unenthusiastic about trailers. In some respects, they might be safer than some of the other options below, but they can and do tip over.

If you like to ride bikes for the wind on your face, swoopy turns, the sensation of self-powered speed, and getting to experience the world around you with all of your senses ... then so will your kids! if you're a reasonably confident & careful rider, don't miss the delightful conversations and shared delight that comes with riding together on a family bike. Get giddy..."  (read whole article)

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You've waited until your baby is old enough to transport and have decided whether to use a bike trailer or child carrier -- now here's some advice on routes and safety.

Picking A  Route (from Fit Family - Chapter 5)

• Speed limit
• Width of shoulder
• Condition of road – major cracks along the bike lane can be annoying and/or hazardous
• Traffic – roads that are busy during the commute hours may be quiet during off hours
• Places to stop along the way (a park, café, convenience store) – especially if you’re on a long ride and need to fuel up and get the kids out, diapers changed, etc.
• Shade – on hot summer days opt for shady routes that will keep everyone cooler and somewhat protected from the sun
• Prep time and energy required if you have to drive to your riding location (loading/unloading and assembly of bikes/equipment can be a chore)

Padding

"Trailer arrangements can be better if you support the child's head on both sides with padding so it cannot bobble around too much, particulary when they doze off and you are not aware of it. But seated upright or reclining in a trailer the baby also needs a pillow behind them to provide clearance for their helmet in the back. Without the pillow their chin is forced down toward the chest by the thickness of the back of the helmet. Even if you use a child carrier that keeps the baby perfectly stable, the child will be subjected to a rougher ride than you will be on your bicycle." (from Bicycle Helmet Safety Institute)

Debris
"Unknown to riders sitting high above the ground, bike wheels throw up a surprising amount of dirt and grit, even on apparently dry pavement. On gravel, this becomes a veritable shower. Adding moisture makes it even worse. We've been amazed at the amount of crud plastered on the front and even the top of our trailer, despite having full fenders on the towing bicycle. All this debris will fly into the face of an infant in a [forward facing] trailer unless the front covers are in place. Infants may lack the communication skill to report this bombardment, and recognition of the problem may not come before the first eye injury. In addition, breathing swirling street dust cannot be healthy." (from Bicycle Helmet Safety Institute)

photo by markwgallagher

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      Cyclist parents love their babies and love their bicycles, so it is natural to want to put the two together.  While waiting for the baby to be old enough, you have several options to consider to bring the child along.  The primary two are bike trailers and bike child seats.

Trailers usually come in bright colors to make them visible to drivers. They also come with an attachable safety flag to draw more attention at eye level. Most trailers connect to an adult bike frame at the chain stay via a metal arm that keeps the trailer upright even if your bike tips over. (These are more stable than those connected at the seat post.) There have been rare instances where a trailer rolled over so most models come with a roll bar and a five-point harness. The better trailers are lighter and are easy to breakdown and stow away. Bike trailers offer protection from the elements via a plastic flap that snaps to the aluminum frame. The family that passed on their trailer to us said that they rode in downpours and their kids stayed bone dry. On fair weather days, the mesh flap allows for ventilation. Some parents have told me that despite the sun protection from the tinted side windows, sun still sneaks in through the mesh flap -- so remember the sunscreen (which you’ll need anyhow for stops). 

While trailers generally ride along smoothly, they do generate added resistance on the uphills in addition to a pushing effect on the downhills. Unless you’re looking for a strength workout, you may want to steer clear of hilly routes.

Child Carriers
    Child carriers are child seats mounted in front or in back of the adult rider. They tend to raise the center of gravity and can make your bike unstable, particularly as the child gets heavier. But, while bike trailers are considered safer than child seats, a child seat is a practical mode of transport that offers convenience and affordability. These seats work well for short outings and for young or small children. Since the child fits snugly into the seat, you may be able to use a child seat a little earlier than a trailer in the infant stage. Many child seats are rated for use as early as six months but you still have to consider the same factors as you do with bike trailers.  The trickiest part of using child seats is getting the child loaded into the seat while balancing the bike and dismounting when you stop and maintaining balance. With a little practice, it should not be a problem.

A benefit of the child seat is that your child is right near you and therefore easier to communicate with. A child carrier may also be a good option for families looking to transport just one child – whether it is an only child or a younger child with an older sibling who is already riding independently.

The downside of the child seats, rear or front, is that they alter the center of gravity of the bike, which can become uncomfortable for a long ride. Kids also outgrow them sooner than they do trailers. Though rear seats usually have a weight capacity of 40 lbs (common for 4 to 5 year olds), many kids and parents find the set-up to be better up to 30 lbs (closer to 3 years of age). Other things parents have to watch out for – making sure that kids aren’t carrying something that will drop into the spokes and paying attention to loading and unloading the child, a common place for spills. Child seats lack the protection of trailers, but they do offer kids a higher vantage point and the sun and wind on their face, which can be a good thing.

top photo by Howard N2GOT     bottom photo by author

this article was adapted from Chapter 5 of Fit Family

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Whether you’re using a bike trailer or a child seat, most doctors and safety experts say that you should wait until your baby is about a year old before you take them along for a ride – so that the infant can hold his head up and maintain position for the trip.
"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 infant’s 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, including New York, have laws against taking children under one year of age on a bicycle, even with a helmet." (Bicycle Helmet Safety Institute)

Though infants are sitting up and often walking around by age one, the extra weight of a helmet plus the bouncing of a bike ride must be factored into the back and neck strength that your child needs. Some parents rig a baby car seat into their bike trailer to help with stability. Even in the bike trailer, your child should have a helmet on and it should fit snugly. Helmets that are rounded in the back, rather than aerodynamic, may be a better fit for riding in a bike trailer. 

top photo by Tom Thurston     Three trailer photo courtesy of Norm Greenberg and Tracyn Thayer

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