Since our fridge looked sad and empty yesterday, as usual at the end of the week, we decided to take a family ride to Wilson Farm in Lexington. We got our bikes ready, put Dr J in his bike seat and we were good to go. He was really happy to ride on a bike again but I guess that not being able to see forward was making him impatient. Once a while he was lifting up my t-shirt like he wanted to figure out if he would see this way the road ahead.
Unfortunately, on the way back the same thing happened as the last time - he fell asleep. You can't blame him. He is only 16 months old and kids at his age usually take a solid 2-hour nap in the middle of the day. I don't know if you have ever seen a child who falls asleep from exhaustion. Let's just say that you could likely fire a cannon next to him and it wouldn't wake him up. There is absolutely no way to keep him up and there is no way to keep him sleeping in the bike seat. Toddlers are top-heavy, especially when wearing a helmet. It wouldn't be safe for them to sleep in upright position. There are some rear-mounted bike seats that recline, but they do not recline enough to allow for a comfortable nap.
I quickly realized that as great as the bike seats can be (we really like ours!) they are probably designed for a little older children, who don't necessary sleep that much during the day. Obviously, if I want to continue to ride with my son, I have to start looking for another solution.
Baby on bike (Source: unknown, found on Google Images)
Baby on board (Source: unknown, found on Google Images)
The ultimate solution is what's shown above - a specialized cargo bike able to carry large loads and children. There is enough room on such bike to install a mini bed for your sleeping beauty. Unfortunately, it is what it is - a SPECIALIZED solution. Expensive, and quite permanent. A better choice for occasional rides would be simply a bicycle trailer. They are not inexpensive either but they can be attached when needed and can be used for carrying cargo loads if necessary, as well. So now, I keep wondering, should I try a trailer instead? I knew that having children would not be exactly a cheap hobby...
How would you solve the problem of transporting a sleeping baby on your bike?
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