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Found: Tandem Tot – A front mounted Child carrier

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Tired of pulling that child in a trailer?  Don’t like having your kid in a child seat behind you?  Tandem Tot aims to put the fun back into riding with your offspring by mounting them directly in front of you. The system is comprised of a saddle that clamps to your top tube, as well as a set of pegs that clamp to your down tube. Adjust the position of both pieces to fit your child to your bike.

Is it safe? Well, umm…their website says this:

“Tandem Tot is a simple, sleek front-mounted child carrier for bikes. Typical child transport products for bikes focus mainly on safety features & comfort. While these considerations are extremely important, Tandem Tot also takes “fun” into account when bike riding with kids.”

Cost for the Tadem Tot is $125 and it’s sold direct from their website.

I can’t wait to read the comments on this one.

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Duck Taper
Duck Taper
11 years ago

Lawsuit recipe
Step 1: Little foot trapped between wheel and fork.
Step 2: Bike endos.
Step 3: Daddy’s weight drives junior’s head into the pavement.

ivan
ivan
11 years ago

flashback to my childhood)
when I was a child(early 90th) it was still popular in Russia to carry children like this
and of course all of this seats were homemade

a-menneske
a-menneske
11 years ago

That kind of child seat have been used where I live for as long as I can remember.

http://www.adelineadeline.com/kids/child-seat-1.html

Hardly a new idea
Hardly a new idea
11 years ago

Those have been around for donkeys years, I pass a couple of people using them on my way to work most days. The more refined version of the same idea is:

http://www.amazon.com/iBert-Safe-T-Front-Mounted-Bicycle/dp/B000H4E7EO

The poor man’s version is to just have the child sit side saddle on the top tube, something I see quite a bit if I’m on the bike near schools round here.

Hardly a new idea
Hardly a new idea
11 years ago
Abe
Abe
11 years ago

Looks like it will be fun until a kid’s foot goes into the spokes. Other than that I actually like it. I’ve used the front mounted ibert seat for both of my kids and they’ve loved it, so I would welcome something that would work for bigger toddlers. There’s a UK co. that has made something similar, but has straps to hold the kid’s feet in place.

Hardly a new idea
Hardly a new idea
11 years ago

Or just go the dedicated bike route…

http://www.hardwaresphere.com/2009/05/10/taga-stroller-a-good-alternative-to-zigo-bike/

Although cargo bikes are probably better all rounders.

WG
WG
11 years ago

lovely!

Azibi
Azibi
11 years ago

It already exists in the netherlands for many years: http://hollandbikeshop.com/fietszadels-zadelpennen/kinderzadel-op-framebuis/

A total set including foot pegs cost about 35 euros.

larsv
larsv
11 years ago

as a Dutchy, i have to say: what’s new?

http://www.giezentweewielers.nl/admin/uploads/pappazone.jpg

Any idea that encourages people to ride their bikes more is a good idea though 🙂

mumbadownunder
mumbadownunder
11 years ago

Child’s feet are too close to the front wheel. If they contact the trailing edge of the front wheel they could be sucked into the fork.

WannaBeSTi
WannaBeSTi
11 years ago

Like the iBert, my first thoughts are…. Baby Air Bag.

mvogt
mvogt
11 years ago

My dad used to put me on one of these, oh man, almost 25 years ago. It was great fun, and being so young I had no idea what “inherent risk” was. We never had a crash, either. If I ever have a kid we’ll have one of these, but only on the quietest of roads with the widest shoulders.

Brian Van
11 years ago

Looks to be no more unsafe than any other bicycle/child combo, in that one could not picture having a problem with this on a clear open path, but it seems to do little to protect anyone in case of a routine (driver brainfart) car accident. But then again, that is the case with almost anything involving a standard bicycle.

Probably better to have some sort of dorky three-wheeled cycle or sidecar setup where everyone is well-assured that they won’t be thrown off the top of a saddle in case of a minor incident. But if you’re replacing one of those rear attach-a-tandem devices or rear-rack child seats, well, at least you can see your kid with this one.

Sir Eddy
Sir Eddy
11 years ago

Nothing new about this at all. These have been around in the Netherlands for 20+ years. Never heard of anyone getting their foot stuck in a spoke. That’s pretty damn hard to do with a moving wheel.

R
R
11 years ago

Does that pile of Diamondback come with your $125 purchase of two pipe clamps and some rubber bits? Probably best to put that money towards a sweet insurance policy that you’ll inevitably have to use when your moron kid does an accidental foot jam and makes you both otb. This is why I don’t ride “greenways”. Roads and trails are safer than people riding around on bike paths with kids dangling off their death traps. They should sell these to Walmart so we can go ahead and knock off the next generation of idiots earlier than later.

Topmounter
Topmounter
11 years ago

@Sir Eddy Exactly, but there is “no potential risk too small” for the nanny-staters.

Sevo
Sevo
11 years ago

And just when you thought you couldn’t make the old baby killer bike seat concept any worse…..these guys come along.

DSaul
DSaul
11 years ago

Aside from the concerns for child safety, thin walled bicycle tubing was not meant to support weight in that manner. The tubing is meant to be strong in compression or tension, it is not meant to support a lateral load. It also may work for straight gauge Wal Mart type bikes, but I see some crushed top and down tubes from those clamps being overtightened on high end bikes.

Mark W.
Mark W.
11 years ago

this will work get on my viking giro when i take the kid to school

Justin
11 years ago

This crap has been around for years…

Calle
Calle
11 years ago

The kids dad is wearing a Beer Shirt, Imperial made in Costa Rica!! haha Make your own decisions about whats worse the seat for the child or the drunk dad.

Nick
Nick
11 years ago

@DSaul:

what do you ride with your kids? your IF? Appel? c’mon.

Shanghaied
Shanghaied
11 years ago

$125? These things are all over the place in China and cost less than a tenth of that. Someone’s hoping to make a quick buck it seems. Incidentally in China they even have plastic ponchos with a little “chest-burster” hood on the front so that the kid can her head out on a rainy day.

Also kids nowadays need to harden up, back when I was a kid I sat sidesaddle on the top tube, no fancy seats required.

Doesn't matter
Doesn't matter
11 years ago

Today I came upon 1/2 dozen 12-14yr.-olds on the trail..NONE with helmets!!

The “clever” one in response to my “nice helmets guys” comment..rejoinders.

Yeah I lost mine..hehehe

What difference does it make if their parents endanger them as toddlers or are such dumb-asses as to not insist they wear helmets as adolescents..the result are the same.

Psi Squared
Psi Squared
11 years ago

Where’s the video of the dad descending the Stelvio with his kid on one of these?

Bart
11 years ago

Nice riding Jeans!

Robert
Robert
11 years ago

In the Eddy Merckx documentary “La Course en Tete”, made late in his career (1974?) there is footage of Eddy riding a young Axel Merckx to school using one of these exact type of child seats.

DJ
DJ
11 years ago

I ride with an 18 month old in an ergobaby and it has been -by far- the best for riding around. I may like this for when he’s in the 40 lb weight range though.

PaulM
PaulM
11 years ago

That’s nigh on identical to the Leco top Tube seat I used for my son between the age of 2 1/2 and 3 1/2. Difference was i didn’t bother with the fott-bar, he put his feet on the top of the fork-crown. Used it daily for the nusery-run and managed a few 10km rides also. Never had any problems (except for clamping it to a too-thin aluminium frame, but that’s another story)

As its just a saddle, it beats the iBert style seat as there’s space to get your knees around it, much easier to ride that way.

As for injuries and lawsuits, if you’re going to be like that, will you ever let your kids actually ride a bike?

huelse
huelse
11 years ago

Old thing in Germany…and also former GDR.
Now (or maybe since a few years) bannded by German law because of safety reasons: your child acts as your airbag in case of frontal collision…Fall height is also very high.

Ydnar
Ydnar
11 years ago

“Sevo – 10/21/12 – 11:35am

And just when you thought you couldn’t make the old baby killer bike seat concept any worse…..these guys come along.”

Agreed! I call the child carriers “Baby launchers”
Just because people have been using them for a long time doesn’t make them ok. Trailer is the only way to go. Inclosed and harnessed in.

KP
KP
11 years ago

Lawn dart child! Classic!!!

tamsn
tamsn
11 years ago

the ones worried about legs getting into spokes may look at this picture (and the device in the critical spot):
http://s1.directupload.net/images/121022/mn44stlh.jpg

tamsn
tamsn
11 years ago

P.S. if you look carefully in the picture above you can see the rotatable devices for kids foot at the upper fork. you can push this down and the feet can be placed there.

The Goats
11 years ago

This looks like a great way to carry a kid and expose them to the joy of cycling fast. Kids brains develop in response to input and having a kid ride up front and experience more of the ride as it really is will probably make for a keener and better rider later. Really, think about it, formative years in a kid seat on the rear looking at dads ass crack. This is MUCH better!

I had lawn darts – LOVED THEM.

Goats

Tobin
Tobin
11 years ago

My 2 year-old and I have been using the Tandem Tot since May. I love it because 1) my boy is 100% engaged with the bike and the ride, 2) I’m in constant communication with him, 3) it’s safer in some respects than than any other child carriers, 4) it’s way more fun than any other carriers, and 5) it’s perfectly simple and requires no extra storage space or maintenance.

I was initially concerned about my boy catapulting over the handlebars of my fairly aggressive hybrid commuter setup if I had to brake really hard. He needed a higher grip, so I just turned my handlebar extensions up and in. Now my boy’s got this wide stable grip at chest height and it’s totally relieved my “catapulting” concern.

I have zero concerns about his feet catching in the spokes – the physics only make it possible at very slow speeds and his feet would have to be dangling way below the foot pegs. It just hasn’t been an issue for us. His hands and feet are always right in place, and he just seems to take the whole riding thing seriously, which I enjoy coaching him on. True, if we go down, he’s falling from a few feet of the ground and he’s not strapped in. But, I totally outweigh this with the fact that if we go down, in many scenarios, I’m going to be holding him tight to my chest. His helmet protects his skull and if he breaks an arm of leg, well, that sometimes happens when kids fall off things. Doesn’t cost me sleep.

What worries me – with or without my boy on – are cars and inattentive drivers and I take precautions all the time for this, mainly by sticking to back streets and sidewalks whenever there’s traffic without good bike lanes. The Tandem Tot reduces traffic related risks in two ways: 1) My balance and control are not adversely affected at all, whereas they are hugely affected when carrying 20-40 lbs high up on a rear rack. 2) I never have to turn back to talk or check on my boy, which invariably causes a bike to swerve. These two allow me to ride just as safe as if I were by myself – except that I’m riding a hell of a lot my carefully because my precious little boy is in my lap, and because he’s learning to do everything that I’m doing. So I role model safety for him.

My final word: if you are super safety conscious (and have a big garage and nice local bike paths), then go with a child trailer setup. If you feel like you yourself can manage the risks involved and want to have a LOT OF FUN with your child and have him or her learn everything about biking, then there’s no better way to go than the Tandem Tot.

Tobin

Lennae
Lennae
11 years ago

I concur 100% with Tobin’s comments. My own 2 cents after using the Tandem Tot for over a year now: this is one of the best systems to transport your child without having a bunch of gear you would have to take on and off or tote around with you when you don’t have your little one with you. Hands down.
The safety concerns brought up are obviously written by people who haven’t ever tried the Tandem Tot. My kid’s feet have never come close to getting caught in my spokes. Nor would I want to strap his feet in, like in the Euro seats, because if I did fall or crash….I would want him to be able to move his feet/body to respond to the incident. Strap in systems give the rider a false sense of security that their child is somehow safe. Riders need to be more responsive and aware and communicate with their tot to ensure safety. Wtih my kid right in front of me I can tell him to watch out for bumps, holes, etc. and he responds by tightening his grip and focusing his attention just as I would.
I think before you knock the Tandem Tot…you first have to try it for yourself.

Debbie
Debbie
11 years ago

To all you naysayers…I say, don’t knock it till you try it. The first time I used Tandem Tot was in 2002 with my 3 year old daughter. I’d place my newborn son in a back seat carrier & my daughter on the Tandem Tot & could easily ride around town with both kids. We live in a very bicycle friendly community and I have put many miles on our Tandem Tot. My daughter is now 14 and my son is 10 and neither every injured themselves on our Tandem Tot. And guess how they get themselves to school everyday now? That’s right…they ride their bikes (or sometimes longboard) and I have no doubt that the many years spent on the Tandem Tot have lent to their street savvy awareness of traffic and safe riding skills today. I’d only discourage those who lack common sense from using Tandem Tot…or ANY child carrier system for that matter. Stay home & play video games safely inside on your couch.

Kristen
Kristen
11 years ago

I too, have been using the Tandem Tot for a couple years now. My daughter was 2 1/2 yrs. old when she first got on! She is now 5 and I still ride her on it. I have a cheap bike, no special metals and never has it caved in or collapsed like a previous commenters concerns. I used to use an enclosed bike trailer and never felt safe with it trailing behind me! I once witnessed a child on one of those attached bikes they can peddle themselves and the parent was pulling forward to cross the street and the boy was not paying attention and flew of the back of the bike on to his head in the road! I love having the action in front where I can see what’s going on and be in control of her safety. These people who are so worried about it should look at all the rear bike carriers. This gives her the ability to watch and learn traffic safety and awareness. It would like taking driving lessons in the back seat of the car. Obviously, the earlier they learn safety on the road the better. For those who say this has been around forever, I have been alive since 1965 and never seen anything like this. Yes, they have front carriers with full back seats, but his is much better and compact, easier to control the bike with and gives them the feeling of riding the bike themselves. I highly recommend the Tandem Tot!

Chris
Chris
2 years ago
Reply to  Kristen

If you still have, I’d like to buy!

Cart
Cart
11 years ago

What happened to all the folks who never tried this system, spouting off? A good thing was going there until folks who used it shared their opinions. What’s up people?

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