Thule & Yepp Child Bike Seat Buying Guide
Thule & Yepp Child Bike Seat Buying Guide
So you've decided to purchase a Thule child bike seat, but you're not sure which model is best for your family or even which model will fit onto your bike. This guide will help you determine which Thule or Yepp child bike seat will fit your bike and which model is best for your family. We'll start by introducing the different styles of child bike seats before moving on to more specific details.
Rear Mount or Front Mount?
Choosing whether you child will ride in front of you or behind you is largely a matter of how long you will be using the bike seat or how much your child weighs right now.
Front Mount Child Bike Seats, also referred to as HandleBar Mount Child Bike Seats, can generally be used from 9 months to 3 years old, up to maximum weight of 33 lbs/15 kg*.
Rear Mount Child Bike Seats, which includes both Frame Mount and Rack Mount Child Bike Seats can be used from 9 months up to 6 years old, up to a maximum weight of 48.5lb/22kg*. *Consult a pediatrician for children under 1 year old and check the owners manual of the specific child bike seat you choose for specific weight capacities and other safety notices.
If you plan on using your Child Bike Seat for as long as possible it's best to go with a rear mount model as they can be used for older children. Lots of customers choose to eventually use a bike trailer rather than a bike seat as the children get older. In this case a front mount model may suit your needs better.
Once you have decided whether you wish to have your child ride in front of your or behind you you can decide on the particular style of child bike seat you go with. Front mount bike seats mount to the stem of your handle bars, this is the vertical area under the bars which extends up from the frame. Rear mount child bike seats can attach to either the seat tube of your bike (the vertical part of your bike frame which the seat post slides in to) or onto a pannier rack provided that the pannier rack has a sufficient weight capacity.
Front Mount - HandleBar Mount
Front Mount Child Bike Seats attach onto your handlebar stem (see image below). In order to attach a child bike seat onto your handlebar stem a minimum amount of space is required and the diameter of the stem must be within a certain range. This information is included below.
Shop Front - Handlebar Mount Child Bike Seats
Rear Mount - Frame Mount
Rear, Frame Mounted Child Bike Seats attach to the seat tube of your bike (see image below). This type of child bike seat will fit onto most mountain bikes, road bikes, hybrid bikes, and comfort/cruiser bikes provided that there is enough space along the seat tube for the bracket which holds the bike seat on to be attached. This type of child bike seat will not fit onto full suspension mountain bikes, bikes with carbon frames, and some comfort/cruiser bikes.
Frame mounted child bike seats will fit both round and oval seat tubes with certain diameter range and a minimum amount of space is required along the seat tube for the bracket to attach. This information is included below.
Shop Rear - Frame Mount Child Bike Seats
Rear Mount - Rack Mount
Rear, Rack Mounted Child Bike Seats attach onto your bikes rear pannier rack. This is a metal platform which sits above your rear tire and is often used to carry pannier bags or baskets. Your pannier rack will need to have a weight capacity to accommodate the weight of the bike seat and the weight of your child. Some rear, rack mounted child bike seats fit to the EasyFit Window included with some bike panniers or will clamp onto the outer rails of the pannier rack.
