Time to Ride!

Before Patrick and I even got pregnant, I was eyeing a bike seat for babies. In Germany, where I am originally from, everyone bikes. So if you have a kid, naturally you will have a bike seat for them, or a trailer. While you can use some trailers from just about newborn age up, bike seats are generally only used after one year of age.

I have been patiently waiting for my Lamkin to turn one. I could wait no longer! Since he is 11 months tomorrow, we decided it would be alright to go ahead and get a bike seat.

We got the Bell Cocoon, which you can view here.

There are several things I love about this seat!

First off, it has a 5-point harness. Safety first! It also has a cushioned seat, which the cheaper seats usually don't have. (Speaking of cheap, we got our seat at Toys R Us for $80. Searching for a link for you made me realize I got have saved $20 had I ordered it from Amazon. D'oh!) Second, the sides add extra protection and really do make the seat seem like a cocoon. And third, the lap bar gives Liam something to hang on to and prevents him from leaning forward. Lastly, there is also a light reflector on the back, should I ever chose to ride in the dark (hey, with his sleeping habits these days, I just might try it to get him to sleep!).

We also got him an adorable little helmet with octopi and piranhas on it. He looks super cute.

Since my child doesn't like anything involving sitting, holding still, and *shudder* especially not STRAPS, I wasn't sure if he would like it.

But...see for yourself.

He was quite happy.

He was mainly quiet when I started biking, so I am not 100%  sure about his mood, but he didn't complain and he swung his legs, which usually means he is happy.

I really wished for a rear view mirror so I could see what was going on back there! 

Since we live off the side of a busy highway, we won't be able to leave the neighborhood, but it's better than nothing. We can still get out and feel the (chilly) wind and the (hot) sun on our skin (Florida weather is weird). 

For those of you who are interested in trying one of these yourself but are nervous: don't be! I honestly didn't notice the extra weight at all. It was tiny bit harder to balance initially, until I picked up speed, but other than that, it was a breeze!

I will probably invest in a trailer once we have a second child. I don't have any experience with them myself, but outsidemom.com has a review which you can read here.