Biking with the kids is a great way of enjoying family fun time together. For parents, it’s a way of sharing and passing on your love of the trails and the great outdoors with your little ones. For the kids, it’s all about adventure, the excitement of new experiences in the safety of mum and dad’s care.
But anyone who has tried it knows there are plenty of potential downsides; the worries about safety; the slow pace and struggling kids; the wear of a bike seat on the frame of your pride and joy.
We think the front mounted child seat and tow rope from Shotgun are an awesome way of overcoming these issues. Both are all about getting the kids involved in mountain biking in a safe and fun way that gets them fully engaged in the experience, rather than staring at mum or dad’s back in a rear mounted seat.
With half term only days away and the Easter holidays and warmer weather on the horizon, we think now is the perfect time to get kitted out with these top quality accessories.
The front mounted child seat is aimed at kids aged two to five years old and weighing up to 48lb/22kg. It features adjustable width and angle to work with most mountain bikes, though it’s not intended for hybrid, road or electric bikes. This precision-engineered piece features full rubber protection for alloy or carbon frames and quick release fitting for easy installation and removal. The seat assembly itself includes grippy footpegs for little feet and available separately are Shotgun’s little handlebars, which attach to the centre of the adult’s handlebars.
Shotgun’s MTB tow rope takes the hassle out of hill climbs, allowing you and the kids to tackle longer and more challenging rides together. The tow rope is a natural progression from the front mounted bike seat and is intended for youngsters who are confident on their own two wheels but need a little help up those sharper or longer inclines. Load rated to 500lb/225kg, the tow rope is actually suitable for bigger kids and adults who need assistance too. We’ve tested this and found that the shock-absorbing stretch makes for a comfortable tow uphill and the rope is also quick to attach and remove (it comes with a stem loop and carabiner).
Mike, our Parts & Accessories Manager says, “We’ve brought in this line from Shotgun because we know it’s important for families to enjoy activities together, especially in times like this.
“We think Shotgun have really thought about the seat and tow rope from a biking point of view to give children a real taste of biking while keeping them safe and allowing mum and dad to share the experience with them.
“We can see these being really popular on the trails at Dalby this summer.”
All Shotgun products are normally kept in stock and on display at Big Bear Bikes in Pickering or, our sister shop, Dalby Forest Cycle Hub. At both stores our friendly staff will help demonstrate these products and advise you on their correct use. Our full range of parts, clothing and accessories can be found online at www.bigbearbikes.co.uk
