Customer Reviews

Bell Classic Bicycle Child Carrier

5 star:		(17)
4 star:		(13)
3 star:		(9)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

We purchased the Bell Classic Bicycle Child Carrier based on its reviews and as an economical choice for our almost 2-year old who will only get about 1 year's use from it.

Now that it is on and we have test driven it, we like how he fits in it, and we feel comfortable with the safety it provides. It is nice, but not exceptional.

But getting the seat on....

Suffice to say that, as best as we can determine, this Child Carrier is made to attach to a road bike and not a hybrid bike, like ours (a Trek 7000). Our frame is thicker than that of a road bike, so attaching the seat to the rear fork was just barely possible with the hardware supplied. It was possible, but squeezing the brackets around the fork so that they were close enough for us to even begin tightening the nut took a lot of muscle! We also had the same problem as another reviewer, in that our bike has a quick-release seat, and does not have the kind of seat post bolt that the seat needs to be attached. We were able to remedy that by removing the quick-release mechanism, going to the local hardware store to purchase a 1/4-inch hex bolt (which fit in our bike's seat bracket), and using that instead of the provided 8 mm Hex Bold.

At one point in our construction of the Child Carrier, we got particularly frustrated, and tried to find some customer support. There was a 1-800 number, which was closed on the weekend, and absolutely zero on-line support. I have gotten used to having some sort of on-line resources available to me, even if it is only a copy of the owner's manual, so the absolute lack of *anything* was very frustrating. (There is plenty of information for Bell bicycle helmets, but nothing for the child carrier.)

So bottom line, if you have a hybrid bicycle (or, heaven forbid, a mountain bike), be aware that it might not assemble as easily as it should, and you may need to make an extra run to the hardware store!

I purchased this child carrier seat for when we visit the grandparents. At home a have a trailer that both of our kids ride in. This little bike seat was perfect for the occastional use. Some of the 'shields' that are meant to protect the child from the wheel are a little flimsy, so I would not want to take them on and off on a regular basis. Once it's on the bike, it should probably stay there. But for our purposes where I didn't want to spend hundreds of dollars on a second bike trailer to be used for maybe a month out of the year, that was great bang for the buck. I had my 2 year old riding in the back and he was perfectly happy & safe.

I wasn't looking for the cheapest option, but figured I'd go with this model since it seemed to have about the same reviews as the $120 alternatives. Well, I was a shocked when I saw how flimsy the actual body of the carrier was. I'd like to say it was sturdy when it was installed, except that the bottom mounts for the metal supports were so warped there was no way to mount the seat. You may think this is a rare occurrence, that is until you look at the non-'New Classic' model reviews (still listed as model 109459).

Also, don't bother if you have a quick-release seat on your bicycle. In fact, if you love or even remotely like the child you intend to use this with, don't buy this product.

This seat was easy enough for my wife to install properly the first time by herself. My son's feet fit fine in the stirrups and he feels safe when we ride. The seat is very sturdy and I'm still trying figure out what one of the other reviewers was referring to when they said that this seat wasn't safe (I think they probably installed it incorrectly). You really can't go wrong with this seat and the price is likely the best you'll find. The only thing that might bother someone is that the safety bar of the seat might touch your bottom; but it really doesn't inhibit me from being comfortable or pedaling.

I bought this as a cheap option that would let me try out riding with my kid. I have a Specialized Hard Rock that has a quick-release seat post that is incompatible with the seat.

The instructions call for a bolt attachment on the rear part of the seat post, so if you don't have that it won't work out. The bottom brackets attach via friction/clamping onto the lower diagonal wheel legs that should work on any bike, but the seat post is the deal breaker. Hope it works better for you.

I bought this carrier to mount to a new mountain bike with dual suspension. It does not fit it and is going back to the store. I am new to biking for recreation and no where in my Mongoose manual NOR the BELL manual did it say not to use it for this type of bike. I went to a specialty shop for advice. DO NOT BUY THIS SEAT unless you have a cruiser type bike.....there are no guidelines as to which bikes it will fit. I am going to have to decide on a center mounted seat or a trailer if I want the whole family to go for a ride together.

I bought this "easy to install" seat thinking I could take my son somewhere tomorrow (and beyond), as I won't have a car. Looks like we aren't going anywhere.

I have been trying to install the seat for over two hours now, and I decided it was time to take a break when my eye started twitching. My hands are scraped up, my back hurts. This is not going well at all. I've installed car seats, put together cribs and strollers and furniture, replaced light fixtures, and countless other little projects without really having any big issues, so I didn't think a bike seat would pose much of a challenge.

An hour after opening the box and surrounding myself with parts and pieces... I thought I might have finally finished. I took the bike around the driveway a few times. First off, My rear end barely fits on the seat, because the bar is in the way. And I'm a smaller-than-average person.

So, two hours down the drain, my seat and the post it once lived in have become mysteriously incompatible. I can't get the bolt on the seat post tight enough, and I don't see how anyone could get it any tighter than it is. I am pretty sure I damaged (probably broke) our socket wrench. Yet the seat twists around while I'm riding on it and will not remain raised. This wasn't a problem before. Also, the brackets that are supposed to fit on the bars over the tires don't fit at all (the bars are too thick) and one of the brackets was made incorrectly (it is bent at the top instead of the bottom). I hope I can get it replaced. I thought I could use a bunch of zip ties through the hole until I got the part replaced, but it isn't solid. Maybe a longer bolt.

Also... The straps don't thread through the seat like they do in the picture, they go over the plastic. Which I'm not crazy about because the plastic seat itself feels pretty cheap and thin. I don't think it is meant to withstand a lot of pressure from straps pressing against the curved edge. The straps also could be pulled through the clips pretty easily, which is a pretty huge safety issue in my opinion. If I can ever get the rest of the seat to work, I would have to fold the ends and sew them.

Good quality product at a great price. Not as cushy or substantial as some others, but not as pricey either. This is a great way to ride with your little one securely. We are very happy with this purchase. One note, the 'handle bar' gets in the way when my husband rides, so we don't use it and the leg openings are a little small for older toddlers. Otherwise, no problems.

The seat was easy to install. We have used it several times and I feel safe and secure having my son on it. I wouldn't recommend uninstalling and reinstalling. Just keep the seat on the bike permanently until your child outgrows it.

This is the second spring we use this seat. When we first purchased it, it spent one month in our garage; because it didn't fit on my Trek 3700 or my husband's Giant Boulder Se. Finally my husband bought longer bolt in hardware store and attached it to Giant. To attach the seat he removed quick release seat bolt and replaced it with longer one from hardware store (provided one was to wide for bike wholes, and the one on the quick release system on bike was to short. It also took a moderate fiddling with attaching to the wheel; because of the derailleur system. After being installed the seat is very sturdy and secure. Our child loves it. We go riding every day. It also has leg protectors, which is excellent. Be careful with attaching the straps, they are flimsy. You need to get used to rear weight. It takes little practice. The seat is very close to bike seat, and our 22 months old boy who is 34 3/4" high was kicking our legs with his legs. Now we taught him to keep his feet in provided slots and it is fine now (but we ended up with bruises before that). For the price it is excellent, sturdy seat. Bell should really include two sets of bolts: for the old fashioned ones (provided), and for all the all terrain/mountain bikes (not provided). At the end we are happy with this product.