Transporting your child by bike

Any person over the age of 16 can transport a child by bike and a wide range of equipment is now available.

Paediatricians recommend waiting until a child turns 1 year old before transporting him/her by bike. From the age of six months, you can transport a child on short, safe trips in a baby-carrier.

Trailer

A trailer is light, practical and safe. There are two types of trailer:

• trailers for transporting children at the rear;
• cargo bikes for transporting children at the front.

Trailers are by far the safest means of transport and best suited to children. The City of Geneva and the Swiss Road Accident Prevention Bureau (BPA) strongly recommend using a trailer because:

• they rarely tip;
• children enjoy better protection in the event of an accident;
• they are more visible on the road and less unsettling for the cyclist than a seat.

In Swiss law, a trailer can be used to transport no more than two children. It must not exceed a width of 100 cm and must be fitted with rear lights.

Tandem bike or bar for a child’s bike

When a child knows how to keep his/her balance on a bike, there are two systems enabling the child to cycle along with the adult:

• a tandem bike consists of a third wheel which can be fastened to the luggage carrier of the adult’s bike;
• a bar for a child’s bike is a mechanism linking the entire child’s bike to the adult’s bike.

These systems have the following advantages:

• children participate in the outing;
• children are made aware of the dangers of cycling in traffic;
• they lighten the load carried by the adult cyclist.

Traditional seats

There are two sorts of seat: front and rear.

A front seat can be used to transport children up to the age of 3 and weighing no more than 15 kg. The child is placed between the cyclist’s arms. They feel safe but increase the weight on the handlebars and can hinder the adult.

A rear seat can be used to transport a child up to the age of 7 quite comfortably. This type of seat must protect the child’s feet and must not hinder the cyclist.

Helmet

You are recommended to make your child wear a helmet and to set an example by wearing one yourself.