WeeRide LTD Kangaroo Child Bike Seat

I did a lot of research trying to find a system that would work well for our family. I have a 30 pound almost-3-year-old daughter and a 20 pound 14 month old son. We have a bike trailer that was given to us but I am not comfortable pulling it because I can't SEE them, and because I have heard so much about the weight being a strain if you aren't an avid biker. It needs a few repairs and I wasn't keen on paying for them if i wasn't going to use it. I decided on a front mounted bike seat but was really nervous, because I haven't ridden a bike in several years. I had just purchased a brand new Nirve Cruiser for myself (it's GORGEOUS!) and I wanted something that would fit well, be secure, attractive, and able to be removed if necessary. The Wee Ride line fit the bill and was nicely reviewed. I was really on the fence because I didn't think I really NEEDED the LTD model (extra padding, etc) but I could NOT see putting a red and black model on my pretty new leopard print bike. So I sprung for the LTD model.When the item arrived it was well packaged and I was so excited. Minimal Assembly was necessary (adding the headrest/handrest to the seat) and then I was able to install it on my bike. I installed it in the front yard while watching both kids. It wasn't terribly complicated, but the hardest part was installing it without causing any damage to my current paint job on the bike. I did get one knick near the headstock. I had to use the bolts for the oversize headstock, and it was difficult to get the brackets on as the cruiser has a VERY short headstock. At first I was really worried that it wasn't going to fit, but it was fine. The bracket is VERY secure. I almost had to remove the front basket to get the bracket on. I will let you know right now that there is no way I will be taking that bracket off my bike anytime soon. PROBABLY never. LOL. It would be a huge hassle. I am happy that they offer extra bars for purchase if you want to switch the seat to another bike. However, when attaching the seat to the bar (with just one hand-tightened bolt with a large plastic knob to turn) I had a very hard time getting it to line up and attach right. Once I got it, I also decided that I wouldn't be unscrewing the seat if I could help it. You are able to adjust the distance the seat is from your own bike seat, and I moved mine as close to my handlebars as possible, because I really wanted as much leg room for myself as possible. I have a "cupholder" style drink holder on my handlebars, and I had to turn it around so that it is INSIDE the front basket, or the seat wouldn't fit at all. the cupholder is still not usable when I have the seat attached, which is a bummer, because the seat's headrest/handrest covers it completely.I was nervous about riding, and the weight distribution, so I tried it with no kids first. It was so simple! I barely had to alter my pedaling. I was impressed. I put my older and heavier child in it first. The ride was a breeze. At first I thought that she was "leaning" back and forth as I was pedaling (side to side leaning) and I asked her to stop because it made things a bit wobbly, but I still didn't really feel "unsafe." As soon as she stopped, it was a perfect ride. She loved being able to see what I see, and point things out to me. It was a totally new experience for both of us, and we LOVED it. I went for a ride that was twice as long as I usually do, and longer than I ever anticipated I would go with a her, especially the first time! When we got home, I switched and took my son, who is younger and 10 pounds lighter. I noticed right away that the "leaning" sensation was worse with him. It wasn't because they were intentionally leaning, but it was because he didn't have as good of control of his center of gravity, and his body rocked back and forth with my pedaling. Eventually he got the hang of it and both of them seem to be able to sit more still in the seat. He also loved the ride. I had been mildly concerned about them keeping their hands off the brakes and handlebars while riding. I had no issues with my daughter and almost none with my son. They loved the handrest and it is just perfectly positioned.The only effect I noticed on myself, was that the wider pedaling action, though not really noticeable while riding, did make my butt a little sore afterward. Like different muscles were being used and my butt was not in as good of contact with the seat as it is without the WeeRide installed. Keep in mind I have a large Cruiser style seat. This is SUCH a cool product. We are ordering a second one so that my husband can put one on his bike and we can ALL ride together! HIGHLY RECOMMEND! Please see my uploaded photos on the product page to see what the seat looks like :)

My daughter loo-o-oved this the first few rides we've taken on it and she keeps asking me to "go faster!" She's a generally cautious / fearful personality -- I am pretty sure the front platform and lower, encircled position make her feel safer than she would feel in say an iBert, rear seat, or trailer. I love that her head is right next to mine so we can talk very comfortably even when driving through quite loud areas.After installing the seat, I mounted a bell on the handlebars that she can reach and she loves to "ding" a large fraction of the people and birds we pass.My wife was NOT excited in general about me taking our daughter on bike rides in traffic but after seeing the seat she grudgingly agrees it looks safe compared to the alternatives considered. She even let me take her on a 5 mile ride to daycare which is a strong testament to the apparent safety of the seat, believe me.Mounting system is very substantial and heavy. I love this as it gives me a high level of confidence that even if one or even *two* of the bolts failed for some unbelievable reason, the seat would not go crashing down. The mounting system has gravity as a fallback: even if there were some catastrophic failure, your child is supported by the top tube of the bike and within easy reach of your arms.Four very minor issues that don't dissuade me in any way:1) Can't stand up and have to ride with knees splayed. This is true even after you drop your kid off at daycare so don't expect to be making record time with this mounted on the bike. To mitigate this inconvenience, it's very, very easy to remove the seat but leave the mounting system if you don't need it for a while.2) The foot rests are not very low, even in the lowest setting. Our daughter is short for 2.5 years old and even she finds them a bit too high, and took her feet out a couple times until I explained that was not safe. (Actually it doesn't seem like she'd get her feet anywhere near the wheel even with them free, just being paranoid...)3) When no child is in the seat the footrests shake and vibrate quite a bit making a racket. Could have been solved by putting a simple plastic brace between them to stop the shaking.4) (likely specific to my bike). My handlebars are narrow and occasionally she puts her hands around the platform and gets bumped by the brake cables around turns. She complains quietly about it, nothing serious...I would buy this again if we got another bike seat... which we may, given that #2 will be able to ride in a few more months!UPDATE 8/2015: This still gets regular use as a commuter seat for our #2! We went for a rear seat for the second seat as our eldest outgrew this seat. Her legs get bumped by the flat bike handlebars now when I turn even though she is still easily within the weight limit for the seat. Depending on their size, I'd say this seat may last to a child reaching age 2.5-3.5 years. Very happy with this seat and it has held up very well to our level of use (couple times a week commuting 5 miles each way to childcare, weekend rides from time to time.)