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I LOVE my Strida, but have noticed that the only way to transport kids with it is in a trailer, which seems to defeat the purpose of a compact bike.

I've seen a crazy expensive Brompton bar attachment that becomes an extra kid seat in front of your seat (Here's a thorough review of it: http://documentally.com/2011/08/20/a-child-seat-for-a-brompton-folding-bike-review/) but it doesn't seem to be available any more.

Any other options that combine any folding bike with a child seat?

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    When it comes to children and bicycles I'm guessing you can't have your cake and eat it too.
    – Scott Hillson
    Commented Oct 17, 2012 at 19:30
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    Well, if the Brompton bar attachment thing or something like it were available to buy somewhere, you certainly could. I've seen a custom job on a Strida but nothing commercially available on that front.
    – spongefile
    Commented Oct 17, 2012 at 19:35
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    What about a backpack? Probably not the best idea. Depends how fast you plan on going. Might get child services called on you. (mec.ca/AST/ShopMEC/Packs/ChildCarriers/Carriers/PRD~4011-890/…)
    – Kibbee
    Commented Oct 17, 2012 at 19:37
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    I would not recommend a backpack. I have 20+ years climbing mountains while carrying 25+kgs over seriously rugged terrain I do not consider carrying my child in a back pack on a bike safe...
    – mattnz
    Commented Oct 17, 2012 at 20:20
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    @Kibbe "child services called on you..." not any more than with a ShelBroCo Carrababy: sheldonbrown.com/carrababy.html
    – heltonbiker
    Commented Oct 17, 2012 at 20:59

3 Answers 3

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If you go with one of the bigger, more solid folding bikes you can use a standard child seat. With most smaller-folding bikes you'll run into weight limits even if you can get one to fit - they're often only rated for 90kg or so, which means that even a light 60kg adult and a 10kg child doesn't leave a lot of margin for "it wasn't designed for this" stresses.

Montague is probably the most obvious, they make full size bikes that pivot to fold. Bike Friday officially note that it's possible but they recommend a trailer, and they also sell the "Haul-a-day" stuff which looks like a longtail setup for the Friday.

enter image description here enter image description here

I suspect adding the longtail turns a Bike Friday from something that can be dismantled in half an hour into a small package into something that takes longer to dismantle and afterwards you have a bit pile of bike parts.

Pere make an accessory for mounting a second seat between the riders legs on a Brompton, and on AliExpress I found the one below that should fit most bikes and take a standard child seat:

enter image description here

Any seat that mounts to a rear rack can probably be attached to a folding bike that has a rear rack, but a lot of them will render the bike non-foldable. The cunning Birdy folding rack, for example, won't fold properly with the footrests of a couple of child seats that we tried.

The BoBike seat that sits over the rear wheel but mounts to the seatpost will work on many folding bikes.

bobike seat on folding bike

This blog post from Chicagobike has more discussion ("Carrying Kids on Folding Bikes") and some useful advice and experience.

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  • +1 for the over the rear rack bike seats, (very common where I live) and I remember a post on a blog or forum from quite a while back where they converted a Bromtom into a tandem by adding a child seat as well as a drive train. (Front wheel only, I believe.) Still foldable, if my memory serves me right.
    – Willeke ♦
    Commented Jan 10, 2016 at 14:43
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    Note that "bikebrompton" -- despite their name -- is not the Brompton company itself, just a reseller of their bikes in Spain. They sell a number of non-Brompton parts -- including the Pere childseat which you link to. I would change your wording to indicate that the Pere child seat is not an official Brompton product.
    – RoboKaren
    Commented Jan 11, 2016 at 22:09
  • @RoboKaren thanks for that, somehow I missed the key detail.
    – Móż
    Commented Jan 11, 2016 at 22:38
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In my opinion, this should NOT be done.

Bicycles are very versatile, and one can not only use a single all-purpose bike for many purposes, but also to have/design specialty bikes, as it is the case of a Strida. And, by the way, is the case with a lot of child-carrying specific bikes and/or equipment.

But, as it seems to me, a Strida is a SPECIALTY BIKE NOT SUITABLE TO CARRY CHILDREN! It has its purpose (portability and compactness), and this purpose is not compatible with child-carrying, unfortunately.

My suggestion would be to increase your fleet, just in case you really WANT to carry your child on a bicycle, which by the way is an EXCELENT EXPERIENCE with no age limit! (only size/weight limit)

Hope this helps, and I didn't mean to be rude or disappointing, but concerned with the child's comfort and safety.

(by the way, transporting kids ALWAYS defeats the purpose of compactness, whatever "compactness" might mean...)

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    Clarification: I'm not limiting myself to child-carrying options on the Strida. I'm willing to sell that and get another folding bike. (I have reasons for needing a folding bike specifically, but they're irrelevant to the question) A different speciality folding bike could be suited to carry children, depending on its design. I'm asking whether people have encountered such options, not whether they are likely to exist or should exist. :)
    – spongefile
    Commented Oct 19, 2012 at 14:51
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    What immediately comes to mind is BikeFriday, they have some interesting tandems (besides other models): bikefriday.com/bicycles/tandem
    – heltonbiker
    Commented Oct 19, 2012 at 16:56
  • That's certainly an interesting option for when the kids are bigger!
    – spongefile
    Commented Oct 22, 2012 at 12:49
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The page you linked to has indicated that the Pere is now available again for 199 euro: http://www.milianparts.com/en/products/pere/

The new/re-release version unfortunately doesn't have folding pedals, which some people have noted causes some difficulty in folding.

enter image description here

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    Update: Got this for the Brompton and it's been great up to about age 7, when it gets hard to see over their heads. Otherwise solid and stable. Do wish the pedals folded, but my solution is just to throw it in the front bag once the kid is dropped off.
    – spongefile
    Commented Jan 3, 2018 at 18:51

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