The Best Bicycle Accessory I've Ever Bought (Budget Child Seat Review)

Packed up the bike...we couldn't stop riding!

Okay, so I bought something on Amazon that I should have purchased at least a year ago.

I recently picked up a frame-mounted child bike seat. I had pondered purchasing this for a while but hadn't pulled the trigger because I originally wanted a seat that mounted directly to the Old Man Mountain rack on my Surly Grappler. Because the Surly has some gnarly boost spacing, that rack was the only one I could find that actually fit the frame.

I already own a rear-mounted Thule Yepp bike seat, but it only fits on standard racks that refused to fit my bike. Because of that headache, I just never got around to getting a child seat for the Surly.

The 90s Hybrid Commuter Pivot

Fast forward to today. I am in the middle of transforming my 90s Univega build from a gravel setup into a dedicated city/hybrid bike. New handlebars. New tires. You know, the works.

While working on it, I thought: what if I just tried one of those frame-mounted child seats I’ve seen on other people’s bikes? I found a budget-friendly one on Amazon and picked out the brown colorway to perfectly match the accents on my 90s build.

Installation and the Exposed Cable

My biggest hesitation before buying was the exposed brake cable on my frame. I was worried the mount would pinch it, but I said "what the heck" and made the purchase anyway.

• The Assembly: It didn't take long to put together, and it looked incredible once installed.

• The Cable Rub: As I suspected, the seat mount does rub against the exposed brake cable. However, it hasn't affected the braking power at all. If the cable stretches over time, it's no big deal. A quick tension adjustment in the garage will fix it.

Our first official ride together.

The Best Hour on a Bike

With the bike seat fully mounted, I sat my three-year-old daughter down in it, we buckled our helmets, and took off for a quick test ride.

That "quick test" turned into about an hour of riding together, and it had to be the best time I have ever had while riding my bike. The route wasn’t challenging. The scenery wasn’t beautiful (just cars and asphalt). The distance wasn’t far at all. But the time spent on the bike with my daughter was priceless.

Having her so close to me, and knowing she was genuinely enjoying it, was better than anything I could have ever imagined. Plus, I think she enjoyed it much more than a rear-mounted child seat because being up front means she gets to see exactly what I am seeing, instead of just staring at my love handles.

A gorgeous bike against a gorgeous sunset.

Endless Joy on a Budget

I categorize this as the absolute best bike accessory I’ve ever bought. We ended up riding three days in a row. The only reason we eventually stopped is that we finally experienced some cooler temperatures here in SoCal, and the wind caused her to get too chilly, even with a heavy hoodie on.

Once our golden sun comes back out, we will be right back on the bike adding miles together.

If you have children and have been looking to ride with them, look no further. This bike seat from Amazon isn’t anything fancy, and it sure doesn’t cost $300 like the Thule seat, but it provides endless amounts of joy and bonding time between you and your child. I highly recommend this seat, especially at this price point.

Cycle on!