Newborn on a bike, a how-to guide

I have posted some images of my newborn (7 weeks old) on my cargo bike and people outside of the Nederlands went mad. So I decided to make a complete how-to guide to explain what you need to carry safely a newborn on the bike.

1. You need a newborn, it`s a DIY process, there are 8 billion humans so i would say you can manage.

2. You need to choose a bike. You could use a normal bike with a rear carrier but I chose a cargo bike (bakfiets). My setup is built around a Trio Cargo Big, but you have the following options Urban Arrow Family, Larry vs harry bullitt , Hercules Cargo, Batavus Fier 3 Unisex, Riese & Müller Packster 70, Cube Cargo, Gazelle Makki Load, Omnium Cargo. All are awesome bikes, but they are all expensive. (5000 - 8000 euro)

3. And now the seat. You need a maxi cosi pebble, exactly the same one that you would use in a car. I have a pink one because it was a gift. (70 Euro)

4. If you have a newborn, your kid is too small for the child seat, and his head is not supported laterally so you need a newborn insert the same as you need when you put him in the car. (20 Euro)

5. Now you need a way to connect the maxi cosi to the bike. Steco Baby-Mee bike is a universal adaptor that can be put on the rear rack of the bike or screwed on the wood plate of the cargo bike. Or if clearance is an issue inside the box they have a version called Steco Mini-mee. Both solutions connect using 4 screws that you will need to screw, the urban arrow comes with the holes predrilled, but my bike did not. (70 Euro)

6. You need a rain cover for the maxi cosi, I never go out without it because it rains a lot in the Nederlands. (30 Euro)

7. A sleeping bag for the maxi cosi. This is optional but we found it super useful when we were not 100% sure if it is too cold outside. As a lot of you know it is not recommended to put warm clothes on the baby when in a car seat for safety reasons. Same goes when the said car seat is mounted on a bike, so in colder climates warm sleeping bag with holes for the straps is the way to go.

Is it complicated to mount?

It is not, the biggest problem is drilling the holes in the skateboard. I also used an extra rachet strap just for peace of mind.

The maxi cosi is attached with 2 bungee cords, so it comes off easier than out of the car.

Remember to mount it facing you.

Does he like it?

Loves it. It's up there as a favorite thing. We have seen him look around and he also falls asleep in it, the same reactions he has when he is in a car.

This will freak you out.

The first time I took my son out for a ride I drove 15 min to my favorite bike shop. And when I got there I checked the tork speck of every single bolt on the bike. So I would say it was a bit stressful. But now I ride normally.

The Steco has suspension and you need a bit of time to get used to the fact the maxi cosi floats because it is separately suspended. From an engineering perspective, it is incredibly cool.

Is it safe?

I have to preface this with the fact I live in the Nederlands. And when my child was born I had a welfare check from a very nice lady from the consultatie bureau and one of the things she asked was, how are we going to take the kid around? I was more than happy to show her the garage full of bikes, and the only thing she objected to was the fact I have an electric bike and she preferred to use your own legs to fully power the bike, she was in her 60s and was riding a beautiful non electric Koga about 40 km a day.

And for the people that think this is unsafe, the next seat, for when he can hold his neck and sit properly is more exposed.