MAC RIDE
Last night Myla, who is three, called to invite me to go riding with her. On the phone she talked about everything from her purple helmet to how much she loved riding Bobsled on her Mac Ride. Her Mac Ride is a prototype child bike seat that allows her to venture further off-road with her parents. Created by Glen Dobson, it could be the next great innovation to get kids into mountain biking sooner and building their muscle memory earlier. At the very least it allows for more adventurous outdoor family fun!Combining his experience, passion, and knowledge, Glen Dobson has created a unique child bike seat that gives you the opportunity to explore further into the outdoors with your kids. As an engineer and a father Glen innovated a unique way to, not only getting his kids on bikes sooner, but also to teach them riding skills at the same time.
| I designed Mac Ride to solve the challenges that come with the toddler years, when children are ready for adventure but not able to go very far themselves. - Glen Dobson, Mac Ride Creator |
The Mac Ride is a system that mounts to your bike, placing your child between you and your handlebars. The stirrups give them the experience of pedals and allow them to standup over bumps while their hands are placed on the handlebars where they experience the motion of steering. It allows children to explore more and go further into our forests while they are still building up the skills and stamina to do so under their own power.
| The experience with the Mac Ride has helped my daughter understand what is possible when she gets on her run or pedal bike. - Darren Butler, Owner of Endless Biking |
Based out of Vancouver, B.C., the Mac Ride started as a family project when Glen and his wife started looking for a way to get out riding on the trails with two young children. They realized that, while there were plenty of child bike seats on the market, there wasn’t an existing product that met their needs. They were specifically looking for something that was suitable for off-road riding.
The existing models offered bulky, hard plastic, moulded seats that transferred the bumps from the trail to the child, harnesses that keep the child strapped to the bike even in the event of a fall and hard plastic or steel foot protectors that prevent the child from standing up in anticipation of rougher terrain. The biggest deterrent for Glen was that the conventional child bike seats are rear-mounted, it is believed that they are safer because the adult’s body protects the child from impact, but it causes other potentially dangerous issues; the child will often lean out causing balance issues and the rider has to take their eyes off the trail or road to check on them.
| It is really cool how the Mac Ride gets kids actually involved in the ride, feeling the bike lean, the bars turning and the bike getting jostled around a bit from the bumps. - P.J. Hunton, Engineering Manager at Norco Bicycles |
After researching available solutions Glen took to designing the Mac Ride. The first step was putting the child in front, giving them the same view of the trail as the rider and allowing them to chat and interact. From there he positioned them with their hands on the handlebars to feel the steering and to balance themselves, and added the stirrups to allow them to stand up and lean in the corners. The seat, which is shaped like a bike saddle, takes advantage of the bike’s existing suspension and allows for a more comfortable ride. Lastly the Mac Ride positions the child on the bike without seat belts or straps, allowing them to find their own balance within the safety of their parents’ protective arms, if a fall occurred, the child would be thrown clear, rather than being strapped to the bike. (
Always have your child wearing a safety approved bike helmet.)
Glen believes that the Mac Ride strikes a balance between what can easily become an overprotected childhood and one that allows kids to explore and learn about their capabilities at an early age. He wants to allow them to make good choices while building confidence and resilience.
| The well-thought out craftsmanship of the Mac-ride is pretty obvious right away, you can adjust it to the child's size, as well as, the bike size and type. The low position of the child is great, you can actually absorb bumps with you arms and legs without getting their head in the chin. - Darren Butler, Owner of Endless Biking |
One of the main questions that Glen gets when people see a Mac Ride prototype is “
how safe is it?” The Mac Ride depends on common sense safety, including not riding something with your child unless you are sure you can complete it without falling, staying within your riding abilities and always wearing helmets. Currently there is no safety certification for front-mounted child bike seats, but the seat does conform, with the exception of not having a strap, to an EU safety standard for child bike seats (EN 14344).
The system is designed for children 2 to 6 and is adjustable to grow with them. It is designed to fit most bikes from full suspension mountain bikes to cruiser bikes and can easily be switched between them. A simple headset spacer is the only item that is left on your bike when the seat is removed, meaning that it can quickly be taken on and off your bike between solo rides and family rides, or swap from mom's bike to dad's bike.
Glen has been developing the project on the side since his daughter was born in 2007 and last year he established the company and started to produce prototypes. After experiencing first hand the life changes that come with having children, Glen feels strongly about helping parents adapt their active lifestyles to keep riding in their lives.
| When Glen first introduced me to the Mac Ride I immediately realized that it would get kids on mountain bikes earlier than ever, which hopefully gets more kids stoked on bikes! I sincerely believe it will help the sport of mountain biking grow. - P.J. Hunton, Engineering Manager at Norco Bicycles |
| I just want to see these available for other people, not just for those who are fortunate enough to be able to test one out! Seeing how kids interact with it is incredible. - Darren Butler, Owner of Endless Biking |
Currently the Mac Ride is only a prototype that is being tested out with a few key families around the globe. If you would like to know more about Glen and this product you can visit his
website here. If you would like to help put Mac Rides on the shelf in your local bike shop, you can visit his
crowd-funding site here.
That's what he meant right?
One crash a day...? -DB
That said, Myla seems to have a lot of fun judging by the pictures, so hell yes, switch on your brains and cruise down a nice "flow trail", have good time and enjoy the laughter of your young ones. Sounds amazing to me and I don't even have kids (yet)
Damn. I had a WeeRide ( wee ride co nz )for my daughter when she was 2-4 years old, this also has the child in front. It has her in the middle of the bike, weighted perfectly, and they can see what is happening. NOT behind, where she can't see anything but my back.
The only issue I had with the WeeRide was that CJ was in front, facing the wind. So you just need to keep them gloved and warm. I had this setup up and down dale. It's safe as houses. Never ride beyond what you know you are capable of while you have your child on board and you're fine!
Sheesh, settle people, this is a great thing! No lunacy at all.
Is that Butler?!? Just started re-watching Drop-In from season 1 episode 1 just today in fact! haha
Natalie and I have been prototyping ur own way of seating on the bike, given that I dislike the current solutions out there. This seat the article is promoting, is excatly what I'm after!
www.pinkbike.com/photo/11086341
Pretty sure there's been a UK version of kids riding up front for years!
This is my BC Bike Race bike (www.bcbikerace.com), I'd love to see you run a 1x drivetrain in this event! -DB
There is also option to plug the iCD electronic remote lockout system from Fox and potentially in the future we may see a electronic dropper post from Fox that integrates into the whole system.
The good thing about electronic wires rather than gear cables or hydraulic lines is that they are much more flexible, and can often be combined.
Re the safety concerns it's very simple, you need to be confident that you can ride what you're riding without crashing. Sh!t happens though and in this event the child should fall clear of the bike most of the time as their feet are only loosely strapped in. I know for sure that I'd take my chances crashing a mac-ride over a rear mounted seat any day.
This seat allows kids a great introduction into trail riding and the outdoors in general, it's not for dragging your kids down a world cup dh course at full speed.
The 'wrap them up in bubblewrap crowd' sure are out in force. A dangerous expression these days springs to mind: Common sense. You're obviously not supposed to go tear arsing down a double black or world cup dh course with your little sprogling sat in one of these so you need to make a rational and sensible assessment of the situation, as someone mentioned already if you're not 100% confident do try that obstacle. I know it's a photoshoot but the little'un looks like she's having a wail of a time. Much more excited than the bored looking kids I see being dragged along with a tow-along unicycle-thing.
It's not about allowing your kids to experience the trails exactly as you do. It's about exposing them to the excitement of off-road riding gently and I'll bet they (and you) will have much more fun on the trails more quickly than turning up to a trail centre and forcing little Johnny reluctantly off down a green run on a bike that's slightly too big for him. Using one of these after a balance bike sounds to me like a great way to get your kids into trail riding faster.
I'll report back in about 4 years time how successful this approach is.
That being said, as I get closer to potential fatherhood, I see the value in having the kid up front and really "with" me. I'm starting to imagine possibly doing something like this (the Spirited Man YouTube channel has really spurred me to think more about it), but I'm not sure I'd ever take a kid on anything remotely like most MTB single track I've been on, and certainly not near my normal leisurely pace. Something I like about the trailer is that the resistance reminds and forces me to take it much easier - maybe having the kid up front would do that, too, but I can imagine getting comfortable and complacent. Constant vigilance, I guess.
I'm probably a few years off of having a kid where I'll actually have to make this call for myself, but I'm not sure I'll ever feel totally comfortable with it, but maybe that's the point?
With the MR I've mainly done fireroad and canal path rides with my kids, some off road, but if anything only really blue trails with an odd bit of singletrack and touch wood have only had 2 minor hiccups. Once I stopped and my foot slid out on gravel and we both ended up in a heap, minor tears but no injuries and the other when I had to stop quickly and the bar caught a tree and forced the bars round and just started to squash little 'uns leg a bit. Again no injury not even any tears. I've seen more people overturn a trailer with a child in that accidents I've had with my kids on the MacRide.
But yes you're right, constant vigilance is key. Once the fruit of your own loins is on a bike with you in whichever seating arrangement you'll naturally take 100% more care than just riding on your own. I would still whole heartedly recommend a Mac Ride.
As a mountain biking father of a 3 year old boy and baby girl (on the way) i'm absolutely stoked on the concept of MacRide and the idea of taking my kids out for rides. The MacRide team has produced an amazing product that is safer then the current bike seats out there for every day street riding while promoting/instilling bike skills and balance for kids and has the added advantage of allowing parents and children to ride suitable trails together. Hats off to MacRide for developing this product! We're pulling for you guys to complete the kickstarter funding!!! -Mike & Emilio
Live life. Use common sense. Have fun.
This product looks awesome and I hope that by the time I have a child of my own, that this will be available to the masses for purchase.
But i would never ever allow this in a bikepark!
And for all of you arguing about the childs safety, people hang their kids in backpacks when they skiing and im pretty sure thats more dangerous than this beacuse you have more unpredicteble obstacles when you skiing. (my own thoughts and experiens)
My now 2 year old comes everywhere with me and has become very confident on his balance bike from getting the feeling of holding the bars and leaning with me .
As for crashing, you just don't when you have a child onboard and think about the trails your riding.
This is by far one of the most amazing inventions and i back it 100%. Good luck
I like the tandem better but it is a more expensive option and not much more safe when you crash. The real goal is to get out and ride and share the trails with our kids.
I'm sold!
Kids love it. Indoctrinate them young I say!
Potentially a great product though, our kids would've loved it.
reviews.mtbr.com/ibert-safe-t-seat-child-carrier-pro-review
www.pinkbike.com/photo/11086341
Does the ibert mount quickly, as it would just be mounted to my AM bike on an ad hoc basis.
www.kickstarter.com/projects/ridemore/mac-ride-a-unique-child-seat-for-adult-mountain-bi
"sadlle"
To the internet!...........
Dating site obvs, not black market child trade.
What are you supposed to do, split the family and go out for rides at separate times or ride around the back yard for 6 or 7 years?
At this point your child has balance but no appreciation of the outdoors no sense of speed and no other technique other than not falling down.
I also don't have time to cycle long distances
With that being said, I enjoy biking for it's ability to separate me from the stress of daily life, my concern for my child would always be in the back of my mind making it impossible to commit fully to the sport and ultimately resulting in some sort of accident.
Like all things capitalistic I'm sure the suspension bandwagon will jump on this one with a 'kid" specific setting. I can see it now, Fox releasing the CTDK (climb, trail, descend, kid) fork and rear shock. And this will lead to a whole new sector of development in mountain biking "crap" for people to spend money on, try once, and then hang up in their garage realizing what a bad idea it was.
Good luck to the inventor, I wish you success but you won't be getting my money any time soon.