When Canadian mountain biker Glen Dobson first wanted to take his young son out riding with him, he discovered that none of the existing child seats met his needs. That prompted Dobson and his wife, Ashley Howard, to create something known as the Mac Ride. The device has now hit the market, should you wish to take your own li'l shredder out on the trails.
The Mac Ride consists of a horse-saddle-like silicone seat, mounted on a telescoping aluminum pole that quickly attaches to the bike's steerer at the front (via a custom spacer) and the seat post at the back. Extending down from either side of that pole are a set of stirrups, which the child's feet go into.
This setup focuses the child's weight on areas of the bike already designed to take the rider's weight, and not on more sensitive parts of the frame such as the top tube.
Once you get riding, the child stays centered between your arms, holding onto the handlebars and using the stirrups to stand up when approaching rough terrain. As they get older and bigger, the seat can be slid back on the pole, and the stirrups can be extended – the age range for the product is 2 to 5 years old.
If you're interested in getting one, the Mac Ride is available now for US$199. It can be seen in use, in the video below.
