How to install a child bike seat

• Allen keys (supplied)
• Tape measure
• Spanner

Before you start, lay everything out on a soft surface (the flattened box works) and check it against the parts list in your manual.

• Child seat with harness and footrests
• Frame bracket or rack adapter
• Mounting tubes or rack clamps
• Foot straps and wheel guards
• Safety strap or lock key

1. 1

   Step 1: Check the seat's child weight and age range, and that your bike and rack are compatible with the seat, as the manuals list.

2. 2

   Step 2: For a frame-mounted seat, clamp the bracket to the seat tube at the height the manual gives, clear of cables, and tighten its bolts evenly.

3. 3

   Step 3: For a rack-mounted seat, fit the adapter to the rack and check the rack is rated for the seat plus the child.

4. 4

   Step 4: Slide the seat's mounting tubes into the bracket or lock it onto the rack adapter until it clicks, then fit the safety strap or lock.

5. 5

   Step 5: Fit the footrests at the right height for the child and fit the wheel guards so feet cannot reach the spokes.

6. 6

   Step 6: Adjust the harness to fit the child snugly and check the buckle closes fully.

7. 7

   Step 7: Before carrying the child, ride with the empty seat and then with a weighted bag to get used to the extra weight and the changed balance.

• Mounting on a rack that is not rated for the seat and the child.
• Skipping the wheel guards, so a child's foot can get caught in the spokes.
• Leaving the harness loose, so the child can slide out.