The EN014344 is the European standard concerning bicycle child carriers.
In order to be approved under the EN14344 standard, the child carrier must pass strict endurance and reliability tests. Even the markings, instructions and packaging are rigorously assessed. Therefore, an EN14344 approved child carrier is undoubtedly safer and provides higher performance compared to non-approved ones. Non-approved child carriers cannot be marketed in many countries of the European Union.
No. The child carrier with steel support must be coupled exclusively to a special mounting block. If the parcel rack interferes with the installation, it is recommended to take it off.
The EN14344 standard was drafted with the intent to maximise the safety of child carriers. As for the seat, its width is designed to prevent excessive lateral displacements, which could jeopardise the stability of the bicycle
No. The child carrier with steel support must be coupled exclusively to a special mounting block. If the parcel rack interferes with the installation, it is recommended to take it off.
No. Child carriers feature standard anchoring mechanisms and cannot be converted into a clamp.
Carriers can be used for children who are able to sit upright without help while travelling. For the rear child carrier, it is recommended to assess the child’s autonomy, since he/she will be out by the constant visual control of the parent
The safest method is to fix it to the frame. Although not expressly prohibited by law, it is however not recommeded to fasten child carriers to the handlebars, which may not be designed to withstand the weight of the seat with the child sitting in it.
Pedal assist bicycles are considered equal to traditional ones, in compliance with European Regulation 2002/24/EC. Installing a child carrier on such a bicycle does not entail any problems, but it should be considered with caution. Child carriers are designed for urban, tourism and moderate trekking use; they are not designed to be used on means moving at high speeds or dedicated to extreme uses (professional mountain bikes, racing bikes). Their installation on mopeds, scooters and the like is prohibited. Therefore, a child carrier can be installed on pedal assist bicycles, which are equivalent to traditional bikes, as long as they are used at a moderate speed and with the caution required for carrying a child on the road. Different story for power assisted bicycles equipped with a motor that can keep running even if the rider is not pedalling. According to the current regulations, these vehicles are comparable in all respects to a moped; therefore, a child carrier must not be installed on this type of bicycle. The same thing can be said for bicycles that are equipped with a motor that runs both on pedal assist and as both standalone motor.
There are no problems for this application, but it should be assessed with caution. Child carriers are designed for urban, tourism and moderate trekking use. They are not suitable for extreme biking (professional mountain bikes, racing bike) or for particularly demanding uses. You should not use the child carrier on mountain bikes with greatly performing suspension systems (full suspended bikes). The presence of a child carrier completely changes the behaviour of the bicycle, in particular, with regard to braking, cornering and balance handling. For this reason, the use of the child carrier on a bicycle with suspensions could be dangerous. Therefore, if the bicycle has a “soft” suspension for tourism, as many bicycles have, it will be suitable; otherwise we do not recommend the installation of any child carrier.
The block fixing should not be affected by the presence of the brakes. For this reason, you should choose the support model (multifix, handlefix or sportfix,) which best fits your bicycle.
No. The child carrier must be fixed to the frame of the bicycle. Attaching the child carrier to the saddle tube is very dangerous; the tube would not be able to withstand the weight and could break, harming both the child and the adult.
Although not expressly prescribed by law, you should use a type-approved helmet.
The block is commercially defined as “universal” because it is suitable for general use on city/touring/trekking bicycles and is compatible with most, but not all, of these frames. We suggest that you verify the possibility of installing the child carrier before buying it.
If the contact of the child carrier with the parcel racks causes annoyance, we recommend that you remove the parcel rack and give priority to the child’s safety.