Cycling on the mommy track

With younger sister Keziah in the bike trailer, Isaac Wilde and his mother, Susan Huber, pedal from Arlington to Somerville. (Joanne Rathe/Globe Staff/FILE 2007)

Here's an unlikely disclaimer for this column: I haven't been on two wheels in more than two years.

It's true. I relegated my bike to the basement when I got pregnant and figured I'd spend the next decade of parenting shuffling between car and stroller. It was just too terrifying to think about getting both of us on board, riding steadily, and not crashing into crazy Cambridge traffic - all while not being able to see my little one, who's probably bawling behind me.

I was fine with my decision until a few of my friends started showing up to playgrounds and play dates via bicycle with their babies in tow. They made it look so effortless and European, as if all they needed in life was a basket for their daily baguette and a seat for their babe. So how hard is it to outfit a bike for baby? Since my daughter is not yet 1 year old, which state law requires for babies to ride (Read: the pressure's off for a road test!), I've decided there's no harm in doing a little research.

My curiosity spiked on a warm Sunday afternoon at a birthday party in Somerville when a couple cruised over with their 14-month-old. Alison Nathan, 32, of Cambridge, just hopped off her bike and grabbed little Henry. I assumed that since she was the sporty type who runs half-marathons, it all came easily to her, but it turns out she hadn't really done much biking since college and wanted to get back into it. When summer rolled around, she decided to make the move and the investment with all-new gear, which, she admits, "is not a cheap endeavor."

"There was more discussion on what kind of bike to get than the seat. I knew getting on and off had to be easier than my mountain bike," she says.

Though she really wanted a cruiser, Ace Wheelworks in Somerville recommended something other than a one-speed when you have a 30-pound baby on the back. Instead she settled on a Trek hybrid with the frame of a cruiser and the handlebars of a mountain bike. Then she added a CoPilot baby seat, a basket, two helmets, and a more supportive double kickstand, for a total of about $700.

"When we first put him back there, he screamed bloody murder," Nathan says of Henry, adding that it took about four rides to get him to settle down.

The biggest adjustment for Henry was the helmet, but now he asks to wear his "hat" even in the car. For Alison, it was the starting and stopping that were tough with the extra weight and learning to take wider turns.

"It's very liberating, getting back on the bike," she says. "I'm able to grocery shop, go to the playground, and be out without getting into the car, plus he's outside all morning and not in his car seat."

Alexi Dolloff-Brammer, a sales clerk at Ace Wheelworks, says as soon as a baby can sit up, support his own neck, and wear a helmet, he or she can ride in a trailer, such as the Burley, which is pulled behind the bike. Trailers let the babies (plural if you want two kids to sit side by side) and even pups (yes, they even make them for pets) recline and sleep in the back, while strapped in, and some models convert off the bike for jogging, strolling, or skiing.

"The primary benefit of a trailer over a baby seat in the back is that it pivots so if you fall over, it can stay up," Dolloff-Brammer says. However, given their low profile, which makes them harder to see on the side of the road, adding a flag is a good idea.

At 1 year, babies can ride in baby seats. Rear-mounting seats are most commonly used, and all a bike needs to adapt are mounting points for the seat rack. Some find front-mounting seats easier for keeping an eye on the baby, although they don't fit with all handlebar sizes and are harder to find. Dolloff-Brammer says his store doesn't carry them because they don't pass safety testing and can make the bike harder to steer.

Whether it's a trailer, mounted bike seat, or the trail-a-bike attachment for older kids, any new piece of gear takes some getting used to. Since I started this research, I've spotted all sorts of combinations around the city and almost always the kids are smiling, and so are the parents - which is very encouraging.

My friend Alison says, "avoid Mass. Ave. at all costs," and nearly everyone recommends sticking to the bike paths for a good while to get the hang of it.

"Take it slow, and wear a helmet," advises Dolloff-Brammer. "You don't want to get yourself injured when you have a baby to take care of."

Once you get brave enough for city streets, consider joining an organized tour, such as Urban Adventours in Boston, which offers baby seats and trailers, along with a few pros to help. While there are a lot of organized exercise groups for new moms, like Strollerobics, we have yet to find a group that caters to biking with baby. If you know of any, please let us know!

Send comments to shiftinggears@globe.com.