When I had my first child, the purchase I was most looking forward to was a bike seat so that we could enjoy getting out and exploring together. I have many great memories of sitting in a bike seat as my Dad took me through parks as well as the less salubrious parts of Glasgow and I wanted to do the same for my kids.
Getting out on the bike with your child is truly one of life’s joys; you get to talk to each other, you get to explore, it is a good way to get some exercise in when time is limited and it is a great excuse to ride to a cafe for a coffee (me) and chips (them).

My enthusiasm got the better of me and my first attempts at taking my son out for a cycle were fraught. We could barely get to the end of the street before he was crying from fear. It was a crushing blow to me and my visions of endless days out on the bike with my son having an adventure.
Having decided not to force him to like it, sure that it would actually have the opposite effect, I let the bike and the seat gather dust in the garage. Then one day we were pottering about in the garage looking for something when he suddenly pointed to the bike and just kept pointing and shouting. I immediately dropped what I was doing, grabbed his helmet, put him in the seat and started to pedal. He wasn’t crying. Dare I say it he was even smiling. That was one of my most profound days as a father and we have not looked back since. Metaphorically of course, I look back all the time to see if he is still awake.

The youngest boy in the seat and ready to go. The shoulder straps and the foot rests are quick to adjust for kids of different size.
Before buying a bike seat I did a lot of research as there are a lot on the market but I kept coming back to the Hamax Siesta. I have not been disappointed and it is still going strong without one complaint for the last three years and two kids. I love my super-light and sleek road carbon road bike but pound-for-pound this bike seat has brought me infinitely more joy.
If you know how to use an Allen key then attaching the seat to the bike is ridiculously easy. Make sure everything is nice and tight and that you tighten the four bolts in the correct order for obvious reasons. Since attaching to the bike three years ago, I have never had to tighten this clamp.
As an engineer I really appreciate the thought and design that went into the buckle system. Easy to use but also completely immune to being opened by a child. It is designed to be fastened and undone with one hand leaving one hand free to balance the bike and the child.
As the name of the seat suggests, this seat really comes into its own when you have a sleepy child and you are miles from home and a bed. I remember the first time my son fell asleep when we were cycling; I kept looking down at the pedals wondering where a very metronomic noise was emanating from. Turns out it was his snoring. I just reached back and turned the knob at the front of the seat to recline in and he slept all the way home.

With an impressive 20 degree recline, sleep comes easily.
The maximum decline is quite impressive at 20 degrees.
With two kids of different ages the seat is extremely easy to adjust to their respective sizes both with the shoulder straps and the foot rests.
After three years of solid riding this seat comes with a recommendation from a cycling obsessed dad and two kids that are not easily impressed!

The bag offers no aerodynamic benefits but stores a tasty picnic.
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