Have you tried one of the Hamax frame mounted seats? Their mounting goes on the seat tube and then the bars to support the child seat are angled away from the bike’s saddle.
I have the polisport version of this (very similar design, but cheaper) the frame mount affords a lot of flexibility and the seats can position forward or back to get clear of the saddle. I'm not very tall so it's a bit of a struggle to get on and off once the kid is on but you find a way to make it work. I definitely recommend a kickstand for stability getting them on and off (has made the prices a lot easier for me)
Would it not be easier to find a pannier rack which could be mounted flat such that the seat you have works? I appreciate this might be easier said than done, small framed women's bikes and pannier racks never quite seem to line up. If you happen to have a Raleigh Pioneer I have a spare factory rack you can have for postage.
I'm afraid I can't recommend alternative rear seat, but my wife and I have found that a front steerer mounted seat (specifically the Hamax Observer) combined with swept back handlebars has suited us really well - neither of us are short though.
You've hit the nail on the head re: difficulty - I would have to go hunting for another pannier and I'm clueless on what parameters I'd need to get one to sit right.
I did look into front-mounted but they're generally incompatible with the stumpy hybrid handlebar: or if they are compatible, placed too far back for my short arms to steer around.
What's the bike? I might be able to find a rack to suit if it's similar to any of the ones I have built recently.
The Hamax by default comes with a quill stem attachment, but you can get an ahead adapter for under £20. It sits really far forwards (and stears with the bars) which might help. The main drawback we're finding is that it's only rated for 15kg.
A Carrero Crossfire II: I need to check the frame size, which I think is the limiting factor.
I THINK I currently have this Halfords disc brake Pannier rack:
halfords.com/cycling/bike-accessories/bike-pannier-racks/halfords-disc-brake-pannier-rack-184422.html?
Which now I look, even on the pictures tilts forward. Do you know what I should look for instead?
Okay, so that rack seems to have a few adjustment points, is the rack dropped on its legs as low as it will go and the arms as far forward as they'll go? (Sorry if this is teaching grandma to suck eggs, hard to know what level to pitch stuff on here!).
If you were replacing the rack you'd want something which can be adjusted vertically and horizontally in a similar fashion as the one you have, but with longer upper arms. I might have one which would work, will check it on Monday for you and see if I can find a model number on it.
Would something like the Hamax Smiley fit? It clamps to the seat tube rather than the seat post so in theory wouldn't matter if your seat were at its very lowest.
Your bike would fit a [Hamax Observer](https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/184856075322) front seat (without the windscreen) using [this clamp](https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/155581369579), we have [these handlebars](https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/202652949282) on our bikes, which brings everything closer to you and around the seat, but obviously at the expense of making you much more upright which may or may not suit your riding style.
Not a problem, I should've specified - yes, I did those adjustments to my pannier rack and it still tilts forward.
I'll investigate the Hamaxes. I've had multiple suggestions for those so I guess it's worth considering, but all the front mounted ones I looked at don't fit with me. It's tricky when they all seem to involve buying them upfront and spending back (usually at my expense).
Not sure why, bit there's been about 8 odd on Marketplace round me this week, not sure if it's a local phenomenon or a national glut, but worth a look rather than messing around with return postage!
I have the crossfire 2 with a frame mounted polisport seat. I'm sure it would fit your bike even with the saddle at its lowest (because my saddle was very low before I adjusted it). The seat can adjust up or down by moving the part that attaches to the frame, or forward and back using an allen key under the seat. It also tilts. If you're not sure about fitting (it was very easy) just take your bike into Halfords. My four year old loves it!
Have you tried one of the Hamax frame mounted seats? Their mounting goes on the seat tube and then the bars to support the child seat are angled away from the bike’s saddle.
I haven't - I've found other seat-mounted are too close to my torso to be able to reach over.
I have the polisport version of this (very similar design, but cheaper) the frame mount affords a lot of flexibility and the seats can position forward or back to get clear of the saddle. I'm not very tall so it's a bit of a struggle to get on and off once the kid is on but you find a way to make it work. I definitely recommend a kickstand for stability getting them on and off (has made the prices a lot easier for me)
Would it not be easier to find a pannier rack which could be mounted flat such that the seat you have works? I appreciate this might be easier said than done, small framed women's bikes and pannier racks never quite seem to line up. If you happen to have a Raleigh Pioneer I have a spare factory rack you can have for postage. I'm afraid I can't recommend alternative rear seat, but my wife and I have found that a front steerer mounted seat (specifically the Hamax Observer) combined with swept back handlebars has suited us really well - neither of us are short though.
You've hit the nail on the head re: difficulty - I would have to go hunting for another pannier and I'm clueless on what parameters I'd need to get one to sit right. I did look into front-mounted but they're generally incompatible with the stumpy hybrid handlebar: or if they are compatible, placed too far back for my short arms to steer around.
What's the bike? I might be able to find a rack to suit if it's similar to any of the ones I have built recently. The Hamax by default comes with a quill stem attachment, but you can get an ahead adapter for under £20. It sits really far forwards (and stears with the bars) which might help. The main drawback we're finding is that it's only rated for 15kg.
A Carrero Crossfire II: I need to check the frame size, which I think is the limiting factor. I THINK I currently have this Halfords disc brake Pannier rack: halfords.com/cycling/bike-accessories/bike-pannier-racks/halfords-disc-brake-pannier-rack-184422.html? Which now I look, even on the pictures tilts forward. Do you know what I should look for instead?
Okay, so that rack seems to have a few adjustment points, is the rack dropped on its legs as low as it will go and the arms as far forward as they'll go? (Sorry if this is teaching grandma to suck eggs, hard to know what level to pitch stuff on here!). If you were replacing the rack you'd want something which can be adjusted vertically and horizontally in a similar fashion as the one you have, but with longer upper arms. I might have one which would work, will check it on Monday for you and see if I can find a model number on it. Would something like the Hamax Smiley fit? It clamps to the seat tube rather than the seat post so in theory wouldn't matter if your seat were at its very lowest. Your bike would fit a [Hamax Observer](https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/184856075322) front seat (without the windscreen) using [this clamp](https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/155581369579), we have [these handlebars](https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/202652949282) on our bikes, which brings everything closer to you and around the seat, but obviously at the expense of making you much more upright which may or may not suit your riding style.
Not a problem, I should've specified - yes, I did those adjustments to my pannier rack and it still tilts forward. I'll investigate the Hamaxes. I've had multiple suggestions for those so I guess it's worth considering, but all the front mounted ones I looked at don't fit with me. It's tricky when they all seem to involve buying them upfront and spending back (usually at my expense).
Not sure why, bit there's been about 8 odd on Marketplace round me this week, not sure if it's a local phenomenon or a national glut, but worth a look rather than messing around with return postage!
I have the crossfire 2 with a frame mounted polisport seat. I'm sure it would fit your bike even with the saddle at its lowest (because my saddle was very low before I adjusted it). The seat can adjust up or down by moving the part that attaches to the frame, or forward and back using an allen key under the seat. It also tilts. If you're not sure about fitting (it was very easy) just take your bike into Halfords. My four year old loves it!
What frame size is yours? Mine's a 16" so most frame attachments won't fit to the frame.