On Your Bike!

News Release
For immediate release
October 21, 2008

On Your Bike! - New Front Mounted Seat Will Put Parents Back In The Saddle This
Summer

After using an innovative new child cycle seat in the UK, two Kiwi dads decided to bring the product to New Zealand in time for summer.

The award-winning US made iBert safe-T-seat took six years to perfect and is targeted at
cycling-mad mums and dads with young kids between one and four.

According to US-based Kiwi Shaun Wilson of distributors 3Play, the front-mounted bike seat
answers safety issues and enriches the experience of family cycling.

Wilson says one of the keys to safer use is the unique ‘stinger’ assembly that mounts the
seat to the bicycle handlebar stem. This patented assembly allows the seat to be positioned
as far forward on the bike as practical. As a result, the seat turns with the handle bars
providing the right weight distribution and safe bicycle control.

He says what sets the iBert apart from other child bicycle carriers is the degree of
interaction the rider can have with the child while riding.

“Like a lot of other parents I found I just didn’t like the child seats available on the market as I couldn’t talk to the kids and they didn’t feel safe.”

Wilson says many enthusiastic cyclists don’t like rear-mounted seats because their kids
just get to see their Mum or Dad’s back and it’s tough to talk with them.

“That’s not much fun for anyone really.

“Unlike bike trailers or rear-mounted seats which only allow you to talk to your child by
turning your head or not seeing them at all, the iBert allows normal conversation and means
the rider can keep a vigilant eye both on the child, and more importantly, the road ahead.”

He says many child seats also compromise the safety of the bike by making the balance
tricky. The iBert safe-T-seat addresses those fears immediately and allows mum or dad to
maintain excellent control of the bike.

Once it's there, it doesn't feel much different at all to riding without the seat, even with the child in the seat. It also has specially developed harnesses which add another level of safety.

“It's been a huge success in Europe and the US and we just felt New Zealand was an ideal
place for it,” says Wilson.

Another advantage for busy mums and dads is the ease with which the seat can be installed
and then detached from the bike. The tough lightweight moulded plastic seat can be removed in about 30 seconds. Manufacturers reckon iBert is also the most versatile of any child seat and will fit just about any bicycle as long as it has a handlebar stem that is 20mm thick or more.

The seat has received tremendous reviews in the US in the last two years and was the recipient of Creative Child Magazine’s “Top Choice” award in 2007 – a major accolade in the
US. It meets all stringent ASTM International (American Society for Testing and Materials)
safety standards.

A 2006 Ministry of Transport Household Travel Survey counted 1.274 million cyclists in New
Zealand, or a third (31%) of all New Zealanders. By comparison, there are about three million people with car licences. About 750,000 or a fifth (18%) of New Zealanders are regular cyclists (cycling at least once a month) and 144,000 or 3.5% cycle nearly every day. For parents amongst those numbers, the iBert could signal a revolution.

ENDS

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