Child bike trailers
Discussion
In a change from the the usual bike recommendations, I'm looking for a two seat child trailer that can also be used for jogging. I think I have narrowed my list down to the chariot or Burley brands as they seem to get the best reviews.
Does anyone have any suggestions or recommendations?
Cheers
Rob
Does anyone have any suggestions or recommendations?
Cheers
Rob
Budget is everything with bike trailers. I've been using two for the past year. Points I would say are:
1. Not keen on the road - in fact I don't use it on the road. Child is too exposed/low down.
2. 20" wheels are a must. Both brands you have highlighted use 20" wheels. They roll better and roll-over potholes better than 16" wheels (on my original trailer).
3. Chariot is best because it's lighter and looks coolest but at a significant premium over even the Burley which is also excellent. 2nd hand Chariots go for nearly new prices on Ebay, which is depressing for me.
4. Suspension is a definite must for me because our cycle paths are a bit scruffy now, and my daughter was getting rattled around like the little ball in a spray-paint-can. Both Burley and Chariot do suspension trailers.
5. 2-seater trailers are quite wide. You really need to concentrate through some gates, and other gates are nigh-on impossible to get through without help from another cycling buddy. You take up a reasonable amount of pavement when you share with pedestrians BUT almost to a person, everyone I overtake waves me by with an "Aaah, I wish someone would make one big enough for me", or "Aaah, she looks happy", or just "Aaah" because my daughter has laid down in our 2-seater and fallen asleep.
On the whole, and because I don't use the roads, I prefer a trailer over a bike-mounted seat. I just wish I had gotten into cycling earlier, when my (now) 6yo son was small. I would have justified the cost of a Chariot then.
If you want the best, I believe the Chariot CX is the Daddy. It even has little anodized hub-drum brakes for when you're running with it.
I only actually need a single trailer but at the cheaper end of the market, you can't readily find them with suspension, hence my having a twin seater for one child. However, I have recently become aware of the mono-trailer concept - a single wheel with suspension, as per this:
http://www.tout-terrain.de/2/products/trailer---ki...
The want is strong but the price is ridiculous (about £1200).
1. Not keen on the road - in fact I don't use it on the road. Child is too exposed/low down.
2. 20" wheels are a must. Both brands you have highlighted use 20" wheels. They roll better and roll-over potholes better than 16" wheels (on my original trailer).
3. Chariot is best because it's lighter and looks coolest but at a significant premium over even the Burley which is also excellent. 2nd hand Chariots go for nearly new prices on Ebay, which is depressing for me.
4. Suspension is a definite must for me because our cycle paths are a bit scruffy now, and my daughter was getting rattled around like the little ball in a spray-paint-can. Both Burley and Chariot do suspension trailers.
5. 2-seater trailers are quite wide. You really need to concentrate through some gates, and other gates are nigh-on impossible to get through without help from another cycling buddy. You take up a reasonable amount of pavement when you share with pedestrians BUT almost to a person, everyone I overtake waves me by with an "Aaah, I wish someone would make one big enough for me", or "Aaah, she looks happy", or just "Aaah" because my daughter has laid down in our 2-seater and fallen asleep.
On the whole, and because I don't use the roads, I prefer a trailer over a bike-mounted seat. I just wish I had gotten into cycling earlier, when my (now) 6yo son was small. I would have justified the cost of a Chariot then.
If you want the best, I believe the Chariot CX is the Daddy. It even has little anodized hub-drum brakes for when you're running with it.
I only actually need a single trailer but at the cheaper end of the market, you can't readily find them with suspension, hence my having a twin seater for one child. However, I have recently become aware of the mono-trailer concept - a single wheel with suspension, as per this:
http://www.tout-terrain.de/2/products/trailer---ki...
The want is strong but the price is ridiculous (about £1200).
Amateurish said:
Someone at our local parkrun occasionally turns up with a "chariot". They cycle to the event, towing it. Then run, pushing it. Then head off again on the bike. Very impressive.
I got overtaken in a 10K pedestrian race by someone pushing one of those. It was quite grounding.Mars said:
1. Not keen on the road - in fact I don't use it on the road. Child is too exposed/low down.
We've had this discussion before, but I'm actually a fan of them for road use. Much more visible and the child is encased in a metal frame with nowhere to fall if the bike goes over. They feel more exposed because the child is further away, but logically they are safer.Still wouldn't use either a seat or a trailer on busy roads though!
I totally appreciate that argument, and to support that, the flag we have on the back of ours could only be missed by a (litterally) blind driver, so perhaps it's the imagination that needs battling because I just imagine someone carelessly rolling over mine.
Thing is, I'm only a leisure cyclist. If someone can make a go out of cycling instead of using the car then they should be applauded. Everything in life is a calculated risk. I just err on the paranoid side where my kids are concerned - probably unecessarily so.
Thing is, I'm only a leisure cyclist. If someone can make a go out of cycling instead of using the car then they should be applauded. Everything in life is a calculated risk. I just err on the paranoid side where my kids are concerned - probably unecessarily so.
HundredthIdiot said:
Amateurish said:
Someone at our local parkrun occasionally turns up with a "chariot". They cycle to the event, towing it. Then run, pushing it. Then head off again on the bike. Very impressive.
I got overtaken in a 10K pedestrian race by someone pushing one of those. It was quite grounding.Gassing Station | Pedal Powered | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff