Our son is nearing two and my husband and I are itching to get back on our bikes this summer, which means we are looking into getting a bike trailer. Given the expense (holy sticker shock!) I was wondering if any of you mamas had any advice. We scoped things out at Penn Cycle and, of course, they tried to sell the most expensive two-seater they had. We have (and plant to have) only one child, so is a two-seater worth it for the extra room as one child gets bigger? Do any of you have and love (or hate) a particular brand? We were also surprised to learn that not all models are collapsible. Is it important to be able to fit it into a car trunk or did you find you mainly used it from your house? Also, do they even collapse down enough to fit in a standard sedan? We don't have a SUV or van so space isn't the most generous in the trunk. Thanks!
Below is the link to the bike trailer I am looking into. It cost $369 but it has a weight limit of 75lbs. so it can be used for a longer time. My son is 3 right now so he will be able to use it for awhile and my 6 year old could go in it now.
http://www.weehooinc.com/Home.html
I have a Schwinn which I got for about $120 a couple of years ago. I LOVE it although I just got one of those "half bikes" that turn my bike into a tandem which DS loves for rides too long for him to do on his own, although I miss the trunk space of the trailer.
I know some people love their expensive trailers, but I just can't see what you get different than the less expensive ones. I took DS all over town for a couple of years on the Schwinn trailer. It has bike tires and pulls smoothly behind my bike. It attaches and detaches in a matter of seconds and has lots for room in the trunk behind where the child sits for a couple of bags of groceries.
Good luck..
T.
Only if you are SURE you are only having one child should you get a single. We have a Burley solo and we ended up using it mainly as stroller ( it has a handle attachment) and my two kids squeezed in ( they were 18 months and 4 at the time) and it was tight. Now I am thinking of buying yet another outdoor stroller because I don't think they can fit any longer. I would DEFINITELY invest in a nice burley if you live in a rural area and would like to stroll safely on all terrain. It is FANTASTIC. It has a flag and is covered for safety and inclement weather. VERY versatile.
Good luck!
I know target has one for $99. Not sure if it is collapsible or 2 seater though. I want one, but don't have a bike yet :-)
We have an instep and it's very reasonably priced compared to a Burley:
http://www.instep.net/Product/Bicycle_Trailers/Detail/169...
I'd say go with one that will fit two kids because then you can fit and kid + groceries :) I ride mainly from the house because getting a car a kid a trailer and snacks is just a lot to manage, so leaving from the house is easier. But if you ride a lot it might be worthwhile to get one that will fit in the trunk. With the instep the handle folds in and the wheels are quick release making it very flat and easy to transport.
Aslo keep checking craigslist and you might strike a real deal! Happy riding!!
I would look for a used one if possible. When your son is 3 or 4 I highly recommend a "Trail-A-Bike" that is allows him to sit on his own seat and pedal but is attached to an adult bike. I had one for my daughter and we loved it!
We bought a Schwinn from Target on sale for like $100 about 3 years ago. We have used it a lot!! We bough the 2 seater because we thought is would be nicer for our son to have more space since we tend to go on really long trips. Also the space in the back for our lunch, snacks, extra water... stuff for a day trip, is well worth it. It folds totally flat and the tires come off, it would deffinetly fit in the trunk of a car. It came with a screen, plastic cover, back storage, 5 point harness, and the safety flag. I am usually the type that would say if its going to get used a lot spend the extra money, but since we were not sure it would get used all that often we though we'd try the Schwinn first and I am glad we did.
We got the Burley, the one for only one child, and it is plenty large enough for our almost 3 y.o. daughter. And there is also enough room behind her seat for 2-3 bags of groceries. It just seemed so much better made than the ones I saw available at Target. And my hubby is a big cycling enthusiast, so he wasn't as shocked by the prices as I was. You might check Craig's list for a used one, or check with your local cycling club. Geez, I'd sell you mine if you lived near me ;) My little girl wants to ride her own wheels now! I really don't know why you'd need the 2-seater since the child is strapped into a 5-pt. harness. The Burley is super comfy and very breezy (important in FL) and we thought it was worth it. Good luck; hope you find what you need!
Last weekend we drove all over the cities looking for a trail a bike- there is Penn Cycle in Edina that sells used equipment, and there is Hub Bike Co-op(only one location has used bikes) where you find a used one. We looked on the web through craigs list as well. We bought a Burley two seater used on e-bay and we have been extremely happy with it- it is starting to get old and faded but it is still working great. I am not familiar with other trailers but this one has held up well and collapses. We live on a trail so we just connect right to that! It depends on what you will want to do with it! The amount of space you buy might depend on what is available(if you go the used route) and what you plan to do. We enjoy garage saling with it so the extra space is helpful and we also go to parks and can picnic with it.
We ended up inheriting ours - definitely check for used, it's like a stroller, a family can only use it for so long...I checked for a Play It Again Sports near minneapolis and it looks like the closest is in Roseville or St Paul - but ours always has bike trailers. I would get a two seater also...If you wanted to go on a longer ride you'll have room to take stuff with you - also if you wanted to go on a chilly day there will be room for your son to have a blanket with him. I would also get a collapsible one if possible just for storage purposes, but I like that if I want to drive to a trail or something I can collapse it. Although I couldn't take my bike because we drive a Prius... :)
I would definitely go with a 2 seater. My 4th child (she's 4) is the only one in ours now and it's nice to have the extra space to bring one of her friends with, snacks, toys, blankets or even sometimes my older kids skateboards and helmets when they would rather run. We have a Pacific one. We bought it second hand and it has been great.
Craigslist is a great place to search for a used one. Also check out the kids consignment sales coming up. The Munchkin Markets sale is next weekend at the MN State Fairgrounds (www.munchkinmarkets.com). There are usually several to choose from and at prices a lot less than new.
We have one that is a schwinn. It was $80 from Walmart. I collapses completely flat! My son LOVES it! It is a 2-seater, which does work out good because the extra space allows us to put a pillow in it and some toys/snacks.
We use it both around the neighborhood and out on trails. Our son just sits in it and hangs out, and usually ends up falling asleep on the second stretch of the ride (we generally ride 15 miles on the weekend days on a trail and 1-2 miles around the neighborhood during the week).
I love that my son is protected from the sun, bugs, rocks, etc. while he's in the trailer!
We are not super-bikers, but my 5 year old was on two wheels last summer, so we started biking short distances as a family, and our Schwinn has been great. I too had the sticker shock; I figure, if we wear out our Schwinn, or use it so much it is ruined, THEN it's time to think about those more expensive models. My son is 2 1/2 and very big--almost 40 pounds--and it holds him just fine. I could even fit two kids into it. By next summer, I think, he *might* be too big for it, which will be a little awkward--he also won't be on a two-wheeler--but then again, maybe not. I think the weight limit is 50 pounds, in either one or two kids.
Check out Craigs List! I was able to get an almost new Schwinn Trailer that was $250 new for $90!! It is wonderful! Very lightweight and my kids seem to be comfy in it!
We have a bike trailer not sure what brand it is but my son 2.5yr doesn't like it as much as a seat behind us. He feels much more like part of the ride. As long as they still fit I would look into that. Our son is so big I'm not sure he will fit this year.
Look for a used one on Craig's List or the Penn Cycle website. Penn Cycle's website has a free classifieds section. That's how I sold my bike trailer. Yes, it is definitely worth it to have it collapsible. We used it on trails we had to drive to as much as we used it from home. We also used ours as a jogger and a stroller so I would recommend getting the "jogging attachment" if it doesn't already have one.
