Bike trailers (for little ones) advice

General cycling advice ( NOT technical ! )
nomm
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Joined: 13 Oct 2015, 8:39pm

Bike trailers (for little ones) advice

Post by nomm »

I have been scouring gumtree and ebay for bike trailers for a little one these past months - It's seems that the non-budget fancy pants models don't come up much second hand and hold their value well. (We are trying to buy as much as possible for the little one second hand)

I was hoping for a bit of advice of experience on this forum from anyone who owns anything that can take an infant, double as a cargo trailer and as a pram - annoyingly this has narrowed down the selection to burley, thule or croozer (and only certain models)

ta
hamster
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Joined: 2 Feb 2007, 12:42pm

Re: Bike trailers (for little ones) advice

Post by hamster »

We ran a Burley for several years - they are definitely the Mercedes of the bike trailer world, but are well made, lighter than the competition and had decent resale value. 6 years use saw the trailer (bought secondhand) last us with plenty more years to go.
Tangled Metal
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Re: Bike trailers (for little ones) advice

Post by Tangled Metal »

Anywhere close to North Lancashire? Pm me if you are with an offer for a Burley D-lite that's something like 5 1/2 years old but very good nick. It would need collecting if you're interested.

Seriously interested in offloading it to another family who will continue it's life. I have good memories using it to tow our son but they grow up quickly and it needs new family. Not the current model with spring suspension but the earlier elastomer block suspension. It worked OK on the odd rocky, off road trail though (18 month old sleeping while I rode over the roughest bit towing it.
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gaz
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Location: Kent

Re: Bike trailers (for little ones) advice

Post by gaz »

Burley Solo some eighteen years ago without a buggy conversion kit. Used for the swimming pool, picinc in the park and nursery runs rather than round the world adventure. Sold on after six years, I wasn't using ebay at the time (was ebay much of a thing twelve years ago?) and with a limited market it didn't hold its value.

To be frank it was probably overspend for the use it got, a budget trailer would likely have done just as well. The main advantage of a lightweight trailer came when carting it about the house/shed/garage before and after trips out.

In hindsight I wish I hadn't sold it and had simply switched it to cargo duties. I picked up a second-hand cargo trailer four years back but it's a heavy beast and I don't enjoy lifting it onto the storage hooks in the garage.
High on a cocktail of flossy teacakes and marmalade
hayers
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Joined: 27 Apr 2016, 1:50pm

Re: Bike trailers (for little ones) advice

Post by hayers »

Used a 2 seat chariot (now thule) for a few years. Folded up nicely and towed well, but too wide for some narrow entrances and quite large in buggy use about town. Moved it on on this board a few years back.
nomm
Posts: 417
Joined: 13 Oct 2015, 8:39pm

Re: Bike trailers (for little ones) advice

Post by nomm »

Tangled Metal wrote:Anywhere close to North Lancashire? Pm me if you are with an offer for a Burley D-lite that's something like 5 1/2 years old but very good nick. It would need collecting if you're interested.

Seriously interested in offloading it to another family who will continue it's life. I have good memories using it to tow our son but they grow up quickly and it needs new family. Not the current model with spring suspension but the earlier elastomer block suspension. It worked OK on the odd rocky, off road trail though (18 month old sleeping while I rode over the roughest bit towing it.


Bristol based
hoppy58
Posts: 343
Joined: 9 Mar 2011, 3:07pm

Re: Bike trailers (for little ones) advice

Post by hoppy58 »

Danny Macaskill's got one for sale, now he's finished with this one!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jj0CmnxuTaQ
AndyK
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Location: Mid Hampshire

Re: Bike trailers (for little ones) advice

Post by AndyK »

gaz wrote:Burley Solo some eighteen years ago without a buggy conversion kit. Used for the swimming pool,

:shock: Er... I don't think they float, do they?
GranvilleThomas
Posts: 139
Joined: 1 Apr 2015, 9:58am
Location: Caerphilly

Re: Bike trailers (for little ones) advice

Post by GranvilleThomas »

I purchased a two seater trailer in Lidl a few years back and it was a bit heavy but built very well, with front and back LED lights supplied.

The problem was that it would not fit through most of the Sustrans 'A' barriers on route 4 of the NCN around here so the only option was to use it on the road.

It was bad enough when I used it to convey our weekly shop from Morrisons to home along the main road to the top of the hill we were living on at the time (about 2.5 miles away), with the traffic taking a distinct dislike to this contraption being on the road. I had drivers holding their hands on the horn as they passed and some shouting abuse out of the window as they passed as well, I wouldn't have minded but it was a wide enough road for all to pass with comfort!

What really cheesed me of though was the extremely close passes when I had my daughter sitting in the trailer, they seemed (I have a rear view mirror) to come even closer than usual and terrified me so much that I decided my daughter would be safer off staying out of it!

I also experienced children (teenagers mainly) either running out in the road and grabbing the back of the trailer when going up the hill to home and bringing me to a standstill or standing on the rear of the trailer and getting a free ride!

In the end this continued behaviour made me reach the conclusion that this part of the world is not ready for a bike trailer yet, or maybe never will be, who knows, but anyway I gave the trailer away to an ex work colleague who I am no longer in touch with.

Maybe you need to assess if your part of the world is ready for a trailer yet or will you be seen as a 'wierdo' who just wants to hold the traffic up like I was.

Sorry for being so negative, but this is my honest experience of bike trailers in my part of the world and I hope that if you buy one that you will have a more positive experience.
nomm
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Re: Bike trailers (for little ones) advice

Post by nomm »

GranvilleThomas wrote:I purchased a two seater trailer in Lidl a few years back and it was a bit heavy but built very well, with front and back LED lights supplied.

The problem was that it would not fit through most of the Sustrans 'A' barriers on route 4 of the NCN around here so the only option was to use it on the road.

It was bad enough when I used it to convey our weekly shop from Morrisons to home along the main road to the top of the hill we were living on at the time (about 2.5 miles away), with the traffic taking a distinct dislike to this contraption being on the road. I had drivers holding their hands on the horn as they passed and some shouting abuse out of the window as they passed as well, I wouldn't have minded but it was a wide enough road for all to pass with comfort!

What really cheesed me of though was the extremely close passes when I had my daughter sitting in the trailer, they seemed (I have a rear view mirror) to come even closer than usual and terrified me so much that I decided my daughter would be safer off staying out of it!

I also experienced children (teenagers mainly) either running out in the road and grabbing the back of the trailer when going up the hill to home and bringing me to a standstill or standing on the rear of the trailer and getting a free ride!

In the end this continued behaviour made me reach the conclusion that this part of the world is not ready for a bike trailer yet, or maybe never will be, who knows, but anyway I gave the trailer away to an ex work colleague who I am no longer in touch with.

Maybe you need to assess if your part of the world is ready for a trailer yet or will you be seen as a 'wierdo' who just wants to hold the traffic up like I was.

Sorry for being so negative, but this is my honest experience of bike trailers in my part of the world and I hope that if you buy one that you will have a more positive experience.



That sounds truly awful - Where did you live? There are quite a few round these ways.
GranvilleThomas
Posts: 139
Joined: 1 Apr 2015, 9:58am
Location: Caerphilly

Re: Bike trailers (for little ones) advice

Post by GranvilleThomas »

nomm wrote:
GranvilleThomas wrote:I purchased a two seater trailer in Lidl a few years back and it was a bit heavy but built very well, with front and back LED lights supplied.

The problem was that it would not fit through most of the Sustrans 'A' barriers on route 4 of the NCN around here so the only option was to use it on the road.

It was bad enough when I used it to convey our weekly shop from Morrisons to home along the main road to the top of the hill we were living on at the time (about 2.5 miles away), with the traffic taking a distinct dislike to this contraption being on the road. I had drivers holding their hands on the horn as they passed and some shouting abuse out of the window as they passed as well, I wouldn't have minded but it was a wide enough road for all to pass with comfort!

What really cheesed me of though was the extremely close passes when I had my daughter sitting in the trailer, they seemed (I have a rear view mirror) to come even closer than usual and terrified me so much that I decided my daughter would be safer off staying out of it!

I also experienced children (teenagers mainly) either running out in the road and grabbing the back of the trailer when going up the hill to home and bringing me to a standstill or standing on the rear of the trailer and getting a free ride!

In the end this continued behaviour made me reach the conclusion that this part of the world is not ready for a bike trailer yet, or maybe never will be, who knows, but anyway I gave the trailer away to an ex work colleague who I am no longer in touch with.

Maybe you need to assess if your part of the world is ready for a trailer yet or will you be seen as a 'wierdo' who just wants to hold the traffic up like I was.

Sorry for being so negative, but this is my honest experience of bike trailers in my part of the world and I hope that if you buy one that you will have a more positive experience.



That sounds truly awful - Where did you live? There are quite a few round these ways.



I lived in the Caerphilly area and still do, in a slightly different location these days but I have advised people who have asked, not to bother with a trailer, unless they can find one narrow enough to fit through the ridiculously narrow Sustrans barriers around here and then they can access Route 4 and maybe have an enjoyable time away from the maniacs on the road.

Funny enough as I am typing this I can see someone out in the street pulling a narrow red trailer with a flag on the back, looks like there is a very small child inside, they are on the narrow pavement, so perhaps that would be an option to consider to keep off the road, but i'm not sure that would go down very well with some miserable people around here either!
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honesty
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Re: Bike trailers (for little ones) advice

Post by honesty »

We had a Burley Bee and used it all the way up to the age of 6 when my daughter started cycling to school in the summer term of year 2. The hitch worked really well but it was quite wide.
Tangled Metal
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Re: Bike trailers (for little ones) advice

Post by Tangled Metal »

I don't think Caerphilly is like most places across the UK. Although I've only ever ridden a bike towing trailers in Lancashire, Cumbria, Derbyshire and parts of Scotland. Never had any issues like GT had. In fact the opposite was true. Drivers gave us a huge gap overtaking, more like 2.5 m at times. They were patient on waiting for a gap too, often hanging back from the trailer so we didn't feel harrassed. I've even had teenagers seeing us loading our child into the trailer outside a cafe stop say that it was cool or some such sentiment using more modern teenage phrasing I can't remember.

We see then bring used for school runs in rush hour on busy roads too. The local University has an area outside its nursery for cycle trailers to be secured too. That's possibly bordering on Danish or Dutch levels of family cycling facilities. Never known that elsewhere.
hamster
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Re: Bike trailers (for little ones) advice

Post by hamster »

Tangled Metal wrote:I don't think Caerphilly is like most places across the UK. Although I've only ever ridden a bike towing trailers in Lancashire, Cumbria, Derbyshire and parts of Scotland. Never had any issues like GT had. In fact the opposite was true. Drivers gave us a huge gap overtaking, more like 2.5 m at times. They were patient on waiting for a gap too, often hanging back from the trailer so we didn't feel harrassed. I've even had teenagers seeing us loading our child into the trailer outside a cafe stop say that it was cool or some such sentiment using more modern teenage phrasing I can't remember.

We see then bring used for school runs in rush hour on busy roads too. The local University has an area outside its nursery for cycle trailers to be secured too. That's possibly bordering on Danish or Dutch levels of family cycling facilities. Never known that elsewhere.


I'll second that - I generally saw better road manners and more patience from drivers when out with the trailer.
GranvilleThomas
Posts: 139
Joined: 1 Apr 2015, 9:58am
Location: Caerphilly

Re: Bike trailers (for little ones) advice

Post by GranvilleThomas »

Tangled Metal wrote:I don't think Caerphilly is like most places across the UK. Although I've only ever ridden a bike towing trailers in Lancashire, Cumbria, Derbyshire and parts of Scotland. Never had any issues like GT had. In fact the opposite was true. Drivers gave us a huge gap overtaking, more like 2.5 m at times. They were patient on waiting for a gap too, often hanging back from the trailer so we didn't feel harrassed. I've even had teenagers seeing us loading our child into the trailer outside a cafe stop say that it was cool or some such sentiment using more modern teenage phrasing I can't remember.


We see then bring used for school runs in rush hour on busy roads too. The local University has an area outside its nursery for cycle trailers to be secured too. That's possibly bordering on Danish or Dutch levels of family cycling facilities. Never known that elsewhere.


Yes, I understand what you are saying and your experiences are the dream that I had when I purchased my trailer, I was genuinely excited at the idea and i'm sure that most places would be different to around here.

The south Wales valleys have for many years had a justifiable reputation for being 'behind the times' and sadly nothing seems to have changed much to my eyes.

Sorry for seeming to be so negative, as the bike trailer to transport children is an amazing idea and my daughter loved travelling in the thing, she had a grin like a Cheshire cat, but I just wanted to be honest about my experiences, which were most likely unusual compared to the civilized areas of the UK :D
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