I have a one year old and a two year old and I want to take them out on my bicycle. Up until now I had one kid on a seat on the front of the bike and one seat on the back, but it's difficult for me to balance three people on my bicycle. So, I'm looking to get one of those bike trailers where the kids ride in back, but there are so many! And the price range is huge too. Is this pretty much a "you get what you pay for" thing? I can't tell the difference between any of these brands. Burley, CoPilot, InStep, I just don't know! What should I look for? What brands are good? Help!
Burley's are the best...we love ours. But they are pricey. Check for one on Craig's list and maybe you'll get lucky.
I have a Schwinn trailer and it's great. It is one of the least expensive versions of a trailer (I paid $119 I think) and it works great.
In my opinion, it's worth paying for:
1) bigger wheels (the bigger the wheels the smother the ride)
2) Inflatable wheels (again a smooth ride issue)
3) Stroller attachments if you want to be able to ride some place and then walk around (like the farmers market).
What I'm missing out on by not paying more:
1) The front wheel for "strolling" is just a hard plastic little double wheel (like on a regular stroller) so even though I have big inflatable wheels on the back, this really couldn't be used as decent jogging stroller (which is fine for me because I have a jogging stroller I like).
2) The "seats" inside are nothing fancy. They're basically a canvas sling. I think some of the more expensive brands have solid seats. However, DS says it's plenty comfortable so it's okay with me.
3) The closures on my trailer are snaps. The more expensive brands have zippers which would make getting kids in and out a bit quicker.
If I had it to do over again, I'd get exactly the trailer I have. My son is 4 now and still likes to ride in it, but these days he mostly rides his own bike for short rides or the third-wheel (makes my bike into a tandem) on longer rides (or rides that require riding on the street). We save the trailer for trips where he might need to nap on the way home or when we need to carry stuff (groceries, park toys etc).
Hope this helps.
T.
I would recommend a Bell or Giro branded one...they have great safety reports and last a long time.
We have a Burley and really like it. They are way overpriced IMO, and we bought ours from someone on Craigslist for $150. I agree with the first post, you really want the big inflatable wheels for a smooth ride.
