Bike Trailers Worth the Money?

We have a Birley, which is a bit pricey (but we got it on Craigslist so it was a deal...) They're great, well made. My son is 22 months, and is ok in it. At this stage, when we put him in it, i think he feels 'confined'. He always ends up falling asleep in it anyway since he's alone and just sitting in there looking out. I think that will change as he gets older and is more interested in a ride (and has a sibling to sit in there with!)

Our boys love ours. You can get them cheaper used. Check places like Once Upon a Child (if you have one), Play It Again Sports, Craig's List, etc...

And yes, it's harder to pull the trailer so it's a better workout! You could also each get a kiddie seat to put on the back of your bike.

I totally think so. I really enjoy my bike trailer and my tag a long. These are two separte items that you attach to your bike. My bike trailer I used on a fairly regular basis for 2 years. Now my youngest is 4yrs and just learned how to bike without training wheels.

I believe anything that is going to get a person outside in the fresh air is better than staying inside. I think it was worth it. Plus were we reside I could ride my bike to stores, the supermarket, ice cream without ever leaving the sidewalk.
My trailer was about $200 it was a 2 seater and has a small trunk. When I ride to the supermarket I have enough room for 3 grocery bags.
Happy trails.

we LOVE ours. We've used it for both of our kiddos and a dog. I don't remember the brand but if you bike, this is FANTASTIC.

I LOVED mine! I put my toddlers in it and rollerbladed. We didn't use them much for actual bike trailers, but they were well worth the money for the blading. I have gone through three of them!! (over 10 years). Now, I have a 1 year old and I tried using a jogging stroller instead since it's just one instead of two kids. My daughter really didn't enjoy the rides, so I tried the trailer I happened to still have in my garage. She loves it. I put toys, books, snacks, etc in there with her and she just plays while I blade. I can't tell you the name of it, but I think they are all pretty much the same. I would suggest checking out the demos in the stores, or reading customer reviews on the websites of Amazon, Target, etc. Don't stress if you put the kids in it and they initially aren't impressed or don't seem to like it. Go on a short ride and gradually increase the time. My toddlers didn't like it so much right at first, but eventually would climb right in themselves. I would bring special treats that they only got when they were in the trailer, so that helped, too :) You could check out craigslist to see if there are any used ones at a good price. Good luck and happy riding!!!

I used a burley until my kids were too big (I had a double burley which could hold up to 75 lbs with one child and 100 lbs combined with two). I started using it when my youngest was 5 weeks old (in an infant seat). Both my sons got used to it - as they got older I would put books and snacks/juice back there, but mostly they just enjoyed the cruising. You need to make sure that you also have helmets on your kids, as well as yourselves. This both sets an example for them and will protect them in case of an accident.

They are AWESOME! After doing some research and using ours -get the Schwinn or one from Babies R Us or Target. You don't have to get the $500 one from REI!

My husband and I have a bike trailer for our toddler and she LOVES it. It is a great way for all of us to get out, exersize, get some sun, etc. We did a ton of research before buying ours as we were very concerned about safety.

The top of the line is the Chariot brand, which is what we have. The next best trailer is Burley. Both are much structurally safer than Instep or anything you can get at Toys R Us. They are both pretty expensive, but when it comes to safety, why skimp?

Both brands have single and double trailers. They each also have separate kits to purchase to turn them into strollers or joggers, and there is even a cross country ski kit. The one drawback with the Burley is that when you turn it into a stroller, the bike attachment does not come off, so it sticks out really far and can be a trip hazard for other people walking with you. The Chariot has a removable arm for the bike attachment that stows neatly on the side of the trailer. So, both brands are great, but the design of the Chariot is much better. REI carries both brands.

And finally, for safety, your children MUST wear helmets. In fact, in Oregon where I live, it is law for anyone under the age of 16 to wear one. There are small helmets for toddlers. Keep in mind that helmets are not to be used for children under the age of 1 as there neck isn't strong enough to hold up the extra weight of the helmet, especially in the event of a crash. Therefore, always have your kids (and you) wear helmets, but wait until they are one year old.

Good luck and happy biking!