Happiness is a simple thing. After a hectic week at work, on a nice weekend, relaxing with your kids and pets is the happiness. Don’t worry if your kids are little, we have a very popular tool for you. It is a bike trailer.
What is a bike trailer and how to use?
A bike trailer is a trailer used for recreation or transportation that attaches to the axle of a bike’s rear wheel using a hitch arm and attachment system.
For a child to sit in a bike trailer pulled by an adult, the industry-wide recommendation is to wait until the child is at least one year old. Although every child develops at a different rate, it is recommended that a child be able to sit upright on their own while wearing a bicycle helmet. This ensures that the child has enough body strength to enjoy a ride in the bike trailer without bouncing back and forth too much.
What to consider when buying a bike trailer?
Here are five critical things to consider: budget, weight, safety, wheels, attachment.
Budget
For an entry-level trailer, you’ll find stroller conversion and a canopy cover with better safety features.
For a mid-range trailer, you’ll see very high-quality materials and durability for an affordable price, as well as stroller conversion and solid safety features.
And at the highest-end, you’ll get the bells and whistles, with suspension on the trailer for rough terrains, ultimate comfort, and unparalleled quality.
Attachment
Making sure that your bike is compatible with a bike trailer is one of the first considerations to make when shopping for a trailer to pull your precious cargo. Most bikes are compatible with all major bike trailers for kids.
Bike trailers either attach to the axle of the rear wheel or to your bike’s seat post.
In most cases, you’ll be able to easily attach your new bike trailer right out of the box, with all accessories included. Specifically, if your bike’s rear wheel has a standard quick-release (skewer that goes through the center of the wheel), then most trailers will attach easily to your bike.
Some types of bikes, however, may require a simple adapter in order to attach the trailer. Typically, bikes that have 12mm thru-axle wheels or hooded-style dropouts may require an adapter.
Weight: single seat or double seats
Bike trailers can hold from 40 lbs on the lower end to 150 lbs on the highest end. Double-seated bike trailers are designed to carry more weight, so they may be preferable for growing families.
Safety
There are two primary safety features that are important to look for in a bike trailer: (1) the harness and (2) the cover.
A five-point harness is a standard safety feature of almost all bike trailers, even the cheapest trailers. It’s just important to make sure that the harness will fit your child by checking the weight limit of the trailer (which is typically 40 lbs per child).
If your child is under the weight limit and under 6 years of age, the harness should fit comfortably without a problem.
The second safety feature to look for in a bike trailer is the cover. The covers offer more protection and usability.
Wheels
Quantity: one wheel or two wheels
In short, if you are looking to overcome the significant weight you are carrying, then you will be better off with a two wheel trailer. The weight is more evenly balanced, making it easier for you to pull the trailer along. With two wheels, however, it will be best if you stay on terrain that is largely flat, smooth, and wide.
If you are looking to head to a hilly area with lots of winding turns, then a one wheel trailer will be quite convenient. You will find that there is a great deal more traction and that cycling up and down will be easier too. Of course, you will need to minimize the weight you are carrying if you want to maintain handling control. One wheel trailers tend to be useful for cyclists who are touring, as long as their load isn’t too heavy.
Size: 16 inches or 20 inches wheel
The gold standard for bike trailer wheels is 20 inches, which offers smoother rolling over bumps and rough terrain. 20-inch wheels also make for an excellent stroller experience.
But if you’re just looking for a bike trailer for an occasional rider, 16-inch wheels can also be enough.
We have different types of bike trailers for different needs, if you are interested in it, please feel free to contact us.