# Child Trailers?



## Cab (20 Aug 2007)

I've directed the person who posted a question on this on another forum to here. But because its already there and I'm sure that input from anyone who is clued up would be helpful, I'll also post a link to there from here:

http://forum.downsizer.net/viewtopic.php?t=24994


----------



## Arch (20 Aug 2007)

Don't want to be faffed with posting on another forum just at the mo (assume you have to register?), but for what it's worth, cab, you can pass this on. I once saw a trailer with two kids in overturn - it was being towed round our tryout track by a woman whose older son decided it would be fun to ride into it (shoot for brains...) and she rode it into a kerb. Both kids, while a bit surprised, were perfectly unharmed, because they were strapped in and the trailer acted as a rollcage. That was the only time I've ever seen one tip over.

And cars do give them a wide berth. I carried some shopping in one once, it was great!


----------



## Cab (20 Aug 2007)

Cheers Paul/Arch, I'll pass that on.

You know how it is, when you see questions posted on a forum where more informed answers would be forthcoming elsewhere. What _is_ the correct etiquette for dealing with that?


----------



## Arch (20 Aug 2007)

Pretty much what you've done I'd say - point the person to a better source of info, but also provide a quick synopsis...

I've also heard a few people say, BTW, that putting the kids in the trailer and doing a few turns round the block can be a good way to get them off to sleep. Like putting them in the car..

Also of course, when the kids grow up, or aren't using it, you have a useful trailer for shopping etc...


----------



## hairyhippy (20 Aug 2007)

Cab, I've put a response on downsizer, as I inhabit there too


----------



## Cab (20 Aug 2007)

Ahh, yes, so I see


----------



## papercorn2000 (24 Oct 2007)

With Mr. P here. My daughter loved it (when she could stay awake!) it's more stable than a rack-mounted seat plus you have space for lunch, water, spares, raincoats etc. on a family day out. She's now outgrown the trailer and onto a tag-a-long. Trailer has been passed on to a pal with a younger kid.


----------



## PrettyboyTim (24 Oct 2007)

I've almost always found that drivers are very courteous to me when I am pulling my son along in our child trailer. They'll often stop to let us cross at crossroads and to turn right in front of them, and normally give us a lot of clearance. I don't think tipping over is a problem as long as you take corners at a sensible speed, and I'm sure the whole fumes thing is a red herring. The trailer is at a similar level to pushchairs, and the trailer is always at least a couple of bike lengths (normally much more) from any exhaust pipes in front. As the exhaust comes out hot, it rises pretty quickly so I'd guess it wouldn't affect anyone down at that level.


----------



## BentMikey (25 Oct 2007)

Trailers are very safe, IMO. I used to collect miniMikey the pikey in a Burley D'Lite from nursery school, a 6 mile round trip. Plus the shopping.

Here's a safety report from Germany:
http://www.londonskaters.com/cycling/article-child-trailer-safety.htm

Much safer than child seats, according to this.


----------



## mickle (2 Nov 2007)

A couple of comments if I may.We have had some problems with a particular brand of trailer on our roadshows this year. A previous buyer sourced some cheap trailersfrom Raleigh P+A to replace our tired but perfectly reliable Burleys. They've been a nightmare. All the cheap far eastern manufed trailers are copies of either Burley or Winchester. Winchester trailers were designed a looong time ago when most bike frames were steel, steel chain stays are narrower than aluminum stays. Trailer hitches poorly copied from the winchester clamp and rendered in substandard materials do not attach very securely to modern alu frame stays. In fact they fall off. They are not safe. 

There are three main hitch types; (1) Winchester stylee stay clamp. 
(2) Old style Burley, a bracket which fits inside the rear triangle near the drop out. 
(3) New style Byrley, attaches to a wee bracket which sits under the QR nut or axle nut, introduced because the old one was not compatible with disc brakes equipped bikes. 

Dont go buying a trailer before at the very least having it attached to the proposed tractor bike. 
Dont buy a trailer from Argos, Halfrauds or Raleigh P+A. They are all sh!te.
Burley are great as are Chariot and Winther. Try and get an old style Burley clamp if you run without disc brakes, they are still available to special order.







We have some ex fleet trailers if anyone is interested.....................


----------



## domtyler (2 Nov 2007)

Parts and Accessories? 

At a guess.


----------



## mickle (2 Nov 2007)

Sorry yes, Pharts And Arsessories.


----------



## PrettyboyTim (3 Nov 2007)

mickle said:


> Trailer hitches poorly copied from the winchester clamp and rendered in substandard materials do not attach very securely to modern alu frame stays. In fact they fall off. They are not safe. QUOTE]
> 
> My £60 eBay special had a clamp-based hitch, and I quite agree that they aren't safe. Granted, my son lost the tightening nut, and I had to replace it with a large wing-nut, but even tightening the nut as hard as I could with a pair of pliers, the grip on the hitch still wasn't that great. The hitch came off twice when I was towing my son - both times the failsafe leash prevented the trailer from careening off down the hill behind me, but both times the hitch got twisted up in the spokes of my rear wheel with a sickening crunching noise, requiring the wheel to be serviced each time.
> 
> I feel much safer with the carryfreedom hitch fitted.


----------



## LordoftheTeapot (7 Nov 2007)

My latest trailer uses Webber Coupling Type E. Not had it long enough to have any problums. I assume there good?


----------



## User169 (9 Dec 2007)

Rather than going down the trailer route, I gave one of these a test-drive yesterday....

http://www.bakfiets.nl/eng/models_cargo_bike_long.php

Room for three kids and you can also fit a baby seat. Takes a bit of getting used to the steering, but pretty straight-forward all in all. 

Mrs Delftse and I are, however, a bit hesitant at the price - probably about 2000EUR all told.


----------



## tdr1nka (9 Dec 2007)

I have taken my daughter, age 5, by bike to both nursery and big school.
That's some 3 1/2 years now.
First she was in a chair seat behind me and when she outgrew that we were bequeathed a tag-a-long tandem which she now loves!
We live and ride in the smelly looney driver paradise that is South London and she is my second pair of eyes and ears, we are helmeted and covered in so much hi-vi that we probably constitute a dangerous distraction.

My advice is to take your place on the road and ride like a Nun. Have an average time for journies, school runs etc and try when possible not to rush.

The tandem has given my daughter road sense above that of many her age, she understands what it feels like to ride without stablisers and loves it when people stop and wave or just stare when we go past(you don't see many kids on tandems in New Cross!).

Best Wishes

Tdr1nka x


----------



## Arch (10 Dec 2007)

tdr1nka said:


> I have taken my daughter, age 5, by bike to both nursery and big school.
> That's some 3 1/2 years now.
> First she was in a chair seat behind me and when she outgrew that we were bequeathed a tag-a-long tandem which she now loves!
> We live and ride in the smelly looney driver paradise that is South London and she is my second pair of eyes and ears, we are helmeted and covered in so much hi-vi that we probably constitute a dangerous distraction.
> ...



That's great! I love the idea of 'ride like a nun'!


----------



## tdr1nka (10 Dec 2007)

with my wimple in the wind!


----------



## tdr1nka (10 Dec 2007)

Delftse Post said:


> Rather than going down the trailer route, I gave one of these a test-drive yesterday....
> 
> http://www.bakfiets.nl/eng/models_cargo_bike_long.php
> 
> ...



This bike is fantastic, it looks like it could be amphibious!

T x


----------



## Arch (10 Dec 2007)

tdr1nka said:


> This bike is fantastic, it looks like it could be amphibious!
> 
> T x



Look in the second post here to see something like it being a bit amphibious... (scoll down a bit...)

http://www.cyclechat.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=5873


----------



## domtyler (10 Dec 2007)

My experience of taking my daughter to Nursery so far in the child seat is that I do not get any extra room or patience shown by car drivers. The only thing that helps is to completely take the lane. Fortunately it is only a few minutes ride but we do have to go a short distance on two fairly busy roads.


----------



## PrettyboyTim (10 Dec 2007)

I changed from using a trailer to using a child seat to take my son to nursery; mainly because the trailer took longer to set up and take down, and my Wife didn't like lugging it around when she picked him up in the afternoon.

However, I do miss the courtesy that I used to get from drivers with it. People were always stopping to let me cross the road, that kind of thing.  People still seem to give me more room with the child seat than without, but it was fun riding with the trailer


----------



## tdr1nka (10 Dec 2007)

I generally take the lane and signal well in advance as a rule. My greatest worries come from when drivers overtake us by using the oncoming lane of a blind corner or junction.

Tdr1nka x


----------



## User169 (10 Dec 2007)

tdr1nka said:


> This bike is fantastic, it looks like it could be amphibious!
> 
> T x



Not quite amphibious, although the manufacturers do make a big thing of it being able to withstand being left outside all of the time. 

On the other hand, it may well need to be amphibious given climate change and all that!


----------

