Kids in bike trailers?

[Black Sheep]

I'm contemplating and long term planning (baby due in October) what people's thoughts, feelings and experiences are with cycling on roads with traffic.

The area around me has national cycle route 6 run through town, partially diverted away from the main road, however there are 4 routes out of the small town, one is really steep and narrow that just joins back to the main road, the other two are A roads with some parked cars on.
Cars seem to be fairly patient of cyclists, giving ok space and quickly get onto smaller quieter lanes.

Would you ride with children in a trailer?

Would you do so around here or only off the roads?

I'm plotting family bike rides to country tea rooms

 

[skudupnorth]

I've only used mine on closed road rides and trails but i would think it should not be a problem in normal riding in traffic, but i would proberly choose the roads a bit more carefully by using quieter routes.When i am on my own i just blast along any road i can legally ride due to not being fazed by traffic but with children in tow or on their own bikes would make me choose alternative roads.
Good luck with the new additon,mine love the child trailer rides and even fall asleep in the thing !

 

[ianrauk]

Ride with the trailer on roads all the time. Including some quite busy SE London roads. I have found that car drivers, knowing there is a child in the trailer seem to hang back and pass much wider then they would a solo cyclist.

 

[Arch]

My experience is that drivers give more room to cyclists with trailers, and most of all to child trailers - I've never towed a child in one, but having one full of shopping, I got loads of room, because drivers couldn't see what was in it...

Quiet roads will be fine. Off road route and trails will require some research, because the barriers erected to stop motorbikes, and things like steps, will be much more of a hassle with a trailer. NT and I rode a disused railway route that had lots of access points over 6 miles, all with steep steps only. Might be worth exploring local off road routes now, to see which are suitable.

 

[MisterStan]

I use ours on roads and cycle paths. Drivers do give you more room. they are also great as you can load them up with all the stuff you need for kids. as you can see, Abigail loves it!

 

[Primal Scream]

I great idea but it would scare the pants off me, one mistake by a driver and it is probably all over, bad enough if I was hurt but my children does not bare thinking about (who are now adults) I doubt I would have risked it.

 

[Arch]

I great idea but it would scare the pants off me, one mistake by a driver and it is probably all over, bad enough if I was hurt but my children does not bare thinking about (who are now adults) I doubt I would have risked it.

Trailers are pretty tough. I've seen one flip over*, and the kids inside, being strapped in, were fine, if a little surprised.

Yes, if a car runs over it, it's bad. But a car could run into a buggy being pushed on a pavement, or into a child walking. I think I know of one incident of a driver hitting a trailer with fatal results, and that was a deliberate road rage act. People like that can't be accounted for, unless you keep your kids locked in a padded room.

*Inexperienced towing bike rider not paying attention, rode it into a kerb at a bad angle, at speed.

 

[jo_e]

We use one with our 20 month old and he loves it. Cars seem more patient to pass but I try to avoid main roads if I can.

 

[Primal Scream]

Trailers are pretty tough. I've seen one flip over*, and the kids inside, being strapped in, were fine, if a little surprised.

Yes, if a car runs over it, it's bad. But a car could run into a buggy being pushed on a pavement, or into a child walking. I think I know of one incident of a driver hitting a trailer with fatal results, and that was a deliberate road rage act. People like that can't be accounted for, unless you keep your kids locked in a padded room.

*Inexperienced towing bike rider not paying attention, rode it into a kerb at a bad angle, at speed.

Arch you normally talk a lot of sense but the chances of a trailer being hit far outweigh the chances of hitting someone on a pavement and you know of a fatality.

Just my opinion based upon little knowledge I will admit.

 

[craigwend]

I used an old (but good) adams trailer with my pair+ (& later #3 - but not all at once) -saved my sanity in those months after when I was itching to get cycling again:

Things I found:

Car drivers do generally give more room (I do live* 'rural' though)
They cope well on bridle tracks
The flags are really useful to let car drives know your there*
Horses are 'very' scared (in general) of the flags

Your baby should be about (?) 6 months before trying trailers unless you have the ones where you can fit a car seat (unless you have twins+)
Sustrans routes are fine generally ... apart from were they have put little ledges to 'dissuade' motorcycles / some of the angles on 'corners' / gates are a bit tight (leading to my slowest ever clipless moment

The children fall asleep in them

ENJOY

 

[Shaun]

I wanted to get one when Little Ms. Admin was a toddler, but Mrs Admin wasn't having any of it. End of. No discussion, just a straight no!

I managed to have a go with one when we had a summer holiday at Center Parcs and Little Ms. loved it - nodded off in the back a couple of times (great way to settle her for the night ... lol).

And whenever I see one in use on the roads, drivers always seem to hold back and pass wide when they do overtake. I certainly do when I'm in the car - wouldn't want to be responsible for hurting anyone else's little ones!!!

I suppose it comes down to personal choice. I certainly wouldn't try to convince someone who doesn't want to do it, but I'm equally interested in the experiences of those who do.

 

[ianrauk]

What does make people smile is when they see your kiddie trailer's private number plate

 

[Arch]

Arch you normally talk a lot of sense but the chances of a trailer being hit far outweigh the chances of hitting someone on a pavement and you know of a fatality.

Just my opinion based upon little knowledge I will admit.

I know of a fatality from hearing about it on the news a couple of years ago, not personally. By the same score, I can think of several instances I've heard of, of people killed while pedestrians on the pavement, in the last year alone.

So your opinion doesn't hold up to the stats really.

 

[400bhp]

I know of a fatality from hearing about it on the news a couple of years ago, not personally. By the same score, I can think of several instances I've heard of, of people killed while pedestrians on the pavement, in the last year alone.

So your opinion doesn't hold up to the stats really.

No, not really. You need to look at the risk pool (number/miles covered by peds/trailers).

I have a trailer for my little un. I have ridden it on the road a bit but will do this more out of necessity and generally choose off road if I can.
Having said that I did 44 miles on roads over in France last week with the trailer (same one as Ianaruk's) a 21kg youngster and a fair bit of kit. Averaged just under 13mph over 2000ft It is true that car drivers generally give more room.

Risk is a funny one and I think it's more of a head thing that a real thing. I can't really put my finger on why I perceive the trailer to be less safe around traffic than a child seat on the back of the bike. Anecdotally I had an insanely close pass (I would say deliberate) when I had my daughter in the bike seat last year on a really quiet road. I haven't had one insanely close pass with the trailer.

 

[Primal Scream]

I know of a fatality from hearing about it on the news a couple of years ago, not personally. By the same score, I can think of several instances I've heard of, of people killed while pedestrians on the pavement, in the last year alone.

So your opinion doesn't hold up to the stats really.

Fair enough, its just that I spend a lot of time in the Islington and Hoxton area of London where the trailers a fairly common and seeing them on those roads fills me with dread which as you have pointed out is probably unjustified.