Tag-a-alongs

[Flowerfairy]

Hi
Was thinking of getting one of these for my 5yr old to take her to school but obviously would be cycling home without her on back, can you do this with tag-a-longs or would it be swinging round all over the place?
Many thanks

 

[steve52]

i have one for the grand kids and have no problem with it following me around while rider less, ps its fast too i just cant drop it!

 

[PK99]

Hi
Was thinking of getting one of these for my 5yr old to take her to school but obviously would be cycling home without her on back, can you do this with tag-a-longs or would it be swinging round all over the place?
Many thanks

I have one, no longer used, in my garage.... where are you?

I'm south london.

 

[Arch]

An empty tagalong is fine, just like a tandem ridden solo, or towing a trailer.

If PK99's cast off isn't an option, then the one important thing to consider when buying one is the hitch. A very cheap model may have a hitch that develops play when it gets worn, letting the tagalong slop from side to side in corners. This is more likely (but not inevitable) with the kind that attach to the adult bike's seatpost. The creme de la creme is one that attaches to a rear rack, like the Islabike version:

http://www.islabikes.co.uk/products/trailerbike/trailerbike.html

or the Burley Piccolo

http://www.bicycledoctor.co.uk/p_burleypiccolo.html

(neither are cheap, but are quality, and should retain value for resale. Getting one with gears lets your little one find their own cadence too)

 

[Globalti]

Agree with Arch, the design of the hitch is actually your most important consideration. We had one, which slopped a lot so the damn thing was always flopping to one side or another and when Gti junior moved around it would waggle from side to side, which was terribly upsetting.

Worse still, when he was quite small we had a frightening incident when we started off at a roundabout; I swayed a little in starting, the sway got magnified by the spring in the frames and the slop in the hitch and the tag-along swayed violently enough to throw him off, right in front of the car behind us that was just beginning to move. To see your child aged around four lying in the road right in front of a moving car is not an experience to be recommended.

 

[funnymummy]

I use a MissionPiggyback.... MissionPiggyback
I have added a storage box to the back to carry bookbags & lunchboxes in.....And can then carry my shooping home after dropping my son at school!
It's very stable, no swaying or wobbles & has no effect on the speed I cycle at, once 'unloaded'

 

[Bicycle]

Confirming what others have said, they are fine riderless.

I bought one to help one of my children to learn to ride (he's slightly dispaxic).

After months of hard graft and no reward, the tag-along got him riding independently very soon.

It also taught him (and a younger brother) a lot about A-road riding that riding solo he wouldn't have seen so young.

I'm hugely pleased I bought it.

I bought a very basic one (single speed and no fancy joints). That was all that was needed. No need to get all hi-tech with it.

Caution: When riding alone, you may forget you have it with you and may take longer pulling out at a junction.

Other caution: Probably not best for deep mud and big slopes on bridleways. You will get stuck. You will lose a shoe. The child will laugh.

 

[Flowerfairy]

Thanks for all your replies!

PK99 - thanks very much but i'm a little bit far away in deepest darkest Dorset!

Am now facing another problem regarding this - my ex is saying he doesn't want our daughter going on the roads on a bike as its far too dangerous! Wish i'd never told him now! think will just go ahead and buy it.

 

[Arch]

Thanks for all your replies!

PK99 - thanks very much but i'm a little bit far away in deepest darkest Dorset!

Am now facing another problem regarding this - my ex is saying he doesn't want our daughter going on the roads on a bike as its far too dangerous! Wish i'd never told him now! think will just go ahead and buy it.

You could mention that drivers tend to behave much better around cyclists with bike seats, trailers or tagalongs. There are idiots, but you'll get much more room riding something a bit out of the ordinary. Bung a flag on it for extra impact.

Also, your daughter will be much better in the long run, getting out in the fresh air, getting exercise, than cooped up in a car. And I suspect far more children are injured in cars, or just in the home, than on bikes. (there will be stats about that somewhere...)

As I assume you already cycle, your ex isn't bothered about you being on the roads? He may be your ex, but you're his daughter's mum, so he ought to care in that respect. You're probably safer with her on a tagalong as well - see my first point.

If it's possible, try one out with your daughter to see if she enjoys it. Is there a country park or similar nearby that has family cycle hire? That sort of place often has trailerbikes to hire.

 

[Bicycle]

I'm sorry to hear that. It's not my place to venture an opinion.

So I will.

If couched diplomatically, the case might be made that however terrifying the prospect of littluns cycling next to the spinning wheels of artics, much more frightening is the prospect (very common today) of youngsters reaching their majority without an ability to assess risk.

A few close shaves on a bicycle does wonders for the ability to assess danger and respond appropriately.

My children all cycled (tag-along and/or independently) in the shadow of artics on fast A-roads. All remain extant and all have a keen sense of impending danger (I hope).

These things cannot be learned from a Nintendo Wiiiiii.....

Apologies if that was unhelpful or misplaced.

 

[fossyant]

We've got a trek tag a long and its great. Even ok off road. Ahem.

 

[Ajay]

I've used tag-a-longs and trailers with my 2 over the years. For me the trailer was so much easier tow, so much more stable with its lower centre of gravity and connection point to the bike, and a lot less stressful as you're not constantly checking they're holding on! (inducing more wobble). A trailer has the benefit that the child doesnt have to concentrate all the time and you can easily carry school bags and all the gubbins you need. If you're not 100% about her being in traffic on a tag a long you might want to consider a trailer for a year or so until she's a bit bigger. I'm not saying that one is better/safer than the other. My 2 are too big for the trailer now, but my 7 year old still uses the tag-a-long - she did a 10miler on it on sunday!

 

[benb]

I'm definitely going to get one.

My boy is 3, and 16kg. The seat is rated for 22kg, so not that long before he'll be too big - certainly by the time he's 4 I want him towed rather than on the seat.

He does have a bike too, that he's getting the hang of cycling. I want to make sure he's experienced and sensible enough to be able to at least hang on before I take him out on a tagalong.

What I can't decide is whether to get a specific tagalong, or whether to buy a Trail Gator.
The latter has the advantage of being able to fold up onto my bike when not in use, and he can ride his own bike until his legs get too tired.

The disadvantage is that the coupling between the bar and his bike is not as robust as a proper tagalong.

Anyone else have opinions on either option?