Need some good intel on child trailers for the bike. Burley? Trek? Pros and Cons would be great. Thanks
We had a Burley and liked it. It was well constructed and easy to fold down. It was also easy to connect to the bike. I pulled my son for a total of several hundred miles and he always seemed to enjoy it. Our longest single trip was a bit over 40 miles. I never used it for anything other than pulling behind a bike, but I think there are attachments to convert it into a jogging stroller. Pulling a trailer is a great workout!
I’m partial to the Burleys, but my brother got a cheaper knock-off (In-Step?) which also seemed to work fine. Burley pretty much invented the genre, though, and I still see more of them around than any other, so they’re doing something right.
I have a trek one. Use to have an off brand one that costco sold. Prefered the Trek because the way it hooked up to the bike which was via the rear skewer. the other brand connected to the frame…
I got a Chariot, mainly because I got a great deal, but they, like Burley’s are really expensive. If you can, I’d try to borrow one to make sure that your kid will tolerate it, and then just look at what you’re getting and decide based upon what you can afford. I didn’t need the top level Chariot, because I’m not going to XC ski with it and it was a few hundred more $. The Chariot has a really nice hookup system to your bike, but not sure that it would really be much different than the $150 performance model.
Most people where I live have a Chariot. I started out thinking they were overpriced and that there must be a better ceapre option, I looked at most of the other models and they didn’t come close to the quality and durability and options of the Chariot. The Chariot is the only one that has a suspension system. Like most other things, you get what you pay for.
We bought ours at REI with the 20% off coupon they frequently offer and it came to about $375 for the Cougar, no taxes in Oregon. For the sake of an extra $150 over others you won’t be sorry, they also hold their value much better then any of the others (check out the prices of the used ones on ebay, they sell for 80% of new).
we have a chariot with thousands of miles on it - as a bike trailer, a jogger and as a stroller. it has been incredible. attachments to have the kids in it from a month old to 5 years old. great rain cover in case something happens. the suspension is great for keeping them from being bounced all over the place. good storage for other stuff. easy to transition from jogger to bike trailer. sits a little higher than some others which I think is good for visibility.
We too, has a Chariot. But, it’s expensive, heaver than it needs to be, and the conversion to a 3 wheel stroller with hand brake is clunky.
Did you get the cougar model? Thanks. Where did you get it, if you don’t mind. Bro deal? If you can’t say no worries. Thanks
Thanks, the Cougar looks much sleeker than the others out there. Thanks for the info.
A sailboating buddy, has a rather ordinary bike shop at the intersection of Lorain Ave. & Triskett Rd. on Cleveland’s West Side. The guy in the picture is now 4 & 1/2 and got an aluminum 16inch Trek one speed for Christmas. So his little brother will ride the Chariot for the next two years. The big guy had a 12inch Giant, it may be awhile until the 23 month old can ride it.
Making sure the kids travel in style…
Got the Cabriolet, it was an open box return, at ComfortFirst.com.
If I didn’t get the deal that I got, I probably would have gone the cheaper route. I wasn’t too interested in the cougar, because we already have a jogging stroller, and I just wanted a bike trailer (+ I think that you need to buy a bike kit). And the corsair was stupid expensive, and the main thing that you got was suspension, which is nice, but its pretty smooth without suspension…
we already have a Bob Revolution. You recommend just a bike trailer then? Thanks for the input
We have a charriot CSL (green). Works great on the bike and fairly good on the run. The thing is build like an F1 race car.
Dave in VA
Huge F1 fan. I’m in on the Chariot then. Cant wait until opening day in March. Thanks
The Chariot is the way to go. Im at stay at home dad so when i do my training on the bike its with the trailer. It folds easy and the conversion from jogger to trailer is quick
Look at the Wike brand.
Seriously, they’re incredibly well built, they fold flat, they’re solid, comfortable, and the hitch is bomb proof (like the Burley’s). Then check out the price. I’ve used mine at least twice a week since last May, and it looks as good as day one (minus some dirt from riding in the rain). My kid loves it. We took it today to the farmers’ market, then the bar, then the park, then the capitol, then home. Totally solid.
Get the double size and move the harness to the middle to give the kid a little more room. I’ve also towed two kids around without a problem. Oh, and it’s the best workout ever. Ride around with it for a few months and when you take it off, you fly.
we already have a Bob Revolution. You recommend just a bike trailer then? Thanks for the input
In general, I’m a fan of purpose built equipment. When the design needs to do 5 things its usually not as good as if its designed around one objective. If I didn’t already have a jogging stroller, the Cougar line would be more appealing. Also, another thing to consider is if your jogger is a one or two kid arrangement, and if its a one kid deal, and you want the future option of a 2 kid arrangement, the cougar might be a better choice…
Chariot’s site is pretty good, and the comparison tool will give you a good idea of the differences. FWIW, locally, they only sell the cougar model.