Lil Grips #1 is too big for the trailer – just under 4 years old, 24kg, 110cm and broad shouldered. She doesn’t really fit in next to Lil Grips #2.

So the options are as follows:

1) Bigger trailer. Very expensive, only the Chariot Corsair XL is significantly bigger than my Cougar 2 and they cost £££££. It would also only last maybe one more year anyway.

2) Tag-along. They do seem to be available in small enough sizes, but I am not convinced she’s got enough core strength, endurance and focus to sit tight for a 1-2 hour trip without falling off or being bumped off.

3) Trail Gator. She is due her first pedal bike by now anyway, so this would be a cheap option, but she can’t actually ride, even her balance bike has stabilisers. I don’t know how much support these things give to someone who’s not really physically tuned in.

4) Weehoo iGo. Quite expensive but I like this idea a lot. I could sell our Cougar 2 and buy a Cougar 1, and maybe have a little money left over to go towards this.

5) A second hand Bob Yak with some sort of chair strapped into it. It’d need a proper job doing with added safety straps. I haven’t looked at second hand Bob Yak values yet. Would also come in handy for me 🙂

6) A cargo bike with a chair strapped on. Like a Kona Ute or something. Needless to say, this is a great option for me, but lots of money again! If you can get two kids on a Ute that might work, cos I could sell the Chariot and buy one then.

Get a tag along. My lad was a little too small for his when we first got it, just touching the pedals, but couldn’t rotate. He was still able to enjoy 20-30 mile charity rides with me. He is 4 btw. Even if she is too small, you’ll have it for later. Pick em up 2nd hand for very little money

I think the size will be ok, just her ability to concentrate and stay on the thing for long enough.

We got a Followme tandem so our lad could ride his own bike, I highly recommend them. Got from a place in Boston Spa who import them

Adams tag a long with their back rest = sorted

When our younger one had only turned 3, he might have been around 90cm and <20kg then. No issue on the tag a long even though he couldn’t turn the pedals – just use them as footrests. He lasted all day trips on that as long as we stopped from time to time, talked to him, pointed out interesting things to look at on the route.

Reminds me – must tidy it up & sell it.

Followme Tandem – £210! I’d rather have the Weehoo!

I like the Adams backrest idea. Does the trailer bike fold?

I have an islabike tag along for sale if your interested. Best one by far and mounts to a rack and has gears. Pick up only from Surrey though.

PSA
http://www.fudgescyclestore.com/index.php?p=246835
http://www.fudgescyclestore.com/index.php?p=246842
They did have some at £39.99 but I think I got the last one.

ajc – pics, and fast cos I’m about to bid on an adams one! email in profile.

Oh and – tagalongs with FS bikes? Orange 5 specifically.

Adams one works fine with a 5, works with a fat bike also

Molgrips y.g.m. The Islabike tagalong isn’t going to work with your 5 as it is a rack mounted one.

Right – bought the Adams one from fudge cycles. Thanks folks 🙂 I’ll let you know if it doesn’t work ajc 🙂

Mantastic – I’m just wondering if on an MTB with its sloping top tube the attachment point is lower, and results in a too-steep seat angle on the trailer?

the Follow me is fantastic. much better than a seating attachment. unless your kid doesn’t want to bike at all.

we did 50 k a day for 20 days in a row on holidays last year and my then 4.5 years old didn’t complain once.

once at the campsite or off the roads, i would detach him and a few seconds and he could bike on his own.

i highly recommend. even for the price

When I find £210 down the back of the sofa, I’ll upgrade 🙂

I’m just wondering if on an MTB with its sloping top tube the attachment point is lower, and results in a too-steep seat angle on the trailer?

In the fitting instructions it specifies the minimum height for the attachment,30 inch from the floor with a 3.5 inch gap between the hitch and tyre.Mine fitted my MTB no probs.The connection pivots to accomodate as far as I can tell. Instructions also have pics of the backrest and child seat that can be attached. I chose the free delivery 5-7 days and it arrived next day by DPD courier.

*Please note I have only ridden it in the house so far*

Just buy her a bike and let her cycle that. She can’t be far off being able to ride surely?
Seems a bit of a waste of money to buy something for her to ‘not cycle on’.

As the received wisdom of STW often goes, “don’t spend the money on gear you don’t need, spend it on upping your [her] skill level”

Just buy her a bike and let her cycle that. She can’t be far off being able to ride surely?

Seriously? She’s three. I don’t want to wait six years before she’s strong enough to ride ten miles before going on any family bike rides…

With the follow me, how quick is it to attach to the adult bike? I know that it is quick on the other end, but i’d be putting it on and off of my commuter a couple of times a week.

You aint going on long ride with a 3-6 year old on their own bike! Plus a lot of rides will involve road use.
I would recommend buying a cheap seat and seatpost to leave fitted to tagalong. Makes it a lot quicker to fit. Also saves any damage to the good post

ajc – I’m interested in the Isla trailerbike. Can you send me some pics please? You don’t have an email address listed.

Molgrips – you’d be amazed at how quickly they learn to hold on. Took the youngest out on the LOCT the other week and he was fine, he was 2 in December.

Joemarshall. It’s very quick on or off. It took me about half an hour to set up to begin with but then it’s straight on or off

Seriously? She’s three. I don’t want to wait six years before she’s strong enough to ride ten miles before going on any family bike rides…

You say she’s just under 4 years old. Why would you need to wait six years?

Unless of course you’re planning to put her in a trailer or tagalong so she doesn’t get much actual cycling done and hence doesn’t learn to ride properly.

I’m intrigued by your idea of a “family cycle ride”. Sounds like you going for a cycle ride with the kids along as baggage. Which is fine, I did it myself, I just wouldn’t have classed it as a family cycle ride.

Sorry that sounds too harsh when I read it. It’s not meant to. I just don’t get tagalongs. I love going for a cycle with the kids and watching them cycle and achieve stuff for themselves.

One last question on the follow me – does it need a rack, or is that just a coincidence that all the pictures on the site show racks?

it doesn’t need a rack and it’s very quick to attaach to the adult bike (couple of minute)

I just don’t get tagalongs. I love going for a cycle with the kids and watching them cycle and achieve stuff for themselves.

yep.. that’s all very nice

What about when I’ve got to pick the kids up from nursery, get to the shops and the post office before it closes, and have promised them an hour or two at the park and a visit to see Grandma..?

If you think I’m waiting for my three year old to dawdle the 2 mile into town, and then negotiate the town centre.. before heading another three miles to take in the park and grandma’s.. and then the undulating 3 mile climb with 250m vertical ascent to get home again.. s’never gonna happen

what you need is one of these

Christiania bike

What about when I’ve got to pick the kids up from nursery, get to the shops and the post office before it closes, a….s.. and then the undulating 3 mile climb with 250m vertical ascent to get home again.. s’never gonna happen

Good point well made.

I live in Manchester so unfortunately think of cycling with small kids as being something you can only do away from home or with much stress.
Although we cycled to school together from when they were 4 it was quite stressful and took a long time. Having to do a few different errands with them on bikes wouldn’t work.

My point was more aimed at leisure cycling than utility cycling.

When we go on family rides, we pack up and go out to a suitable location. She’d only be able to ride for a couple of miles, and we’d all be bored as hell with a fairly meaningless pootle. She loves the adventure of bike rides, even though she’s not yet strong enough to power herself.

She’ll get a pedal bike too, even though she still needs stabilisers, and she’ll learn her cycling skills mucking around in our street just like everyone else 🙂

just her ability to concentrate and stay on the thing for long enough.

tape her on with duck tape?

Ajc – have you still got the isla bike tag along for sale ? If so how much is it.
Thanks

Anyone in the Raeding, Oxford, Newbury triangle with a Followme Tandem that I could have a try of, per chance?

I haven’t read the whole thread but don’t think you’ve got anything to worry about with a 4 yr old being able to hold onto a tag a long.
My 3yr old loves the Tag a long and is plenty strong enough to ride it, she’s only little for her age but still manages to give that satisfying little kick of acceleration when she starts to pedal after a rest. She’s been riding bikes as long as some kids her age have been walkng though, started riding scooters at around 12months then zipping along on a balance bike from 18months and riding a pedal bike without stabilizers from 2&1/2, by the age of 3 she could ride one handed and now at 3&1/2 she’ll ride stood up, practice tricks, do controlled skids, try jumps and drops. keeps asking me when we can go to Aptos to ride the dirt jumps but only if she can teach herself.
one thing to do with a tag a long is make sure the passenger has some glasses as rear wheel spray/stones can make it very unpleasant.
Personally, I’d buy a new trailer AND a tag along AND a bike.. you could get all 3 for way less than the price of a Cougar 2 Chariot. some of the cheaper ones are quite a bit bigger than those and you really don’t need all the extra features anyway for karting a couple of kids around the woods

Followme Tandems are great. I think I got the first one Cyclesense (the importer based in Tadcaster, thy also do Likabike) ever sold. They do have limits though.

Ours detached while going through the bomb holes at Dalby.

It’s ok though. As a responsible father I had our son on the LOCT seat with me at that point, so he was fine.

I bought the Isla trailerbike that ajc was selling above, can’t recommend them highly enough! My eldest is 3.5 and has been quite happy on it for the last 2 months or so. We tend to time rides so we’re not going for more than 30 minutes without a stop but I reckon he could go for a fair bit longer.

If they want to ride their bikes we just go for much shorter rides.