We have a new baby and are starting to think about bike trailers to take him out in.  We didn’t bother with the last 2, but are going to try and be more active this time around.

What is good new, and what is worth hunting out used (they are damn expensive!!!)

Ta

Do a forum search for “Chariot”, there have been several thread on this not too long ago.

FWIW, we love our Chariot and used it with the infant sling from <6 months as a bike trailer on smooth paths & tracks. Bough it new in a sale for not much more than 2nd hand.

The design has changed since then so can’t comment but expect to pay extra for the stroller wheels, jogging wheel, infant sling, drink holder, ski touring skis, ….

They are nice… but probably a bit on the spendy side!!!

Chariot is expensive! I bought a secondhand Croozer and quite happy with it .. actually, I’ve just looked at the prices new, and there’s not a whole lot in it between those and the Thule. The Chariot Lite looks interesting – these things are quite big and bulky, even the single seater I have.

If you’re not wanting to spend loads of cash and unsure it’s going to get used, look out for half price deals on Halfords trailers. Can pick them up for £80, probably not quite as robust or weatherproof, a lot of people rate them and they actually seem relatively small and compact.

One thing to take into a account – for baby stuff generally – is resale value tends to be quite high.

Cheers – was looking at the Halfords one but thought, like most things Halfords, it would probably be a false economy!

Croozer Kid for 2 did us well from 6 weeks old until we sold it a few months ago when eldest was 5 1/2. Robust, stable, well made and no complaints about comfort from the kids. Loads of storage within it too which is handy with kids. Worth every penny for the enjoyment we got from it.

Yeah, the storage space in the Croozer is really useful. Not sure the Halfords ones have that. Plenty of room for all the baby stuff, bike locks, snacks, and can still get a few bags of shopping in on the way home…

Yes chariots are spendy, especially when  they are £600 new and £400+ S/H.

Then when you get one new for £450 and can sell S/H, that’s not a poor use of your money.

Chariots are on suspension too, cheap trailers won’t be. this made us happier to take little ones out when much littler.

The Chariot/Thule (and probably the Croozers) hold their value well though. You’d get a good amount of what you pay back when you come to sell on again, whether you’re buying new or used

We’ve had a Burley d’lite and a Croozer. Both very good, with decent storage space. They’re expensive, but buy second hand and you’ll sell it for most of what you paid for it. A bit like Islabikes.

Oh, and stealth ad… we don’t really need the Burley any more. PM me if interested…

OP.

if you’re anywhere near south Manchester then have a wander over and try out our double chariot.

Our two seater Chariot is over 14 years old and is currently being borrowed by a friend of the family for their little ones. It has been used for our four kids and now another two and it’s still going strong. I used a regular baby seat for the car in it when the kids were under 7 months old as it gave better support for the head than the baby carrier from Chariot.

Ill second the burley dlite, ours has been great for our 2 boys (2 & 5) it still fits the them both now with good amount of storage too. I felt that the suspension was important and really think it helps smooth out the trail rumble.

Been using our Halfords single trailer for coming up to two years now. The boy loves it. We started him at 6 months in it by securing his car seat in there and then him in the car seat. Moved on to just strapping him in once he got bigger and stronger. Standard tyres were crap so I fitted some Continentals with a bit more tread and puncture belt. They’re 16″ so choice is out there for Bromptons etc.

There’s enough room in it for his nursery bag to fit behind him. The best thing about the trailer is how small it packs down. With the wheels off and hitch folded under, both of which take about a minute to do, it’s like a small suitcase.

I would recommend fitting a rear mudguard to the tow bike to minimise spray up the front.

https://instagram.com/p/Bj1-V3kBTYD/

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Just cruising the AwesomeZ today with the boy. #trailer #fromwhereiride #outsideisfree #raphabrevet #bobblehat #familyride #useexposurelights #raleigh

A post shared by Thom (@thomthebike) on Mar 11, 2018 at 3:48pm PDT

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The boy chatted all the way home #nurseryrun #trailer #fromwhereiride #monandbreconcanal #snow #winter #outsideisfree

A post shared by Thom (@thomthebike) on Mar 6, 2018 at 11:23am PST

Currently selling our Burley which I bought new. If I had the chance again I’d take a good look at the second hand market as they don’t really take too much abuse and can last for years. I’d say mine will probably sell for about 40-50% of what I paid, but get the feeling it would sell for the same price to a 3rd or 4th owner.

Sorry – I got distracted by life!

Thanks for the info – would be interested in any offers of second hand ones btw – but can’t find contact details 😉  I am in South Cumbria if that helps.

After creating a thread on this subject a wee bit ago I got the Chariot Cross. It’s great and, in my view, worth every penny. Haven’t used it as a trailer yet as the wee one’s still very wee but as buggy it’s very capable. We live out in the sticks and it copes well off road.

I did put a pair of 20″ Conti Explorers on it just for giggles and have a pair of Schwalbe Marathons for when it gets used as a trailer.

If we had thought of it sooner I think we would have gone that route rather than buying a Mountain Buggy!

Initially I was going to opt for a Mountain Buggy and a trailer but then it all clicked in my head that the Chariot makes a great buggy anyway. Saved some dosh and, more importantly, space and just got the trailer.