Towing a toddler

[zedx19]

Hoping the masses on here have a tried and tested method they can recommend. I have 4 kids aged 3, 7, 8 and 10, all of them can ride a bike comfortable without stabilsers. However the 3 year can't ride very fast or far without getting tired. Before she mastered riding without pedals, she'd sit in a trailer attached to my bike and now I'm wondering whether there's a simplier solution for when she gets tired. I've looked at tow bar type things, but they get mixed reviews, has anyone tried these? Or tried something else I've not considered? or just keep the trailer and stick her and her Frog 40 in it when she gets tired?

[snotrag]

Been there - an options I've used a couple of times (with a Frog 40, funnily enough) is to ride up the hills with the boys bike on my back - I managed to attach it, with some help, with the handlebars across my shoulders and the saddle against my back.

Little'un then sits on my bike on the top tube shotgun seat. At the top of the hill, of he jumps and away he goes. The shotgun seat doesnt hinder me riding my own bike too much.

[HughG]

We've been through this loop for our now 5 and 7 year olds.

The found the wee-ride tag alongs very good, but didn't try and on the others on the market to compare.

Once they are riding by themselves and we wanted to tow their bikes we initially got a trail-gator, which did not hold the bike securely and damaged the top tube of the bike being towed as it is just a U-bolt and narrow clamp.

We then we also got a trail angel (and subsequent a second). https://www.trail-angel.com/eng/index.php
They lift from the axle and then use a (more substantial than the trail-gator) head tube clamp, it still needs to be very tight so that it doesn't rotate and the bike end up at the angle. To protect the frame I used a couple of layers of self amalgamating tape around the head tube and they have been fine.

They come with flimsy plastic rear stays to support it when not in use, I have never used them and just bungy to my rear rack instead.




edit - work with 20" wheels as well.

Edited by HughG on Monday 6th February 09:28

[cml24]

I used a shotgun seat when mine was smaller, and then moved over to a Follow Me Tandem. They're quite pricey, even second hand though, but in my opinion they are the best solution to the problem.

You can tow them up the hill, then relatively quickly detach and let them ride down. The fixing is very solid compared to the simple bars that attach to the seatpost, but they are a bit more work to setup initially and they're heavier.

We've done road rides up places like Box Hill, and do some gentle trails around the Surrey Hills as well towing a 14" wheel bike. When my daughter starts riding a 20" bike or is a bit more controlled I'll swap to the shotgun tow rope I think.

[cml24]

Just to add that the trail angle looks pretty good and better than the simple bars I was referring to in my post.

[Some Gump]

zedx19 said:

Hoping the masses on here have a tried and tested method they can recommend. I have 4 kids aged 3, 7, 8 and 10, all of them can ride a bike comfortable without stabilsers. However the 3 year can't ride very fast or far without getting tired. Before she mastered riding without pedals, she'd sit in a trailer attached to my bike and now I'm wondering whether there's a simplier solution for when she gets tired. I've looked at tow bar type things, but they get mixed reviews, has anyone tried these? Or tried something else I've not considered? or just keep the trailer and stick her and her Frog 40 in it when she gets tired?

Trailgator.
Bloody brilliant things, means you can head off places and not worry about little one getting tired today / or not.
Just make sure you do the attachment to small person's bike nice and tight, so it doesn't twist - a bit of neoprene /sticky bar tape inside means you can protect the paint.

[zedx19]

Thanks, some interesting alternatives there I'll look into. All the kids love bike riding, but there's obviously a vast difference in speed and stamina between the 10 year old and 3 year old which makes it a bit tricky. 3 year old never fails to astound us considering she's profoundly death in 1 ear and we were told she might be delayed walking or anything that requires balance. She went from balance bike direct to pedal bike with no stabilisers instantly, just like her 3 older siblings did.

[S600BSB]

We used tag alongs with all 3 of our children. Fabulous things.

[sir humphrey appleby]

I used a Wehoo Igo when towing my daughter. She loved it and could pedal as well for a bit of an issue xtra push but she never bothered with that of course.

[Chicken Chaser]

Mine is 5 this spring, but has only just mastered her 14 inch wheeled bike. Her 9 year old sister is on a 20 inch and is pretty capable. I think for the times where we go out on family rides I'll just stick the macride seat on mine and let her come with me. If she upgrades to our next bike by next year then she can go on then. It's always difficult when there's a gap in ability.

[Khonda]

Trailgator fan here!

If you put a bit cloth under the attachment to the kids bike it stops potential damage and it if you over tighten every bolt you can make it pretty stable.

I used it with my daughter for a year and it was excellent for helping her up hills and then letting her bike independently. My 2 years old has just learnt to ride his peddle bike so I have dug it out again and used it for the first time on Saturday. He can't be trusted to bike on his own so we kept attached the entire time. We did about 12 miles along forest tracks and it was fine.

I haven't tried any of the alternatives, just went for the cheapest secondhand so I could get my money back by reselling if it didn't work out.

[Dannbodge]

cml24 said:

I used a shotgun seat when mine was smaller, and then moved over to a Follow Me Tandem. They're quite pricey, even second hand though, but in my opinion they are the best solution to the problem.

You can tow them up the hill, then relatively quickly detach and let them ride down. The fixing is very solid compared to the simple bars that attach to the seatpost, but they are a bit more work to setup initially and they're heavier.

We've done road rides up places like Box Hill, and do some gentle trails around the Surrey Hills as well towing a 14" wheel bike. When my daughter starts riding a 20" bike or is a bit more controlled I'll swap to the shotgun tow rope I think.

Another advocate for the follow-me here

Took him off-roading using it the other day and he bloody loved it.

As it's holding the front wheel off the ground and the way it pivots, it's much more like riding a bike for them

[demic]

Caveat that I haven’t used one but these look like a good and reasonably priced (compared to other solutions) option that I’m considering once the young one needs it.

https://kidsrideshotgun.co.uk/collections/products...

[SteveStrange]

Bunch of scaredy cats. This is how you do it.

[Some Gump]

demic said:

Caveat that I haven’t used one but these look like a good and reasonably priced (compared to other solutions) option that I’m considering once the young one needs it.

https://kidsrideshotgun.co.uk/collections/products...

Not seen one before, but I imagine it’d only really work for kids that are more capable. What if they have a wobble and need to stop? You’d bungee them into a tree! With the bars, they can’t tip because they’re locked to same angle as your bike - so they can’t hit a rock / root and bail (the most common cause of odds for my youngsters where we ride).


One of the other reasons we love the trail gator so much is that it allows those routes what are generally path / v quiet road, but need to follow a busier road for 1/4 mile or so. IMO you can’t have a 3/4 year old in charge in such circumstances, just in case! With any of the bar type solutions, you can whip kiddo on to the tow along, go past the danger then let them loose again. That rope looks cool, but would still allow e.g an accidental look-back-and-swerve, or a miss judged choice to go around not over a drain / pothole if a car is about to overtake.

For older kids though, looks like that rope would be great at adding additional scope on rage and / or hill for when they’re skilled enough but maybe lack a bit of endurance. If I lived in Yorkshire I’d probably want one for my 6 year old

[HughG]

demic said:

Caveat that I haven’t used one but these look like a good and reasonably priced (compared to other solutions) option that I’m considering once the young one needs it.

https://kidsrideshotgun.co.uk/collections/products...

I have an equivalent to help on the hills now ours are a bit older, fine on roads/cyclepaths/fireroads, but they don't work on anything tight and twisty as you end up pulling the childs bike sideways.

[HughG]

Some Gump said:

For older kids though, looks like that rope would be great at adding additional scope on rage and / or hill for when they’re skilled enough but maybe lack a bit of endurance. If I lived in Yorkshire I’d probably want one for my 6 year old

Yep that's bang on.