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Thread: School me on bike trailers for kids

  1. #1
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    Default School me on bike trailers for kids

    I'm looking at picking up a bike trailer this year but I know very little about them. Looking online there is a HUGE spread in prices and features so I figured I would come to beyond for some help as I know there ware a lot of avid bikers here.

    My budget is under $500, preferably $350-$400. I have no problem with a used unit if it could be found in good condition but what I've seen on kijiji so far looks pretty beat up or ripped. I don't currently own a bike as it got stolen years ago and we never replaced it but I'll pick one up soon. The majority of the trips we'd take would be on paved pathways or sidewalks. We live close to a path system and would like to bike to get groceries or go to the library. I'd like a double unit because this summer I'd have my 2yo but next year the newborn will be 1 and would like to take them both. We have a good stroller and great wagon so having the stroller/jogger feature would be more of a nice to have than a need. If we had a unit without it it wouldn't really matter I don't think but obviously it would be good if it did.

    At the very top end of our budget is the Burley Honey Bee trailer that seems to have really good reviews on MEC. Mid range seems to be the Thule Cadance or the InStep Rocket (Costco), or Schwinn Lumina (Costco).

    Suspension would be nice but its not happening for my budget. What else could Beyond tell me? Any suggestions on trailers you guys like? What features do you like or hate that I should keep an eye on?
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  2. #2
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    Buy used. These things are mostly very durable and they don't get used hard.
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    what ever you get, just make sure you get one that transitions into a stroller (front wheel). Makes it easier if you need to walk around at a destination.

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    I had bought a Chariot Cougar when I needed one. Spent nearly 800 with jogging wheel add-on. Used it for 3 years, sold it for 500.

    Point is Chariot is awesome and even a used one is going to hold its value.
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    a used chariot cougar 2 can be had complete with all attachments for under $400. Keep an eye on Kijiji, the good ones go quick, and yeah some have been ridden hard and put away wet.

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    I've got no problem going used if I can get one in good condition. The only problem is the ones I've seen so far have been pretty beat up with rips in the fabric or broken pieces.
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    Not what you want to hear, but we have a Thule Chariot Cross (double) and it's absolutely awesome. It's double (almost triple) your budget, but as mentioned above it'll retain a bunch of it's value when you go to sell. And their warranty support is awesome; my wife ripped the foam on the handle when she was taking it out of her car, and they sent us a new handle within the week. It gets used almost every day of the year with us, and it's still rock solid.

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    Quote Originally Posted by cjblair View Post
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    Not what you want to hear, but we have a Thule Chariot Cross (double) and it's absolutely awesome. It's double (almost triple) your budget, but as mentioned above it'll retain a bunch of it's value when you go to sell. And their warranty support is awesome; my wife ripped the foam on the handle when she was taking it out of her car, and they sent us a new handle within the week. It gets used almost every day of the year with us, and it's still rock solid.
    Although I absolutely believe in you in respect to the quality and retained value there is just no way I'm able to alter my budget. I'm working with a physical lump of cash and during a pandemic with no work on the horizon budgets are pretty strict at my house. Id love to drop cash on something that retains 60% value, but that's not in the cards right now

    I've found a couple of the brands suggested on Kijiji I ve for messages in for
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    I have a Cougar with the front wheel attachment and shall see if the boss is willing to sell it. My daughter is now 3 so I think we are finished with it.

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    Thule RideAlong for the older kid https://www.sportchek.ca/categories/...9129=332519130

    Thule Cadence for the smaller kid or both https://www.sportchek.ca/categories/...9136=332519137

    There is an XT version of the Cadence if you're looking into biking in trails, otherwise, the Cadence is a good value.

    Thule has 25% off once in a while so keep an eye out for stores that carry them.

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    Thule both for use and warranty/repair. We have a Chariot 2 that has probably 10,000kms on it. We got it when our 5 year old was an infant. And it got used 5 days a week While we were in TX. We changed tires, brake pads and most recently a new brake cable. I looked up our coat for those parts at Thule.com and it’s been less than $50. The single best kid purchase to date

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    I wasn't expecting to buy one so quick but an excellent condition Chariot Cougar 1 popped up today for $150 that I couldn't turn down. The only thing wrong with it was the foam on the handlebar was a little worn down and it only had the jogging wheel, no bike trailer attachment. At that price I figure I could use it for the year and if I hate it or want to go to a double I could sell it for at least what I paid for. Comparables were all listed around $250-$350 and $350-$500 for doubles so I jumped on it.
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  13. #13
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    Default Has anyone used the Chariot / Thule bike trailer kit?

    I've got the Chariot cougar stroller. Thinking the bike kit might be good to tow the little guy around this summer. Does anyone have one? Do they work well? Is the bike stable? Easy to convert the bike back to regular mode if you don't want the clamp hanging off the side?

    This would be for relatively flat bike pathways. Not looking to take it on the road for safety reasons.

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    The Mec trailer I had was easy to remove and not a hassle to pull, aside from making me tired, but man, parents with little kids get tired anyway. I assume the other brands are as easy/simple/good.
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    Quote Originally Posted by ExtraSlow View Post
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    The Mec trailer I had was easy to remove and not a hassle to pull, aside from making me tired, but man, parents with little kids get tired anyway. I assume the other brands are as easy/simple/good.
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    We have a double Thule that the wife pulls around. Very easy to take on and off. When you say clamp, do you mean the little piece that the ball of the carrier sits in? It's hardly noticeable when on the bike. Not too heavy to pull. When pulling, remember there is a trailer behind you. Don't cut corners and hit a curb or something.

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    Can't speak for the Cougar specifically, but Thule/Chariot trailers are the best. The bike is very stable, so is the trailer.
    The cup on the axle that holds the ball on the trailer arm isn't even noticeable if you just leave it on all the time, but also trivial to remove if your rear axle is quick release.
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    The bike kit from Thule also comes with a longer quick release axle. I leave the receiver on my hard tail full time. Have the same setup as Strider.

  19. #19
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    I just bought the kit for our cougar and its great. As everyone else has said you don't really even notice the "receiver" that the ball of the hitch sits in on your axle. To take the trailer off you pull a pin, remove the trailer arm, then put the pin back in. Its about 10 seconds worth of work.
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  20. #20
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    Thanks for the replies. I just ordered the trailer kit on Amazon. The receiver doesn't look too bad at all. I'll probably just keep it on there.

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