I want to start taking my toddler along when I go for a ride. I have seen some people have these little carts that they attach to the back. Although the path I normally take is super safe, the little carts seem kind of scary. Do you guys have some experience with this? What works best so he is safe but also has a good time?
Taking my little boy on rides safely
Hi Ellie
That’s great you want to start riding with your toddler. The bike trailers are a good way to take them out.
You said you were scared of the trailers. Are you scared for yourself towing it or scared for the toddler?
You said you’d be on safe bike paths, so I’ll assume your not worried about cars and traffic.
- Trailers roll quite well behind a bike. Although, obviously it’s harder to ride uphills with them. I find if you can stay seated then it doesn’t jolt around too much. Once you stand up to pedal then it jolts/jerks the trailer a bit. It’s something you get used to.
- If you’re worried about the toddler, it really depends on how old they are. With younger toddlers <18 months it’s a bit harder to explain what’s happening and figure out if they are enjoying it or not. I’ve had good experiences and bad ones with a trailer. Two kids loved it and one hated it.
It’s hard to check if they are ok back there. You’ll be turning your head back constantly to check they’re ok. Then they’ll take their helmet off or drop their sultanas and you’ll have to stop.
After about 18 months they can usually communicate better and seem to have a better time back there.
Trailers are great as you can carry extra “stuff”; nappy bags, water bottles, snacks etc.
Don’t be scared of the bike trailer. Stick to bike paths or footpaths. Avoid roads where you can.
Enjoy!
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Hi Jayne! Thank you! So you aren’t worried about the trailer coming off? We will just ride on the bike path and on the sidewalk to get there. It’s flat around here!
I think we will try it out. Thank you Jayne!
Hi Ellie.
Good reply from Jayne. Here’s my take.
Trailers are great and most kids enjoy them a lot. Like Jayne said, not every kid will like them. Sometimes the ones who do like them have their bad days. But for the most part, both you and your child (or children - you can get models that fit 2) have a great experience.
For you as a rider, they’re safe and easy. You just need to get used to having the weight behind you and it does require a little bit more effort to balance as a result. You also need to keep in mind you’re now a longer vehicle and require a greater turning radius and clearance. My experience was other riders and path users were quite nice to give room and say hello. I was more nervous taking the trailer out on roads with traffic, but we did so successfully many times.
For your child, it’s a fun way to see outside and you’ll find it’s like a car ride and they often fall asleep. When they are awake, they tend to talk a lot and ask questions and it’s fun to point out all the stuff you see with them. Bring a few toys for your child to keep busy when they’re bored of looking out.
Have fun!
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My trailer has a “safety” line which is just a secondary attachment to the bike; just in case the main attachment failed.
So I’m not worried about it falling off as the safety line would stop it from falling off completely.
Hi again Jayne, you are totally right. We went to the bike store yesterday to look and see, and they were very nice about trying one out. They showed me how it hooks up, the big clamp fits really well and the strap only lets it fall a little ways. It would still give me a heart attack! It looks really safe though.
Hi Anthony, thank you too! We went around a little bit, backing up was just silly. We pretended we were a truck in the parking lot. I think it will be fine on the bike path, we might have to be careful on the sidewalk!
We liked the Honey Bee (except it was red. It should be yellow, hello, it’s a bee), lots of room, and the Solo was fun but pretty complicated. I don’t know if we need to have suspension, I am a good driver.
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