# My craigslist find! Trek Tag-a-long



## wakebrdr142 (May 5, 2006)

Wow, I began my research on these a few days ago and yesterday it popped up on craigslist. I was so excited to not have to pay the $200+ price to get a new one. Ended up getting it for $70 and it was only a 30 min drive to pick it up. It's for my little girl that just turned five. The seatpost is all the way down and she can barely reach the pedals at the bottom of the pedal stroke. I'm going to cut the seatpost an inch or two tomorrow and that should solve the problem. Anyways, I was just excited about the find and my little girl is super excited to have it. She said she wanted to go 21,552 on it tomorrow, Ha! It's mounted to the wifes bike now which matches pretty well. You know that's important to the ladies!

*Question,* how tight should this be tightened down on the seatpost? I tightened it up as tight as I could get it and it felt like to much friction. I loosened it up some (maybe five turns) and then it looked like it had to much play in it. Tightened it up a few more turns and it felt like a happy medium but I liked the no play look with it all the way tight. Any thoughts??


----------



## NYrr496 (Sep 10, 2008)

I had one of those and loved it. The clamping mechanism is cheesy and has a big shortcoming. It needs to be able to swing freely on your seatpost. If you just mount it loose enough to do that, it's going to chew up your frame and post. I made a sleeve out of PVC pipe that fit as closely as possible around my seat post but still spun freely. I then made a split collar to support the bottom of the sleeve and clamped it in place. I clamped the Tag A Long's clamp to the free moving sleeve securely. This allows the Tag A Long to tow correctly without ruining your bike. I even wrapped my seatpost in a few wraps of electric tape to protect it since it was a high end post. Wish I had pics but this was a long time ago. My daughter is now 16 and rides a 29er.


----------



## imero (Aug 6, 2011)

if you tighten the mount too much, the mountain train will turn your seatpost. the trek mountain train comes with 3 grey bushings and 1 black shim.

here are the installation instructions from the user manual:

1. Mark the height of the lead bicycle seatpost.

2. Hold a gray nylon hitch bushing (Figure 1) against the seatpost and mark immediately above the bushing with a piece of electrical tape or similar tape.

Warning-Do not use shims or any other method to install the hitch higher on the seatpost than the top of the frame as this could result in personal injury or damage to your bicycle. The hitch and bushing must rest against the frame or seatpost collar of the frame.

3. Apply a light coat of Wrench Force� grease or a similar product to the lead bicycle seatpost immediately below the tape marking.

This will improve handling response of the trailer-bike.

4. Remove the lead bicycle seatpost from the frame.

5. Select the correct hitch bushing size from Table 1:

6. Insert the bushing into the hitch.

Warning-A seatpost that is positioned too high can damage the bicycle and can cause you to lose control and fall. Make sure the minimum insertion mark is inside the frame.

7. Slide the hitch and bushing onto the lead bicycle seatpost to the bottom edge of the marking tape, with the bushing positioned with its flange-side down (Figure 1).

8. Install the bolts in the hitch.

Apply a small amount of Wrench Force� grease to the threads of the two 5 mm hex head bolts (Figure 2), insert through the holes in the front of the collar, and install the nuts.

9. Tighten the bolts evenly, just until it becomes difficult to rotate the hitch on the seatpost by hand.

10. Reinstall the seatpost.

Have fun. I bought the Trek Mountain Train on Craigslist for $100 and my 4 year old daughter is having a blast.



wakebrdr142 said:


> Wow, I began my research on these a few days ago and yesterday it popped up on craigslist. I was so excited to not have to pay the $200+ price to get a new one. Ended up getting it for $70 and it was only a 30 min drive to pick it up. It's for my little girl that just turned five. The seatpost is all the way down and she can barely reach the pedals at the bottom of the pedal stroke. I'm going to cut the seatpost an inch or two tomorrow and that should solve the problem. Anyways, I was just excited about the find and my little girl is super excited to have it. She said she wanted to go 21,552 on it tomorrow, Ha! It's mounted to the wifes bike now which matches pretty well. You know that's important to the ladies!
> 
> *Question,* how tight should this be tightened down on the seatpost? I tightened it up as tight as I could get it and it felt like to much friction. I loosened it up some (maybe five turns) and then it looked like it had to much play in it. Tightened it up a few more turns and it felt like a happy medium but I liked the no play look with it all the way tight. Any thoughts??


----------



## wakebrdr142 (May 5, 2006)

Awesome info! Thanks!


----------



## Locojay (Feb 22, 2011)

Grats! You're in for a lot of fun.

I'm using the stock mount on mine and it's been fine. 3 kids and about 7 years later it's still running great.


----------



## NYrr496 (Sep 10, 2008)

When my daughter was about 5, we'd go on 10-15 mile rides together on the Tag a Long. She'd lean over to look around me to see if anyone was up ahead and then she'd pedal like a maniac to blow past them. I used to get a big kick out of that.


----------



## wakebrdr142 (May 5, 2006)

Thank you fellas for the help and replies! The past few days have been a blast pulling the little one around. She loves it. Adding another craigslist find that I'm picking up this weekend for the family. 
2009 Trek T900. $370 bucks after an easy haggle and the owner says it was ridden 3 times. Sounded like a reasonable price? Saddles being replaced first!!


----------



## NYrr496 (Sep 10, 2008)

WOW! There's a way to get my wife off road.


----------

