# Type of bike for hauling kids around?



## PghYinzer (Sep 28, 2011)

YAY I have 5 posts now so I can actually ask a question!

So we are just getting into this biking thing. My last bike got tossed about 8 years ago, it was a Nishiki mountain bike (I think!) which I got for free when they were getting rid of bike racks in one of my college dorms and asked people repeatedly to move their bikes or they would be thrown out. People did not, and I reaped the benefits. I thought it was a good bike - I have no idea if it had any merits in the eyes of experts. It got me from A to B, handled sidewalks and park trails, shifted easily... but I don't even have a picture of it so all I know is it had gears and chunkier tires and I assumed it was a mountain bike but only because until recently I assumed there were road bikes and mountain bikes and that was all in the adult bike world. (It was tossed because I left it out all winter and the crank and chain were all rusted and I assumed it was junk - now I think it could have been fixed - but we were moving, so it was a case of pare down and travel light)

So I want to get a new bike and get the family into biking. I have an 8yo boy, 3yo twin girls, and a 5mo boy. I figure by next summer we will be ready to go en masse. I picture rails to trails, girls either in a trailer or trail a bikes, baby in a baby seat (he's too little now), oldest son on his mountain bike (trek 220, sure I could do better but it's nicer than anything I had as a kid and he likes it), me and hubby on... something. This fall, I'd like something I can ride with my oldest, mostly in the cemetery across the street which is paved but rough in some places, with a 1/4 mile gravel loop that sticks out (maybe the people whose family didn't love them so much? no idea why it is isolated and different), very hilly. Based on my road/mountain dichotomy, I assumed that something would be a mountain bike because I don't like rode bikes - skinny, spidery things, at least in my mind. 

When I went to the bike store the guy initially directed me at comfort bikes which just seem to cushy and senior citizen to me. They seemed quite nice for flat, casual, stuff, but seemed like it would be awful on hills. (Pittsburgh is very hilly) I left with a trek catolog and thought it over and went back and ordered a 3500 mountain bike figuring in a few years I will better figure out my needs and get something else. 

Of course last night I realize he also marked off "hybrids" in the catolog. My dad's friend has a 7200 and does a lot of rails to trails kind of trails and likes his bike. They don't make that any more but they have the 7100 and 7300. For rails to trail stuff I think I should have gone this route but I don't know about gravelly stuff or rougher pavement - the 7100 has thinner tires, will it handle rougher road OK? Is it crazy to think of attaching a baby seat or a trail a bike to a mountain bike? I am not going to be doing anything crazy, I just like a sturdier feeling bike. I just called the bike store and asked if there is a penalty for changing my mind and they said no, so I am going to go in and give more thought to the 7100. I like the tires of the Navigator better but it just seems horrible for hills. 

For these activities and hauling these kinds of things - is a mountain bike bad? Is a hybrid more suited or less? What kind of bike do you use for these things? Thank you!!!


----------



## joe_bloe (Nov 18, 2010)

Mountain bike would be fine, but I would recommend you get something with a rigid front fork, for better efficiency on pavement. Unfortunately, not many mountain bikes come with rigid forks any more -- suspension forks are "sexier."

My wife's requirements are very similar to yours -- paved path / gravel path riding, maybe towing a trail-a-bike (we have 6-year-old twins). I got her the GT Traffic 3.0, in a men's 17" frame. She's 5' 7", and it fits her well, and she likes it a lot.


----------



## PghYinzer (Sep 28, 2011)

I'm so confused about the line between hybrid and comfort. I thought comfort meant fatter tires but that GT has very similar tires to the 710 700X40 vs 700vs35. 7100 has the slightly thinner ones. I did end up going back and switching my order to the 7100. I wish they still made the 7200, it had trigger shifters and lockable suspension. The 7300 has these things but is significantly pricier and I am not sure how badly I want these things. So this may still be a get my feet wet kinda bike. 

Man I wish they still made the 7200! I guess they were losing money because it gave people no incentive to upgrade to the 7300.  

Question about the trail a bike, do kids have to be able to ride a bike to use it??? Or is just being able to balance enough?


----------



## joe_bloe (Nov 18, 2010)

GT is calling that bike a Comfort bike, but the bike shop called it a "Flat bar road bike." I call it a hybrid.
As for the trail-a-bike, they don't need to be able to ride a bike.


----------



## PghYinzer (Sep 28, 2011)

Thank you! Here's to hoping I like my bike. I guess the only way to know if it works for you is to get dirty and try it out. There are a few trail a bikes on CL now, I will have to try to snag a couple. I know they make a double one but they say those are harder to snag used... probably easier to ride with one girl or one girl + the baby, though, vs a double trailer. Hopefully you can do a trail a bike and a baby seat.


----------



## hazardousmtb (Sep 26, 2011)

joe_bloe said:


> Mountain bike would be fine, but I would recommend you get something with a rigid front fork, for better efficiency on pavement. Unfortunately, not many mountain bikes come with rigid forks any more -- suspension forks are "sexier."
> 
> My wife's requirements are very similar to yours -- paved path / gravel path riding, maybe towing a trail-a-bike (we have 6-year-old twins). I got her the GT Traffic 3.0, in a men's 17" frame. She's 5' 7", and it fits her well, and she likes it a lot.


alot of front suspension bikes come with locks to lock the suspension in place


----------



## joe_bloe (Nov 18, 2010)

PghYinzer said:


> Thank you! Here's to hoping I like my bike. I guess the only way to know if it works for you is to get dirty and try it out. There are a few trail a bikes on CL now, I will have to try to snag a couple. I know they make a double one but they say those are harder to snag used... probably easier to ride with one girl or one girl + the baby, though, vs a double trailer. Hopefully you can do a trail a bike and a baby seat.


I have the tandem Trail-a-bike. It's a lot of weight with two 6 year olds. I'm also not in love with the hitch Adams uses on their units -- they wear out quickly and introduce a lot of "slop" into the connection.

You won't be able to combine a trail-a-bike with a rear baby seat. They do make front baby seats, but I don't know how comfortable I would feel with that much weight on one bike. I have seen some (crazy?) people run a trail-a-bike with a kiddie trailer after it.


----------



## PghYinzer (Sep 28, 2011)

hazardousmtb said:


> alot of front suspension bikes come with locks to lock the suspension in place


Some do but seem to cost more... I guess I can always add a lockable fork down the line or sell the bike and get a new one... we'll see. I think it will be a good bike. I don't know if it will be the perfect bike. I guess if I keep trying to find the perfect bike I'll never pull the trigger at all and just sit here reading reviews for the next few years.


----------



## sunnyracegirl (Apr 11, 2004)

If you go with the Adams tandem for the girls, you could put the baby in the front in an iBert kid seat, if the bike you have chosen has 20mm of stack height. It should work.

What is an iBert?
110831_Ibert.mpg - YouTube

Jane is 3. She's been in an iBert since she was about 18 mo old. She would have been in it at 10 months if I'd been able to find a helmet that could fit her then. Lazer makes one of the smallest.

If you go with a trailer, like a 2-seater Burley, be aware of the weight you will be carrying. 
Your bike: 30 lbs
Trailer: 28-30 lbs
Two 3-yr-olds: 60-70 lbs
Kids' toys and snacks: 5 lbs

As for the bike, you may find a mountain bike to be more efficient over a hybrid or comfort bike for these reasons:
Climbing and body position
A mountain bike will put you in more of an aggressive position and allow you to get over the nose of the bike to climb easier. It's not as easy to climb with a baby in an iBert on the front, but I do it all the time.

Wheel size
A 700c / 29" wheeled bike will not accelerate as easily as a 26"-wheeled bike. It simply takes more power to get the wheels turning.

One more note about the saddle. If you plan to ride regularly (2-3 times a week), I recommend getting a saddle that is not squishy. Here's why.
It's like hiking boots. The inner soles of your hiking boots are hard, but once you get them broken in, they are very comfortable. But it's not the shoes that really get broken in as much as your feet develop more muscle over bones to protect your feet. Once your feet have enough muscle to protect the bones, you could stand in the boots for hours.
Similarly, a firm saddle is initially uncomfortable until you build up muscle over the sit bones. If a saddle is uncomfortable from the outset though, choose a different one. But be aware that you will never "break in" a squishy saddle.
Additionally, just as you would not hike in squishy shoes because you are less sure-footed, you will have more control of the bike with a firm saddle.

Good luck!


----------



## PghYinzer (Sep 28, 2011)

joe bloe is there any chance you live near pittsburgh and are planning to sell the tandem trail a bike soon? 

As for other responses I guess now I am seeing pros and cons to every kind of bike. A friend tells me her husband pulls with a comfort bike and has no problems. Others say mountain bike is the only way to go. Some are saying you do not want front suspension - I called the sports shop that rents bikes and trailers at a local park and asked if this was true and the guy laughed and asked if I read it on the internet.  He said he wouldn't worry too much about it for my plans for hauling (mostly level, nothing too crazy) I have read rear suspension is bad, I had read it doesn't matter - I have learned looking at bikes today that if your seat post has suspension you will have to be able to attach the trail a bike to a non-squishy part, which means raising the seat or buying a plain seat post (around $10) if, like me, you are too short to raise the seat. So I guess I asked a question with no clear answer. 

I'm going with e Gary Fisher Tiburon which is like a 7100 but has clicky shifters and a comfier seat. If there is anything to the seat argument above I can always buy a less comfy seat I guess. I think they were about equal in firmness but one was wider than the other. Or maybe just shaped a bit different. At any rate it just felt like a comfier more solid ride. If it turns out not to be great for hauling I think it will still be great for riding around on my own so I'll have to figure something else out if needed. For just riding purposes, the mountain bike was OK, but not as great.


----------



## joe_bloe (Nov 18, 2010)

PghYinzer said:


> joe bloe is there any chance you live near pittsburgh and are planning to sell the tandem trail a bike soon?
> 
> As for other responses I guess now I am seeing pros and cons to every kind of bike. A friend tells me her husband pulls with a comfort bike and has no problems. Others say mountain bike is the only way to go. Some are saying you do not want front suspension - I called the sports shop that rents bikes and trailers at a local park and asked if this was true and the guy laughed and asked if I read it on the internet.  He said he wouldn't worry too much about it for my plans for hauling (mostly level, nothing too crazy) I have read rear suspension is bad, I had read it doesn't matter - I have learned looking at bikes today that if your seat post has suspension you will have to be able to attach the trail a bike to a non-squishy part, which means raising the seat or buying a plain seat post (around $10) if, like me, you are too short to raise the seat. So I guess I asked a question with no clear answer.
> 
> I'm going with e Gary Fisher Tiburon which is like a 7100 but has clicky shifters and a comfier seat. If there is anything to the seat argument above I can always buy a less comfy seat I guess. I think they were about equal in firmness but one was wider than the other. Or maybe just shaped a bit different. At any rate it just felt like a comfier more solid ride. If it turns out not to be great for hauling I think it will still be great for riding around on my own so I'll have to figure something else out if needed. For just riding purposes, the mountain bike was OK, but not as great.


I've pulled both my tandem Adams Trail-a-bike and my single Co-Pilot with each of the following bikes:
Hardtail mountain bike with front suspension
Full suspension mountain bike
Tandem road bike (I know, right?)

The hardtail was the best. I locked out the front fork when I really needed to hammer up hill. The full suspension was not a good choice -- the trail-a-bike amplified the tendency of the rear suspension to bob under pedaling.

And the tandem trail-a-bike is on the market, but I'm in the DC area.


----------



## sunnyracegirl (Apr 11, 2004)

PghYinzer said:


> joe bloe is there any chance you live near pittsburgh and are planning to sell the tandem trail a bike soon?
> 
> As for other responses I guess now I am seeing pros and cons to every kind of bike. A friend tells me her husband pulls with a comfort bike and has no problems. Others say mountain bike is the only way to go. Some are saying you do not want front suspension - I called the sports shop that rents bikes and trailers at a local park and asked if this was true and the guy laughed and asked if I read it on the internet.  He said he wouldn't worry too much about it for my plans for hauling (mostly level, nothing too crazy) I have read rear suspension is bad, I had read it doesn't matter - I have learned looking at bikes today that if your seat post has suspension you will have to be able to attach the trail a bike to a non-squishy part, which means raising the seat or buying a plain seat post (around $10) if, like me, you are too short to raise the seat. So I guess I asked a question with no clear answer.
> 
> I'm going with e Gary Fisher Tiburon which is like a 7100 but has clicky shifters and a comfier seat. If there is anything to the seat argument above I can always buy a less comfy seat I guess. I think they were about equal in firmness but one was wider than the other. Or maybe just shaped a bit different. At any rate it just felt like a comfier more solid ride. If it turns out not to be great for hauling I think it will still be great for riding around on my own so I'll have to figure something else out if needed. For just riding purposes, the mountain bike was OK, but not as great.


Squishy seat caveat:
I keep a squishy seat cover in the garage for my dad, so that whenever he comes from TX to visit, he can ride a bike with a squishy seat. There's no way he will build up muscle in his sit bones because he doesn't put in the time in the saddle. A hard saddle would usually be preferable if you plan to put regular hours into riding. For you application it probably doesn't apply - the little ones will tire before you do. But most people are unaware that a squishy seat might not be what they really are looking for. Additionally, if a seat is too wide, it will bow your knees out causing hip or knee pain, and perhaps cause chafing on the inner thigh where your legs rub the side of the saddle.

But it sounds like you're going to enjoy whatever you get and will make it work. :thumbsup:


----------



## PghYinzer (Sep 28, 2011)

OK so sorry if this sounds dumb but is rear suspension just the seat post with the squishy part??? I don't think there is anything else in the back that goes down. Since I have no choice pretty much but to swap out for a rigid seat post I guess it's a moot point which is best. My forks are not lockable but they are load adjustable which I guess means I can make them less bouncy but not exactly turn them off. 

Bike is now sitting in my living room. 

Hoping for good weather tomorrow so my oldest and I can go riding across the street.

Oh - wrt my wheels not accelerating as fast as mountain bike wheels - since we will be riding with kids, it's probably GOOD that we can't go too fast. My 8yo will be riding on his own, and eventually the girls will be as well - might make it easier for everyone if the adults can't go too fast.


----------



## sunnyracegirl (Apr 11, 2004)

When I first started riding, I thought a bike was just a bike. But every activity has specialized tools and equipment. There are all kinds of drawing pencils, and even different kinds of knitting needles - haha.

This is a hardtail mountain bike. It's assumed these days that a hardtail will have front suspension in the fork.










This is a full-suspension mountain bike. Notice the coil on the shock in the rear and the longer stanchions on the fork. This is a downhill-specific bike. You wouldn't want to pedal it uphill, but it would be ideal for riding down a chair-lift accessed mountain wearing a full-face helmet and body armor.










This is a hardtail mountain bike with the Adams. Notice there is no suspension in the seatpost or the rear triangle of the bike. If there were, it would affect the handling and stability of the trail-a-bike (not to mention structural integrity of the connection piece). Notice also that there is very little clearance over the rear tire for the trail-a-bike. Even when I pushed the connection piece back up the seatpost, it always sank down to the seatpost collar at the top of the seat tube. If I had had a 26"-wheeled hardtail bike at that time, I would have used it. Alternatively, I could put slick tires on and stay on the street.










Coil forks
When a fork has a coil spring for suspension, the only way to make it more rigid aside from a mechanical lockout is tighten the push-down mechanism on the coil, in other words, by loading the coil and not letting it spring. Most entry-level forks are coil-sprung forks with very minimal adjust-ability. In the end, it's not really that important for your application.

You would lock out a fork when climbing, when your body is over the nose and you are pushing into the fork. With every pedal-stroke, you would feel and up and down motion as the coil is loaded then sprung as you pedal. You've said you're not going to be tackling many hills, so this is less an issue for you.

Compatibility of equipment
Before you purchase additional equipment, make sure it works with the equipment you have. None of my own bikes have the braze-ons to mount up a rear rack for a child seat. Two of my bikes do not have enough stack height in the front to use the iBert kid seat. Test out the equipment with your existing equipment before you purchase.


----------



## PghYinzer (Sep 28, 2011)

OOOH ok i know what a full suspension bike is then and mine is NOT it.  Once I take the seat post out there is nothing bouncy in the back. 

I did not know you could take ski lifts and then do just the downhill part of biking. That sounds pretty awesome!

My dad's friend has a 7200 and can attach the trail-a-bike and baby seat (rear mount) so I assumed it would work with the 7100 and then in turn with the Tiburon which is just about the same (same frame I think, different paint job... same size wheels...) I'm hoping it will be OK! Will be sure to check before I buy.


----------



## Leopold Porkstacker (Apr 21, 2010)

I use a Surly Big Dummy cargobike, fitted with a Burley Piccolo out back:


----------



## PghYinzer (Sep 28, 2011)

Ugh, so now I am looking at pictures and it seems since I have a 15 inch frame, it's putting the part where the seat post goes in so far below the wheel that I think there's no way a trail a bike will work on here, even with a different seat post... I will I guess I did not think this through well enough. There's nothing wrong with the type of bike I bought, just the size! Back to the bike store, hopefully they will either let me exchange or else talk me out of my tree, maybe I am wrong about it. I really like this bike but since my primary goal was getting out with my kids it's not the right bike if it won't work for that. I could use a trailer and make sure my husband picks a bike you can put a trail a bike on but once I am down to one kid not in school I'd really like to go out with him and the trail a bike.

Leopold that looks like one heck of a workout!!! My son's nickname is Leopold btw.


----------



## ctownposse (Mar 9, 2008)

This is how we roll. Cross bike will do most things. Although my kids are getting kinda big for the trailer.


----------



## IAmHolland (Jul 8, 2010)

PghYinzer said:


> Uit seems since I have a 15 inch frame, it's putting the part where the seat post goes in so far below the wheel that I think there's no way a trail a bike will work on here


Raise your seatpost and clamp it to the seatpost.

Put your heel (not the ball of your foot) on the pedal with the pedal at the lowest position. One side of the bike is fine. Straighten your leg, raise your seat all the way up. This will give you a reasonable height once you place your feet properly. You're riding a 15" frame, so if the salesman sized you properly, you should have at least 3-4" of seat post sticking out. Basically the distance from the bottom of the pedal at it's lowest to the floor, is your minimum seat post height, add the clearance between the bike frame and your crotch when straddling the bike and the feet on the floor.

You can also use a Burley, like Leopold Porkstacker, which mounts to a rack. Perhaps you should have fitted things at the bike shop when you were trying out the bike, or ask the sales person about a bike trailer. Sunnyracegirl suggested that.

Personally, I would have gone with a Trek Livestrong FX instead of the 7100.


----------



## PghYinzer (Sep 28, 2011)

IAmHolland said:


> Raise your seatpost and clamp it to the seatpost.
> 
> Put your heel (not the ball of your foot) on the pedal with the pedal at the lowest position. One side of the bike is fine. Straighten your leg, raise your seat all the way up. This will give you a reasonable height once you place your feet properly. You're riding a 15" frame, so if the salesman sized you properly, you should have at least 3-4" of seat post sticking out. Basically the distance from the bottom of the pedal at it's lowest to the floor, is your minimum seat post height, add the clearance between the bike frame and your crotch when straddling the bike and the feet on the floor.
> 
> ...


I didn't fit anything at the shop because 1 they don't have any trail a bikes in right now and 2. knowing someone with a 7200 who can do these things, I assumed a 7100 would as well - did not realize the difference frame size makes. Seriously - newbie here!!!

ctwonposse - I didn't realize you could get a trailer that wasn't all enclosed. I think my kids would be much happier with that vs. being boxed in. How old are they and how big for their age? My girls at 3 1/2 and one is big for her age, one is small for her age. So next summer will be 4 (bd 3/28). Maybe the trailer would be OK and maybe I am fretting way too much about this. The trail a bike just seems like such a cool option... OTOH they could get bored and fall off of that or start dragging feet as opposed to merely getting bored and complaining. Kind of like how grocery carts are nicer than letting them walk, they can complain all they want but you can still move quickly.

editing - spaztastic flip out over, went to bike store with pic of my bike (raining, didn't want to bring it in), there was a very short man behind the counter who says heuses a 15 inch frame and 700c wheels and has used a trail-a-bike. I asked if I can exchange my bike if it won't work and he said do not worry, it will work! Yay. Didn't want to exchange my bike anyway because I like it. Worst case I will pick up a mountain bike for the kid hauling years if this doesn't pan out so great.


----------



## IAmHolland (Jul 8, 2010)

PghYinzer said:


> There will be a few inches of pole but as i understand it doesn't it tend to travel down and rest on top of where the seat goes in? And even with those few inches of post the clearance between saddle and wheel is not great. I am going to go in and ask. Hopefully I am worrying over nothing. Hopefully if it won't work they will let me exchange since this was one of my intentions when purchasing.


Some slide down, some does not. Someone I ride with has a mount on his seatpost fairly high up, and it doesn't seem to ever move. A few inches of clearance is better than none, but more clearance is better.

But seriously, look at the rack mounted trailers if you're set on a certain bike, or just get a 26" mountain bike (this is MTBR and not road bike review).



PghYinzer said:


> Reasons for the fx? I am actually thinking I should have gone with the navigator due to the smaller wheels. Since an exchange may be on the table give me your reasons.


A better spec, the low end bikes, especially hybrids, have low end suspension forks. IMO, you're better off with a rigid fork. You get lighter weight, as opposed to a paperweight up front, and a better feel for the trails. A rigid is not bad, you should test ride your bikes and see for yourself. I ride a rigid with the family, and use my hardtail and full-suspension for my own rides.

You also are going to pay to ditch the suspension seatpost, another waste of money, IMO. The quill stem on the hybrid bike, means you have an old style threaded forks. Quill stems are heavier and there's less available should you need to make changes. The more modern style is what is on the FX.

8 speed instead of 7.

trigger shifter instead of twist.

It's more general purpose than comfort/hybrid bike.

To be honest, at that low end range, an old steel mountain bike off craig's list would do just fine. An early to late 1990's Specialized with a chromoly frame for instance, with a rigid threadless fork.

You can also go for a 26" mountain bike like the Trek 3500 you changed. Though in the lower end spec, I'd look at other brands. The big brands tend to be over priced compared to the smaller brands like GT (GT Zum or GT Avalanche or GT Transeo since you are looking in the 700c area)



> I didn't fit anything at the shop because 1 they don't have any trail a bikes in right now and 2. knowing someone with a 7200 who can do these things, I assumed a 7100 would as well - did not realize the difference frame size makes. Seriously - newbie here!!!


Yeah, haste makes waste. Some patience and shopping around would get you a chance to try things out. Some bike shops near me have trailers, some do not. If I were looking for something in particular, I would go where I can try everything I needed and get some hands on experience with the items in question.


----------



## IAmHolland (Jul 8, 2010)

PghYinzer said:


> knowing someone with a 7200 who can do these things, I assumed a 7100 would as well


Trek 7200...holy crap it's over $2000 I can't see any reason why that bike costs so much.


----------



## PghYinzer (Sep 28, 2011)

IAmHolland said:


> Yeah, haste makes waste. Some patience and shopping around would get you a chance to try things out. Some bike shops near me have trailers, some do not. If I were looking for something in particular, I would go where I can try everything I needed and get some hands on experience with the items in question.


On the flip side - seriously if I waited to make THE perfect choice, I'd never have a bike. I think this is going to serve me well for most of what I want it for. I'll take care of it so it will either serve me well or resell well, and I'll figure out what I like and don't like and go from there if I need to. I guess that's the point of entry level.  I am at least very confident that if things don't work out it won't be because the bike is bad, it will be because it's not fitting my needs. Better than buying a super cheap bike that turns out to be not much good for anyone right?

I have no idea why the 7200 is going for over $2000 LOL. I think the 7500 brand new is around $1000. What I liked about the 7200 was is seemed to have the big features at a good price but if you pay $2000 that kind of takes away that benefit.

eta - just clicked the link - oh, that's the electric assist model! that's why it is so much. I thought maybe you found an ebay auction or something. I think the 7200 was probably in the $450ish actual price range... probably listed for higher, sold for less as none of the stores seem to actually charge the MSRP and than often offer some extra incentive over that...

eta again - I feel like I need to defend my lbs! This place has been in business since 1955, it's family run, and they help a lot with the local bike safety rodeo - a friend of mine is a paramedic and reccommended them. So if I sound crazy for not trying everything out at the time it's because I told them my needs and really felt they knew their stuff. I tested the bikes out in the parking lot and really liked the Fisher. 7100 didn't feel as nice or shift as smooth. 3500 was ok but thinking about it not as comfy and not as good from an enjoy the scenery angle. I really felt like since they knew my needs they wouldn't steer me wrong and turns out they haven't - but when I got home and started looking at that small frame and big wheel, I panicked. I don't mind sounding clueless myself but hate to sound like the bike store steered me wrong in the bargain.


----------



## IAmHolland (Jul 8, 2010)

LOL, electric that explains it. I didn't notice the battery pack, and just thought it was a cargo bin.



PghYinzer said:


> On the flip side - seriously if I waited to make THE perfect choice, I'd never have a bike.


Yeah, there's no such thing as a perfect choice. There's always something newer/better in some way.



PghYinzer said:


> but when I got home and started looking at that small frame and big wheel, I panicked. I don't mind sounding clueless myself but hate to sound like the bike store steered me wrong in the bargain.


Most sales people are fairly knowledgeable and well meaning. I think most of the time it's the information the shoppers present to the salesman. Sometimes they don't present enough and then complain online when they get something they didn't want. The salesman should always do what the buyer wants, as long as they put their $0.02 in and the buyer makes a different choice, any issues are on the buyer.

Find a way to get your trailer to fit, or buy a different trailer. That's really all it boils down to at this point.


----------



## ctownposse (Mar 9, 2008)

One is almost three and the other is six. Together they are about 100 pounds. The trailer has removable covers, but we never use them. You can pick these up used (hardly used) really cheap. The cool thing about them is that you can go on longer rides and the kids don't get bored, they just fall asleep in it and you can keep on riding. Another thing is they foldup flat so they fit in the trunk of the car.


----------



## PghYinzer (Sep 28, 2011)

ctownposse said:


> One is almost three and the other is six. Together they are about 100 pounds. The trailer has removable covers, but we never use them. You can pick these up used (hardly used) really cheap. The cool thing about them is that you can go on longer rides and the kids don't get bored, they just fall asleep in it and you can keep on riding. Another thing is they foldup flat so they fit in the trunk of the car.


how important is brand? i know people like burly but i can get a used instep for $50 or so. i know in the stroller world there is a lot of image and snobbery involved and people using bobs for mallwalking because they are "so much better" - while i have a bob for outdoors i also have a graco that was my only stroller with my first son and is still going 7 years later, and works fine so long as the terrain is decent so i know the line between hype and need with strollers at least. since i'll be doing paved stuff and rail trails mainly, do i really need big brands?

I am thinking 1 trailer + 1 trail a bike is what we will do. also a baby seat, my dad's friend is giving us a good one.


----------



## Leopold Porkstacker (Apr 21, 2010)

PghYinzer said:


> how important is brand? i know people like burly but i can get a used instep for $50 or so. i know in the stroller world there is a lot of image and snobbery involved and people using bobs for mallwalking because they are "so much better" - while i have a bob for outdoors i also have a graco that was my only stroller with my first son and is still going 7 years later, and works fine so long as the terrain is decent so i know the line between hype and need with strollers at least. since i'll be doing paved stuff and rail trails mainly, do i really need big brands?
> 
> I am thinking 1 trailer + 1 trail a bike is what we will do. also a baby seat, my dad's friend is giving us a good one.


We bought a Burley D'Lite ST for $600.00, sold it a year later for $550.00 after having put about 400 miles of use on it (over 60 miles included off road trails). I think that qualifies more along the lines of return on investment rather than snobbery. We'd researched the other trailer/stroller setups, and they just seemed really cheap, and prone to massive body roll (the Performance-branded one had really bad lateral axle play), whereas the Burley (although made in China as all the others are  ) seemed to have the best exploited child labour force building them (they used to build their wares in Oregon), and great resale value.


----------



## PghYinzer (Sep 28, 2011)

Yes but the fact that my Bob stroller will resell well doesn't really prove that I couldn't have gotten by with an InStep jogger.  

Right now all I am seeing are low-end trailers on our CL. 

I need to see what brand my bike store sells. They had one but I didn't look at brand, I just looked at it, and questioned if my two girls would sit in there without killing each other. I didn't know some can be opened up. I think they are less likely to kill each other in an open set-up. 

In no rush to buy one right now so I will quietly stock CL and read reviews...


eta there's a burley encore. Not sure about that one, reviews are mixed. They want $175.


----------



## mtbjen (Jan 31, 2004)

Here's a good thread about trailers: http://forums.mtbr.com/families-riding-kids/child-bike-trailers-454663.html

We have a Chariot Cougar. I like it because it attaches at the axle, so it works with almost all of my/hubby's bikes. It also has a recessed area at the kiddo's heads to fit the helmet into the trailer so the helmet doesn't slide down over their eyes. I stalked CL for a couple of months and found a great deal on a double Chariot with jogging and bike attachments.


----------



## PghYinzer (Sep 28, 2011)

Turns out it's a 2004 d'lite which seems to have that pushing the helmet forward quirk. Pass!


----------



## bme107 (Jul 23, 2008)

Let's see a pic of your bike, as is, with the seat adjusted to fit you. I know it'd help me assess everything better as a whole. I feel this is where the LBS shorted you. They could have asked more questions about intended usage, or maybe you could have been clearer on it. Plus so much text in this thread....

My experience includes: rigid, hard tail, full suspension, adult tandem, double trailer and trail-a-bike. All my bikes have served pulling duties at one time or another. Have even contemplated the massive road train of a Tandem to trail-a-bike to trailer combination. 

If you are running into the problem of the arm rubbing the tire you could always shim the hitch up the seat post higher. Slide the hitch all the way up the post to the underside of the seat. Find a piece of PVC pipe that slips relatively snug over the seat post and cut it to the length from the bottom of the hitch to the top of the seat post collar. Keeps the hitch from sliding back down while underway. It would help out in situations like this:









I don't know if this has been said yet as I started to skim after the first 15 or so posts; I think I read that you are on a small frame and some talk of a husband, so I'm going to assume that you are a woman that is petite. Due to the connection location of a trail-a-bike it can be difficult to control both you and your child. This can be magnified with the skill of both riders and the terrain. My wife is 5'-1", I wouldn't let her/she doesn't want to attempt, pull my 7y.o. son on the trail-a-bike. My wife rides casually around town or on rails to trails type paths. He's been riding 3 years and can handle a bike offroad, but the combination of the 2 wouldn't be good. There is a ratio of weight:skill that makes the duo stable. The more you have of either the easier it will be to ride together with the young ones.


----------



## MDEnvEngr (Mar 11, 2004)

*Fender, if you can...*

Planet bike makes some big fenders for 29ers. Putting a full coverage fender will keep a lot of the road dirt out of the faces of the kids, either in a trailer or the trail-a bike.

I rode one summer with a trail-a-bike and then a trailer hooked to that...the train. We were about 300# of mass all together.

Now it's only the youngest on the trail-a-bike. By next summer he'll be five and riding the bikepath on his own. He's good on two wheels now in the driveway and such, but needs more practice before riding in public.

Have fun with those kiddies!

B


----------



## PghYinzer (Sep 28, 2011)

I can't figure out how to post a pic. Photobucket won't let me upload anything... and I can't seem to just attach a pic here like in other forums? I will just be sure to either try to trail a bike with my bike before I buy (a la CL) or buy it from somewhere with a great return policy (REI or LL Bean)

There is a guy selling an Afterburner here for $40, I kinda wonder what's with it at that price... not sure if I trust myself to catch everything wrong! The problem with buying used is you have no recourse if you don't catch any problems.


----------



## NUTT (May 27, 2008)

The difference in trailers at the different price points is comfort for the kiddos. The $50 trailer will not be comfortable for more than 30 minutes whereas the Burley or Chariot will be comfortable for hours. 

The more expensive trailers have seating designed for comfort and are firm support. The $50 trailer will have a sling type seat.


----------



## texacajun (Jan 20, 2004)

PghYinzer said:


> Turns out it's a 2004 d'lite which seems to have that pushing the helmet forward quirk. Pass!


Uhhhh...stick a small throw pillow behind them so the back of the helmet doesn't hit the seat back, adjust the straps a little and it'll probably work fine. Did for me. You aren't racin' in NASCAR, you're just toolin' around on some pathways, but those harnesses work surprising well. A friend showed me the pillow behind them trick and my kid loved the trailer from about a year old 'til almost 4 when we moved to trail-a-bike or her own bike.



NUTT said:


> The difference in trailers at the different price points is comfort for the kiddos. The $50 trailer will not be comfortable for more than 30 minutes whereas the Burley or Chariot will be comfortable for hours.
> 
> The more expensive trailers have seating designed for comfort and are firm support. The $50 trailer will have a sling type seat.


I'll agree to disagree on that statement. My kid spent many hours in a $100 Nashbar trailer and at 7 still tries to convince me to pull her around in it. She loved that thing. She'd nap in it while I road for 2-3 hours on many weekend. Even if I could resell it for $550 I saw no reason to tie up $600 for something she may hate. I know more than one couple that couldn't force their kid to ride in a trailer. You just don't know til you put them in there.



joe_bloe said:


> I've pulled both my tandem Adams Trail-a-bike and my single Co-Pilot with each of the following bikes:
> Hardtail mountain bike with front suspension
> Full suspension mountain bike
> *Tandem road bike (I know, right?)*


Ha...sounds like fun. There used to be a couple that were regulars on the charity ride circuit near me that rode a tandem with trail-a-bike w/kiddie trailer hooked to that. All 4 were always all smiles.


----------



## PghYinzer (Sep 28, 2011)

texacajun I like the way you think.


----------



## texacajun (Jan 20, 2004)

Well I love biking, have limited funds, so I have to choose wisely and I have quite a few friends in a similar boat. I don't think saving money makes you a bad parent, just as equally as spending the same money on your kids as yourself makes you a good parent. If they like it and you get to spend time with them, it's money well spent. If they hate it, it's money down a rat hole. How much YOU decide to spend is up to you. There's no right answer, though the innerwebs are filled with people who insist there's is. :skep:


----------



## Lintott (Oct 14, 2006)

Here are some more options to consider. I posted pics of the 4 bikes I currently use to haul two kids (2 & 3Y) with on singletrack, beaches, gravel, tarmac etc. here http://forums.mtbr.com/fat-bikes/kids-fatbikes-743064.html

I have a trailer as well, but neither me or the kids and like it (heavy, wide, bumpy ride for the kids due to thin tires, cant talk to them easily, only really OK for hard surfaces etc)

If I were you I would buy a used longtail (e.g. a Surly, Yuba Mundo, Kona) and put a front and a rear seat on it. Very practical for being out all day with the kids. Plenty of storage space to bring whatever you need for the day (including shopping on the way home) and they have fat tires which work on most surfaces. Great without kids too. The only problem is that they can be too long to attach to the cycle rack on a car (tow bar or roof) unless you are creative.

Cheers


----------



## PghYinzer (Sep 28, 2011)

Interesting idea but wouldn't work with my grouping. I have 3 kids who will need hauling in some fashion ... one of the 3yos could still ride in a baby seat (32ish pounds) but the other is definitely not long for one (closer to 40). And then there is the baby. For me to lug all 3 I am going to need a trailer and a baby seat. It might be possible for whole family outings to do two seats, for the baby and the smaller girl, and then the other girl could ride behind the other bike in some fashion, but 2 baby seats alone won't help us much. Unless I did 2 baby seats + a trail a bike but that starts to seem a bit crazy in my mind and the girls are really getting too big to consider baby seats for them.

Right now I am trying to get the girls to just sit in the various trailers to figure out how much growing room we have but they refuse to even sit with each other, so much for riding together.  Luckily my plans for riding alone with the kids would be in a large county park so there's always "Shut up and we'll stop at the next playground" which tends to motivate my kids into all sorts of things.


----------

