Recommendations for family cycling equipment

[jamin100]

Hey all,

Right, there are 5 of us, boy (8) who can ride and has a bike. Girl (4) learning slowly, Girl (2) who toddles around on her toddle bike.

We've been to a local Forrest today and hired some bikes and a trailer for the girls and to my surprise the whole family really enjoyed it.

So wifey needs a bike and we need some kind o transportation for the girls.

We would only be looking at roads, towpath and light family orientated trails at Cannock chase and such.

I have a boardman CX that I use for commuting so would have to make use of that.

So my 5'2 wife needs a cheap Ish bike
My daughters need some kind of transport. We were thinking of a tag along or for the 4 year old and then a rear bike seat for the 2 year old.

Does anyone have any recommendations for the above?

Money is tight so I'd probably be looking 2nd hand for them maybe new for the bike of its cheap enough

 

[TonyEnjoyD]

I use a trail-a-bike fir my youngest -6- and it works a treat.
Got it on gumtree for £25.
I also have a 2-seater trailer which I used for my youngest til he was about 4 and an still for my oldest -10- as he's quite small and cannot walk or sit up sufficiently stable on a normal bike.
I bought that new but these always cheapies going on gumtree.

 

[jamin100]

Thanks. I'm thinking about a trail gator to attach her current bike too. Are these any good?

Also thinking of getting the wife a carrera Vulcan anyone had one of these ?

 

[TonyEnjoyD]

Thanks. I'm thinking about a trail gator to attach her current bike too. Are these any good?

Also thinking of getting the wife a carrera Vulcan anyone had one of these ?

No idea on either unfortunately

 

[ufkacbln]

Trailgator's are something that people either love or hate!

I have no experience with them, but one thing that did stick in my mind was the ability to "free" the childs bike

This means they are assisted going to the destination, can ride independently when there and then assisted on the way back

.. one very important thing though when selecting the pulling bike for any child accessory is not to skimp on brakes. they will be stopping an additional load so need to be up to the job

 

[Crackle]

Thanks. I'm thinking about a trail gator to attach her current bike too. Are these any good?

I used two of them at one point and I thought they were excellent but others haven't. The key point for one is that the attachments fit the bike you are towing, if they don't it will tow at an angle which is useless, it has to fit and fit well. When they do, they work a treat.

Here son2 is attached and son1 is up the road and attached to my bike for the journey back when he was tired.

 

[br5968]

Rear bike seat - recommend the Co-Pilot Taxi. About £70 online, and you get a Bradshaw rack with that which it slides on and off really easily. My 18 month old loves it, and he'll have a few more years on it yet. Padded for him, has a overhead strap and a plastic bar which clips over him for him to hold onto, plus velcro toe-straps. My very safety-conscious other half was happy with it, so it must be safe

 

[jamin100]

Thanks User
I managed to pick one up last week and we have been out on it a few times already

 

[ianrauk]

I used two of them at one point and I thought they were excellent but others haven't. The key point for one is that the attachments fit the bike you are towing, if they don't it will tow at an angle which is useless, it has to fit and fit well. When they do, they work a treat.

Here son2 is attached and son1 is up the road and attached to my bike for the journey back when he was tired.

Brilliant....
How old is the kidda on the tailgator Crackle?

 

[Crackle]

Brilliant....
How old is the kidda on the tailgator Crackle?

It was a good few years ago now Ian and I think he was 5 or 6 then.

 

[ianrauk]

It was a good few years ago now Ian and I think he was 5 or 6 then.

Love the little spinning legs.
I am so going to get one of those when wee one is big enough.

 

[JoeyB]

Rear bike seat - recommend the Co-Pilot Taxi. About £70 online, and you get a Bradshaw rack with that which it slides on and off really easily. My 18 month old loves it, and he'll have a few more years on it yet. Padded for him, has a overhead strap and a plastic bar which clips over him for him to hold onto, plus velcro toe-straps. My very safety-conscious other half was happy with it, so it must be safe

How does that attach to the bike? Do you have to have the rear screw holes above the brakes or does it clamp to seat post tube?

 

[br5968]

How does that attach to the bike? Do you have to have the rear screw holes above the brakes or does it clamp to seat post tube?

You need four points - mine is attached to the screw holes on the seat stay, one either side. As alternative, the rack (it's a Blackburn EX1 - not sure where 'Bradshaw' came from!) came with some little clamps that you could collar around the seat stay tubes and then attach the brackets from the rack to those instead.

 

[JoeyB]

You need four points - mine is attached to the screw holes on the seat stay, one either side. As alternative, the rack (it's a Blackburn EX1 - not sure where 'Bradshaw' came from!) came with some little clamps that you could collar around the seat stay tubes and then attach the brackets from the rack to those instead.

Ah thats good then as I dont have those seat stay mounting points on my MTB.

 

[Crackle]

Love the little spinning legs.
I am so going to get one of those when wee one is big enough.

yeah me too and banging his hand on the bars

Just checked, he was 4, so at that point he wasn't riding by himself anyway. We went the stabilizer route as I'd never heard of balance bikes then.