Trail Gator or similar?

[subaqua]

It has finally arrived, in short he loves it! Wants to go everywhere on it!

I found the actual fitting to be very simple, more of a challenge was holding both bikes upright to fix it in the right place.

I have purchase him a hi vis vest and an extra rear light to fix on his bike and will hopefully get someone to take some pictures of us once the ice has gone, it's getting very frustrating! I'm not a 'fair-weather cyclist' but ice and a kid on the back is just not worth the hassle!

thats the hardest bit by far. took wifey daughter and son holding the bikes so i could adjust it all properly. this was before i bought a work stand though.

 

[Leccy]

and forgot to mention the first tentative attempt at riding! - Me going very slowly (and probably making it worse by wobbling) as grandad and stepdad ran along one each side, a pre journey lecture on the importance of HOLDING ON and how he has to concentrate and join in rather than the trailer which he just sits in singing away in a little dream world! - Needn't worry at all though, got on fine with it straight away, no wobbles (from him!) kept holding on, peddled, thought it was brilliant! It takes quite a bit of communication as you're going along (coming up to junctions and the need to stop peddling and then make sure he's concentrating with both hands on before pulling away and hasn't sat back and relaxed in the middle of a junction!
One thing I wouldn't agree with on the box though is the 'quick release' thing for unhitching childs bike, I find this far from quick release I'm afraid, and preferably a two man job - although it could just be me . . . .

 

[Sara_H]

I had a Trailgator for use with my daughter. Not nice. Didn't like it. I was then given a Tagalong. This has served us well for many fun days out but has the disadvantage of being towed all the time. My daughter will be getting her new bike in 2013 and so to allow her more independent cycling I reckon I'll get a 'FollowMe Tandem' bracket. They are expensive but i'm sure they'll hold their value pretty well.

Here's my daughter having fun on the tagalong.

Brilliant!

 

[tom_e]

One thing I wouldn't agree with on the box though is the 'quick release' thing for unhitching childs bike, I find this far from quick release I'm afraid, and preferably a two man job - although it could just be me . . . .

We found it needs (a) a bit of practice, and (b) the child to hold the adult bike upright. Before they can manage the latter, you have to lean the adult bike on something and do the job carefully enough you don't knock it over. Once you can do it that carefully, the child has a sporting chance of holding the bike up without you flattening them.

 

[Leccy]

I've invested in a stand that has a bit each side of the bike - I'm sure there's a better way of describing that but it's been a long day, I now have to park my bike like an adolescent's moped... not cool... but it does mean I can single handedly connect it all together, presuming there is no wind and the ground is perfectly level - perhaps thats what they meant about 'easy fitting'!

Must get a picture of our set up one day, it's probably sacrilege to the serious lycra-clad cyclists so I apologise now!

 

[subaqua]

I've invested in a stand that has a bit each side of the bike - I'm sure there's a better way of describing that but it's been a long day, I now have to park my bike like an adolescent's moped... not cool... but it does mean I can single handedly connect it all together, presuming there is no wind and the ground is perfectly level - perhaps thats what they meant about 'easy fitting'!

Must get a picture of our set up one day, it's probably sacrilege to the serious lycra-clad cyclists so I apologise now!

then the velominati can go screw emselves. Trail gator got my youngest out on a bike and started the next generation of cyclists.

 

[Leccy]

Velominati - love it!