Making Use Of My Bicycle Child Trailer

Child Trailer Fun!

Child Trailer Fun!

One of the best purchases I’ve made is my bicycle child trailer.   Not only is it fun for my daughter to ride around in, but it’s great for going on pizza runs, hauling camping gear on cycle camps, and transporting around other items that aren’t easily bungeed onto a bicycle rack.  At first I was a bit hesitant to buy one, thinking that it would make riding slow and clumsy, or that I’d side-swipe things on the side of the road with it.  But, it really isn’t much wider than my body is, and keeping a few more inches away from parked cars and such leaves you plenty of room for error.  For those of you wondering what model I bought, it is the Kid Karriage from Nashbar.com.  It is very affordable (only $99) and it has really good reviews, particularly about it’s child safety features.

My Daughter

My Daughter

Several sources online say that child trailers are safer than other child carriers for bicycles, mainly because the child is close to the ground and has no risk of falling.  The Kid Karriage holds 2 children and has a capacity of up to 100 lbs.  This is a good thing since every now and then I like to haul a bunch of bulky, heavy stuff.  Once I hauled a full propane tank and a 30-pack of beer.  Thinking back on that now, I think that was a safety hazard and it is not recommended that you haul flammables or explosives by bicycle.  ;-)

The main things to do when toting your children around in child trailers is the following:

  1. Use a brightly colored safety flag.  Every child trailer comes with one.
  2. Cycle on low-traffic streets as much as you can.  Using a trailer makes you slower and wider, so it’s courteous to keep out of the way of traffic as much as you can.
  3. Take the lane.  Do not take a chance on getting crammed between traffic and the curb.  It’s just not worth it.   Child trailers are very common nowadays and people will make way for you.
Later, dudes!

Later, dudes!

Other than that, there’s really no other difference with towing a trailer than with regular riding.  Trailers greatly extend the use of bicycles for all kind of errands and I recommend you get one!  Throughout this article are some photos of my daughter and I going to a local Easter egg hunt in April 2011.  Enjoy!

Another side shot

Another side shot

Stylish Helmet!

Stylish Helmet!

2 comments to Making Use Of My Bicycle Child Trailer

  • Mike Brady

    thanks for writing this. Do you wear clip in pedals? Do you think they would be a hindrance?

  • You’re welcome, Mike! There’s a lot of different opinions on clip-in pedals. I personally think they’re a hindrance with commuting around town, and other situations where you have to make a lot of stops. I’m a big fan of just basic, flat pedals. The only bicycle I own that has clip-in pedals is my road racer style bike that I use for doing long road rides on the weekends, where I’m trying to squeeze out every last drop of performance advantage I can get when trying to break personal speed records and such. Haha. I’m not very fast, but it’s a lot of fun and a heck of a work-out. Anyway, good question. And happy cycling!

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