When it comes to biking with kids, there are two camps of people. There are those who feel that bikes seats on the back of your bike will make for a more comfortable ride, while others prefer using trailers when transporting their children by bicycle. Let’s take a look at how you can customize and improve your experience if you’ve decided to use a trailer as opposed to having them sit in front or behind?
If you want to be able to take your kids on bike rides in a comfortable manner, there are some key things that need attending. The first is the weather and terrain of the area where you live; if it’s hot or cold outside, whether it often rains or not at all, etc.
Second is what type of child/children will usually ride with you – an infant? A toddler up until they can pedal? This consideration has everything from how much load capacity each trailer offers (for instance many baby trailers only support their weight) versus being designed for heavier riders like small children who won’t yet fit into most car seats but still have a license seat belt for safety reasons when riding along as well as air conditioning systems so mom and dad don’t overheat or freeze while in tow.
Lastly, how will your bike trailer be used? Will it serve as primary transportation or a once-in-a-while form of recreation? If you work at home and have the time to prepare the bike trailer before taking off, are you looking for something that’s easy to assemble or more like a bike that you just hop on and go? If it’s going to see more regular use, the bike trailer is worth considering for a bike, not just something you would rent with your bike rental when vacationing.
For those who have decided on a bike trailer as their preferred mode of transportation for kids, there are bike trailers out on the market in which you can make a bike trailer ride more comfortable for both the parent and child.
To help decide on what bike trailer will best meet your needs, consider these bike trailer features to improve comfort along your journey, whether you are cycling to work or a day trip at the beach:
Bike Trailers that Adjust for Convenience
Adjustability is one of the key factors that bike trailer manufacturers can address to meet the needs of bike trailers’ users. For instance, bike trailers that adjust for seats and are adjustable in terms of height from ground level will be beneficial if you plan on transporting different-sized children or even adults around town. Some bike trailers feature hoods that are collapsible, so they can turn the bike trailers into strollers, making the bike trailer just as convenient to keep in your car and use for errands as you would a bike that is foldable or easily broken down.
Bike Trailers that Are Easy to Assemble and Transport
A bike trailer should be easy to store, assemble, and disassemble. It should also be easy to balance and steer, so bike trailers with adjustable handlebars are ideal for bike trailers that have seats facing behind bike trailer users (for instance, sometimes bike trailer riders will use bike trailers that allow them to face forward instead of backward when going downhill) as well as bike trailers with pneumatic tires that have air-filled tires must be inflated before each use.
Bike Trailers that Provide Safety in Terms of Storage and Assembly
Safety is key for bike trailers to ensure bike trailer riders can arrive at their final destination without incident. A bike trailer should have a design in which it’s easy for bike trailer riders to fold up and store away when not in use. For bike trailers with seats that face bike trailer users, bike trailers should also have a design in which the seat can either be adjusted up or down, so it’s easier to get on and off and ride.
Bike Trailers that Are Comfortable for Biker and Passengers
One bike trailer feature that bike trailers riders and bike trailer passengers will find both useful and comfortable is a bike trailer with safety belts. Some bike trailers for kids also have seatbelts to ensure the bike trailer passengers are secure when riding along. The bike trailer should also offer shade or cover to protect against sun, rain, or snow.
Bike Trailers that have Baskets and/or Tool Boxes
Bike trailers with baskets make bike trailers handy for bike trailer riders to transport their belongings along during bike holidays, bike races, or bike tours. Some bike trailers also come with toolboxes in which bike trailer riders can store tools and other items on trips where they plan on fixing bike tires along the bike trip.
Bike Trailers that are Lightweight for Ease of Transport and Storage
A bike trailer should be light yet sturdy enough to hold bike trailers riders’ gear while bike trailers ride, so bike trailers with aluminum frame bike trailers are ideal as it’s both durable, lightweight, and flexible. If bike trailers do not have a bike trailer’s frame bike seat, then the bike trailer should have at least two sets of wheels for biking or strolling to avoid tires getting stuck in mud or sand.
Bike Trailers with Adjustable Seat Heights and Handlebars for Ease of Transport and Assembly
To prevent backaches, some people prefer a seat that is higher or lower than the average height, so a bike trailer with adjustable handlebars and seat heights is ideal. When it comes to steering, some people prefer bike trailers that can be steered while sitting down or standing up, so a bike trailer should have adjustable handlebars for height as well as the length of the handlebar.
Bike trailers vs Bike seats
- Bike trailers are generally more comfortable for kids (younger ones, at least) because a bike trailer provides support to their backs and bottoms, while bike seats have no such backrests. A bike seat may be lighter than a bike trailer that has storage space as well as other features, so many parents like bike seats for bike tours as bike trailers take up space on the bike and in storage.
- Bike trailers are more versatile as they can accommodate two kids and one parent, while a bike seat cannot. If bike trailer riders have younger children in their care, then most would probably prefer a bike trailer over a bike seat for the safety features mentioned earlier.
- Bike trailers are more expensive than bike seats, however, some parents prefer to buy a cheaper child car carrier over a bike trailer as it takes less effort to get on and off and store away when not in use. Some bikes also have better storage features than bike trailers, so bike trailer riders can purchase bike racks for bike trailers and bike seat users can get bicycle panniers to make their bike rides far easier.
- Bike trailers may require some assembly before use, so it is best that bike trailers are purchased from reputable dealers who offer after-sales assistance in the event parts have been damaged during bike trailer use.
Choosing the right bicycle trailer can make all the difference in how much you enjoy your bike ride. We hope this article has helped give you some ideas for what to look for when comparing trailers and picking out one that is just right for you. Remember, comfort should be at or near the top of all considerations before purchasing a trailer so that it will help keep your children happy while being transported on your bike.
