Kid Bike Trailers-Advice

[mom2twins]

Helmets are a must! we are picking up our long over due Burley this weekend and I can't wait. My girls are older, almost 3, but I already have them trained to associate helmets with bike rides. They aren't allowed to even sit on their trikes without their helmets on and they always see DH and I straping on ours before we go out for rides. Whenever they see the older kids ride around with bare heads they always ask me where their helmets are.

As for where we plan to go with the trailer, right now the plan is to do one weekend ride together with the trailer on Dh's mountain bike. We will hit the closest rails to trails. I'm tentative about taking the trailer on the street with cars but then I might be overly cautious. I don't even run with the jogging stroller on the road.

[singletrackmind]

Hi all!
If you have a trailer for your rugrats:
Which one do you use? They don't make mine anymore-a Joyrider.
Like/dislike about it?-It's pretty good, roomy enough for a pillow (for naps) but I haven't tried/looked at any others.
Do you just tool around town? Yes, on trails because drivers around here are severely distracted.
Do long rides? Our longest so far was 67 miles
What age was your child when you started? About 6 months
Did s/he like it right away? No, we started with short rides to acclimate-now he LOVES it.
Mtn. bike? Road? Hybrid? Mtn and Road. Mtn's easier (gearing), Road is more comfortable for the long hauls.
How well does the child's helmet fit in the trailer seat? Not as well as I'd wish but not so much of a problem that it bothers him.
My hubby, who is arguing POINTLESSLY with me about our whether we should have a helmet for our 1 yr. old (HELLO! YES) thinks that a helmet would be cumbersome and push his head forward...and that the trailer itself would protect him. We've tipped twice. The seatbelts do help save his body but his head only to a certain degree. There is no way in h-e-double hockey sticks that I would risk my perfect little boy's noggin. Brain injuries can not only damage mental and phyiscal ability but it can also change a personality. A brain injury can also lead to early dementia, which did happen to my mom, who was diagnosed with dementia in her early 50's, traced back to a bike accident she had as a teen being the most likely cause.
Plus he HATES having anything on his head. It is NOT an option as far as I am concerned. But I told him I would ask y'all...I think (hope) that once he (baby) realizes what putting the helmet on means (Ride! Ride!) he'll get over it and get used to the helmet... See my avatar? This was his first time wearing a helmet. I have 10 more pics before this one in which he is one unhappy camper. Now he's happy to wear his helmet (bikeridebikeridebikeride!!!) and will even let me know when other people aren't.
We really want to be a "bike family"! YAY!!!
Thanks,
Jenny

Quick tips-make sure you keep correct air pressure in both the bike and the trailer's tires. It makes a HUGE difference!
Have a pillow to one side for him to slump over onto in case he takes a nap.
Drinks, snacks, toys-all good.
Learn to fix your own flats. I've only had one on the trailer so far but it's nice to be prepared. Better than walking home carting something with a flat tire!

[HoddyToddy]

Thanks, all!
I am sooo looking forward to it!
I told hubby this AM that Jack will NEVER be without a helmet, and if I ever find out that Hubby took him out without one, he (hubby, of course) will be sleeping elsewhere!
I did a looksee at Burley's user manual (we're getting the Solo) and apparently it has a "helmet pocket" so no excuse there.
And Jack *will* get used to it, I'm sure!
I want to take it on a couple of centuries in Sept. and do the shorter distance.
Plus, I figure when I ride without it, I'll be smokin' fast after riding pulling a 22 lb. kid in a 16 lb. trailer!
Happy Riding!
Jenny

[Surlygirl]

Hi Hoddytoddy,
Okay, its been awhile since my youngest is now 8, but this was our experience with the Burly D'lite for two. Usually we only put one kid at a time in, and brought snacks, sippy cup etc, toys, like mtbdarby said. Always put a helmet on them. Yes I think it was a design flaw and I don't know if they have fixed it but the helmet does push their heads forward a bit. We also put rolled up towels under their butts since they seemed to slide down even with the harness pretty snug. Most of the time my kids fell asleep on rides. Keep the screen down in front since stuff flying off your tires could fly in their face without it. Watch the Temp inside. Okay when you are moving but stopped they can get hot inside if its closed up. We pulled them with road bikes and mtbs. The trail should be fairly wide and hard packed or paved or they are a bear to pull. Have fun and before you know it they are on their own bikes leaving you in the dust.

[Steph_in_TX]

We had a Giro helmet for our dd...the backs are flat on most baby sizes to help eliminate pushing the head forward. The trailer (I have an In Step) has the helmet pocket, but at 11 months when she first started riding, she wasn't tall enough for her head to hit the pocket. We put folded towels under her and it seemed to work. You definitely need to start slowly with a very little one as their neck muscles are going to need to get used to holding a helmet. My dd seemed to hold it up ok as long as she didn't lean over...she wasn't able to pull her head back up! Then she was ticked off! But in no time, she was plenty used to it and usually fell asleep.

Now at 3, she "reads" books or looks at scenary and doesn't usually fall asleep. I just put a snack and cup in with her and she's good to go. I pull her only with my hybrid and stick to my neighborhood and the nearby bike trails. It's fun to have her talking to me now instead of screaming.

Have fun!

[mtbdarby]

Since we're on the topic, I have a question. My kid caboose trailer is built for two and I only use it for my one son. I've tried my darndest strapping him in right but it just doesn't LOOK like it's right to me. I've adjusted the straps, etc and it looks too loose still like it wouldn't hold him if I tipped over. Any suggestions on this?

I took him out last night for the first time in a few weeks and did he scream again! lol. Didn't take long and he was fine with it though, so we stopped at a park during our ride so he could play on the slides and swings. Good compromise cuz it's hot as hades here. Momma was a sweating machine last night!

Good ideas on the pillow and book ladies - never thought of that!

[singletrackmind]

Yeah, the seat belt won't let him lay down but I put the pillow in there and it props his head up in a more comfortable position when he falls asleep and it lolls off to the side. He's fine the other way too, but it pains my neck to see it bent all crazy like that.

I have a 5-point harness in my two person trailer. My son sits in the middle and the part that comes up between his legs and over his shoulders fits well. The lap belt seems very loose to me, too, as it runs from one side to the other. In both tip-overs he was suspended by this system just fine though his helmet got the tiniest bit of use (yes, we have a new one).