What tag along?

menthel

My wife is currently using a co-rider front seat with our son but he is getting a little big for it so we want a tag along. What do people recommend? He is 3 1/2. It would be good if it could be fitted to either of our bikes.

simon_e

CTC magazine had a feature on these last summer which might help. You can download a copy of each article/section from the website:
http://www.ctc.org.uk/publication/cycle ... ember-2012

menthel

Thanks for that, will have a read.

baudman

^ Great article

I lust after a Bike Friday tandem, or perhaps a CoMotion.

We use a TrailGator with two tow bikes (we bought a second hitch), and now two children's bikes (4yo's bike. Then when she sized up. Now back onto her first bike for her 4yo younger sister).

I've liked the options it gives - ride somewhere attached, then detach so they can ride solo. Ride solo as far as they can go (OK, perhaps a little less) then attach and ride home. You can choose a good bike that suits your child.

It won't fit on all bikes - geos just don't work or the kid's bike may not have enough room around the head tube to attach the clamp. Some people say they have issues with it getting sloppy, but in my experience they haven't tightened it enough, or have put some rubber in or something to stop it scratching. It will scratch the bike where it mounts. But meh, kids scratch bikes of their own accord.

Search the forums - there's been discussion of them before. (And look at the link for 'family' bike in my sig).

menthel

baudman wrote:

^ Great article

I lust after a Bike Friday tandem, or perhaps a CoMotion.

We use a TrailGator with two tow bikes (we bought a second hitch), and now two children's bikes (4yo's bike. Then when she sized up. Now back onto her first bike for her 4yo younger sister).

I've liked the options it gives - ride somewhere attached, then detach so they can ride solo. Ride solo as far as they can go (OK, perhaps a little less) then attach and ride home. You can choose a good bike that suits your child.

It won't fit on all bikes - geos just don't work or the kid's bike may not have enough room around the head tube to attach the clamp. Some people say they have issues with it getting sloppy, but in my experience they haven't tightened it enough, or have put some rubber in or something to stop it scratching. It will scratch the bike where it mounts. But meh, kids scratch bikes of their own accord.

Search the forums - there's been discussion of them before. (And look at the link for 'family' bike in my sig).

Thanks. He doesn't have a bike yet, just a wooden balance bike but we have been told that the trailgators are good. Our LBS can get us trailer bikes to look at so we may do that before making a final decision.

baudman

Both of mine went from (cheap, wooden) runbikes straight to pedals. The second one, via a few months on the TrailGator.

Another article (from Australia, so prices and maybe even products will vary in the UK)
http://rideons.wordpress.com/2013/03/26 ... pedalling/

menthel

We ended up grabbing a dirt cheap Adams tag along. Will give it ago. Once he is big enough and old enough (and not so bloody lazy!) he can have his own set of wheels and pedals...

bompington

+1 for the Trailgator, for all the reasons Baudman said. We have found ours especially good when it comes to the transition to independent riding, when they can go solo until tired and then get a lift.

One tip from experience, for any tag along - check that your child is sitting on it before pedalling off... :oops:

menthel

bompington wrote:

+1 for the Trailgator, for all the reasons Baudman said. We have found ours especially good when it comes to the transition to independent riding, when they can go solo until tired and then get a lift.

One tip from experience, for any tag along - check that your child is sitting on it before pedalling off... :oops:

Ours has a special mechanism that doesn't allow you to forget him. He blithers constantly and inanely from the moment he wakes up until the point where he falls asleep. The boy is 3 1/2 and has probably spoken more than most 18 years old!

menthel

oxoman wrote:

Menthol. Don't do what i did one day. Local path had been rerouted for a golf course being built and i followed the diversion which was previously a fallow field imagine lots of ridges and then a narrow gap in a hedge. OOPS one slightly scratched and very shook up son. He said he knew what a jelly felt like. Seriously remember you are a lot longer.

We attached the bike to mine for the first time today. I think I was more scared than him. He wanted to go faster! It is just a bit tricky with him getting distracted and looking round etc. I can feel him shifting his weight around behind me and it feels a little unstable. Perhaps it would be better on a bike with fatter tyres but I am not changing my 28s just for that!

baudman

28s. (But I also have 35 knobbies).

You get used to it - but then, so do they. They mimic your movements, and learn to lean, get out of the saddle etc.

menthel

Have done a couple of runs now and am happy to do short runs with it. Not sure how longer cycles would go as it really does add to the effort to pull him along!

baudman

My regular family bike has a triple.
The rig above came with compacts (50/36) and now sports a 34/11 on the rear.
We've done a few 15-20 mile runs that way. Prior to the RD upgrade, I'd done 15 miles... lets just say I'm a lot fresher now after a long ride with the new one. Especially if there's a few slopes involved. ('Interrupter' brake levers on my tops help too) 8)

chayanderson

I had both a trail gaitor and a WeeRide Pro Pilot. both very useful. You can't fault the trail gaitor, it is very stable, but will leave marks on the kids bikes. The WeeRide Pro Pilot is an aluminium frame so much lighter than other brands.

menthel

The charge is 50/34 on the chainset and 11/34 on the cassette so I have the gear ratios. I think my legs are the problem.

Once the boy gets his own bike we can always look at the trail gator but quite frankly he has short legs and can't be arsed to pedal so that may be a little time off yet!