Advice on child trailers and bike to hook it to

Joshgav

I am looking at double child trailers to hook to the back of my bike and need some advice.

Reason
I will be picking up the kids from the childminder on a regular basis, its about a 25 minute walk up a steep hill. I am looking to make the journey quicker by cycling and picking them up, obviously can't take both kids on my bike so thought that a trailer may be better.

Children are 9 months and 3 1/2.

Does anyone have any advice on what to look for, suggested models etc?

I will also need a hack bike to hook it up to, as I don't want to use my carbon steed. I was thinking maybe getting a rigid mountain bike for the low gears, will probably need it with 30kg of children and a 15kg trailer up a hill. Thoughts?

slowbike

disc brakes!

Sorry - had to put that in first - if it's up a steep hill you're going to want decent braking for the return.

As for the trailer - ours - and many others - use a spigot that is attached to the back by being clamped by the quick release or nut - you then attach the trailer to that with a removable pin - so the spigot can remain on the bike without the trailer attached.

You're going to want a decent trailer - burley do a decent one. Ours is an Amazon cheapy - which was fine, but it's heavy, the brake mechanism is fundimentally flawed (it just shoots a bolt into a bit of plastic on the hub) and the wheels are not removable (well - not easily) so all in all it's a bit of a PITA ... but does what we want it to do.

I would think you're going to end up pushing the bike & trailer up hill - I've ridden a 29er with the trailer and 1 child in - was fine till I hit a 14% then stopped and couldn't get going again - flat was much easier.

mrfpb

A decent hybrid would do the trick, anything with less than 1:1 gearing at the bottom of the range. eg 28 front cog/ 32 (or more) back cog. Get a decent Alu frame. Ridgeback are a good value brand for this sort of thing, or if going a bit up in price range, some of the Whyte hybrids.

Joshgav

Bike, something like these?

https://www.evanscycles.com/ridgeback-v ... e-EV258048

Or would something like this work too?

https://www.evanscycles.com/jamis-trail ... e-EV275174

p.s. I have a 50% off at Evans so think that new rather than second hand is probably the way to go.

mrfpb

The Ridgeback looks ideal to me. I bit heavy, but the Jamis is probably heavier due to the suspension fork. I never felt the need for a fork on canal paths etc where I used to tow my children on my Ridgeback Speed (just one at a time on a trailgator tow bar) . You will need it even less on the road.

natrix

I used the Halfords double bike trailer for several years and was pleased with how it performed. Some of the more expensive trailers are studier but also heavier................

greenamex2

We had one of the these, towed with a mountain bike (good gearing for hills).

http://www.wheelies.co.uk/p82095/Advent ... ailer.aspx

12Kg by itself, not sure how it matches up to others.

Worked well.

The Rookie

Have a look at the Voodoo Marasa http://www.halfords.com/cycling/bikes/h ... ybrid-bike

Decent gearing (and as its 9 speed the option to go to an 11-34 cassette or even a wide range), they are a decent tough bike and with lighter road type tyres are quite sprightly to ride.

Pufftmw

Similar experience has been taking dog to work - 11kg of trailer and 8/9 kg of dog, so around 20kg in total. Trip was 7.5 miles each way and I started off using a 20 yr old MTB on road tyres. Only one hill of any note really and it was totally doable, adding about 10 mins to my non-trailer commute. However, it was knackering to do every day, so I went and got an eBike (KTM MTB) at which point it became a LOT easier. Something to think about maybe.

Trailer was by Trixie but I don't think they do them for kids -it is a good piece of kit.

Joshgav

Decided to borrow my Dads 20 year old Alu framed non-suspension MTB, i think it was decent in it's day with Acera drivechain). It's got a triple, so at least I will have a decent set of low end gears.

Need to give it a good going over with some oil, spokes are a bit rusty but don't look like they're going to snap (and there's so many of them anyway, I hardly think I will miss a few).