![]() ![]() The trailer cycle articulates on plain bearings.Īt best, the turn pivot is vertical and on a bracket that’s behind the seatpost at worst, the turn pivot is the seatpost. Most single-wheel tag-a-longs attach at the seatpost because that design is cheap and easy to make. Single wheel trailer cycles come in two types: seatpost or rack mounted. She said on her website: “When Molly wants to cycle her bike under her own steam she can, but when she tires or the road gets busy, I can hook her up to the FollowMe (which sits on the back of my bike) and she follows me, in fine and frolicking tandem fashion.” Josie Dew, Cycling UK’s vice president, uses a FollowMe Tandem when cycling with her daughter Molly. This is because since the end of 2013 the Cnoc 14 and Cnoc 16 have wheels with hollow bolt through axles. ![]() If you have an Islabike you will need to order the Islabike version. It’s mostly made of steel, but only adds 4kg to the bike’s normal weight. It isn’t as sturdy, but it is cheaper.įollowMe Tandem – a Swiss-designed, rear-axle mounted trailer that lets you bring your child’s own bike along so they can ride separately if they wish. In practice, bike handling is much the same as with other seatpost-mounted trailer cycles – just about adequate. It’s a versatile solution because you can convert a trailer cycle to a child’s bike, or vice-versa, mid-ride. The attachment process locks out the steering on the child’s bike and may involve removal of the front wheel. TrailGator – a towbar that fixes to your child’s existing bike to turn it into an ersatz trailer cycle. Some have two and look like the back end of a tricycle. Bikes that aren’t, such as road bikes and most folding bikes, can handle very poorly when you add on a trailer cycle. Such bikes are a good choice in any case because they’re designed be ridden with a load. Only those that will accept a standard rear carrier rack can tow rack-mounted trailer cycles. To attach here such designs use a rear rack that’s like, and often doubles as, a pannier rack.Īll one-wheeled trailer cycles will cope with gentle off-road terrain and all can be taken touring. A much better arrangement, used by Rann in the past and by Burley and Islabikes today, has the trailer cycle’s vertical (pitch) and horizontal (turn) pivots directly above the towing bike’s rear axle. That’s because most modern trailer cycles attach to and pivot at the seatpost. Recently it’s enjoyed something of a renaissance, although with a few notable exceptions the modern versions are actually worse than the Rann trailers of yesteryear. The trailer cycle has been around since the 1930s, when it was invented in England by Bill Rann. They’re more versatile, too, in that you can detach the trailer cycle and use your bike as normal when required. ![]() ![]() Trailer cycles are much cheaper than tandems and take up much less space. This is especially important if you are cycling on the road. They will need to be mature enough to understand they cannot just climb off the trailer bike when they want to. We’d suggest this is an option is for a child who is 4 years or above, has good balance and can confidently use a pedal bike (without stabilisers). Unlike most tandems, all trailer cycles have an independent freewheel. Your son or daughter can help out by pedalling or, when tired, can simply be towed along. You and your child can make trips that are faster, further and safer than you could manage on separate bikes. It fits to the back of an adult’s bike to form an articulated tandem. This is where a tag-a-long – also known as a trailer bike – comes in.Ī tag-a-long bike is essentially a child’s bicycle with the front wheel, fork and headset replaced by a long towbar or boom. There comes the point in every cycling parent’s life when a child grows too big for the bike seat or trailer, but can’t manage longer rides yet. ![]()
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