Tag-a-long

scotty72 said:

Hi,

Anyone had experience with this.

Thinking of buying one for my daughter to come along with me on my longer rides?

My main worry is its safety for my kid.

Also, will it be a huge extra effort for me?

Scotty

My daughter's five and we like ours. I use it with my MTB and I think the extra leverage on the handlebars helps when she gets fidgity back there. I would only recommend it for experienced riders with good handling skills - I know some people who can barely ride themselves that wanted to try it and I discourgaged them. Not a huge extra effort, but you won't go as fast.

There are quite a few styles, the differentiating points are the attachment to your bike, and the knuckle/pivot. The cheap ones suck and make the whole experience unenjoyable. Mine's a Giant Halfwheeler.

thanks for that.

The Half-Wheelers are very expensive out here.

However, I'm still looking around to see if I can get one cheaper.

Also, some of the cheaper ones appear to have the same joint. They are just a litlle heavier.

But I'm taking the time to make sure before I leap.

Anyone else know anything?

Scotty

I've had a look

I think I will go for the Giant.

You're right, the hitch is much better. I read your review in the blog (well done)

What would you advise single or seven speed?

Does the kid on back really contribute that much? I imagine a jack-knife happening if she gets too strong.

Scotty

scotty72 said:

I've had a look

I think I will go for the Giant.

You're right, the hitch is much better. I read your review in the blog (well done)

What would you advise single or seven speed?

Does the kid on back really contribute that much? I imagine a jack-knife happening if she gets too strong.

Scotty

I sort of wanted the 7-speed but now I think it wouldn't have been worth it.

The Halfwheeler is not one of the cheaper models, but they do seem to hold resale value, I expect to get at least 50% back when I eventually sell it, and used ones sell FAST from what I've seen.

When my daughter kicks it in to "megapower" it feels a little like being pushed, not a jackknife effect but you need to have a good grasp on the bars and be ready to compensate. The contribution is a lot more than it was when she was in a trailer!

[font=Comic Sans MS]I picked up one from a yard sale--there's a lot of second had one's available--generally low wear. I had evolved from the baby rack seat, pull along trailer, to the tag-a-long. My wife (not a big biker) would even use it without much problem. The one I have is a single speed and don't think that I'd go to the expense of a multi-speed--if they're burning out, they can coast and they'll still be with you! Overall, I'd rate it as a "great to have:" the "effort" is worth the extra time you get to spend with the kids, one more great tool to keep them away from the television and a valuable way to grow/keep their interest in a great sport.[/font]

Road Buzz said:

[font=Comic Sans MS] one more great tool to keep them away from the television and ....[/font]

hmmm ,,, game, set, match

Just do not forget you have someone attached. My girlfriend passed a women towing her 5 year old on a hill. The woman stood up and aggressively tried to keep up with Mel. Her little one swayed back and forth like a flag - It was incredulous!!

islandboy said:

Just do not forget you have someone attached. My girlfriend passed a women towing her 5 year old on a hill. The woman stood up and aggressively tried to keep up with Mel. Her little one swayed back and forth like a flag - It was incredulous!!

Saw something similar the other day, a 30-something woman mountain-biking along a heavily used conservation-land trail with a 3-year-old-ish kid in a seat on the bike, standing to accelerate up a rise as the little kid held on for dear life. The weirder thing was that she had a seven-ish-year old on her own bike, keeping up with no real problem, sitting right to the left of mom's left rear wheel, but crying loudly and yelling out something I couldn't quite understand. I couldn't decide if I was more impressed with the mom's speed with a toddler on the back, or [censored] at the way she was dragging the older kid along. That kid was FAST, tho.

islandboy said:

Just do not forget you have someone attached. My girlfriend passed a women towing her 5 year old on a hill. The woman stood up and aggressively tried to keep up with Mel. Her little one swayed back and forth like a flag - It was incredulous!!

[font=Comic Sans MS]IslandBoy just about had me pis##ng in my pants with a vivid recollection of my wife towing our first up a hill in Rhode Island. Regardless of the hitch type or quality... if your bottem bracket is rocking 15cm's, your kid is getting a full blow b###ch slap and holding on for dear life... but it's all good.😄 [/font]

one more question for the experts
suppose i ride my girl to school etc.

Is it stable enough to ride back empty or will it bounce around like an empty box tralier being towed by an SUV down the interstate?

scotty72 said:

one more question for the experts
suppose i ride my girl to school etc.

Is it stable enough to ride back empty or will it bounce around like an empty box tralier being towed by an SUV down the interstate?

Are you the same Scott R. on the Bike North Chat email? If so, suggest you ask your question there.

I know there are Bike North members that have used trailer bikes for their kids. One even had a tandem trailer. Ian and his boys now ride a triple tandem.

there was a chain mail article on his commute - which was to take his boys to school. Sometimes he would unhitch the trailer and leave it at the school.

There might even be someone that may be looking to sell theirs if their children have all outgrown it.

Mike

scotty72 said:

one more question for the experts
suppose i ride my girl to school etc.

Is it stable enough to ride back empty or will it bounce around like an empty box tralier being towed by an SUV down the interstate?

It's not unstable but it is an unweighted mass so it bounces around a little bit. No trouble riding that way but you get a lot of people joking that you lost your passenger.

mikeg said:

Are you the same Scott R. on the Bike North Chat email? If so, suggest you ask your question there.

I know there are Bike North members that have used trailer bikes for their kids. One even had a tandem trailer. Ian and his boys now ride a triple tandem.

there was a chain mail article on his commute - which was to take his boys to school. Sometimes he would unhitch the trailer and leave it at the school.

There might even be someone that may be looking to sell theirs if their children have all outgrown it.

Mike

Yes, the very same.

OK, will do. (thanks for the suggestion - little too obvious for my simple brain 🙂 )

I'm only a BN newbie (2 or so months) so I probably missed the related Chainmail article (do you recall when it was?).

I've never seen or heard of a trailer at BN but when I'll ask around now. Thanks.

Scotty

DiabloScott said:

It's not unstable but it is an unweighted mass so it bounces around a little bit. No trouble riding that way but you get a lot of people joking that you lost your passenger.

Ha, I am used to people laughing at me 🙂 (or should that be 🙁 )