Stefan Vogel’s Testimonial
Many parents (or even grandparents) believe that it’s impossible to go on bike rides or to carry out daily chores by bike once they have small children. We don’t agree with this. Admittedly you can cycle with a toddler in a bike trailer or in a children’s bike seat but at around 3 years of age it all starts to get a bit boring with just sitting still. We recommend you purchase a good quality training bike for your child at around 2 years of age to increase mobility and to get your child interested in the sport. And then when your child is around 3 years of age you should purchase an up-to-date bike trailer: The child can pedal (and when you are the cyclist believe me you notice the difference!) and if it still can’t that doesn’t matter either. For steep terrain or for faster cycling there is a change of gears: Active combined pedalling is possible up to approx 28 km/h (there is nothing more frustrating for a child than to pedal in vain) and with steeper terrain you can easily change gear and it’s not too slow for the child to pedal. Initially children can only shift the chain down on the pinion gear but at 5 years old most children are able to move the gear shifter in both directions. Furthermore the trailer doesn’t have a brake and so it makes dangerous braking impossible (the so-called tandem pole-which pulls on a children’s bike from behind, in addition to its unstable construction, is exceptionally dangerous. Just imagine what could happen if you were speeding down hill or taking a left turn in the city centre when your child suddenly hits the brake with gusto…). Somewhat safer are trailer appliances where the child’s front wheel is attached tightly behind the adult’s wheel. However this is only safe so long as the children’s bike has no chance of loosening and when the rear calliper brakes can be removed. The pivotal point of this construction is much further back, beyond the back wheel of the lead bike, with resulting compromises in cycling comfort, turning radius etc. In regards to weight it is normally significantly heavier than a good trailer.
Trailer Tuning
A real handyman always finds things to improve upon.
Having said that I am no perfectionist; but I do place value on comfort… I made changes to the following: The saddle is a standard product and for long bike rides gets pretty uncomfortable for children’s bottoms, a woman’s racing bike saddle is significantly better (narrow and really comfy). I purchased a cheap used model on EBay for 7 Euros and built it on. In addition we added a luggage rack so that we can take stuff with us (as far as I know all models can now be purchased with luggage racks)… The screws/nuts are naturally not the very best going but they are not as cheap as they used to be. We have had to change some simply because of the visual effect of rust. For the start we also added shorter pedals because our son has such short legs. Furthermore I bought and built on a second-hand more precise gear switcher (Shimano 105) from EBay. These days all manual gear switchers are Shimano Revoshift, back then we had to add this on ourselves. For those with racing bikes where weight is of the essence, you are best off getting the Alu-Trainer and then fine tuning it to get it as racy as you need. You can do this by adding a Shimano 105 gear switcher, Schwalbe City-Marathon 32-406 (thin recumbent tyres), a light sport’s saddle (but please get a gel saddle- the child should have fun too), and by removing the mudguards. By doing this you end up with just over 7 kilos in weight and voila you have a racy little number…
Trailer Experiences
For trips out with the trailer it is important to keep your child in view so that you can see when he/she is no longer concentrating. Then it is time to stop and take a break!
With a 3 year old child we cycled for a maximum of 1 hour at a go and then we made sure we took a break. With our first multi-day tour (Sören was 3, 5 years old) we always got the tent built by mid-day and took a 1-2 hour siesta (myself included!) A year later with 2 year old Wiebke in tow in his children’s seat (we bought the second trailer as a luggage rack model) the afternoon siesta was no longer on the agenda as both kids simply wanted to play and sleep didn’t even come into the equation any more. Sören didn’t need the sleep any longer and Wiebke simply feel asleep after our midday stop in his children’s seat…I was even able to embark on some organized bike tours with Sören, for instance the Spreewald Marathon (70km) in 2006 for which I built the trailer on to my racing bike. With a speed of 20 km/h we were also in good time. Sören was always the youngest participant and got lots of strange looks…Sören also accompanied me on the Heidenauer Cycling Marathon (80km, 1200 metres in altitude, almost 20 km/hour) in 2006. Having said this we were originally registered for the 60km route but after 40 km at the second refreshment stop she refused to back down…). Once again it was a case of: youngest cyclist, perfect photo opportunity and lots of back patting…in 2007 Sören switched over to tandem (individual time trails, category tandem, first place with an average of 29.74 km/hour over 22 km's) and then in Autumn the Heidenauer Organised Bike Trip with tandum (Sören) and trailer (Wiebke) but this time we really only did make the 60 km route. We went to kindergarten almost every day with our trekking bike and trailer (2-5 km of cross country and woodland depending on the route taken). Sören always wanted to leave home earlier so that we could take longer routes to kindergarten because she loved her trailer so much. Sometimes we would leave 1 hour earlier than necessary and take a 15km detour to kindergarten…Now that Wiebke also goes to kindergarten we have bought a second trailer (yet another Fun Trailer FT6) that can be attached to the luggage rack so that a trailer and a children’s seat can be used. This combination is a little shaky for the cyclist. If you have a full load of luggage (such as on our 5 day tour along the Spree Cycle Route to Berlin) then you have to have lots of strength to support the vehicle. On two occasions we found ourselves gently toppling over into the sand (reaction from both children: “Cool, do it again Daddy!”). For journeys without luggage it is still pretty shaky, 2 children one in the children’s seat, one in the trailer, but it is never-the-less manageable. The disadvantage of the luggage rack is that the side rails are so thick that you can’t attach any normal bags and belongings. As a result I prefer to ride with the seat post model which also has better cycling attributes. What with 2 children and having tried both the tandem and seat post trailer, I know what a great experience it is for all involved. It is more complicated to cycle with two children rather than just the one (at that time our kids were 5 and 3 years old) and for our needs the tandem with a child crank and a trailer was the best solution.
IMPORTANT: Whether we are talking about a children’s seat or a trailer, helmets must be worn at all times! Even we grownups don’t cycle anywhere without our helmets on. On our trip to Copenhagen our energy bundle Wiebke (3, 5 years old) sat on the trailer which Marie had attached to her ladies’ bike. Even that survived the 900 kilometres. Admittedly Wiebke won’t sit still for 5 minutes and uses his trailer as a tool for acrobatics. Aside from handstands he has carried out nearly every routine on his bike J Thank God we don’t see everything that goes on behind us…until now there have been no mishaps-let’s hope it stays that way.
What do you need to be aware of when it comes to purchasing a trailer? The most important thing is the connector on the front wheel. As far as I am aware Funtrailer is the only make that has a respectable and safe solution (it calls to mind the Adams call-back as well as diverse copies á la Tchibo and ZEG that were recalled due to life endangering constructional defects). What is important is that the wheel can adapt, that the steering bar is not welded to the connecting bar but is adjustable. Gears are super if you travel across steep terrain or want to travel at speed (racing bikes) enabling the child to pedal when going uphill or cycling at increased speed. Of vital importance is that the child enjoys cycling and this is only possible with good equipment, without this he/she will quickly lose interest in cycling.
You ought to ask yourself the following questions:
1. What do I want to use the trailer for? Am I looking for something good, safe and of high quality with good resale value?
2. Will the trailer adapt? Are the steering bars and saddle adjustable? Funtrailers are suitable for children up to approx 140 cm in height.
3. Should the child have enjoyment out of it or is it just about finding a form of transportation? (Bike trailer 12 inches: children can pedal at just below 8 km/h, with the Funtrailer and its 6 gears: up to 28 km/h).