What is a Funtrailer?
A Funtrailer (also referred to as a "trailer" or "trailer bike") is a children’s bike that can only be used in combination with an adult’s bike (minimum 26 inches). The child can pedal along, but this isn’t compulsory. Bike "3" travels along faithfully behind the adult’s bike and is synchronously joined by a connector to the saddle post or to a special luggage rack.
The attachment connector is of premium quality so that it can withstand immense force and yet it is also very easy to operate. Funtrailer can be attached to or removed from the relevant parent bike within a minute. Funtrailer is suitable for children between 3 and 8 years of age. The trailer simply “grows” with your child. The saddle posts as well as the steering bars are adjustable and other lengths of foot pedals can also be assembled optionally. To assist your child when pedalling, (depending on terrain type) most Funtrailers have 3 to 6 gears. This enables the child to cycle along with speeds up to 28 km/h without having to be “immobilised.”
How does the Funtrailer cope on roads?
The Fun Trailer bicycle trailer is the best available option for the period where children are too big and too active for normal bicycle trailers (this is normally the case at approx 3 years of age), and yet are still too young to be let loose in traffic on their own bike or to keep pace on longer bike rides.
Many children can already cycle at 4 years of age but they are not allowed to cycle alone on roads until 10 years of age. Children often don’t have the stamina to keep up on longer bike rides and they are often not aware of road safety rules. Grown up’s can’t always dither along at 6-8 km/h whether this be due to time pressure or to other reasons. They also want to be able to enjoy the scenery when out cycling and they don’t always want to be continually watching out and telling the child what to do.
The Funtrailer is therefore perfect for children of around 3 to approx 8 years of age. The child sits safely behind you and can pedal along with you, but this isn’t compulsory. The child learns about road safety and how to pedal and provides the grown-up’s with constant entertainment whether this be songs, stories, comments or questions! The independent luggage rack on the front wheel also enables the transport of belonging on longer bike rides. The entire weight of the trailer at 8 to 10 kilos is very light. Depending on terrain type Funtrailers have 3 to 6 gears to maximise the active combined pedalling effect. The child can then comfortably pedal along up to around 28 km/h without being “immobilised.” Children’s bikes tend not to have gears and other connector systems that are pulled behind the adult’s bike often only offer an active combined pedalling effect of 12 km/h.
Funtrailer Technical Specifications
The Fun Trailer made by Fun Kids Jürgen Fischer is a high quality bicycle trailer that has been produced for the last 14 years and which is permanently being updated. With over 17,000 rolled out models, there has not once been an issue with a broken connector, which has been the case with cheaper copies (reference to Stiftung Warentest /German Testing Foundation).
10 Years Synchronic Guarantee
In general the following applies: Whether trailer or pole, the more flexibility a connector demonstrates, the more crooked the child will be positioned behind the adult’s bike. At the moment where it moves in the opposite direction, intense pressure ensues that inevitably forces the adult to straighten up his steering bar. This occurs without warning and presents a potential safety issue! Many models on the market, (in brand-new condition or after minimal usage), display irresponsibility on the manufacturers’ part.
The Fun Trailer connector will keep you safely on track with its 10 year synchronic guarantee! And what’s more it also has excellent resale value!
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Comparison of a Funtrailer with the tandem pole + children’s bike model: "Active Range" is the velocity vector (km/h) in which a child can actively help with a pedalling frequency of 60 to 90 revolutions per minute, beyond this efforts are in vain. Weight is personal weight plus a possible pole weight of approx 3 kilos. |
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Further Advantages of the Fun Trailer |
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| The adjustable steering bar means it is suitable for children from 100 to 140 cm’s in height | Enough room for luggage rack and a rear light |
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If a children’s bike is towed along instead of the Funtrailer, then the following factors should be taken into consideration:
As nearly all children’s bikes up to a 20" wheel size possess a back pedal brake, the child (who is likely to be naïve to road safety) is able to brake which could lead to an accident.
Compare the performance of the Fun Trailer connector with that of the poles on the market and see for yourself! Furthermore the length of the pole means that leverage and torsion is markedly more pronounced than with the Fun Trailer. A Dutch test on tandem poles (www.fietsersbond.nl / De vraakbaak) declared the following:
“Although it says on the packaging that the pole is suitable for children up to 32 kilos in weight, practice shows that with a child of 30 kilos the child’s bike is permanently crooked, making it impossible for the adult to cycle properly!” And also the „Stiftung Warentest " also includes a current test report on a trailer pole.
Take a look at the following short film clips:
| Ausweichmanöver | Rangierfahrt |
Fun Trailer is specifically manufactured for children that can ride a 12" - 16" children’s bike- and these nearly always have no gears! The difference between the gear transmission ratio of the child’s bike and that of the adult bike is so vast that the child at the end of the pole cannot but be “immobilised!” This is not only frustrating and disheartening for the child but also for the parents who then have to struggle to motivate a spiritless child. Funtrailer enables families with small children to get mobile, or rather to stay mobile, and in such a manner that makes it fun for all involved.