Secret Weapon
The tandem bike trailer is an uncommon piece of bicycling equipment that should be more common. If you ever see a family rolling by with one of these in the mix, that is a sign of a committed cycling family. Give them a smile and a wave because that crew is comfortable on the bike path and the streets.
Tandem bike trailers are great for the young cyclist who is comfortable on their pedal bike, but is not able to keep up with the group. The young rider can see what is happening around them, and can even contribute with their pedal power. The bicycle industry calls them names such as trail-a-bike, tag-alongs, pedal trailer and mountain train. Every family that wants to ride together should have one of these at some point. They pair well with the first pedal bike in that they help the young rider get used to pedaling, and they keep everyone closer together. And the young cyclist will see how riders behave on the trail and the street.
When my older twins were younger, we had a tandem trailer that fit two kids on it. It made us a bicycle built for three! We were quite the spectacle when we commuted to school on that contraption. It was an unwieldy beast that wore me out very quickly. I was thrilled and sad to see it go!
Before a family invests in one of these tandem trailers, the following points should be considered. First, the grown-up who is pedaling should be much larger than the passenger. Also, the adult should be an experienced rider who knows their bicycle well and is either very certain of their limits, or very capable. Of course, braking and accelerating are very different when these are attached to your bicycle. I have learned to call out, “Pedals!” when it is time to move out, otherwise the little one may not be ready to ride yet. The other rule we exercise is the “two hand rule”. That is- between the two of us, there has to be at least two hands on handlebars. I can ride with one hand only when I am pulling with my more stable commuter bike. When I’m pulling with my twitchy cyclo-cross bike, I use both hands!
Tandem trailers are often for sale at garage sales, on Craigslist and the like. I recommend buying these used, as they are rarely subject to the hard use like most kids’ bicycles are. However, make sure you don’t purchase a used tandem trailer that was subject to a recall. Tandem trailers made by Adams and Pacific Cycles were subject to a recall, and I have seen these recalled products for sale within the last year in used marketplaces.
My last tip would be to equip your trailer like you would your bicycle for a long ride. Add a bell to the handlebars. Put a bottle cage on. The little one will love passing out bottles to the group during the ride. The major advantage of the bell on our tandem trailer was I could keep both hands on the handlebars and the little one could ding!
Ideally, after a year or two of riding on the tandem trailer, your little one will know the rules of the road and have built-up some endurance so that when they are on their own bicycle in the group, they won’t be at the back!
