Help - double trailabike questions



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Tony R

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Hello, anyone any experience of one of these? Like this one www.twoplustwo.uk.com/tbikes/tandem
Specifically I'd like to know how suitable one would be for school-run use for one 3 yr. old and a 5
yr. old. Neither can ride a bike yet. Does the hitch system allow the adult to balance the whole
caboodle? If so I assume I wouldn't be able to throw the towing bike about as freely as I can now
using a trailer (sadly soon to be too small) which I find quite handy in the rush hour traffic. Also
is there ideally a minimum weight ratio between tower and towees ? - I'm about 70 kgs. whilst
they're about 30 kgs. (and rising). Are they manoeverable enough for use in busy traffic? Are they
durable enough for daily all-weather usage? I have terrible visions of misbehaving sprogs jumping
around causing balance problems up front or even falling off themselves. Are these the mad ravings
of an over protective parent or a realistic concern (given this 3 yr. old has little concept of
danger)? Are there alternative makes available? Finally, anyone know exactly how long one of these
is? Thanks for the help, tony R.
 
"tony R" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:[email protected]...

> anyone any experience of one of these? Like this one

No - we used a single trailer bike for some time, the seatpost hitch starts to become slack after a
while and the heavier the child the more of a problem that is. I would want to try the Pashley U+2
(two-wheel) trailer for comparison.

We ride a Thorn Me'n'U2 double childback triplet, which is fantastic and very syable, but our boys
are 7 and 9.

--
Guy
===

WARNING: may contain traces of irony. Contents may settle after posting.
http://www.chapmancentral.com
 
Just zis Guy, you know? wrote:
>"tony R" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:[email protected]...
>
>> anyone any experience of one of these? Like this one
>
>No - we used a single trailer bike for some time, the seatpost hitch starts to become slack after a
>while and the heavier the child the more of a problem that is.

Hitch designs vary. The Burley Piccolo attaches to a special fitting on a rear rack, not the
seatpost - but doesn't (AFAIK) have a tandem version.

> I would want to try the Pashley U+2 (two-wheel) trailer for comparison.

The two rear wheels do make it easier to hold upright while getting two children loaded. I think for
a single trailer the narrower width of a single wheel is better (we have a Cycle Design Tag-a-long),
but I'd be dubious about it for a tandem (but haven't actually tried a tandem single wheeled trailer
or a two wheeled single to compare), and my wife finds the two wheel tandem easier to manage than
the single wheel single.
 
"Just zis Guy, you know?" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> "tony R" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:[email protected]...
>
> > anyone any experience of one of these? Like this one
>
> No - we used a single trailer bike for some time, the seatpost hitch
starts
> to become slack after a while and the heavier the child the more of a problem that is.

This is a little offputting. I'd imagine this problem to be worse with the double set up then. I do
remember seeing somewhere that the hitch design changed in the late nineties for some reason. Might
this have been to try and reduce this problem? How old was your model?

I would want to try the Pashley U+2 (two-wheel) trailer
> for comparison.

I'll look for one.
>
> We ride a Thorn Me'n'U2 double childback triplet, which is fantastic and very syable, but our boys
> are 7 and 9.

I definitely have my eye on one of those for the future. Maybe 2 years or so when my kids are 7 and
5 would be reasonable. Any practical solutions for the next 2 years anybody? I don't want to give in
and clog up the road to the school with another unnecessary car. Thanks, tony R.
 
In article <[email protected]>, Alan Braggins wrote:
>> I would want to try the Pashley U+2 (two-wheel) trailer for comparison.
>
>The two rear wheels do make it easier to hold upright while getting two children loaded.

P.S. LBS told me recently that the U+2 was now out of production.
 
In message <[email protected]>, tony R <[email protected]> writes
>
>"Just zis Guy, you know?" <[email protected]> wrote in message
>news:[email protected]...
>>
>> We ride a Thorn Me'n'U2 double childback triplet, which is fantastic and very syable, but our
>> boys are 7 and 9.
>
>I definitely have my eye on one of those for the future. Maybe 2 years or so when my kids are 7 and
>5 would be reasonable. Any practical solutions for the next 2 years anybody? I don't want to give
>in and clog up the road to the school with another unnecessary car.

Could the 5 year old manage on the back of triplet? (I know people have taken kids of such an age on
the back of tandems with kiddicranks, usually with those 'siderails' for them to hold onto.

If so you could bring the older one along behind in the trailer, or put a kiddie seat on
the Triplet?
--
Chris French, Leeds
 
"Alan Braggins" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Just zis Guy, you know? wrote:
> >"tony R" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:[email protected]...
>
>
> > I would want to try the Pashley U+2 (two-wheel) trailer for comparison.
>
> The two rear wheels do make it easier to hold upright while getting two children loaded. I think
> for a single trailer the narrower width of a
single
> wheel is better (we have a Cycle Design Tag-a-long), but I'd be dubious
about
> it for a tandem (but haven't actually tried a tandem single wheeled
trailer
> or a two wheeled single to compare), and my wife finds the two wheel
tandem
> easier to manage than the single wheel single.

Thanks for that Alan. Do you still have a 2 wheel tandem? If so I don't suppose you could let me
know how wide the widest point is could you? One of the attractions of a single wheel would be the
ability to avoid a nasty stretch of road by using a bit of shared-use path, however access is
hampered by some well-placed bollards. The trailer is too wide so I suspect the Pashley would be
too. Thanks, tony R.
 
"chris French" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> In message <[email protected]>, tony R <[email protected]> writes
> >
> >"Just zis Guy, you know?" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> >news:[email protected]...
> >>
> >> We ride a Thorn Me'n'U2 double childback triplet, which is fantastic
and
> >> very syable, but our boys are 7 and 9.
> >
> >I definitely have my eye on one of those for the future. Maybe 2 years or
so
> >when my kids are 7 and 5 would be reasonable. Any practical solutions for the next 2 years
> >anybody? I don't want to give in and clog up the road to the school with another unnecessary car.
>
> Could the 5 year old manage on the back of triplet? (I know people have taken kids of such an age
> on the back of tandems with kiddicranks, usually with those 'siderails' for them to hold onto.
>
> If so you could bring the older one along behind in the trailer, or put a kiddie seat on the
> Triplet?

I think I muddied the waters there with my last post. Their ages now are 3 and 5 (barely). Too small
yet for a 2 kid triplet. As my wife doesn't cycle (with a capital D) a Thorn-type double kiddyback,
as modelled by Guy, is the only type of triplet I'm likely to need. Howabout a decent single
trail-a-bike (the Burley Piccolo seems highly rated) out back combined with one of those seats that
mount on the top tube in front of the adult? Sound feasible? tony R.
 
In article <[email protected]>, tony R wrote:
>"Alan Braggins" <[email protected]> wrote in message
>>
>> > I would want to try the Pashley U+2 (two-wheel) trailer for comparison.
>>
>> The two rear wheels do make it easier to hold upright while getting two children loaded. I think
>> for a single trailer the narrower width of a
>single
>> wheel is better (we have a Cycle Design Tag-a-long), but I'd be dubious
>about
>> it for a tandem (but haven't actually tried a tandem single wheeled
>trailer
>> or a two wheeled single to compare), and my wife finds the two wheel
>tandem
>> easier to manage than the single wheel single.
>
>Thanks for that Alan. Do you still have a 2 wheel tandem? If so I don't suppose you could let me
>know how wide the widest point is could you?

Definitely wide enough to be a nuisance on at least some bollarded paths, but I'll try and remember
to measure it tonight (I've been away for half term, so am now catching up on news.)
 
In article <[email protected]>, tony R wrote:
>Howabout a decent single trail-a-bike (the Burley Piccolo seems highly rated) out back combined
>with one of those seats that mount on the top tube in front of the adult? Sound feasible?

I've seen it done, so if you're happy with that sort of seat it's definitely possible.
 
In article <[email protected]>, Alan Braggins wrote:
>In article <[email protected]>, tony R wrote:
>>Thanks for that Alan. Do you still have a 2 wheel tandem? If so I don't suppose you could let me
>>know how wide the widest point is could you?
>
>Definitely wide enough to be a nuisance on at least some bollarded paths, but I'll try and remember
>to measure it tonight (I've been away for half term, so am now catching up on news.)

About 75cm (29 1/2 inches) edge of mudguard to edge of mudguard, and the outer ends of the hubs
are similar.
 
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