Bike Trailers: Burley or Chariot, Solo or Double

[Michelle]

Opinions about bike trailers please! We have a 15 month old daughter and would like to do some local biking (road and trail). We are currently debating between the Burley and Chariot lines, but are open to suggestions if others are recommended. Also, should we go for a solo or double trailer? Although we have only one child now, should we spend a little more to accommodate a second child (hopefully!) in the future?

What features are important? What should we look for?

Thanks!

Michelle

[KathyO]

I should be honest up front - I do not actually OWN a trailer yet... I did a pile of research and ultimately decided on a bike seat for child #1, and with child #2 on the way, I have settled on the Chariot Cougar, and am just waiting for a sale discount to make my grab! Just thought I'd make my biases plain up front!

Burley and Chariot are both really well-made, well-respected trailers. You can't go too far wrong with either one of them, and both have great resale value, and lots of fans among their respective users. For me, the deal-maker/breaker lay in the conversion to stroller/jogger. Burley does this by sticking a little wheel out on the end of the trailer arm, and I hate that. Harder to fit through narrow corners, and really good at tripping/injuring people in a crowd. Chariot's trailer arm detaches and stows, and you can put on either a large jogger wheel, or two smaller swivel wheels for incredible maneuverability. Both brands will do the conversion in a matter of seconds.

If you like to jog/speedwalk, or want to use the stroller feature for inclement weather, Chariot's X-Country line offers a few features that make the trailer more dual-function - most helpfully, the back is slanted slightly, not flat, to allow for more "kick space" for the person pushing. My husband and I are both tall, so this is important. This slant also creates a slight recline for the riders, as opposed to the more upright position in most trailers.

The question of solo versus double really comes down to whether you are likely to have a second child within 2 or 3 years of the first. Or, if you want to be able to take your child and a buddy in the trailer. In that case, you'll get some decent use out of the double feature. If not, then you might still choose to go double for the extra cargo room (toys, diaper bag, beach towels, picnic lunch, whatever), but a single would do fine too.

Hope that helps!

Cheers,

KathyO