Recreational & Family - Child Trailer Information Overload !!!

Hi All,

I am finally ready to buy a child trailer and I have been doing alot of homework but I find that there are so many brands, info & opinions and the various trailers that you can be overwhelmed into inaction for fear of making the wrong decision. :(
First I was looking at the trailers from Nashbar because they were so reasonably priced. Late last fall you could have bought their trailer for $89. Now the price is $99 which is still extremely cheap.
Then of course I began to read about the Burleys and all their glowing reviews and I couldn't help but feel that all that extra cost must be buying something superior to the Nashbar trailer. It couldn't all be marketing & hype....?? But I cannot see myself spending over $400 on a trailer period !!
So I have narrowed my search down to primarily 2 trailers:

The Wike Premium Single for $319
http://www.wicycle.com/bst.htm

It has 20" wheels which I like but padded shoulder strap and a helmet relief cushion will add an additional $35 to the price but it comes with 2 skewer hitches

The Burley Solo, also for $319
http://www.burley.com/products/trailers/default4519.html?p=Solo&i=3
It comes with the extras that I'd have to buy with the Wike but it also only comes with 16" wheels...I think the 20" wheels would probably give a smoother ride no ?
Also, if I wanted to get the skewer hitch that would be extra.

I should also let you know that I will be pulling the trailer with a Gary Fisher Hoo Koo E Koo mtb with 100psi slicks.
My daughter is approx. 17 months old.


Your thoughts on this ??

Thanks,

Joe
Oxford, CT. USA.

If you plan on having more kids in the next 2-3 years, look at getting the double trailer now. Your daughter can ride in the trailer consistently to roughly 5. After that they start to get too big and/or are able and willing to ride (i.e. the trailer is not as much of a necessity for family rides). They can still reasonably ride in the trailer until ~8 but the frequency should go down as they get older. Of course this is a generalization. The end idea is that if you are going to have more kids, get a double trailer now. You will not notice the expense over the next 7 years (assuming you have another child). We are on year 5 trailers and will be in them for another 5-6 years. Do I notice that $450 I spent, not one bit. Am I glad I did, you bet.

Another option is to go the used route. There are plenty of Burleys about. They do not discount as much as I think they should but they are cheaper.

Get the one that you think your daughter will be most comfortable in. The two of them likely roll about the same. They both have decent hitches. Transportability may be an issue for you (how small and how quick does it collapse). Enjoy whichever one you get.

Thanks Masiman,

My daughter who will be using the trailer is our youngest (and last !! ;) )
I'm reading some more and it seems that the alternative hitch with the Burley will be a necessity as many people have written many bad things about the standard hitch.....But all in all it's still only $5 more than having to buy the helmet relief cushion and padded shoulder straps with the Wike.....
As of right now I'm leaning towards the Solo.

Your thoughts on 16" versus 20" wheels ???

J.

Joe,

We have a D'lite and you might want to consider it simply for resale. I has 20" wheels and works as well with one kid as two. We have the stroller kit and use it as a stroller as much as a trailer. Hard to beat the Burley for quality, folds nicely and the dual cover makes it easy to have it open, screen, or full coverage for rain. We have both hitches and there is nothing wrong with the standard hitch, we used it for years until buying an new expensive road bike. The regular hitch can wear the paint off, so we bought a axle hitch to avoid that. The axle hitch is nice and clean design, but depending on what you pull it with you may or may not need/want it. You might also look for a used Burley, they have good resale, I think we are going to sell ours next year, after 2 kids and about 7 years of use. We used it a bunch, but I bet we will still get close to half the price of a new one. Ours works great, but does show use. Also I'll sell the alternative hitch seperately as I can get almost the full price of a new one by selling on ebay.

John

Here it is hooked up to my wife's bike, but usually we tow it with the tandem.



John