Recreational & Family - Trail A Bikes

The DH and I are looking into getting a trail a bike
for the two smaller ones in the family. Our 6 yo son
is a peanut, still in a size 4 slim pants. He wants
to go riding with us and we want to take him and his older
sister with us.

We looked at a TREK, and Adams and another non big name
tag a long bike. The trek is more than we need and at $220
is a bit more than we want to spend. The Adams is a good
size and price at $130 and the non big name is also
$130. I like the hitch on the Adams, and they are readily
available new. CL has several but by the time I call
on them they are gone.

My real question is one of pedaling. The parent bike will
be going fast enough that the trailing bike won't be able to
keep up pedaling. Single speed, small wheel.
Do the kids really pedal or is the whole bike just a way
for the small ones to tag a long?
If it's just a tag a long, why does it have pedals and a chain?
Why not just pegs and a free wheel?

Thanks!
Your experiences with kiddos and TaBs would be good, too.
Ginny in Denver

The tag alongs are not as efficient as child stoker kit on a tandem. They do add some input but not much. However, that said, the point of the stoker kits and the TaB's is to get the kid somewhat involved in the activity. It is a nice segue between trailer/training wheels and two wheeled riding. The kids are not quite strong enough to go on longer challenging rides on their own, but too big and mature to sit unoccupied for too long (generally speaking).

There are some geared models out there. I know the old Burley's had that option, I am not sure about Adams, Trek, etc. It is nice if they have gears but not necessary. Regardless of wether they have good gearing or not they will pretty much pedal on their own time. When you need it most going up hills is about the only time I ask for power. Other than that I leave it up to them. They generally pedal at some rate.

I'd recommend spending the time and effort to get the Burley. We had an older freebie Kent, that we ended up donating to "Bikes For the World" I just could not get it to work reliably. The Burley is really a nice hitch and nicely made machine. Unfortunately they are no longer made and you will have to go on the used market for them. It was worth the time and effort for us. I think others have said the Adams is the best offering out there currently.

The kids love the TaB. When I have it hooked up, I get arguments over who gets to ride the small bike even if the stoker position is open.

Is there any problem with attaching a tag-a-long bike to a carbon seatpost? or a road bike in general?

My TaB is on the back of my Specialized Sirrus. It is not actually attached to the seatpost, but rather the little bit of frame (1/2"?) that encloses the seat post. No problems at all. Yes, they are inefficient - whenever we go over, say, 18 mph the kid is useless back there, but he's fine with that. He free wheels anyway, so he can pedal when he wants. It would of course be better to have an adjustable gear for him back there, but that's why I'm now looking at a tandem - so his pedaling is always useful and at an appropriate cadence.

Nika

Well we bought the TAB that we found on CL.
It's a larger model, the Starter and has the 20 inch
wheel. The bike was bought used, but there wasn't even
dirt on the tire!! The previous owner says his boys
were too frightened to use it.

I took it home, we hooked it to the DHs cross bike
and all the neighborhood kids came out to get rides.
My kids, 6 and 7, took to it like fish to water.
My younger son who has no fear just giggled for
an hour. The 7 yo daughter surprised us and also
wasn't too afraid to get on. By the third ride,
both had really gotten a feel for how to keep from
being wiggly and to pedal to give help.

They all experienced being the only one to pedal
and feel how heavy it was to push two people and
two bikes. They all did very well.

Now to find a second one!
With two, the whole family (mom, dad and 4 kids)
can all go riding together.

Thanks for the info!
Ginny in Denver