Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/18/84 exptools; site ihu1g.UUCP
Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!cbosgd!ihnp4!ihu1g!paulson
From: paulson@ihu1g.UUCP (Bill Paulson)
Newsgroups: net.kids,net.cycle
Subject: Re: Bike carrier for kids
Message-ID: <752@ihu1g.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 6-Jan-86 11:44:00 EST
Article-I.D.: ihu1g.752
Posted: Mon Jan  6 11:44:00 1986
Date-Received: Tue, 7-Jan-86 04:25:37 EST
References: <1315@ames.UUCP>
Distribution: net
Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories
Lines: 36
Xref: watmath net.kids:2423 net.cycle:1450

Bike trailers are a wonderful way to carry kids.  My wife and I borrowed
one last summer to tour for a week with our three year old daughter, and
bought one immediately after returning.  We'd biked with one of those
seats that mounts over the rear wheel and found it very unsatisfactory-
felt very unstable to the rider and passenger, had tendencies for the
mountings to come loose, didn't allow a rack, and couldn't be moved from
one bike to another easily.

There are two trailers that I have seen, one made by Cannondale and the
other made by Burley.  The Cannondale is about $250, the Burley about
$300.  My impression from looking at both is that the Burley has a
better hitch, and would be better for carrying luggage or groceries,
while the Cannondale has a more comfortable seat for children but is less
convenient for non-child loads.  Both have seatbelts for two children,
but I don't know how they would work for a child as young as three months.
You might have to mount a car seat in the trailer.

The Cannondale mounts on the seat post, direct underneath the saddle. 
On my wife's bike, I had to raise the seat slightly to allow enough seat
post for the mount to grab.  It's still a tight fit, and doesn't allow a
rack to be used.  The Burley mounts on the bike frame so should be
compatible with more bikes.

As for riding with the trailer, it's a little tougher than riding with
nothing, but not as bad as a strong headwind.  I found that I had to
gear down about 1-2 gears regularly, had to push harder to get going,
and couldn't coast up hills as far.  One desirable effect of all this
is that my speed drops into my wife's comfortable range, making a more
pleasant tour for all.  Our daughter enjoyed riding in the trailer,
though she did get bored after about 2 hours.  With an infant, you'd
probably need to stop quite often.
-- 

			Bill Paulson
			ihu1g!paulson
			IH 4J330 x6609