Options For Kids Who Don't Yet Ride Independently

I've received several inquiries about cycling with kids before they are ready for long rides, but are either too big or too energetic for trailers or box bikes.  We settled on the Follow Me tandem trailer. It allows kids to ride independently for part of the ride, then hook up to an adult's bike when they get tired or need help. We have also found that it can help kids get the feel of riding without training wheels, even if they aren't riding independently yet. It costs a lot to ship it from the UK, but we thought the benefits were worth the extra cost.

Other options we considered were the Trail-Gator and the Weehoo trailer. The Weehoo was eliminated because it MUST be used as a trailer. We are trying to minimize the amount of gear we buy, and we had already invested in an Islabike (more on this decision in another post) for our 5YO. The versatility of using the child's bike with or without the trailer attachment was very attractive, in addition to being convenient and space-saving. In fact, I frequently leave the Follow Me on my bike even when I don't have any kids with me.

The Trail-Gator is more affordable and available at Target, but we were concerned about reviews that said the child's bike tended to lean to one side or the other. It also is incompatible with one of our racks. As you can see, we need our racks:

We have friends who have a Weehoo and love it. One advantage is that your kid's rear will not get sore from a bike seat, so it might be better if you like to take REALLY long rides.

Using a tandem trailer takes a bit of practice. We taught our 5YO not to brake at all, ever, when attached to the adult bike. Then, we implemented a "red light, green light" method to let him know when to pedal harder and when he could put his feet down at a stop. It also helps to say, "Ready, set, green light!" when waiting at a stoplight so he has time to get his feet back on the pedals before we have to go.

One potential drawback is that neither the Trail-Gator nor the Follow Me are compatible with training wheels. So, if your kid is using training wheels, you'll have to remove them or re-orient them each time you use the attachment, then reset when done. That said, as I mentioned above, we found that the Follow Me was helpful in getting our child used to the feeling of riding without training wheels, even though he hasn't yet learned to cycle independently without them. The Trail-Gator website now offers flip-up training wheels for about $24. Please comment if you have used this product and would like to offer a review!

The Follow Me is Swiss design, and it shows. It is intimidatingly technical at first, but once you figure out where all the pins go and what the knobs do, it is easier than it looks. It caused some wear and tear on the rack we use with it (it started to pull off the rear light), but a bit of bike chain around the rack itself offered the needed support and prevented further damage.