I chose this trailer because I have a very active two and a half year old little boy, and I was worried about the stabilty of one of those chairs that attach to the seat of your bike. I liked this trailer for its smaller size and that it is fairly light and seemed fairly sturdy, okay now here is how it did.
SET UP: was very easy, instructions where pretty clear, and most was commonsense. The only thing I had a little trouble with was loosening the bolt on the bike to attach the trailer, so if you have an older bike this part might require a little more muscle.
THE RIDE: I took the trailer on a 5 mile test drive today, the trail was paved, but very bumpy due to root growth breaking through the pavement, over wooden bridges, and up quite a few hills. The trailer did well over the bumps just don't take rough terrain fast. Turning the corners onto the bridges presented a challenge, I would have to dismount the bike and lift the back tire to slide the trailer enough to get it onto the bridge. If it where any larger I would not have been able to take it on the trail. Hills where impossible for me at this time, the slight inclines I could handle, but hills are tough on a bike to begin with, but add 40+ lbs and it becomes VERY hard, I have fairly strong legs but I had to walk the bike and trailer up the steep hills.
IMPORTANT NOTE: If you are doing any amount of hills your breaks on your bike will need to be replaced a lot sooner, it was hard to keep a decent pace with the trailer going down hill, and my brakes where screaming the whole way.
When you go up and down road curbs you have to take them SLOWLY, and when you kick off to start peddling use your right foot, the left will get caught under the hitch bar and you will end up with bruised heels and ankles and ruin your sneakers.
MAJOR CONS: I really don't like the way the front mesh is set up, the back tires kicks dirt up into the trailer and by the time we where done with our ride my son was covered with dirt, and I was on pavement the whole time. It does come with a clear rain cover but if you use that there are no vents and the inside gets way too hot.
Overall Im pleased with the cart, It does what i need it too. Also, on another review someone mentioned that you can't ajust the sag on the bottom, and you can- the straps are just under the "seat" you can tighten them up all the way and it creates more of a seat look instead of just a big dip. Though I am still trying to find out if it can recline, my sons head was bobbling everywhere once he fell asleep.
Also, I can't see two kids fitting and being comfortable for any length of time; unless your kids get along great and don't mind their shoulders touching.
I also can't see the material lasting long with regular use, it is a cheap plastic pretend canvas that looks a little flimsy, so long as it holds up it is a good deal, once mine gives out I will probably go for a better one, but this one is great for the price. InStep Take 2 Double BicycleTrailer
I bought this so I could take my 3 year old with me on bike rides. She loves it. I have used it non-stop since receiving it. It is well made. Love that it has room in the back for extra items. It has an orange flag so it can be seen. I've rode over miles of gravel roads and she said it was bumpy, but still enjoyed the ride. I am very happy with this purchase.
Ok first the good things about this trailer:
1. Price
2. Space for additional storage behind the seat which doesn't bother your kid(s)
3. Can fit two kids, but also has a "center" seat if it's only one kid
4. Easy to install on the bike
5. Light to carry
6. Good looking ( i love the blue color it comes in )
7. Anti-mosquitos and rain covers
The issues we see:
1. It has a soft bottom, so we're worried that he might hit something from the ground if we go over a rock or something. So we have to be really careful
2. It's wide, of course for two kids, which means its hard to go on small sidewalks.
3. It can get warm inside it, my baby was sweating today after a long ride, but we live in Miami so i guess its expected
The best thing is that it is lots of fun to go out with the little one with our bikes! totally worth it!
My husband and I had been planning a family bike trip on the east coast to see fall colors. But when we found out how much it would have cost to ship our Burley trailer to/from San Jose, CA to Hartford, CT, we opted to purchase this InStep Double Trailer strictly for the trip. We have two kids, 4 and 3 years old and our plan was to put them both in the trailer and our gear as well. We knew it might be tight, but we felt it was worth a try and, if necessary, we'd purchase something additionally. (This would still have been cheaper then shipping our equipment to/from San Jose.) The InStep box was waiting for us at the bike shop and putting the trailer together went quickly. The plastic wheels weren't very hardy, in my opinion, and we'd run into trouble if we pumped them up to more than the recommended 35lbs. The main problem was the lack of storage capacity in the back. We did end up having to rent additional equipment in order for us to fit our gear. That said, it would probably work fine for quick jaunts and around town trips. Two is snug, but doable. But I'm not sure if two passengers and groceries in the back could work, like it does with the Burley. - Cycling - Trailers - Child Bike Trailer - Bicycle Trailer'
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