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I have been taking my other half’s 6 year old out cycling with me. She’s only just recently managed to be cycling on her own and she isn’t managing to go very far. I’ve looked at trail gator option of attaching her bike to mine so we can go further when she needs help. She’s about 56 pounds in weight and the trail gator is rated up to 70 pounds.
Is there any other product that would give me the same thing that is rated higher?
How about a Tow Whee? https://singletrackmag.com/shop/towwhee/
Also, this may help you have more fun/keep the stoke high: https://singletrackmag.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/top-tips-to-avoid-family-cycling-woe-help-kids-like-cycling/
Yup, tow ropes are the direction I'm about to head in too. Although currently undecided between the likes of a Towhee and something retractable like a Kommit
Tried a trail gator and it was horrible. It's the nuclear option I know, but the Thorn Kiddyback tandem I bought is the best money I've spent on a bike ever.
Seriously, get one of these
https://www.followmetandem.co.uk/
They keep their value well (check ebay). Then move up to a tow rope just for the hills when she is a bit stronger.
I found their XL QR will go through the middle of my thru axle, so no need to buy their expensive thru axle.
Trailgator is junk.
I think I would go the followme as well. I've seen both that and trailgator out and about and the followme just looks more robust and better attached. With the trailgator if they aren't well adjusted it seems like the bike flops around.
If she’s competent at steering and braking then the TowWhee or similar are great. Been using it with my almost 6 year old for quite a while and for his big sister before. Used a TrailGator with the eldest but if you’re only needing to assist uphill then the elasticated tow ropes are far better.
Is there any other product that would give me the same thing that is rated higher?
A 6m long piece of thin rope.
This one's been done a lot recently. I guess you'll find the threads with all the pros and cons by searching for Towwhee or however TF it is spelled.
Yeah, I've been having great fun with just a rope. There's no way would my 5 year old want to be fixed to me on the downhills, so that's the FollowMe or TrailGator out. I guess if you're going to do a family touring/picnic day out for miles somewhere flat then a FollowMe would be a good option.
I have one of those Peruzzo trail angel things, Halford do them for £70. They work pretty well although need to be set up properly. It's solid if you're looking for a budget option.
I've kind of moved away from it last 6 months though. I can push my daughter along OK riding 1 handed and seems to work quite well. I can give her a boost up hill when she asks for it which gives her more control / independence which she likes.
I try and make each ride as fun as I can, so riding somewhere she wants to go. Lots of stops and bribes. For some kids at 6 a mile or 2 might be plenty, others might do more. It can be 2 steps forward and 1 back a lot of the time. Main thing is to have fun.
Another vote for the FollowMe Tandem - it works really well keeping the towed bike upright and is very quick to attach/detach. Its pricey but should have excellent resale value. Have used both on 130mm and 135mm QR mounts, I think thru-axle kits are available.
We had a Trailgator that was given to us for free - speaking as an engineer it is an awful design, weight applied to the bike works against every mounting point, with the usual result that the bike ends tipped 10 degrees to the side, and chunks of paint taken out of the mounting points from how tight it needs to be done up. Our son refused to use as he was scared of the tendency to lean. Usually ended up putting him in bike seat and just using it to tow the bike on its own...
one of the parents at nursary uses one of those followmetandem things - looks like a seriously capable bit of kit but $$$$
have never liked the trail gators for the amount of issues they always gave me when ever parents insisted i sell them one.
It’s a bit horses for courses but if you’re not going full gnar then the Follow-Me works really well. If you buy secondhand, look after it (beware that there’s not enough stainless steel in it…) and sell when you’re done the cost of ownership is minimal. Ours served two kids over about 6 years for a net cost of about £40 or something, largely because I sold it to a mate for a bit less than I’d have got elsewhere.
A particular bonus of the Follow Me is that the pivot point is behind the rear wheel, so with care I could weave it through the shitty barriers on our local cycle path, which is not possible with a trail gator, a rope, a trailer etc.
Ropes are ok to a point but my daughter hit the deck twice on gravelled forest roads with a rope; I stopped using it after the second time. Cheap to buy and easy to stash, so they’re a good way to get a confident little off-road rider to the top of the fun stuff, but not good IME for kids who are just in it for the casual stuff.
Thanks everyone. Looks like the Follow-Me is the way to go.
if you’re not going full gnar then the Follow-Me works really well
it was ok for trail centres 😋
Had one issue with the Trailgator - tightened it up, was fine. HAd some lovely rides with it, didn't know there was a weight limit.
£50 for something you could use an innertube (or 3) for is pretty bizarre!
Plus one for the FollowMe. It’s spenny but was actually what got my son cycling.
Adds a lot of weight etc but feels solid. And I’ve taken him round Bedgebury on it too
Think my folks might be sitting on a follow me in their shed. We passed it on to them for my nephews to use but they will have outgrown it by now.
Pm me if of interest and I'll see speak to them at the weekend.