BIKEPGH MESSAGE BOARD ARCHIVE

You might want to check out this thread http://bike-pgh.org/bbpress/topic/tips-for-biking-with-a-1-year-old#post-43098

and if you search the forums for "trailer" there are a few other shorter threads.

I believe the recommendation for trailers in general is for the child to be 1 year old before they can ride.

I've got an encore that I've been very happy with and is still going strong after 10 years.

I think you'll be very happy with a Burley purchase , but don't think you HAVE TO HAVE a Burley. Consider how much you think you're actually going to be using it and where you are going to be riding it. Will you eventually be hauling a 3 and a 5 year old? Look for the same kind of things you'd consider for a car seat or a bike for yourself and avoid department store models. I would start at REI if I were going to look for new one again, and lean toward the brands they sell, including Burley, looking for a used one.

Golden Triangle bike rentals is selling a trailer, though I'm not sure of the brand.

You may be able to find older Burleys online (eBay, for instance), as long as you don't need the trailer to double as a jogger stroller (older models didn't convert). I found an older Deelite for around $150, and it was a very nice trailer (we just sold it for basically what we paid for it). The construction and materials are solid, and the bike attachment mechanism was a snap.

I've heard the Chariot models that REI sells are quite nice (a friend toured Europe with one), but those are harder to find on the cheap.

I agree with bd: the cheaper brands seem like a good deal, but from what I've heard, they all their little annoyances that could end up bugging you enough to not use the trailer.

So I looked in to it some more and I believe that the Burley was recommened because of its durability along with the fact that you can buy the Burley Snuggler which acts as a carseat for children from 3-12 months old. This is key. I've been dying to get outside and enjoy the summer but its been really tough when you have an infant. The fall will be perfect weather for lugging around the extra weight behind me. I guess I'll check out REI and some other bike shops this weekend. Thanks for the input everyone.