Tag A Long Bikes Buying Guide

 

If you are wanting to both teach you family to ride, and not miss out on cycling yourself then the tag along bike is a great idea. It’s designed to be an extension of your own bike, it consists of a rear wheel frame and sometimes pedals. When it’s all connected on the rear bike tags along with your bike following where you go, and staying upright even when stationary. It provides a great fun way to learn to ride.

My being able to control the balance and speed of the bike you can keep control of the bike without fear of you passenger running away too fast. There are a number of companies making a Tag along bike and I will explore a few of these in this article, as well as pointing out a few buying tips.

This is a great way to introduce your child to cycling, you can teach road safety, bike control, and traffic awareness. Tag alongs are available for use in all terrains, from road to off road, so you can chose a model to meet your needs, whether it be for an environmentally friendly school run to a weekend ride round a local forest.

With the boom in children’s cycling there is an amazing amount of choice in the market, the two main companies are Wee Ride and Trail-a-bike, both offer well made durable and safe options for your first bike.

Why Buy a Tag along Bike?

Everyone knows how important exercise is with more families becoming sedentary, getting out and about is vital. By choosing to cycle to the shops or taking the family for a ride at weekends you can look and feel great. If you children are too young to ride on their own it can be difficult to ride with them, the advantage of these bikes is that your child can come with you. As they are equipped with pedals, and sometimes gears, they are not just being pulled along; they can contribute to the ride by pedalling themselves.

If you are looking for a bicycle that can involve the entire family, than this is the tag along bike for you. From the ability to teach new bike riders the basics on being safe and understanding mechanics, to being able to go for longer or more strength enduring bike rides, there are many uses that this not as common bicycle can give. Because of the reputable companies that offer this bicycle, it can be both an affordable and reliable investment into your family’s future exercise requirements. There is no wrong way to look at this two-person bicycle to give countless bike riding experiences!

Features of Tag Along Bikes

Child Age: You should select the appropriate bike to your child’s age and size, typically they are available in ages 4-9, and if you child is younger you should consider a trailer bike.

Number of children: Yes you can find tag alongs that accommodates two children, in tandem.

Gears: Some bikes have the option of gears; this option does add cost and more mechanical complexity, if you live in a flat area you may want to consider just a simpler singe speed option.
Storage: The link arm can be quite long, ideally you should find a bike where this can be folded out of the way.

Safety Pennant Flag: This should be included with your bike, if not you should consider budgeting for one in addition to any purchase.

Mud Guards: If you own bike is not equipped with mudguards, you should consider adding these. The last thing you want is to spray your passenger when you ride through a puddle.

Are Tag ALong Bikes Safe?

AS with all cycling you should take the usual precautions, both riders should wear high viability clothing and helmets. Bikes should be equipped with lights, reflectors, and in the case of the tag along it is useful to fit a pennant flag. The reason for the flag is to ensure that the trailer is visible, drivers might not be expecting the extra passenger, but the pennant will make the trailer highly visible.

When it comes to riding, you need to be conscious of the additional weight, so cornering will be slower, as the bike will not lean over, and stopping/starting the bike will take longer. Care needs to be taken on hills, not to let speed exceed 15mph.

The lead bike should ideally be a strong robust bike such as a mountain bike, the trailer bike will add additional strain and they are not really appropriate for racing bikes.

Summary:

Tag a long bikes are a great way for getting out and about with your family, if you already own a bike you should take a look at these. If you explore this page you can find some great brands at good prices available on line.

If you are looking for a tag along trailer try this:  Thebiketoolbox Tag along trailer review