Go Back  Bike Forums > Bike Forums > General Cycling Discussion
Reload this Page >

best way for my dinky granddaughter to ride with us?

Notices
General Cycling Discussion Have a cycling related question or comment that doesn't fit in one of the other specialty forums? Drop on in and post in here! When possible, please select the forum above that most fits your post!

best way for my dinky granddaughter to ride with us?

Old 08-20-21, 06:10 PM
  #1  
fooferdoggie 
Senior Member
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Jan 2020
Posts: 2,343
Mentioned: 2 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 680 Post(s)
Liked 946 Times in 553 Posts
best way for my dinky granddaughter to ride with us?

right now we drag her around in a burly trailer on our tandem. but she is not even 4 and can ride the smallest bike trek sells. she is not even 30 pounds yet. her bike has 12" wheels that she rides like a champ.
thought about this guy with a donor bike but there is not enough seat post above our back rack.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...1GJZM3EQ&psc=1
or this guy Burt its getting expensive.
https://www.amazon.com/FollowMe-Tand...0GGGFVPGWB35H9
fooferdoggie is offline  
Old 08-20-21, 06:17 PM
  #2  
unterhausen
Randomhead
 
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Happy Valley, Pennsylvania
Posts: 24,364
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 4 Post(s)
Liked 3,664 Times in 2,497 Posts
most of the tag along bikes/bike attachments for kids seem to attach to the seatpost. But some attach to a rack.

I belong to a FB buy nothing group and people give these away fairly often. Although it might not be easy to find a rack mount one

It would help if you posted a picture of the bike.
unterhausen is offline  
Old 08-20-21, 06:19 PM
  #3  
cyccommute 
Mad bike riding scientist
 
cyccommute's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Denver, CO
Posts: 27,274

Bikes: Some silver ones, a red one, a black and orange one, and a few titanium ones

Mentioned: 150 Post(s)
Tagged: 1 Thread(s)
Quoted: 6147 Post(s)
Liked 4,093 Times in 2,325 Posts
Originally Posted by fooferdoggie
right now we drag her around in a burly trailer on our tandem. but she is not even 4 and can ride the smallest bike trek sells. she is not even 30 pounds yet. her bike has 12" wheels that she rides like a champ.
thought about this guy with a donor bike but there is not enough seat post above our back rack.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...1GJZM3EQ&psc=1
or this guy Burt its getting expensive.
https://www.amazon.com/FollowMe-Tand...0GGGFVPGWB35H9
Kid crank on the tandem.




My kids both rode tandems when they were less than 4 (by a month). Both rode this tandem and a Burley Samba 25 to 30 years ago. This tandem is current for sale.
__________________
Stuart Black
Plan Epsilon Around Lake Michigan in the era of Covid
Old School…When It Wasn’t Ancient bikepacking
Gold Fever Three days of dirt in Colorado
Pokin' around the Poconos A cold ride around Lake Erie
Dinosaurs in Colorado A mountain bike guide to the Purgatory Canyon dinosaur trackway
Solo Without Pie. The search for pie in the Midwest.
Picking the Scablands. Washington and Oregon, 2005. Pie and spiders on the Columbia River!



cyccommute is offline  
Likes For cyccommute:
Old 08-20-21, 06:27 PM
  #4  
fooferdoggie 
Senior Member
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Jan 2020
Posts: 2,343
Mentioned: 2 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 680 Post(s)
Liked 946 Times in 553 Posts
where would I put my wife ? that would be way too big for her.

fooferdoggie is offline  
Likes For fooferdoggie:
Old 08-20-21, 06:36 PM
  #5  
fooferdoggie 
Senior Member
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Jan 2020
Posts: 2,343
Mentioned: 2 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 680 Post(s)
Liked 946 Times in 553 Posts
here is the tandem.

fooferdoggie is offline  
Likes For fooferdoggie:
Old 08-20-21, 09:11 PM
  #6  
Ironfish653
Dirty Heathen
 
Ironfish653's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: MC-778, 6250 fsw
Posts: 2,188

Bikes: 1997 Cannondale, 1976 Bridgestone, 1998 SoftRide, 1989 Klein, 1989 Black Lightning #0033

Mentioned: 19 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 889 Post(s)
Liked 906 Times in 534 Posts
Holy Bolt-ons, Batman! There's a lot of stuff attached to that bike!

IIRC, the rack-mounted tag-a-long might have been from Blackburn, or Topeak, but it did require using their specific rack.
If having a rear rack, and the tag-a-long at the same time is important, you could always mount the rack on the tag-a-long, like I did here:

Ironfish653 is offline  
Likes For Ironfish653:
Old 08-20-21, 09:17 PM
  #7  
fooferdoggie 
Senior Member
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Jan 2020
Posts: 2,343
Mentioned: 2 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 680 Post(s)
Liked 946 Times in 553 Posts
I would've to work it out. I cant use a tag along all in one has she is way too small. we use the rack every day os it cant go. I could make some kind of adaptor to do it.
fooferdoggie is offline  
Old 08-20-21, 09:57 PM
  #8  
cyccommute 
Mad bike riding scientist
 
cyccommute's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Denver, CO
Posts: 27,274

Bikes: Some silver ones, a red one, a black and orange one, and a few titanium ones

Mentioned: 150 Post(s)
Tagged: 1 Thread(s)
Quoted: 6147 Post(s)
Liked 4,093 Times in 2,325 Posts
Originally Posted by fooferdoggie
where would I put my wife ? that would be way too big for her.
She captains the tandem and you ride your own bike. You could ride the little one if you want.
__________________
Stuart Black
Plan Epsilon Around Lake Michigan in the era of Covid
Old School…When It Wasn’t Ancient bikepacking
Gold Fever Three days of dirt in Colorado
Pokin' around the Poconos A cold ride around Lake Erie
Dinosaurs in Colorado A mountain bike guide to the Purgatory Canyon dinosaur trackway
Solo Without Pie. The search for pie in the Midwest.
Picking the Scablands. Washington and Oregon, 2005. Pie and spiders on the Columbia River!



cyccommute is offline  
Old 08-20-21, 10:09 PM
  #9  
cyccommute 
Mad bike riding scientist
 
cyccommute's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Denver, CO
Posts: 27,274

Bikes: Some silver ones, a red one, a black and orange one, and a few titanium ones

Mentioned: 150 Post(s)
Tagged: 1 Thread(s)
Quoted: 6147 Post(s)
Liked 4,093 Times in 2,325 Posts
I have never been a big fan of trailer bikes and I’m less so after seeing a little girl fall off one when her mom turned a corner and she didn’t. A better (and safer) alternative is the Weehoo. Not as cheap as cheap trailer bikes but certainly better. I found one for cheap at a local swap meet for friends of mine. It’s easily adjustable for any size child.
__________________
Stuart Black
Plan Epsilon Around Lake Michigan in the era of Covid
Old School…When It Wasn’t Ancient bikepacking
Gold Fever Three days of dirt in Colorado
Pokin' around the Poconos A cold ride around Lake Erie
Dinosaurs in Colorado A mountain bike guide to the Purgatory Canyon dinosaur trackway
Solo Without Pie. The search for pie in the Midwest.
Picking the Scablands. Washington and Oregon, 2005. Pie and spiders on the Columbia River!



cyccommute is offline  
Likes For cyccommute:
Old 08-20-21, 10:11 PM
  #10  
SurferRosa
señor miembro
 
SurferRosa's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2018
Location: Pac NW
Posts: 8,237

Bikes: '70s - '80s Campagnolo

Mentioned: 92 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 3846 Post(s)
Liked 6,437 Times in 3,183 Posts
Pocket bike?
SurferRosa is offline  
Old 08-20-21, 10:30 PM
  #11  
CliffordK
Senior Member
 
CliffordK's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: Eugene, Oregon, USA
Posts: 27,600
Mentioned: 217 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 18320 Post(s)
Liked 4,489 Times in 3,338 Posts
How close is your granddaughter? How much riding with you? Babysitting?

I like the idea of the trailer bike, especially the Weehoo for the young kids. You can have multiple tow bikes.

You can also go for a tandem. CoMotion Periscope?



Bike Friday Tandems are also very adjustable.But, that likely would be only for a very dedicated cycling family.

Keep in mind that the kids grow up VERY FAST. So, you could spend a ton of money on a bike that is only used for a couple of years (or... at worst, only used a few days).
CliffordK is offline  
Likes For CliffordK:
Old 08-20-21, 11:07 PM
  #12  
Rick
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2007
Posts: 1,379
Mentioned: 5 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 598 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 377 Times in 262 Posts
I pulled two wheeled carts with my Burly Bongo. I setup the child crank for the stoker position and also bought the Burly Piccolo. At one point A had one child on the child crank, one on the trailer cycle and the child cart hooked to the trailer cycle. I never dumped the Tandem and non of my children fell off.
Rick is offline  
Old 08-20-21, 11:39 PM
  #13  
shrimp123
Junior Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2015
Posts: 138
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 38 Post(s)
Liked 26 Times in 17 Posts
first suggestion : chariot type "covered" trailer
second suggestion : sitting type (with buckles) add-on like cyccommute suggested
IF (a big IF) she is used to riding at faster paces and can hold herself over bumps and other things the rear seat of tandem throws at her, and is OK not being in control, you can try a tandem.

our daughter learnt cycling early and she was riding 20miles when she was 4 (i know, everyone is proud of the the even moles on children).... but, when she rode the tandem with me when she was 4, within five minutes, she said she does not like it and is scared that she has no control over what happens and sometimes cant hear what i am trying to communicate - fair point, i thought. Later, when she was 8, she was very happy to be on the tandem as it extended our range.
shrimp123 is offline  
Old 08-21-21, 05:52 AM
  #14  
dedhed
SE Wis
 
dedhed's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Milwaukee, WI
Posts: 10,516

Bikes: '68 Raleigh Sprite, '02 Raleigh C500, '84 Raleigh Gran Prix, '91 Trek 400, 2013 Novara Randonee, 1990 Trek 970

Mentioned: 40 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2731 Post(s)
Liked 3,361 Times in 2,034 Posts
Used tag alongs are all over the place.

​​​​​​https://milwaukee.craigslist.org/bik...359075771.html
dedhed is offline  
Old 08-21-21, 06:07 AM
  #15  
shelbyfv
Expired Member
 
shelbyfv's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: TN
Posts: 11,461
Mentioned: 37 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 3638 Post(s)
Liked 5,316 Times in 2,701 Posts
Maybe some ideas here https://www.bikeforums.net/recreational-family/
shelbyfv is offline  
Old 08-21-21, 06:08 AM
  #16  
JohnDThompson 
Old fart
 
JohnDThompson's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Appleton WI
Posts: 24,936

Bikes: Several, mostly not name brands.

Mentioned: 153 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 3571 Post(s)
Liked 3,367 Times in 1,916 Posts
Originally Posted by cyccommute
Kid crank on the tandem.
That's what I did when my daughter was little. Always a big hit with the other kids when I dropped her off at school.
JohnDThompson is offline  
Old 08-21-21, 08:19 AM
  #17  
fooferdoggie 
Senior Member
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Jan 2020
Posts: 2,343
Mentioned: 2 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 680 Post(s)
Liked 946 Times in 553 Posts
Originally Posted by cyccommute
She captains the tandem and you ride your own bike. You could ride the little one if you want.
that could be interesting since she is blind but that wouldn't to work on our tandem as it has a regular bottom bracket. Plus is is way too small to sit on the seat and reach the bars. she is not even 30 pounds yet.

Last edited by fooferdoggie; 08-21-21 at 08:25 AM.
fooferdoggie is offline  
Old 08-21-21, 08:28 AM
  #18  
fooferdoggie 
Senior Member
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Jan 2020
Posts: 2,343
Mentioned: 2 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 680 Post(s)
Liked 946 Times in 553 Posts
Originally Posted by CliffordK
How close is your granddaughter? How much riding with you? Babysitting?

I like the idea of the trailer bike, especially the Weehoo for the young kids. You can have multiple tow bikes.

You can also go for a tandem. CoMotion Periscope?



Bike Friday Tandems are also very adjustable.But, that likely would be only for a very dedicated cycling family.

Keep in mind that the kids grow up VERY FAST. So, you could spend a ton of money on a bike that is only used for a couple of years (or... at worst, only used a few days).
we are close only a mile away so we hope to do it often but who knows? she may get tired of it. thats why I don't want to spend too much. the trailer works ok but I think if she is more engaged it will help. she is pretty slow at growing almost 4 and still not even 30 pounds.
fooferdoggie is offline  
Old 08-21-21, 08:39 AM
  #19  
fooferdoggie 
Senior Member
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Jan 2020
Posts: 2,343
Mentioned: 2 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 680 Post(s)
Liked 946 Times in 553 Posts
Originally Posted by cyccommute
I have never been a big fan of trailer bikes and I’m less so after seeing a little girl fall off one when her mom turned a corner and she didn’t. A better (and safer) alternative is the Weehoo. Not as cheap as cheap trailer bikes but certainly better. I found one for cheap at a local swap meet for friends of mine. It’s easily adjustable for any size child.
that was my first though. but now it is about 450.00 so maybe hunt around for a used one.
fooferdoggie is offline  
Old 08-21-21, 10:41 AM
  #20  
mstateglfr 
Sunshine
 
mstateglfr's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2014
Location: Des Moines, IA
Posts: 16,538

Bikes: '18 class built steel roadbike, '19 Fairlight Secan, '88 Schwinn Premis , Black Mountain Cycles Monstercross V4, '89 Novara Trionfo

Mentioned: 123 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 10902 Post(s)
Liked 7,393 Times in 4,148 Posts
Maybe dinky means something different near you? Your granddaughter is blind and riding at 4?

Get a weehoo and be done. It's an excellent product and resale is high for when you are finished.
mstateglfr is offline  
Old 08-21-21, 10:42 AM
  #21  
fooferdoggie 
Senior Member
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Jan 2020
Posts: 2,343
Mentioned: 2 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 680 Post(s)
Liked 946 Times in 553 Posts
Originally Posted by cyccommute
I have never been a big fan of trailer bikes and I’m less so after seeing a little girl fall off one when her mom turned a corner and she didn’t. A better (and safer) alternative is the Weehoo. Not as cheap as cheap trailer bikes but certainly better. I found one for cheap at a local swap meet for friends of mine. It’s easily adjustable for any size child.
I think I found a used one. I need to come up with an idea on how to mount it to the rack. a bracket that clamps ontot the rack that holds a seat post would work. I wonder if there is something pre made?
fooferdoggie is offline  
Old 08-21-21, 10:43 AM
  #22  
fooferdoggie 
Senior Member
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Jan 2020
Posts: 2,343
Mentioned: 2 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 680 Post(s)
Liked 946 Times in 553 Posts
Originally Posted by mstateglfr
Maybe dinky means something different near you? Your granddaughter is blind and riding at 4?

Get a weehoo and be done. It's an excellent product and resale is high for when you are finished.
no my wife is blind so she cant captain a tandem. my granddaughter is almost 4 and can ride a bike but she is tiny only 29 pounds and short. but my wife started riding a bike while blind around 5.
fooferdoggie is offline  
Old 08-21-21, 11:54 AM
  #23  
JohnDThompson 
Old fart
 
JohnDThompson's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Appleton WI
Posts: 24,936

Bikes: Several, mostly not name brands.

Mentioned: 153 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 3571 Post(s)
Liked 3,367 Times in 1,916 Posts
Originally Posted by fooferdoggie
that wouldn't to work on our tandem as it has a regular bottom bracket. Plus is is way too small to sit on the seat and reach the bars. she is not even 30 pounds yet.
The arrangement @cyccommute pictured above is a "kidback" adjustable bottom bracket that can slide up and down the stoker's seat tube to accommodate a range of leg lengths. His looks to be a commercial product; I made my own out of a lugless bottom bracket shell and a length of angle iron, fixed in place by a couple hose clamps. It worked pretty well until the kids got to be around 6 or 7 years old, and by then they wanted their own bikes.

Bar reach could probably be accommodated with a judicious choice of handlebar and stem.
Attached Images
File Type: jpg
kidback.jpg (18.7 KB, 120 views)
JohnDThompson is offline  
Old 08-21-21, 12:16 PM
  #24  
Ironfish653
Dirty Heathen
 
Ironfish653's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: MC-778, 6250 fsw
Posts: 2,188

Bikes: 1997 Cannondale, 1976 Bridgestone, 1998 SoftRide, 1989 Klein, 1989 Black Lightning #0033

Mentioned: 19 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 889 Post(s)
Liked 906 Times in 534 Posts
Originally Posted by fooferdoggie
I think I found a used one. I need to come up with an idea on how to mount it to the rack. a bracket that clamps ontot the rack that holds a seat post would work. I wonder if there is something pre made?
You’re on your own; there is no “Part That Does”.
All bikes have seat posts, but only some have a rack. The only one that mounted ‘fifth-wheel’ style came with a dedicated rear rack.

Even with a little kiddo on there, tag-along rigs can be pretty heavy, I’d rather have it clamped to the tug bike’s frame, than a couple of skinny rack struts and M5 bolts.

Depending on the shape of the tow bar, and the rear of your tandem, it may clear the top of the rack, once it’s installed; alternatively, move your rack to the tag-along so you can keep using your bags, they tow just fine even without a rider onboard.
Ironfish653 is offline  
Old 08-21-21, 12:57 PM
  #25  
fooferdoggie 
Senior Member
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Jan 2020
Posts: 2,343
Mentioned: 2 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 680 Post(s)
Liked 946 Times in 553 Posts
Originally Posted by Ironfish653
You’re on your own; there is no “Part That Does”.
All bikes have seat posts, but only some have a rack. The only one that mounted ‘fifth-wheel’ style came with a dedicated rear rack.

Even with a little kiddo on there, tag-along rigs can be pretty heavy, I’d rather have it clamped to the tug bike’s frame, than a couple of skinny rack struts and M5 bolts.

Depending on the shape of the tow bar, and the rear of your tandem, it may clear the top of the rack, once it’s installed; alternatively, move your rack to the tag-along so you can keep using your bags, they tow just fine even without a rider onboard.
ya I had thought of the weight. Burley makes a rack mount hitch for their tag along bike so it may be ok. but they don't sell it separately and it really needs their rack to do it. we will pick it up today and I will leave the rack on and see. too bad my wife is not taller. but we ride our tandem pretty much every day and may use the tag along a few times a week. We always bring a pannier when we ride to carry stuff. so I need to work out the most practical way to do it.


fooferdoggie is offline  
Likes For fooferdoggie:

Thread Tools
Search this Thread

Contact Us - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service -

Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Use of this site indicates your consent to the Terms of Use.