List Price: $196.00
Sale Price: $193.77
Today's Bonus: 1% Off
I purchased the Adams Trail-a-Bike so my 3.5 year old son and I could go riding together. I researched all the available models and liked this design the best (I'm an engineer), but could not decide on which size would be best for my son (Compact or Original). So I called the company and got REAL person that actually understood the product to answer my questions.
But I was leary of purchasing the Trail-a-Bike without any customer reviews. So I decided to purchase a Wee-Ride Co-Pilot from a local store because I could return it if there were problems (such as described by other Amazon customers). Good thing. The Wee-Ride assembly prevented the U-joint hitch from moving. I tried loosening the bolt but my good tools only made the Allen head hexagonal flats into a circle (the bolt was made of mild steel). So I returned the bike and the other one in the store had the same tight u-joint problem. So I left without a bike.
Now Chritmas to fast approaching, so I ordered the Trail-a-Bike from Seasonal Outfitters through Amazon. It was shipped super quick and arrived a day early.
I wish I had not wasted two trips (purchase and return) in buying the Wee-Ride model. The Adams Trail-a-Bike is an excellent design and well built. The hitch/u-joint and the folding mechanism are what separate this trailer bike from the others. One quick connect clamp allows the bike to fold and to ajust the seat height. Even though it is easily loosened for folding, it is very secure because the natural pull by the lead bike tries to keep the bikes straight.
The hitch has different size inserts to securely grip the lead bike's seat post without allowing the clamp to crush the seat post and make it out-of-round. The hitch is cylindrical with a square post in the center. This makes a very stable connection but one that can easily slide apart when the hitch pin is removed. The connection on the Wee-Ride required a hammer to slide the hitch apart. I can easily make the connection with one hand while holding my bike from falling over. It works so good I would suggest buying a 2nd hitch Adams Trail-A-Bike Hitch With Shims, Replacementso that two bikes can be set up to pull the child's Trail-a-Bike.
I have pulled my son about 10 miles on 3 trips. He loves it. He is very stable and the Trail-a-Bike even goes around corners well. The u-joint even allows me to take sidewalk ramps to the street while making sharp turns without a problem. He is currently too small to peddle, but he can place his feet on the peddles when the seat is at the lowest position and I have turned the handle bar as low as possible.
I only have to remember to keep my speed down to the recommended level because I can't be sure that my son might see something interesting and decide to get off without telling me. That is why he has a helmet, knee and elbow pads.
Overall this was a good purchase.
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The Adams Trail-a-Bike is a terrific product: sturdy, well-constructed, with a nice look about it. Naturally, I purchased the bike for use with my 4 year old. I had considered the cheaper tag along bike offered by Amazon (another brand than Adams), but instead decided a bike for your toddler is not the item to go cheap on. I'm glad I went for the Adams (although I still think the price on this one is quite reasonable.) The bike comes folded up and requires some basic assembly. Took me 15 minutes to put it together ... nothing complicated.Perhaps the niftiest feature of the bike is the universal joint connection to the lead back, which allows for up and down and side to side movement, but no leaning movement either left or right. The joints are stiff enough to make for smooth turns and ups and downs, but loose enough (obviously) to allow turning at all. I had no trouble mounting the mount on my bike's seat stem.
My four year old took the bike in about 2 minutes. We practiced in the driveway, then took it easy on our quiet street. We discussed pedaling/coasting, and how important it was to hold on tight even when it feels like she might fall (the sensation of leaning to one side or another). After just a minutes, she had it and we've been riding ever since.
There is a little play in the universal joint that, when translated all the way down the bike, can give it a little bit of lean either way ... but it is minimal.
Bottom line: great product for a great price. Take the time to "train" your kid how to ride it and you'll enjoy hours of riding together. My daughter's favorite part? The flag that comes with it and mounts on the back.
Best Deals for Adams Trail a Bike - Original Folder
After reading many reviews we bought this bike for my almost four year old daughter. At first she was scared to get on, but after a few days of taking short rides she was comfortable and asking to go on longer rides. Now she loves it! This Adams trail-a-bike turns very well without problems and seems very safe. The only problem would be if the child was not old enough or coordinated enough to hold on tight. Other brands of bike trailers had been reviewed as being "wobbly", but this one is not. The child can choose to either pedal or not pedal during the ride.There are two models of this bike, this is the 20" larger version designed for 4-6 year olds. There is also a compact version that is two inches smaller, designed for 3-5 year olds. My daughter is 3 years and 9 months old and a bit tall for her age. We have the seat all the way down, and she is just barely tall enough to pedal comfortably. I am glad we got the bigger version, though. I think we will be using this for family bike rides for quite a few years.
Our bike arrived within 5 days and took my husband about 20 minutes to put together and attach to my bike. You can buy an extra attachment so that the bike can be easily switched from one parent's bike to the other.
