New Trailer

[4x4mike]

Figured I'd hook up the old tow rig and new trailer.

http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e13/mezamichael82/Cell%20phone%20pics/1031091252a.jpg

The bike is an old 70's road bike I converted to a fixie almost 10 years ago and the trailer is new. Little Maggie loves it which is good because I do a lot of riding and want to take her along. My buddy called me up with a great deal and pulled the trigger this morning.

It's a Chariot CX2 with bike attachment. Worth the suggested retail price? Probably not but it's nice to have friends in high places.

http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e13/mezamichael82/Cell%20phone%20pics/1031091252.jpg

Fatherhood keeps getting better and better. Now it's time for trick or treating.

[fustercluck]

For a second there, I thought you were suggesting towing that with the runner...LOL

[Seanz0rz]

nice! i think ill eventually be looking for one. id like to find one that can go between a 3 wheel walking/hiking stroller to a trailer behind a bike (that i dont have yet!)

[4x4mike]

This model Chariot can be a stroller, jogger, hiker, skier and bike trailer. It has different attachments for what ever you're using it for (all extra $). We already have a regular stroller (X2), jogging stroller and now bike trailer. They are all different sizes so we take some things some places and other things other places. Last weekend we used the jogging stroller on the beach 7 miles from Cayucos to Morrow Bay in the sand. It's some where I wouldn't want to take the bikes and or regular stroller so we were set. We're lucky Maggie doesn't care what she's really in. We actually just got home from a 6 mile hike with her in the back pack. If your house isn't full of stuff now it will be soon.

http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e13/mezamichael82/Maggie/DSC_0039.jpg

And becoming one with nature by eating sticks.

http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e13/mezamichael82/Maggie/DSC_0071.jpg

[slosurfer]

That is a pretty sweet trailer. Cute pics too!

I've got a Burley trailer but no bike. :( Our BOB stroller gets used all the time though. It's even been snowshoeing. :hillbill:

Haha, Mike, no kidding! Our house is full of crap. Some of it work better than other times, so most of it is worth it. Burley, BOB, regular stroller (this we hardly ever use now), umbrella stroller, ergo carrier (I loved this as a front, but now that Adelaide is bigger, I don't dig it as a backpack), and I do have a backpack somewhere that I now need to dig out. :laugh: The best will be when we can start selling it all. :)

[4x4mike]

I'd say very little of our stuff was bought at retail. This trailer retails for over $900 and we got it because we had been looking at old over priced stuff on Craigslist. I love the ergo on the front although it sucks if you're really full as the weight of the baby is on your gut. Out Kelty backpack is pretty big but bomber and can go anywhere. Once the snow falls we're going out.

[habanero]

That is one cute kid!

Don't forget the helmet! They make ones for kids 5mos and up. Start in small time increments until neck muscles build up.
We went from trailer to tandem w/child stoker and now he sometimes rides his bike and I follow on the tandem with our BOB trailer. When he gets tired we strap his bike into the BOB and he goes stoker. I feel like a freight train but we both get a good ride this way.

For hiking I use a Madden Caravan backpack. He's now 6 years old, 44# and can hike 7-9 miles and rides in the pack for a couple of miles here and there. I carry food and water and stuff in it too.

[4x4mike]

We got a helmet. It's a wee little one as she's got a mini melon. She still doesn't know what to think about it but she has no choice but to like it. We've gone on 3 rides and she's pretty chill and talks while we ride.

We hope to take her backpacking next summer as she's mastered car camping (at least as a baby). There is a lot of stuff online for backpacking with a baby. I think this age is the easiest and until they're 10 or so it just gets harder.

[Obi..]

Later down the road, if you two are willing to consider parting with it in the event you don't go for a bigger family let us know. That or I call up a certain company's rep and do some serious harassing/bugging.

What made the decision most over the other brands (Burley, etc.)? Burley's more and more off the back it seems these days as far as innovation and quality. Do they have the offset style mount to work with disc brake bikes like my SS or Cross?

I think all we have left to pick up is a trailer, we're now officially "Pimped" when it comes to Kelty gear..although not with my choice in colors, I think I found Dora's backpack..Baby Showers actually rock, even if I only showed up for cleanup, so much stuff we don't have to buy now. :D
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2684/4066908057_5b218e9b95.jpg

..and Diego's bag. (*Stoked, two doublewide 0 degree bags..4 total if we use them as separates!)
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2792/4067661218_cfda37590a.jpg



*Also I've a great story for you when she gets a little older about how you aren't supposed to take the switchbacks coming from Packer's Saddle down with the neice in tow..she loved it, "Do it again!" while I sat there looking dirty and broken. That and rockgardens in Ashland.. :rofl:

[Obi..]

..If your house isn't full of stuff now it will be soon.

..and your rig full of baby smell and crumbs.. :tapedshut:

[Robinhood4x4]

For a second there, I thought you were suggesting towing that with the runner...LOL
That'd be pretty funny to hook it up to the truck and drive down the street with it (empty of course). I wonder how long it would take for somebody to call the cops.

[4x4mike]

We want 2 kids so hopefully we can get our act together and bite the bullet again. Our little daughter is perfect so I think the next one will a little hell raiser. I have a sister that is close in age and really liked that growing up so I'd like that for our daughter, hence one of the reasons for the double carrier.

[Obi..]

That'd be pretty funny to hook it up to the truck and drive down the street with it (empty of course). I wonder how long it would take for somebody to call the cops.


No worse than the "Yuppie trains" I see going down through Menlo Park.


Picture this but 1 more bike between
http://ridethisbike.com/uploaded_images/family-car-739859.jpg

Ever seen what happens to your stability and turning radius? :chair:
http://www.knowledgerush.com/wiki_image/b/bb/Road_train-800.jpg

[Obi..]

Mike, hit up the A.R.T. or S.R.T. yet? So many good areas to have a family picnic combined with a ride. :D

Oh, and about this..


..Our little daughter is perfect...


:lol: :rofl: Reserving this for future use for any of us Dad's with growing girls. :spit: :laugh:
*Keeping in mind i just cleaned the Colt and the Winchester. ;)

[4x4mike]

Mike, hit up the A.R.T. or S.R.T. yet? So many good areas to have a family picnic combined with a ride. :D

Oh, and about this..


..Our little daughter is perfect...


:lol: :rofl: Reserving this for future use for any of us Dad's with growing girls. :spit: :laugh:
*Keeping in mind i just cleaned the Colt and the Winchester. ;)


What is the ART or SRT?

As for the perfection...well she is for now.

[Obi..]

American River Trail.

Sacramento River Trail.

Trailworker initials, guess you guys don't use the terms yet. (Ironic too since they're both paved and not dirt. Still get credit for the work though.)

Kind of like MRT is the Mackenzie River Trail in Oregon.

[4x4mike]

Yeah we don't call it that. It's actually called the Jedediah Smith Memorial Trail but for the most part it's the American River Bike Trail (ARBT). I've ridden the piss out of it for over a dozen years. I commute about a 100 miles a week on it and we live about a mile up from it in Fair Oaks (Lake Natoma). Over the past 10 years or so it's gone through a lot of renovation and expanded to new areas. Although it's the ARBT it's actually many different trails with spurs all over the place.

[slosurfer]

Mike, slight hijack here, do you have any pics of the hitch for your bike trailer? I just hooked up our burley to my new to me mountain bike and found out that the classic hitch does not work on my bike. I made it work because Jack and I rode a block over to Jack's school (with Adelaide in the trailer) and met some friends and their kids to all play follow the leader on bikes throughout the school grounds. I need to find something else I think I need a hitch similar to what you have going on.

[Obi..]

Chris, not to jump past Mike on this, but you can retrofit the mount, Burley has them, including the disc-brake compatible ones.

http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://cdn.mos.bikeradar.com/images/bikes-and-gear/accessories/trailer/BurleyFlatbedCargoTrailer-399-75.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.bikeradar.com/gear/category/accessories/trailer/product/flatbed-cargo-load-trailer-32047&usg=__zJIBtoBvATIxYYV-L7QiBVmZC7E=&h=256&w=399&sz=36&hl=en&start=11&um=1&itbs=1&tbnid=zPZWySHVh9s9MM:&tbnh=80&tbnw=124&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dburley%2Bdisc%2Bbrake%2Btrailer%2Bhit ch%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26client%3Dsafari%26sa%3DG%2 6rls%3Den%26tbs%3Disch:1

http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.rei.com/skuimage/671711/220&imgrefurl=http://www.rei.com/product/671711&usg=__f64QLOTt_RCCQEudVxuZoz2KIaY=&h=220&w=220&sz=10&hl=en&start=18&um=1&itbs=1&tbnid=6JxQk1UTParRtM:&tbnh=107&tbnw=107&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dburley%2Btrailer%2Bhitch%26um%3D1%26h l%3Den%26client%3Dsafari%26sa%3DN%26rls%3Den%26tbs %3Disch:1

http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.bikepartsplace.com/images/med/31121387.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.bikepartsplace.com/discount/trailer-attachment-kit-classic-hitch/&usg=__hP3ni3TK1ErEEIsZNLfuYZnMi3U=&h=300&w=300&sz=45&hl=en&start=5&um=1&itbs=1&tbnid=zPqPwC_5XXEwsM:&tbnh=116&tbnw=116&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dburley%2Btrailer%2Bhitch%26um%3D1%26h l%3Den%26client%3Dsafari%26sa%3DN%26rls%3Den%26tbs %3Disch:1

[slosurfer]

Thanks I'm pretty sure I know which one I have to get from burley and it looks like how Mike's is, so I was looking for a better pic of it all attached.

I have the classic burley hitch now, that attaches on the triangle, which I like because it spreads the force over a bigger area, but it doesn't work on my bike. :(

I'm pretty sure I need this
http://www.amazon.com/Burley-Bicycle-Trailer-Standard-Forged/dp/B001GSMUDA

and this

http://www.amazon.com/Burley-Connector-Round-Tongue-Trailers/dp/B001GSQXUG/ref=pd_sbs_sg_10

and the safety strap.

[4x4mike]

Thanks I'm pretty sure I know which one I have to get from burley and it looks like how Mike's is, so I was looking for a better pic of it all attached.

I have the classic burley hitch now, that attaches on the triangle, which I like because it spreads the force over a bigger area, but it doesn't work on my bike. :(

I'm pretty sure I need this
http://www.amazon.com/Burley-Bicycle-Trailer-Standard-Forged/dp/B001GSMUDA

and this

http://www.amazon.com/Burley-Connector-Round-Tongue-Trailers/dp/B001GSQXUG/ref=pd_sbs_sg_10

and the safety strap.





Chris,
I have a Charoit trailer so the attaching system is different than the Burley. Actually what I've got is very similar to the replacement ones I quoted above. Half of our bikes have disc brakes and or non-traditional frames. My road bike is so thin and weak looking at the drop out so I wouldn't want to attach it there anyway. I actually like the Charoit and replacement Burley sytle the most. It's pretty stable and has very easy on and off.

How much do your kids weigh? Maggie is a light weight but our trailer/kid will make you work when it's loaded down with toys. I can ride all day and do well but the hills on the bike trail make me sweat.

[slosurfer]

Thanks Mike! I knew yours would be slightly different but it looked similar to what I needed from Burley. I wasn't sure how easy it was to install, but it seems simple enough. Glad to hear that it works good. I'm assuming though that the actual hitch doesn't transfer between bikes very easy?

Adelaide is tiny and probably weighs about the same or less than Maggie. :laugh: Jack has his own bike, so the only times he'll ride in there will be for short rides to friend's houses if we know we will be there late.

[4x4mike]

Thanks Mike! I knew yours would be slightly different but it looked similar to what I needed from Burley. I wasn't sure how easy it was to install, but it seems simple enough. Glad to hear that it works good. I'm assuming though that the actual hitch doesn't transfer between bikes very easy?

Adelaide is tiny and probably weighs about the same or less than Maggie. :laugh: Jack has his own bike, so the only times he'll ride in there will be for short rides to friend's houses if we know we will be there late.


The charoit one comes with it's own quick release skewer so transferring from bike to bike is really easy. My fixed gear has a bolt on rear wheel so I have to use a wrench but even then it's easy. I was thinking about getting a second receiver part but changed my mind when I saw the price and realized it's easy enough to swap.