Customer Reviews

CoPilot Model A Double Bike Trailer

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

I have gotten so many complements on how cute this "buggy" is. The bike trailer is perfect for my kids (4 and 2) to ride in and they love it as well. Although they have to sit relatively close together it doesn't seem to bother them once we start riding. I did ALOT of research on ALOT of different trailers and I decided on this one because it looked more sturdy, has 20 in. wheels (for more ground clearance and smoother ride), has somewhat padded seats, and the seat is more substantial than some of the others in the same price range looked. It is also very easy switch it to a different bike because of the vice- like connector (verses the pin connector where there is a piece that has to remain attached to the bike even after the trailer has been removed). For the price I paid ($99.00- on sale, 50% off) I am very satisfied with what I got. I saw very little difference between this one and the ones that were very expensive.

Very happy with this unit. It has some compromises, but they seem very reasonable to me, given the price. I bought it here locally in Lincoln Square / Chicago for a less than Amazon, who was on backorder.

Pro:
- Great value. Well-made trailer at half the price of bigger brands.
- Not too heavy, and rolls very smoothly.
- Nicely balanced. In stroller mode, kids can climb in without tipping, though I wouldn't push my luck.
- Tip resistant. Bike can topple without taking the trailer with it, though just barely. Kickstand probably needed.
- Adequate rear storage compartment. Enough to hold three standard grocery bags.
- Fits through a standard storefront door, though just barely.
- Easy-release cotter pins make it fairly easy to collapse.
- Stroller wheel is small, so it can easily tuck in the back for trips where strollering is needed.
- Convenient storage pouches for kids, though they are smaller than I'd like.
- Sufficient clearance for 3-year old's bike helmet, without forcing them to look downward.
- Frame heavy enough to protect in a roll-over.
- Comes with reflectors and a basic flag.
- Flexible shaft at bike clamp makes attaching fairly easy.

Cons/Compromises:
- Cheapish harnesses. The straps are just webbing with no padding, and the buckles are the cheap hook type.
- Limited padding in the seat, though there is a little.
- Floorboard is just a thin board sewn into the fabric. Feels like it's going to rip through one of these days.
- Bike clamp not so great. It works well enough, but makes me worry that it might somehow slip off. I would have preferred a typical dock/hook variety. Safety strap makes matters worse; it would likely cause the cart to jam the rear wheel.
- A little tricky to get the cover pulled on correctly and Velcro'd down correctly. But still, it's well made.
- Foam on handle is standard grade stuff -- bound to get worn and chipped soon -- though replacement shouldn't be too hard.

Overall, I'm very happy with my purchase.

Trailer is just fine. The clamp stinks because it keeps coming loose (trust me, I've put as much torque on it as my fingers can stand). Also, the clamp placement on the chainstay is too far forward. It contacts my heel and my wife's heel on her bike. The only remedy is to ride with the arch of the foot on the pedal, which is wrong.

I'm converting it to a hub mounted attachment, using a Burley skewer mounted bracket and altering the attachment method. Then, it will be out my way!

The kids love riding in it, it's light enough and has large wheels for the bumps. I do like the options for covering the babes with the front mesh, or plastic cover.

It's just the clamp that sucks!

I thought I would save some money by purchasing this CoPilot Model A vs Burley Honey Bee, but boy was I wrong. I took my daughter for one hour long ride to come home and find the very thin plastic covering on the metal clamp tore and scratched the frame of my Trek Bike!!! The clamp is poorly designed in many ways: the thin plastic that covers metal can either wear down quickly or ride up exposing the clamp for a metal on metal (or Al in my case). In this case you get what you par for.... BUT there are a few good features that I liked better than the Burley Honey Bee.

Pros of CoPilot Model A;
-Metal rims and rubber tires vs Burley Honey Bees' plastic rims and tires (both have 20" tires, most trailers do so I'm not sure what that other reviewer is talking about).
-snack pockets on both sides of trailer perfect for two children vs Honey Bees' one.
-velcro encloses the trailer front, back, and side to side. The Honey Bee has tabs you pull down and dirt, leaves can fly up in trailer.

I ended up returning this trailer, spending the extra $$, and getting the Burley Honey Bee. I couldn't deal with twisting and twisting that clamp and crossing my fingers that it wouldn't ruin my frame even more. I'm a stay at home mom and the Honey Bee is a lot lighter and easier to take down and put back together ( CoPilot has about nine pins to place vs Burleys' one pin and two snaps).

I bought my Copilot Model A a couple months ago and completely love it! I have taken it on several trips and have no complaints.

I have two different bikes (an 80s schwinn road bike and a mountain bike) and the clamp works fine without scratching or damaging either one of them. My husband's bike is a different story though. The clamp doesn't fit right around his mountain bike. It hasn't scratched anything, but it did come off once. Thankfully, we were testing it and not going fast and the secondary strap did its job. However, because the clamp isn't universal, I gave it a four star rating.

Setting the trailer up is pretty easy. There are five clips you have to put in, attach the tires and then either attach it to the bike or attach the front wheel. The trailer is light weight enough to easily get in and out of a car trunk without too much effort.

There were several selling features that helped in my decision to buy the trailer. First off, I like how it's designed to have the kid sitting in an upright position. The seat is sewn down so it is flat and then the back where the child leans against is at an angle instead of a complete hammock design like so many other bike trailers I looked at. Second, it looks to be pretty well made because everything is double stitched. Third, I did want to be able to use it as a stroller so I wanted to have a front wheel. I however, do not need to use it as a jogging stroller, so I can't comment on that. My purpose was to attach it to my bike and go to the grocery store with it. When I got there, I just put on the front wheel, and used it as a grocery cart. It worked great for that. I was also able to put my groceries in the storage area back behind where my child sits just fine.

Overall, it's an awesome bike trailer as long as the clip properly fits your bike.

I bought this from a local bike shop. I'm thankful so that I can return it more easily. As I was assembling it I noticed that one velcro strap that was supposed to be sewed on was not. No big deal, an easy fix.

However, once I had it assembled I went to attach it to my bike. The clamp looked like it was falling apart on the first attachment, and once I climbed aboard my foot hit the clamp on every stroke unless I pedaled with the middle of my foot. I figured it may have just been my Mountain Bike, but it did the same thing on my Road Bike.

For reference, I wear size 12 shoes, above average but not unusual.

My wife enjoyed it on her bike (end of the driveway and back) but we didn't pay $220 for something that only one of us can enjoy. It will be back at the store tomorrow.

We bought one of these from a bike shop when our kids were little. It lasted about 3-4 years, only one summer of a lot of use. Our 3 kids were born sort of close together, so I wanted it to last thru them all. Two would ride at a time, and they behaved well. I loved that they each had a pocket for their water bottle/sippy cup. When our youngest was old enough to ride in it (1), our oldest was 4, so he rode a tag-a-long while the youngest two rode in this trailer.

It worked ok, but the clamp would not always stay secure, so be SURE to put the safety strap on always. Re-tighten occasionally when on rides. The clamp would not work well to secure on my husband's bike as his frame was too thick, so it was always attached to mine.

We needed a replacement part (front tire) but found it impossible to order one. They bike shop couldn't help us either. So before you buy, check that you can get a hold of someone from customer service and inquire about replacement parts. Maybe things have changed in the past couple years.

Always use all the seatbelts (lap and shoulder), and have your kids wear helmets. My dh forgot about the shoulder seatbelts more than once, and we are lucky the kids didn't fall out (they were half out). Be sure you have a mirror on your bike (or helmet) so you can keep an eye on the kids too.

It did last until our youngest was almost 3. Though some seams had come undone, the front wheel needed replaced so we only used it as a bike trailer, and the clamp wasn't the best, it did survive. We gave it away for free (just set it out in the yard) as it was not safe for transporting kids anymore (at least our size of kids).

I regret this purchase. I wish we would've invested in a more secure and sturdy unit with replacement parts available -- if you need it to survive just a couple years, you may be ok. Don't be cheap where your kids' safety is so important Really use the safety strap every time! I couldn't believe how often that safety strap ended up saving us. And we had the clamp as tight as we could be (I'm no OliveOil and my dh is 6'6" and very strong -- we had the clamp tight but it wouldn't stay that way).

i have 2 kids, 3 and a half and 16 months, and this is a great trailer for them. it has a lot of room and it built really well. the tires are large and filled with air to provide a comfortable ride, and in the back there is a compartment for a diaper bag, or lunch, or what ever else you need to bring with you. the top is nice with both a plastic or net cover for their faces and it is very sturdy. like the other reviews, we had one issue with the clamp but the customer service at bellsports who makes this product were great. they sent me out a new clamp, no hassle at all. all you have to do is tighten it onto the bar of the bike. the one issue that others may have had with tightening it is probably the same reason why i needed a new clamp. there is a piece that keeps the screw in place so that the knob will tighten properly. that piece was somewhat striped for lack of a better word and it was allowing the screw to keep turned, not letting the knob tighten unless you held the top of the screw in place with a wrench. so now that i have received the replacement we are good to go. i did not want to spend more than this on a trailer, but i didnt want to get a cheap one. if the customer service is this good, i dont mind a piece wearing out because over all it is a really well made product. much better than instep and a lot cheaper than burley.

and it has held up with plenty of abuse from 3 kids. Bear in mind that I use this as a STROLLER, not for my bike (though I have once or twice). The straps, after several years of constant use (living in CA we are out winter, spring, and fall), eventually just ripped and all we had to do was run out to Sport Chalet and get some climber's webbing to replace the straps. All said and done, years later and we are still using it, the tires have held up well, the pivot wheel in front still works great, and the price was well worth it. But this is using as a stroller (walking, running, rollerskating).

This trailer does look great but it is poorly made. Just after one season of using it the cloth straps have torn which results in no seat belts and no back support. If you do decide to buy this I would HIGHLY recommend that you keep it indoors at all times when not in use, and try to store it in a bag to help prolong the cheap materials.