Customer Reviews

InStep Quick N EZ Bicycle Trailer (Gold/Gray/Black)

5 star:		(134)
4 star:		(79)
3 star:		(16)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

March 25th, 2005

I am an avid cyclist who needed to maximize my time in the saddle by including my son on my rides. I searched all the brands from Wike on down to the Schwinn's and Insteps. I am a big believer in the right equipment for the job.

Value:
This trailer, although it may not last forever, should last a long time and is well worth the money spent; $[...]at Target. Especially compared to trailers at $[...]and up. Bottom line is how much do you bike, and how frequently will you use the trailer?

Durability:
I used it for the second half of last season (2004) and it still looks new and has little wear. I put approximately 1000 miles on it so far. On days where my son is not with me I load it up with approx. 65lbs of weight (50lb bag of charcoal and a case of Poland Spring water)and use it as a trainer. This weight approximates two small children and it holds up just fine.

Fun Factor;
My son loves going out on rides with me. It has a small pouch/cup holder sewn on each side of the interior, great for a sippy cup and a bag of snacks. It also has a trunk of sorts in the back. A flap that has snaps all around the perimeter of the rear, big enough to put an extra change of clothes and picnic things, or sand toys if you are visiting a playground on your journey.

Safety;
It comes with a basic small reflector on the bottom left of the rear. My opinion is this is not visible enough, get yourself a blinking reflector type light, approx. $10-15 in any bike shop. Mounting it may be a bit tricky, I cut the fabric at the bottom and clamped it on to the frame. It also comes with that neon orange flag, which can be spotted a mile away. And the base colors of blue and yellow stand out pretty good too. The harness,/hinge is a spring (with a safety cable through the center of the spring) that flexes, if you lay the bike down the trailer stays upright. The spring also flexes when you are riding to absorb some of the shifting of weight when your little guys move around back there, making it more comfortable than solid connections.


Pros:
1) Price, $[...], you can't beat the price/value anywhere.
2) Quite, I'm used to a bike that makes no noise, and this did not let me down.
3) Bright colored fabric, help you to be seen, along with the neon orange flag.
4) Your own personal cheering team to "Go faster Daddy", and you really can't beat that!

Cons:
1) Floor is made from same fabric as the main compartment, this might be the first failure in the unit as my son gets bigger and heavier. Some more expensive models use a plastic tray as a base.
2) Needs a better light in the rear.
3) Once you get your child one of these , you will not be able to go for a solo ride anymore without dealing with tears and pleads to go "ridin" too.


One very important recommendation, after you install your hardware and hook up the trailer, do yourself and your child a favor and put something heavier than your child in the back. Then ride it for a good long ride. Do a few panic stops, brake on corners, get used to the weight back there, it is very different than what you are used to without it. Don't learn while your little Man or Lady is back there.

Be safe and ride till your legs fall off.

Dave
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Update 09/30/05

This past season 2005 I started riding with my two and a half year old daughter as well. It is a little tight at times. My son (4.5yrs) tends to elbow her in the face. Because the bottom is made out of fabric, they have a tendancy to fall into one another at the center(like an old mattress). This is not a problem when there is only one child of course, but two is a little uncomfortable. I have purchased the newer Instep with a plastic bottom to prevent this. I wont actually use it until next season; 2006, I will post on that when I have some experience with it.

If you only have one child, or two about the same size, this still gets high marks from me.

Also, the tubes in this do not hold air indefinitely. You do need to check on the PSI once in a while, you will roll much easier if you have the right air pressure, unless of course you want that workout.

Safe riding!
Dave

We got this to use as both a bike carrier and a double stroller. Putting it together was SUPER EASY since it comes mostly assembled. It is bit tight for 2 kids though, a 4 year old and 2 year old. Because the seat is not firm they tend to slide together and then fight because they are pushed up against each other. It attaches easily to a bike but be warned there is alot of drag almost like pulling a parachute. I am guessing every carrier would have this issue though. As a stoller it is very easy to manuever and push. There is some storage behind the seat and that adds to its convenience.

I was considering a nicer trailer, but in the end, I decided to go the cheaper route and give this one a shot, figuring if we got enough use out of it, I could sell it and upgrade. Well, I think we're going to get some use out of it, but I dont know if it will last long enough to resell.

The first trailer I bought had some issues, one of the wheels didn't turn well, and the very first time I went to fold it up after about a week's use, a screw holding the crossbar along the top of the canopy pulled out of it's plastic holder and broke, I had to return the trailer. The second on I got has held up ok so far, but I'm being very cautious when I fold it. That appears to be quite a weak point in the design.

The straps that hold the child in are somewhat adjustable, but they cut into my son's neck a bit. My biggest complaint is that you can't adjust the length of the bottom of the harness. The seat is ok, but not nearly as comfortable as my son would like. It's decent, but on a long trip I think he would get a little antsy.

The wheels on this trailer are pretty small and that translates into a pretty bumpy ride. The seat and the floor are both made of the canvas material, which causes some sagging and I don't think it's going to wear very well.

The trailer weighs almost 30 pounds, on a flat surface it isn't a problem pulling it, but going up hill, it's not the easiest thing.

Overall this is a decent trailer, for the money, it's not bad at all, just be prepared to deal with no frills design or materials and a rougher ride compared to the trailers with bigger wheels and more comfortable seats.

We live in an area where we can bike to pretty much everyting, and we were a little concerned about using a traditional child "seat" on our bikes. This trailer has turned out to be a fantastic addition, well worth the money. We have had our son in it since he was 7 1/2 months old (he is now 18 mos) and we have used it to bike to breakfast, to the store, etc. There is plenty of storage room in the back,and the shield is great for misty/windy days. I wouldn't recommend using it with infants unable to hold themselves up well, as the harness is not that strong, but once they can sit up without support the trailer is great! We have no worries about our son toppling out in case we were to fall (which has happened, and the trailer stays upright), either. Enjoy it!

To be honest, I really wanted a Burley trailer for my kids and I do even more now after having dealt with the Quick N EZ trailer for a year. Our first trailer we got for $25 at a garage sale. It was also InStep but I don't see that they make this style any longer. It had a hard plastic base as opposed to the canvas most (if not all) trailers are made of these days. My son would slip and slide all over. After just a few minutes of biking with no suspension and no seats, he'd be slumped down with the straps around his neck.

Needless to say, I wasn't going to make him endure that any longer! So we picked up the Quick and EZ for $80. We were pleased with how easy it was to set up and how quickly it folded down, though it still wasn't small enough to fit in the trunk of our Grand Prix. We now have a Sienna so it's no longer an issue, but my son's comfort was immediately a factor from the first time he was put in it. The hammock-style seat is straight up in the back, so when he falls asleep he just slumps over and looks very uncomfortable.

Not only that, but the airflow inside the trailer is a HUGE concern for me. After 10 minutes of biking in 80ish degree weather, he is beet red and soaked in sweat. Now, he is not in direct sunlight so that's not what's heating him up. It's that because the hammock seat is canvas and because the seat effectively goes from "wall to wall" inside the trailer, there is nowhere for the air to go, even though there is a vent in the back of the trailer. We started putting him in shorts and nothing else to try to keep him comfortable but he still gets extremely hot. How can I enjoy my ride when I know he is miserable?

And you can forget about putting two kids in this thing unless they're very easy-going and don't mind being squished together. When I was a daycare mom, I would regularly take my son and one of our daycare kids who was only 4 days younger than my son and about the same build, and the first few times they did nothing but fight! Sure they were two 2-year-olds, but can you blame them? The hammock seat forced them to lean into each other and make them even MORE hot! Would you really enjoy riding in the car if you were pressed up against the person in the seat beside you the entire time? Not likely!

Aside from that major complaint, I do have to complain that the small wheels and lack of suspension make for a very bumpy ride and I also feel bad subjecting my kids to that. Also, it would be nice if you could only partially lower the sun shade to keep your baby protected. When we're going in the wrong direction, he always gets sun on his thighs and sometimes even his arms if the sun is high. We always put sunscreen on of course, but if I'm going to expect him to sit in there while I bike for two hours, I'd like to make sure he's comfortable.

So, all complaints aside, the trailer has one big plus. It's price. You can't beat the price, but you get what you pay for. This summer I am seriously considering spending one of my bonus checks to get my son a wonderful Burley trailer. Yes, it's $450 and probably not practical if you only bike once in a while, but seeing as we bike daily in warm weather and sometimes 2-3 times a day, I think the price is justified to make sure he enjoys it as much as I do. Burley trailers come with large wheels with suspension, a roll bar, PADDED BUCKET SEATS!! with mesh on the upper part to allow for good airflow, and padded seatbelts.

Yep, definitely getting a Burley this year! I've waited long enough! ;)

Although I didn't find this on sale it is still a good deal for regular price. Set up is an absolute breeze. Even attaching the coupler to my bike, after some muscle from hubby to get the nut off, was simple and quick. I feel very confident of the hitch as I ride and the kids are secure in the harness. It folds easily and the wheels detach simply to fit in the cargo space of our mid-size SUV. I'm a recreational/fitness biker and use this on very nice paved trails not off-road so I can't comment on bumps or dirt.

It gets a 4 rather than a 5 only on some comfort issues. The web straps would be better if padded. I have to watch the crotch strap on my 20 month-old or it can ride up and cut into her leg, particularly if she has a big wet diaper. Same with my 4 year old with the shoulder strap and his neck. I'll figure something out though. Also if it is going to be made to hold up to 100 pounds it really could be just a couple of inches wider to give room to bigger kids. Two kids are sort of smushed. The sling seats also could be made to recline. I had a jogging stoller with that feature. Lastly, since I live in FL, I would prefer a longer hood or some sort of brim for more shade.

Having complained, I WOULD STILL RECOMMEND HIGHLY for quality and value and fun. The kids do enjoy it despite my nit-picking!

I really like this bike trailer. I am not a seasoned bicyclist (I really haven't rode much in the past three years.) I did not find this hard to pull on the local trails. I think it is a bit hard to pull on slight hills though. My kids are 17 months and 3 years. Their combined weight is about 65 lbs. My daughter is tall and she seems a little crammed in the trailer, but she doesn't complain. They both really like riding and my son usually falls asleep! There are little pouches on the inside of the trailer for sippy cups or snacks. The compartment behind the kids is roomy! I can easily pack a diaper bag, and a lunch box in it. It was very easy to set up and folds down. I can fit it under the back seat of my minivan. I usually don't have the third row seat in the van so I usually leave it set up and it fits in the van without being collapsed. I am very happy that I bought this! When my daughter doesn't fit with her brother anymore I might buy another one so me and my wife can take the kids in their own trailers. Great product.

**If you are thinking about buying the cheaper ones that they sell at Wal*mart please keep in mind that the storage compartment is smaller. It also is a different brand. My sister in law has it and I prefer mine to hers.

Pros: 1. Lightweight 2. Affordable (but compare prices carefully) 3. Compact (ours hangs on hooks flat against the garage wall) Cons: 1. Found it cheaper elsewhere after purchased from Target 2. Careless manufacturing (had to drill the pin hole bigger and sand the arm hinge down because they sprayed too much paint on the frame) 3. The safely flag pole was cracked when we opened the box 4. A lot of sand/gravel gets kicked up into the trailer through the screen. It gets all over our daughter, including in her hair. I worry about it getting in her eyes. 5. You have to special order a second coupler kit, they aren't available in stores.

I bought this trailer last year for my (then) 4 y.o. and 2 y.o. I cycle only short distances around town and didn't have alot of money to spend so I bought the cheapest one I could find. I don't like to waste money and I can usually make due with what I have instead of needing top of the line things. But in this case, it was a huge mistake.

Poor Seat Design/Harness:
This trailer does not even have what I would call a seat. It merely has a practically vertical sheet of nylon with a three point harness sewn to it. So, there is nothing to really sit on. My children, whether travelling together or just one in the center, end up hanging by their crotches the whole ride. We have tried everything we can to tweak it to make it different but it just doesn't get anywhere near an actual seat that you can sit in. And if you have two kids, they just slide to the middle. Also, there is no space for their helmets so it forces their helmets forward and chokes them. An older child can tell you they're being choked, but I'd be pretty scared to put a younger baby in that hammock with a helmet on. Although frankly, I don't see how the 3 pt harness could even hold a younger child to begin with.

Bottom Not Durable:
The bottom material is also really poor so that after one summer of light use, there are multiple holes in it where the kids feet hang. And if I put groceries in the back, the weight of the bag drags on the street for the ride home.

Front Wheel Broke:
The front wheel has also broken off but that was while some kids where pushing it so I can't honestly say if it was through normal use or something else.

It was easy to setup and is easy to attach and unattach. It was also fine to stroll until the wheel broke off. However, since the seat is so completely horrible, the pluses of this trailer don't matter much.

So now I've learned: You need something with actual shaped seats, not just a hammock, and a 5 pt harness. I was willing to put up with a bare bones trailer without all the bells and whistles, but this trailer is basically unusable.

My dh and I have been researching the different types and brands of infant/toddler bike trailers out there for several months. All along I kept looking at this Instep Quick 'n EZ trailer and thinking it was the best out there. Not only did I find it to constantly receive high marks on quality, but I also found it to be quite inexpensive. Not cheap and shotty, just not nearly as expensive as some of the other makes and models. After all our research, we decided on this trailer, and so my dd received it for her 1st birthday a couple of weeks ago. And let me tell you, we have NOT been disappointed with our choice. The trailer is very well made, extremely easy to put together/take apart, a cinch to attach, and even easier to pull. There is plenty of room in the trailer for us to stash our daughter's bottles, a diaper and wipes (incase she needs a change), and couple of toys for her to play with along the way. The 5pt harness is a breeze to work and leaves no question as to weather baby is in securely or not. This is definately a great trailer to own!! We give it 2 Thumbs Up and 5 stars across the board! :D