Customer Reviews

InStep Sierra Double Bicycle Trailer

5 star:		(41)
4 star:		(18)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

We returned InStep EZ Rider that we ordered from Amazon.com for 1 big reason...the seat was not even a seat, it was a piece of nylon held by stitching. The shoulder and crotch straps were totally ineffective. Don't bother buying the EZ Rider in effort to save $30.

Buy the Sierra. The seat is padded and supported on the bottom, the straps have padded sections and the buckles are easy to use. The details forgotten on the EZ Rider were included on the Sierra (fabric safety flag, all metal clips, more velcro, less buttons, nice rubberized stroller handle accessory).

Did I mention...spend the extra $30 and get this bike trailer. If is worth it. Look no further.

I have been looking for WEEKS for a double trailer/jogger, reading countless reviews and after reading reviews for this trailer I decided this was the best one for me and my TWO kids. What frustrated me was I could find few reviews that used this stroller for 2 kids and if there were reviews they never stated the size of kids in tow. I have a very tall 4 year old and I wanted to make sure she and her little sister could fit together comfortably.

So for your reference in decision making:
I have a 4 year old (42in-height/ 40lbs) and a 2 year old (30in-height and 29lbs)

They both fit in together height wise fine, which is what I was most worried about. There is even enough room for their legs in the front and the seat is perfectly wide enough. I also love how the seat is padded and the jogger handle bar is adjustable. The trailer is perfectly balanced when they are in it and does NOT tip back.

The only "CON" so far, I am not crazy about the stroller attachment wheel being out so far in front of the trailer, I want it to be closer but that is not a huge deal.

I purchased the Sierra because the reviews were great and a friend has another InStep model and they love it. We've had it for a few days now and have experienced the good and the bad already. I'm one of those people who skip ahead to read the negative parts of reviews first, I like to get the bad over with. So that's where I'll start. But I'd recommend reading the Good as well.

The BAD:
My rear tire kicks up dirt and small pebbles from the road and sidewalk- as does any bike. But the netting attached over the carriage protecting my child didn't protect her from any of it. It collected by her feet and some around her seat. I noticed it to happen mainly when we go out a couple hours after the rain cleared up and it is safe to do so. It does have a plastic drop to protect her from rain that would work in this case but I don't want to completely close it every ride we go on unless it started to rain. InStep should have extended the cloth to cover the entire bottom half of the trailer to protect better from this. It'd still give the passengers a great view and protect them much better.... I don't know if this is an issue with all trailers since all bikes kick up dirt as you ride- especially on wet ground. The best fix: only ride on completely dry ground if possible... and be ready to walk through any surprise puddles (sprinklers, hoses running down driveways,etc...). If it becomes a common issue for me, I may consider buying some cloth to cover a few more inches from the bottom of the trailer.

THE NOT-SO-GOOD/NOT-SO-BAD:
I don't really like how inaccessable the back pouch area to hold items is. You have to take the entire canopy off or reach in from the front- and there's really no pockets- it's just a big space behind the seat so my cell, keys, and other smaller items slide around back there. There are two little pouches in the carrier where the children sit but anything put there will be at your child's reach. I also had an issue with fitting the Tab Washer onto the fallout slot of my bike which is odd since they are both Pacific Cycle products and should be compatible. As long as it doesn't spin it can go into another slot (what they don't tell you is if you do that, it still moves slightly creating a vibration/clicking nose on the peddles and up the frame when attached to the trailer.) We are going out to buy more reflectors (has 1 on each wheel and 1 on the back corner). We don't plan on riding in the dark but we live in the south and rain showers tend to sneak up on us.

THE GOOD:
It was easy to put together, no tools required until attaching it to the bike. Recommend using a socket. No issues with the straps rubbing on my 2 1/2 year old's necks or problems with the restraints (like I read in some reviews). We've been on a few 30-60 min rides so far. It even held my child in tight during one of her fits when we rode pass the park without stopping. My daughter is 37 inches her helmet doesn't rub the top of the canopy like I have read with some other models. She has some room to grow still too. The trailer itself isn't too heavy but I'd recommend practice backing up, braking, and turning once it's attached BEFORE putting little ones in to get a feel for it. The bright green and the bright flag make it easy to spot. I didn't buy this product to use a stroller but I did hook it all together once and it was very easy to convert both ways and even to switch bikes (make sure you have 2 brakets attached - one on each bike- to do it tooless) my husband and I can easily switch the trailer from one bike to another if one of us gets tired when we're out. I only have one child but it seems very spacious for her. AND it has a middle buckle (5 point) for single riders to sit in the center and it's very easy to switch it so it can secure two riders for when she has a friend along for the ride. Also, there's a few straps that line under the seat that can tighten to support two children better. The seat is padded and isn't just material like some other models I've read about (one of the selling issues for me).

I hope this helps. I am still very happy with my purchase. Now we can all get out as a family for fun bike rides while getting some exercise too.

We have had 2 other Instep trailers before, the Quick n Easy versions. Both were the basic trailer with hammock seat. My kids liked to go for bike rides so I think they put up with the fact that the seats were uncomfortable. My newest baby (10 months old) is so much more petite than my other kids, and in our Quick n Easy we noticed she didn't fit, the straps came down over her ears, and it just didn't look safe. I spent HOURS and I mean HOURS looking for a trailer with a regular seat. We don't bike enough to justify the super pricey trailers, but I wanted something that my daughter would enjoy being in. I was SO hesitant to buy online because I wanted to be able to return the trailer if we didn't like it. Well, trying to find any trailer in a store (that isn't high end or super cheap) is next to impossible. But, after seeing all the positive reviews on this trailer, I decided to go for it. Boy was I surprised and excited when I saw the quality of this trailer!!! The material is super sturdy and much thicker than my other Instep trailers. There are REAL buckles for the seats and they are true 5-point harnesses. If you have ever fought with those clip/hook type buckles on the cheap trailers, then you can appreciate how nice it is to have a true seatbelt buckle that clicks together!!! The trailer has a real padded bench set, not a hammock. AND the other super neat thing it has, that no one else has mentioned, is that the back of the seat has holes where you can select where the shoulder straps of the seatbelt are positioned for the kids. If your child is smaller, than you can put the harness lower and if your child is tall then you can switch the straps through the top notch so that the seatbelt comes down properly over their shoulders. I thought that was like the smartest thing Instep has done with this trailer. Our Quick N Easy has straps that are sewn in one position, so if the child is small then you're out of luck because there's no way to adjust them to fit properly and the shoulder straps wind up coming down over my daughters ears and on her forehead! Not very safe!!! To top it off, the seatbelts on the Sierra have pads on both the shoulder straps and the crotch area, which is so nice!!! I can not say enough what a super deal this trailer is!!! I am SO glad I purchased it!!!!

My husband is a research junkie, so when I told him I wanted to get a bike trailer to pull our baby girl around behind my bike, you can bet it came with some major research. After reading reviews, looking at stats, looking at prices we decided to go with the Sierra Double. It didn't have a lot of reviews, my guess because it was new to the line, but it looked good, and had some features I thought would make it better then some others, so we got it.

I think it is a really great product! My little girl loves it. She is 18 months, and will ask me to "go Bike". It is easy to tow, light, comfy and roomy for her. It is also easy to push as a stroller. I timed myself setting it up from the folded position. it took only a minute and a half to get it ready to go.

We went with this one because it had padded seating, which I figured would be more comfortable for the passengers, and more sturdy then just fabric, which is the problem that other models seemed to have. It also came with pads on the straps to make them better for the necks of the little riders. I put her and the three year old next door in for a little walk, and they both fit really well.

We have been on several rides already, probably totaling over 15 miles, and it runs like a dream.

I know that this trailer has a lot of good reviews and I would agree for the most part. The problem that I ran into is that I have tall children. My two year olds head was about an inch from the top, you add a helmet and the helmet is touching the top. My measurements were about 22" from formed seat to the top of the side bar. I went into local store and looked at some Burley's and found that one of the major difference's were that the Burley's interior head room was at about 25" to 27". I know it's only a few inches but it is a huge difference when it comes to the trailer lasting until my children learn to ride on their own. I didn't want to spend $400+ on a Burley so I found a happy medium with the Xterra bike trailer. Not quite as roomy as a Burley but enough extra room when compared with the InStep. Other than that the InStep trailer seems nice enough. The seats are padded, the straps padded, and I would have kept it if it had a little bit more interior room.

I read a lot of reviews, and looked at a lot of bike trailers including Instep, Schwinn and Burly, and finally decided that I wanted one that actually has a seat and didn't cost a fortune. The price was reasonable on the Instep Sierra Double trailer, and it had an actual seat so I went with that. So far my daughter and I love it! It was very easy to assemble and hooked up to my bike without having to majorly modify anything (I own a Cypress Giant). We've only logged about 25 miles, but that has been on pavement, limestone trails and over a little bit of grassy areas. Pavement is easy, limestone trails are easy (and not to bumpy for my daughter), grass is a real work out for me (and to slow going for both of us). I only have 1 child so she has plenty of room for stuffed animals snacks and drinks, and there is storage area at the back for my things. It's easy to pop the wheels off and fold down flat to store in the trunk or house. The harness system seems a little cheap, but my daughter is good about not putting it through a durability test. The best part about it is after driving all over town and getting a good work out, my daughter says "Thanks mom, that was fun", you can't put a price on good entertainment.

After researching several models of trailers I decided to purchase the InStep Sierra Double Trailer and am SO pleased that I did!! I am a previous owner of a Burley and was in need of a replacement. I currently have a 50lb. 7 year old and a 25lb 1 year old. I bought this for primary use with our 1 year old, but found out that in a pinch our 7 year old fits as well.

I would like to address some of the Cons written in other reviews:

First - my trailer arrived promptly when promised and well packaged, no shipping or delivery problems.

Second - the psi inflation recommendations are clearly marked on the side of the tire. I am unsure as to how others could have missed them... it is also in the owner's manuel.

Third - I live in the country and regularly travel gravel roads. I have had no problems with rocks, water, dust or dirt kicking back into the trailer while in operation. The net seems to do just fine... maybe this has more to do with the type of bike tires you have? I use a cross-trainer with a medium tread.

Fourth - This has been a FANTASTIC stroller! Once again, I use it on gravel as well as pavement.... it clearly states in the manual that this is NOT meant to be used as a jogging stroller, but I have had no problem with any instability while jogging. (Not running) It is stable with either my one year old alone, or both my children inside. I have had no problems with the front end being to light while in use. The sturdy metal frame construction seems to be heavy enough.

Some things I love about this trailer.

My One year old LOVES this trailer! She likes to put her sipper cup and snacks in the side pockets... they are just the right size. I was able to adjust the straps under the seat to make it quite stable and have had no problem with it sinking down. I have arrived home many times with a sleeping child, or children. It is a smooth and comfortable ride. The sturdy design is WORTH the extra money you pay for this model!!!

As a former Burly owner I would mention a couple of differences. This trailer is comprable in weight... or maybe a bit lighter. It is slightly smaller, most notably in the storage space in the back. Their is no divider between the back and front so small items do tend to slide forward. An easy fix for this is that I place a basket in the back for the smaller items to keep them in place. The flag does need to be secured to the pole additionally or it will come off during use. This is no big deal, I just used a couple drops of glue to keep it in place.

This trailer provides ease of set up and use, quality materials and design, lightweight transportation as both a stroller and trailer. I love it!

I received this trailer from Generation Orange about a week and a half ago. It was estimated to arrive in mid to late July but was surprised to receive it directly from the manufacturer 5 days later. They had the best price and I was very impressed with their service!

I was able to put the bike trailer together very easily without my husband and with a toddler in the middle of it all. The instructions are great and provide pictures for each step. I did hit a road block when I was attaching the coupler to my bike. The instructions show the washer and coupler attaching a certain way but I wasn't able to attach it to my bike exactly the way the instructions indicated. I immediately looked on the internet to see how other owners attached the coupler to their bike and I saw that the trailer may not be compatible with all mountain bikes. I have a Next mountain bike from Walmart. I tried again and found that you can rotate the washer to where the tab fits into a gap on the frame. It worked perfectly! After that, everything attached very smoothly! There are 2 locking pins where you attach the trailer to the bike. My only guess is that you can leave your stroller wheel attached while the trailer is attached to the bike. I haven't tried this yet but it's the only reason why I would guess there would be 2 pins.

The trailer is REALLY nice! The 5 point harness is really good. My little boy can sit on either side or in the middle. The straps have a little padding but it's lower on the harness so the top still scratches his neck at times. The head room isn't bad but I can see why other people have mentioned it being a problem with their 3 and 4 year olds. So far, I've left the canopy off so he's had no trouble. The padded seat is WONDERFUL! I purchased the Sierra b/c of this feature alone! We've taken some 30-45 minute rides and he never complains. Well worth the extra $25 in my opinion. The storage areas are nice but nothing fantastic. I'm able to hold several library books, diapers and wipes, and my purse in the back. With only 1 child in the trailer, you can fit plenty more in the front too. It pulls very easily and is very responsive when we go up and down on sidewalks.

I just tried it as a stroller last night. The front wheel attaches very easily and the handle bar is nice. You can adjust the height of the handle bar depending on your height. The handle bar has two rubber grips and also a wrist attachment. It's great as a walking stroller but once I got up to a jog, especially going down hill, the front wheel barely touched the ground if my hands were putting the slightest amount of pressure on the handle bar. My little boy loved it, but I can see where it would be concerning if you were purchasing this more for the jogging stroller.

On amazon.com, they suggest you purchase a coupler with the bike trailer. I wasn't sure what this even was when I was ordering so I held off. It's the piece that you attach to your bike permanently and then your bike trailer attaches to it. The Sierra comes with one in the box but if you want to attach the trailer to another bike, you would need an additional coupler or about 10-15 minutes to take the one off the primary bike and attach it to the new bike. We'll be ordering a 2nd coupler soon!

I have been SO PLEASED with this purchase! We will definetly use this until the wheels fall off and then buy another one just like it! I hope this helps!! Good Luck!

The coupler attachment is not compatible with my bike or my wife's bike. We have a Giant Cypress and a Specialized Globe Carmel. According to InStep customer service they do not have a compatibility list and the only way to know if the trailer is not compatible is to purchase the trailer and attempt to install it. I am very disappointed as I needed to put the entire thing together, then disassemble it and return it. It looked like a decent trailer if it worked though

PURCHASE AT YOUR OWN RISK