Trail - Gator Tandem Bar

by Trail-Gator

Product Features

• Attaches to the Back of an Adult Bicycle to Tow Your Childs Bicycle
• Attaches to Almost Any Commercial Bike!
• Fits 12in to 20in Childs Bikes
• Max Weight of Child Rider: 70.5 lbs
• No Tools Required for Attachment - Quick Release Built-In!

Product Description

Trail - Gator Tandem Bar lets your young cyclist tag along for the ride! No need to buy a child's tandem bike... the Trail-Gator fits almost ANY child's bike, so youngsters can feel the joy of the open road just like grown-ups! Made sturdy from steel, with a quick release so it's easy to remove when you're done, and NO tools necessary for installation. Fits 12-20" childrens' bike tires. Max rider weight: 70 1/2 lbs. State Color. Order yours today! Trail-Gator Tandem Bar

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 25.5 x 6.7 x 2 inches ; 6 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 7.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• ASIN: B002VPWUIC
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (63 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #13,083 in Sports & Outdoors (See Top 100 in Sports & Outdoors)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

62 of 62 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Very good, capable product, July 11, 2005

By 

Dave - See all my reviews

Puchased this last week and installed it relatively easly. Being a bit particular, I had a tough time getting the the kid's bike to trail straight behind the adults, and to stand straight upright. The first adjustment turned out to be a bit easier to accomplish then the second.

Seemed to work well, although I don't think I'd like to push the listed weight limit of 100lbs (didn't seem like it had a big margin). Very easiy and quick to hook-up the two bikes, but there are 2 things that you'll have to remember to do or you could have an injurred little rider (but the instructions do a fine job of warning you).

The kid's bike is supposed to have a front wheel ground-clearance of 3-5 inches, which means that if you're careful during the installation then you'll be able to adjust the adult seat height for different riders (for us it's the difference between my wife and me).

You'll pretty quickly learn the tricks, like turning the adult bike 90 degress to the kid's bike when you're parking them (which allows the adult kickstand to work). We had a 2 wheel trailer before, and this feels a bit different due to the kid moving around. If you've got a heavy kid and light adult it could take some getting used to. But, it is easier and lighter to pull this then the trailer, and the kid really does help with peddling (just make sure they don't try to peddle backward).

As an odd application, it occured to me that it would work well to transport an empty bike for somebody else to ride (i.e. how do you use your own bike to also pull an empty bike for somebody else to use at your destination). If you've got a frequent need for this, then it might work with even a full-sized bike. The installation effort wouldn't make it worthwhile for a short, single use, but it's an interesting idea.

Overall I think it's well made and a good purchase. It comes with a number of parts for fitting different bikes, and you can go to the manufacture's web page for a PDF instructions if you want to figure out in advance whether it'll work with your equipment. In terms of the equpment you get, it's a bit more expensive then the single-wheel tag-alongs, but the dollars out of pocket are considerably less, it's less equipment to store, your kid will get practice on their own bike, and it'll likely retain a good deal of its value for resale.

48 of 48 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Less is More, October 3, 2005

By 

E. Lipinski - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This a terrific solution for getting your Jr. cyclist going. Coupled with the quick release training wheels that they also sell I have the perfect family ride solution. (really they should just sell the oversized nuts)

We live about 5 blocks from a nice bike trail, with two major street crossings. No problem. I hook my son up to the back of my bike (its all quick release) at the house, drag him over to the bike trail. Then disconnect the bar, flip the training wheels, stick the Trail Gator in my backpack and he his on his way. He rides for about 30 minutes and is pooped. No problem I hook him back up, and the family keeps going on our hour long ride.

Less to store than with one of those 1/2 bikes.

This is my second kid on this system. I can't say enough about it.

64 of 67 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Great Concept with One Weak Point, September 6, 2006

By 

T. Lennon (Seattle) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

I bought this product due to the flexibility of being able to tow my kid, still having a full bike to ride once we reached our destination, and compact storing of tow bar when not in use.

The product concept is great and the implementation is OK for slow rides on level ground.

The weak point is the attachment to the child's bike. After checking and tightening the attachment bracket several times it rotated slightly on our first small downhill descent (when I appllied my brakes) resulting in a scraped knee for my daughter. I researched this further on the internet and found others with concerns about the attachment bracket(some contemplating welding it in place).

The attachment uses two steel brackets and U-bolts that mount around the headtube. The mounting will scratch the bikes paint when the proper torque is applied.

Great concept and if/until they improve the childs bike attachment bracket I would not use this product on rough terrain or down steep hills.

I returned the Trail Gator and bought a traditional one wheel trailer bike.

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