Trailers

What types of bike trailer are there?

Child trailers are the largest group — a two-wheeled fabric-sided pod on a sprung or unsprung frame, seating one or two children, usually with a conversion kit for pushchair or jogging use. Cargo trailers split between flatbeds, which take awkward loads strapped down, and box or bag trailers that keep shopping dry. Single-wheel trailers, of which the Extrawheel and BOB designs are the familiar shapes, track directly behind the rear wheel and are the choice for touring on narrow or rough trails, though they carry less and can sway if loaded badly. Dog trailers look like child trailers but have a floor rated for a moving load and a tether point inside.

Trailer or child seat: which suits my riding?

A child seat mounts to the bike and is quicker for short trips, but it raises the bike's centre of gravity and gets awkward above about 22kg of child. A trailer keeps the weight low and separate, so the bike handles almost normally, carries two children plus their bags, and gives shelter from rain and wind — the cost is width, typically 75 to 85cm, which matters at cycle-path barriers and on narrow lanes. Trailers also stay upright if the bike falls. For a daily nursery run in British weather most parents end up with the trailer; for a five-minute hop, the seat.

What should I check on a used child trailer?

Go over the harness and the hitch first, since both are safety-critical. The five-point harness should have all straps, working buckles and no fraying at the adjusters, and the hitch must include its axle-mounting bracket and the safety strap that keeps the trailer attached if the coupling fails — those brackets are frequently missing and are model-specific. Flex the frame and look for cracks at the welds near the hitch arm, then check the fabric for UV damage: a cover that has spent years in a garden goes chalky and tears at the stitching, and the mesh and rain screen are usually the first to perish. Spin the wheels for hub play and check the tyres for cracked sidewalls, which is normal on a trailer used a few times a year. Confirm the parking brake works and the buggy wheel is present if it converts. Look for a manufacture date on the frame label — fabric and plastic beyond about ten years is worth discounting heavily.

What can my bike actually tow?

Most trailers hitch to the rear axle or a dropout bracket, so the question is whether your bike has a quick-release skewer, a bolted thru-axle needing a specific adapter, or a hub gear that complicates the fitting. Disc brakes and thru-axles are the usual sticking point on modern bikes, and the correct adapter often costs a meaningful fraction of a used trailer's price. Check the trailer's stated load limit and remember it includes the load and any conversion parts. On the bike itself, you want brakes that work properly with 40kg pushing from behind on a descent, which is worth a look at the pads before the first loaded ride.

Is a used trailer good value?

It is one of the better used buys in cycling, because children outgrow trailers in two or three years and the frames far outlast that. A well-known child trailer with clean fabric, both harnesses and the correct hitch typically goes for a third to a half of retail. Discount hard for missing hitch hardware, perished fabric or an unknown history of crash damage, since the pieces you need are usually only sold by the manufacturer. Buy new when you need a current hitch for a thru-axle bike, when the model's spares are no longer available, or when you plan to use it daily for years and the fabric's remaining life matters. The panniers and rack pages cover the alternative for lighter loads, and the wider bike accessories section covers the rest.