Review on 🚴 Enhance Your Cycling Experience with the Trail Gator Tow Bar and Accessories by Tyrone Lee

Failed to load media. I kind of wanted to take the kid on longer bike rides, but she rarely ran out of training wheels, and her kid's fixed-gear bike with small wheels never let her keep up. Tagalongs seemed like a possible solution, but they were big, heavy, expensive, and then she couldn't ride them. Then my wife found the Trailgator and it works like clockwork. I lock up the kid's bike, she gets on, I ride her through traffic and at speeds she can never pedal, and when we reach the bike lane we switch off and she bikes until she gets tired. Then I bring her back home - no flea market, no fuss. Docking and undocking takes 30 seconds at most. The connection is solid (like the entire Trailgator) and the trailed bike is right where it should be. You'll definitely notice the extra weight and need to be more careful around corners, but that's not really a problem. Pedaling the child doesn't seem to help at all, but it can make them feel like they're doing something. The hills are challenging and you can make sure you're in low gear when you're struggling with a bunch of them. But overall, I don't feel any major issues no matter how much my kid shifts, pedals, or looks around me. Just keep in mind that you're towing around 80-100 pounds of the bike and kid combo behind you. Installation is not as difficult as some people complain. The instructions are pretty clear, especially if you read them carefully and look at the attached diagrams. The design of the whole thing is actually pretty clever. I borrowed a torque wrench but in hindsight I really didn't have to worry as long as I tightened everything as tight as I could. A few points: - Make sure your seat is at the right height before you start, as you CANNOT lower it after installing the Trailgator. - Find something to use as a non-slip pad under the kids bike bracket. Someone else suggested an old camera and I ended up using a rubber carpet pad. Either way, you're going to be running those curved U-bolts as tight as you can, and you DON'T want them to slip off. This keeps the paintwork of the towed bike from getting damaged and something from slipping, which I think causes most of the complaints. Tighten your damn screws guys! - There are a number of variable parts to support different bike shapes and sizes. Read the instructions again carefully and use the options that are appropriate for your bike. Tow bike mount shims are needed to get the correct ride height and you may need to check the front mount a few times to get the correct angle. A deep-head wrench is MANDATORY for this! The same applies to the spacers that fit on the seat post and front fork. Try to see what works and be willing to give up if it doesn't work. The front stabilizer bar seems easier to mount on the handlebars than the front fork, but the YMMV depends on the bike being towed. You may have to think outside the box a little. For example, I found it easier to attach the storage bracket to the trunk mount than my rear wheel bolt since the quick release mechanism got in the way. It took an extra shim or two to set the correct spacing, but it was easy enough and the mount is rock solid. All told, this adds about 20 pounds to the stored tractor, but it's not particularly noticeable. However, you cannot use it with a rear carry case. All in all, this is a fantastic item worth every penny. I especially like that when my daughter outgrows her current bike and gains size, I can just move the bracket and tow her for a few more years. I found it pretty easy to install and works better than I expected. Great product with a very well thought out design.