Tandem Trail-a-bike

May 31, 2007 2:02 PM

I am in a desperate search for a tandem trail-a-bike. I know they exist but from my searching on the internet and calling local bike shops they possibly aren't being made any more. Adams seems to be the company who has made them.

I know they are around...I saw one attached to someone's car while we were driving to Oregon. Here is a picture of what one might look like.

http://madison.craigslist.org/bik/335931937.html

I'm having dreams about all the bike fun the kids and I could have this summer if I could just pull the two kids left in training wheels.

note: This is on behalf of my sister-in-law who lives in the Seattle area. She said in her email that she is hoping someone could find a used one that she could purchase.

posted by bove to Shopping (12 answers total)

What? You can buy them here in Canada just fine.

Here I am doing the BMX course at Hardwood Hills with my four-year old in tow...

http://flickr.com/photos/pinkheadedbug/477559184/in/set-72157600155695950/

The Adams website is here:
http://www.trail-a-bike.com/interface/adams.php

You are correct that the Adams is the one you want.
posted by unSane at 2:09 PM on May 31, 2007 [1 favorite]

Response by poster: unSane, but both of those you linked to just have one seat. The one my sister-in-law needs has 2 seats. She has 2 kids she needs to pull.
posted by bove at 2:11 PM on May 31, 2007

Also, you can check for retailers in the Seattle area by phoning these distributors, who Adams list on their site:

Raleigh America
#101-6004 S. 190 St.
Kent, WA 98032
Tel: [phone]

S.B.S
7620 South 192
Kent, WA 98032
Tel: [phone]
posted by unSane at 2:11 PM on May 31, 2007

Oh, sorry.
posted by unSane at 2:12 PM on May 31, 2007

I would suggest from experience that the tandem was probably taken out of manufacture for safety reasons. Two kids is a LOT of unstabilised weight to be towing, even for a really experienced cyclist.
posted by unSane at 2:13 PM on May 31, 2007

You might try to contact the Trail-a-Bike people. Politely explain what you want, and ask them who they sold tandems to. Then contact these bike shops. If you're very lucky, you'll find a shop where somebody bought the tandem, then returned it or asked the shop to sell it on consignment or something. If you're somewhat less but still very lucky, you'll find a bike shop with a tandem Trail-a-Bike gathering dust, and you'll be able to buy theirs.

On preview: dang.
posted by box at 2:14 PM on May 31, 2007

Sheldon Brown's Family Cycling page.

This may provide some alternatives. Maybe a rugged, narrow trailer would work, or a modified Bob yak trailer.

Finally, you might ask the Human Powered Vehicle group. They are into weird solutions.


Seattle HPV: http://humpowered.meetup.com/cities/us/wa/seattle/

It might be useful to step back and ask the broader question, "how can my sister cycle with two kids?" rather than be locked into just one possible solution.
posted by craniac at 2:46 PM on May 31, 2007 [1 favorite]

I want one too, so if you find an extra, let me know, 'k?

I've seen some version of this bike friday family bike used by a dad and his two young daughters, and I've often fantasized about getting one, but they cost more than 3000 bucks.
posted by serazin at 2:56 PM on May 31, 2007 [1 favorite]

This picture better captures how the bike works. Pretty snazzy.
posted by serazin at 3:02 PM on May 31, 2007

I've used a trail-a-bike plus a small trailer. Then the two children can switch off pedaling and "riding". I might suggest a Burley Piccolo as the trailerbike in this case, because it attaches to the main bike in a more secure way.

(Burley has stopped making them, apparently, but you can pick one up here or there.)

Another option is a tandem with a kidback attachment and then a trailerbike (or trailer). Although the tandem costs more it is a far better option than the trailerbike. You can keep using the tandem all the way up through the teen years & adulthood, or sell it and get a (somewhat) decent return after 5 or 10 years.
posted by flug at 6:35 PM on May 31, 2007 [1 favorite]

Best answer: This google search will give you craigslist listings for a tandem trail a bike. Set up a Google watch and it will mail you when new ones are added.

Here are the currently active listings... hopefully some will still be for sale...

http://newhaven.craigslist.org/bik/312890485.html
http://corvallis.craigslist.org/bik/332598744.html
http://slo.craigslist.org/bik/321857719.html
posted by unSane at 8:44 PM on May 31, 2007

Response by poster: Thanks for all of the suggestions. She found one on an Oregon craigslist.
posted by bove at 10:52 AM on October 5, 2007