My husband is an avid bicyclist so I want to buy him a bike trailer for Father's Day. Our daughter is 12 mos. and I think she would really enjoy going for rides. I've read that Burleys are amongst the safest trailers out there so I'm considering the Burley D'lite. They are pretty pricey, though, and I'd like to get some advice before I make the investment. Do you have a Burley? Was it worth the price or do you recommend another brand? Also, everyone I know says to buy the 2 child size even though we have only 1 child (probably will have another in a couple of years). Do you agree that I should go with the larger size? Finally, do you have either the strolller or the jogger kit? Would you recommend them? Thanks!
Thanks everyone for your comments. I decided to bite the bullet and get the Burley. It sounds like a lot of you who got cheaper trailers just use them around your neighborhoods. Assuming my daughter enjoys being a passenger (and who knows if that's a good assumption!), we'll be taking 30+ mile rides. I'll try to remember to let everyone know how the Burley was received by my husband and daughter after they've had some time to get used to it.
I have one and love it. I did a lot of research and found the same thing out - it is the best and the safest. I did get the double, even though we only had one little one. I was glad I did, because we found out I was pregnant soon after buying it! My girls are 4 and almost 6 now and still fit in it together. I have the jogging handle and that is great, as well. It is a breeze to push even with 2 kids and a lot of groceries!
S.
L.,
I have a 9 and a 5 year old and we are getting rid of our bike carrier this weekend in our moving sale. I have to admit that I don't know what is out there these days but ours is a double and it's from Target. We bought it 3 years ago. I put a pillow in the back for support strapped the my precious children in and rode away.
I can give you my number###-###-####) and you can call if you want to come and see it. We live in S.S.P. hope this might work. I will sell it for $45. New was $125.00-_$150.00.
Thanks,
T.
We have the Burley and really like it. We bought it new at REI (ouch), actually DH did. He is the one who uses it with our son but he likes it and really wanted the "Burley" brand. It is easy to use, store, very safe with the harness. We had 1 child when we got it and #2 on the way now. We had the same dilema about the 1- vs. 2-seater. I highly recomment getting the 2-person one. Even if you don't have another child, they might have a little friend over and want to go for a ride, and I think it ups the resale value too. We don't have the stroller kit but I do want it once we for sure have 2 so we have a nice rugged double-stroller. Check the classifieds, you may get lucky and find a gently used one and save yourself some serious money. :) Good luck!
We have the 2-child Burley. It's worth it to get it. It's lighweight and easy to fold and unfold. We have had ours for over 9 years. I would definitely get the stroller bar/jogging attachments. We use the trailer more as a stroller and wagon than as a bike trailer. The 1-child Burley is not as versatile, so get the 2 child.
I have 2 children, 6 and 14 months, and one due in July. When my son was a little guy my neighbors gave me their Burley. It was for 2 and it worked great. They took the trailer back when my son got bigger. We wanted to get a new trailer for the 2 new children so we did a lot of investigation and shopping. We learned that Burley is among the best, and yes, they are pricey. As we have been shopping we learned that Burley changed ownership and the newest models are not made as well. I can't be more specific, I think the bottom line was that they were using cheaper parts. I have a book called baby bargains that suggests buying a used burley to save money. They sell them like hot cakes on ebay. Also, you could buy one at a garage sale or I think people will bring them into bike shops.
We ended up buying a bike trailer called the Chariot. It is expensive but it is nice. THey sell them at REI. We will use this bike trailer as our double stroller. It's advantage over the burley is that the ball joint that connects something to the bike rotates so that if you wipe out, the trailer won't tip with your bike, it will stay flat. The chariot also converts to a stroller, a jogger, a hiker and if you can believe it, you can attatch skis to it if you plan on snow shoeing. All of these extras cost extra.
We LOVE it! It was expensive. They sell them on ebay as well.
My baby bargain book suggest both of these carriers and they say if you are planning on using the trailer often, spend the money. If not, a target costco whatever brand will be fine.
Hope that helps
M. K
We have the Burly D'lite and love it. We have a 4yo and a 2yo and one on the way. My husband takes them to pre-school and daycare in it on his way to work. It is perfect for the two of them. I also have the stroller conversion, and use it frequently as an outdoor stroller. It is light and manuvers well. It is too big for getting around in store though. I opted for the stroller conversion as opposed to the jogger one because it really just takes seconds to convert. I think the jogger is a bit more of a process. We got ours at the Behind Bars Bicycle shop in Northeast Minneapolis, we got their helmets there too.
Great gift idea! My husband got me a bike and trailer for Mother's Day and we love using it. Mine is an Instep - I think it was around $80 on sale. It really is nice. It comes with a stroller bar and wheel, a rain cover is attached, the seats seem comfortable, it fits 2 kids (up to 50 pounds each), and easily detaches from the bike. I am not an avid biker - we use it around the neighborhood mainly...a Burley may have some additional features that make it worth the extra $?
Hubby and I were in the market for the Burley when our daughter was born, but got an off-brand one from Walmart for about $100 as a gift. It is a two-seater, and came with a front-wheel/handlebar that turn it into a stroller. We use it maybe 4 times/month on average, or maybe a little bit more (would use it more, but she wants to move on her own power, ie walk). We love it! Daughter is now 2 years old, and she cannot sit comfortably in her old stroller (head above backrest, etc), so I just use the bike stroller when I want to take her for a stroll. She can fit her doll into the second child slot, and there is lots of room for gear. I think it would work as a jogger as well just with the wheel/handlebar attached. I don't think you can go wrong with this type of purchase. Good luck!
We checked Ebay for a Burley, but never was able to get a decent price. We ended up getting a Schwinn at Target for under $100 and it is ever bit as good as the Burley. Both our boys fit in it (ages 2 & 4). We just couldn't justify the money for a Burley.
We have one from Target, its a two seater wit ha sling seat and we love it. ITs been used at least once a day from March until November for thel ast 5 years, and its held up great, never had a problem with it at all. Came with a rain cover and it holds two kids, and we got it for under $100, I think itw as $79. I can't justify the price of a Burley, to me you are just ubying hte name. Ours from Target is great, its in perfect shape, and its been used continuously for 5 years and I'm very happy with it.
Hello L.,
We bought a Burley a few years ago when my son was about your daughters age. We did by the larger one that seats tow, and we're glad we did. It gives the child a little more room, and works well if you carry a little too much stuff with you when your going biking. You can center your child in the middle when there is only one in there. It was definately worth the price. We chose not to buy the stroller hit/ jogger kit because we had a nice stroller at the time. This is definatley a MUST HAVE for the avid and non avid bycyclist.
We have a 2 child size burley (even though you have 1 kid, the extra room is nice for toys and such). Ours can be used as a bike cart and we also have the adaptor so you can walk with it.
We love ours and would highlly recommend it. However, we bought ours used and I don't think I would pay full price for one if we had to do it again. Try Craigslist.org their is usually people on there selling them. Make sure to get one with the walking kit as well (handle and front wheel).
They collapse easily for transport..
Good Luck..
We have a 2seater Burley, with only one child riding in it. It is great and we love it. It offers a very smooth ride and has covers in case it rains or too much sun. The resell value on these is very high
I got a Burley D'lite a few years ago when we only had our first son. It was super expensive, so I decided to try out ebay. Unfortunatly, I didn't get the best deal (my first time buying something from there) but I think it is a great thing to have. We had the double one because it does give your child more room. We now have two and I have to say it is a little cramped in there with the two boys (4 and almost 2). I think the newer ones are nicer too because they don't fall into eachother as much. My oldest son loved riding in there and would fall asleep every time. My youngest isn't quite sure what to make of it. I think wearing the helmet is the most uncomfortable thing for them, but now that they are bigger, it is getting better. If your husband is a big biker, I would probably go with the best. I would say too that it is worth getting the stroller feature, especially if you run or even plan on walking a lot. It is a nice feature. Makes the Burley more usable.
My husband and I just went through this decision process two months ago. We ended buying the D'lite with a stroller kit. So far we've only put our daughter in it, but it's nice to have the extra room in there with the two seater for toys and things. I definately would get the stroller kit if you plan to use it for walking vs. jogging. The walking wheel is small and turns and keep be left on when hooked up to the bike. The jogger wheel is bigger, doesn't turn and needs to be removed when hooked up to the bike. We use ours quite a bit as a stroller for walks around the neighborhood and our daughter loves it. Also, make sure you are getting the 2007 model. It has a few new and improved features over the 2006. We got ours at REI.
P.
I have a Burley D'lite for sale - we used it twice and loved it!!! We also have the Jogger kit, new in the box if you are interested!
Smiles - S.
We have the Burley - I love it especially using it as a jogger. I don't have anything to compare it to... but we've been very happy with it. We do have the double and I would recommend it. If you don't end up needing the extra seat for a child it would be nice to give them some extra room for a stuffed animal or something. My two kids (2 1/2 & 1 1/2) are a little tight in there... but they love sitting next to each other. I use it everyday for walks to the park, etc.
Not sure if you considered a bike seat instead . . . we have the bobike mini and our son absolutely loves it! I like it because he's close to me, not dragging behind where I can't see him. Got it at One Step Ahead. Happy riding!
We got a 2 child burley last summer off Craigslist. Great price, great product. The original owners had it for 8 years, but you never would have known it...it was in great shape. So, at least you know they hold up well. We use it quite often (great for garage sales in the neighborhood), and our kids love it.
Good Luck!
