Review of TRAILER TRAIL GATOR TOW BAR Black

TRAILER TRAIL GATOR TOW BAR Black
Average Rating: 4.5 Total Reviews: 7
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Gizmo, not a real thing.

On: 2007-02-05

Do not waste your money, buy a real thing (for the same price). Makes a great donation!

Trail Gator Is Great

On: 2006-11-10

This trail gator was purchased for my daughter and grandchildren. She reports that it was an excellent purchase. She is extremely pleased with the product.

Trail Gator Is Great

On: 2006-11-09

This trail gator was purchased for my daughter and grandchildren. She reports that it was an excellent purchase. She is extremely pleased with the product.

Great Concept with One Weak Point

On: 2006-09-07

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 childs 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.

Great Concept with One Weak Point

On: 2006-09-06

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 childs 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.

The only bad thing is the marketing...

On: 2006-07-18

The only way I came across the Trail Gator was on vacation at Cape Cod, and Ive never seen one in a store; they should market this thing better. A family riding rental bikes stopped at a beach I was at; one of the bikes (OK, two if you count the kids) was equipped with a Trail Gator, and I was impressed enough that I wrote down the name. Eventually I bought one, and my now-six-year-old loves it. Also, Trail Gators flip-up training wheels are a great addition. Well designed, well-made, great instructions... what more could you ask?

The only bad thing is the marketing...

On: 2006-07-17

The only way I came across the Trail Gator was on vacation at Cape Cod, and Ive never seen one in a store; they should market this thing better. A family riding rental bikes stopped at a beach I was at; one of the bikes (OK, two if you count the kids) was equipped with a Trail Gator, and I was impressed enough that I wrote down the name. Eventually I bought one, and my now-six-year-old loves it. Also, Trail Gators flip-up training wheels are a great addition. Well designed, well-made, great instructions... what more could you ask?

Wonderful invention

On: 2006-06-30

I bought this so I could bring my daughter along for the ride. It is a wonderful invention. She was scared of it at first, but now we enjoy riding together. If you are tired of your little one lagging behind and constant stopping to let them catch up, this is the PERFECT thing for you!

Less is More

On: 2005-10-04

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 cant say enough about it.

Less is More

On: 2005-10-03

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 cant say enough about it.

Very good, capable product

On: 2005-07-11

Puchased this last week and installed it relatively easly. Being a bit particular, I had a tough time getting the the kids 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 dont think Id like to push the listed weight limit of 100lbs (didnt seem like it had a big margin). Very easiy and quick to hook-up the two bikes, but there are 2 things that youll have to remember to do or you could have an injurred little rider (but the instructions do a fine job of warning you).

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

Youll pretty quickly learn the tricks, like turning the adult bike 90 degress to the kids bike when youre 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 youve 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 dont 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 youve got a frequent need for this, then it might work with even a full-sized bike. The installation effort wouldnt make it worthwhile for a short, single use, but its an interesting idea.

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

Best family biking accessory ever!

On: 2005-06-09

This is the way to go! To me, it didnt make sense to buy a whole separate trailer bike while my son already had a really nice bike. Besides, a separate trailer bike would take up room in the garage. This unit is ideal! And people comment on it wherever we ride (Thats so cool they say). Its great that you can disconnect so easily and let the child ride on his/her own once you get away from traffic. I have raved to the point that ALL my friends with kids have purchased one. They love theirs too.

Best family biking accessory ever!

On: 2005-06-08

This is the way to go! To me, it didnt make sense to buy a whole separate trailer bike while my son already had a really nice bike. Besides, a separate trailer bike would take up room in the garage. This unit is ideal! And people comment on it wherever we ride (Thats so cool they say). Its great that you can disconnect so easily and let the child ride on his/her own once you get away from traffic. I have raved to the point that ALL my friends with kids have purchased one. They love theirs too.