Adventure with Alex

Last Fall I purchased a Burley Bee Bike Trailer from EMS North Conway. Last October we took it out for Alex’s first bike ride on a 5.26 mile loop, and while it performed great I wanted to get some more mileage on it before posting a more detailed review.  This Spring the trailer is seeing some use, and after a half dozen rides including the Maine Mountain Division Trail in Fryeburg, ME and our longest ride yet a few days ago, 18 miles round-trip, I’m ready to share my thoughts.

The Good:

Cost/Value: Definitely the most affordable trailer in its class, the sticker price on this one is a huge relief after discovering many bike trailers can cost 3-4 times as much. Despite the modest price it feels incredibly well built. The nylon canvas is thick and well stitched, the UV blocking side windows are top quality, and the hitching system is simple to use.

The Best:

Convenience! This trailer only weighs 18.5lbs! Weight is important for two reasons. Obviously you don’t want to pull more weight than you have to up hill or into a headwind, but this trailer is so light you can forget it is there on the flats. In addition, after breaking it down for storage, which BTW is so amazingly fast and simple I think NASA had a part in the design of this thing, it is easy to lift the collapsed trailer to toss in the back of the car. Collapsed, it easily fits in the cargo area of my Toyota Matrix (all seats up)… that was unexpected.

The Bad:

Well, not exactly bad, but this is where some of the more expensive models might suit you. Almost all the other models have the option to convert to strollers/joggers and sometimes ski trailers. There are no converting options with this model, it is a bike trailer only. So we are stuck with packing our jogger alongside for road trips, or going without a jogger and just packing our kid carrier. Not the end of the world, but an important consideration. If you are in the market for a jogger + a bike trailer, you could save some money, and storage space, by upgrading to the Burley Encore so you have that option.

Last thoughts:

One of the best family purchases for those with infant/toddlers. Riding is an awesome way to get exercise and these trailers keep the kiddos quite comfortable in varying weather conditions. I plan on ordering an extra hitch piece for my wife’s bike so we don’t need to transfer that small piece every time we switch who the hauler is.

Some related video reviews that show assembly:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HgFnSYgBDfE

This one show’s the similar model, the Encore, being folded:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qPDJABD7UNE

Hope you found this helpful, and thanks for reading!