[bckpack]

I've just packed up the Adam's trail-a-bike that I ordered a few weeks ago to send it back. The main issue was that the hitch didn't work. Attaching the TAB to the hitch was very difficult and removing it was near impossible. I actually had to remove my seatpost and then work the hitch loose from the TAB. I'm not sure why this was but it obviously wasn't correct.

I planned to get a replacement Adam's model but I'm not sure now. I really was pretty disappointed with the Adam's overall. I thought they were one of the best out there but what I saw was a roughly put together, low quality unit. Granted, I didn't really know what to expect but I just wan't too excited after unboxing it.

Are the Trek Mountain Trains any better? There are a few of those available locally, used but in good shape. Their hitch seems much more substantial but is it better?
I also saw the WeeRide Pro Pilot at Amazon which could save a few pounds being aluminum and is $140ish but it could be total crap.

My son loved riding on the TAB so I need to come up with a replacement soon. Anyone have the experience to compare multiple brands?

 

[zazen]

I have been using an Adams for almost 2 years now. Yes, I agree, the hitch has a very tight tolerance and is a bit more difficult to set up. On the other hand, I am riding with my 5 year old on my local singletrack trails, the same ones I ride without him, and am glad the tolerance is tight, it has stood up to some really heavy use and has stood up really well. I have not tried any other trail-a-bike but am completely satisfied with it. So in the end, I cannot judge the other brands but I don't know that you should swear off Adam's all together. One trick to get things to line up correctly is to use the handlebars of the trail-a-bike and rock it forth just a bit to get it to insert correctly. Same thing with taking it off. Good luck with the next one. Post some pics. We just got back from a ride this evening and my son was giggling so hard on the downhills because he was having so much fun. Enjoy the time, I think it is some of the best time spent.

 

[jtrops]

Out of all of the trailer bikes I've seen I haven't seen anything that comes close to the quality of the Burley Piccolo. Unfortunately, when Burley sold their brand, and the production moved to China they stopped production of the Piccolo. I picked one up used, and it has been rock solid and a great performer. It's unfortunate that you can't buy a new one anymore, but maybe that will change in the future. It really is in a different class than every other version I've seen.

 

[zul]

In my experience, you will have setup issues with any trailer bike or child add-on thingy. My wife's bike and my bike have quick releases. So we purchased a second seat post and second saddle (for each bike). This allowed for us to have a permanent kid bike setup (using the quick release on the bike) and non-kid ride with origional post/saddle setup.

For example, my wife's bike has a THIN seat tube and post. We had to use the white plastic collar (provided by Adams) AND add a plastic wrap from a cut up garden hose. My bike has a FAT seat tube/post so we couldn't use the white plastic collar privided by Adams. We used 2 wraps of blown tubes to make my kid bike setup work. Adams will get you started but you have to 'create' a system that works for your bike. A bit-o engineering and off you go.

Loved our Adams trail-a-bikes. Quick setup and easy. Burly and durable. Hoping that I understand your dilemna .... maybe that'll help for future rigs.

Good luck. Ride on.

 

[PTforty]

Burley Piccolo selling again

btw, Burley started selling the Piccolo again in 2012.

We purchased a used Piccolo off of Craigslist, and we love it. As long as you can get a rear bike rack onto your bike, then there should be no setup problems. The main issue we had were that my daughter's legs were a bit too short to reach the pedals at the bottom of the stroke. We fixed this by getting some crank-arm shorteners.

Another problem was that I couldn't transport the Piccolo on my car's roof rack (the newer models fold, but the one I had was from 2007 and didn't). After searching around a lot, I found out that the Yakima Raptor Aero Rooftop Upright Bike Rack can fit the Piccolo perfectly.

 

[coldbike]

+1 for Burley Piccolo, they are tough and don't wobble.
The Tout Terrain ones are really good as well and have effective suspension.
I owned an Adams for two years but did not like it at all. I consider them barely rideable.

 

[TIC]

Another vote for the Burley Piccolo. I bought mine during the period when they were out of production and I had to pay a pretty penny for it. I also had to drive 300 miles to pick it up. However the Piccolo is that much better than the Adams, Trek, etc, so it was worth the price and the effort. It does wobble at all and it doesn't jerk the pilot off line like the ones that attach to the seatpost. I even used mine on some easy gravel/dirt trails.

It's great that they are back in production and readily available. They are expensive, but well worth the extra money if you can afford it.

 

[ReXTless]

Wee-hoo.