Transporting children by bicycle, the bicycle trailer, everything you need to know before making the right choice.

In our previous article, we looked at the important requirements for transporting children in a bicycle seat.

Whereas now we want to focus on transporting children in a bicycle trailer. The latter is not as widespread in Italy as the bicycle seat and has its own pros and cons. There are also crash tests, which simulate various types of accidents, which show that in some cases the trailer is safer than the child seat, while in others it is not.

Let's see what the highway code says about the trailer.

Article 225 paragraph seven 7 of the Road Traffic Code explains that only trailers corresponding to the required parameters are permitted, which are:

total length of bicycle with trailer must not exceed 3 metres
while the width must not exceed 75 cm
maximum height, including that of transported children must not exceed 1 metre
maximum weight 50 kg
for night traffic, signalling on the sides, and behind the trailer, is required to signal passengers.

Bicycle trailers were initially designed to transport cargo, and only later adapted to transport children, so it is important to choose a model that is comfortable for them. Prices for a trailer suitable for transporting children start at 300 euros, but a good trailer costs more than 500 euros. The best trailers, on the other hand, made of breathable fabrics, equipped with tiltable seats and which can also be used as a pushchair cost more than 1,000 euros (so much for those who claim that TAGA BIKE costs too much!). A price far higher than the good seat, which costs around 150 euro. When choosing the best solution for you, also think about the time your little one will have to spend in it.

Returning to the requirements for the trailer, it is important that it be equipped with fairly comfortable seats for children, there must be seat belts, i fabrics must be breathable (think of the sauna effect that is created there especially in summer!).

So, what is the best way to transport children by bike, trailer or child seat? Surely it's the TAGA, (to learn more click here), but in the era ~~pre-Columbian~~, sorry, preTAGAle here are the two compared:

The trailer is more stable than the child seat (but it is also bulkier) and is the only solution when you have to transport 2 children with only one bicycle (I am talking about classic bicycles that are not specially designed, like TAGA for transporting 2 children).

The seat, especially the front one, offers more visibility to the child, who otherwise sees little or nothing in the trailer.

The maximum weight of the child/children for the trailer is 50 kg (most, however, can carry much less), while the car seat can carry a maximum of 22 kg.

During crash tests it was proven that trailers are somewhat safer than car seats during frontal accidents, while car seats are safer during some lateral accidents.

In addition, in the case of the trailer it is more difficult to control your children while riding. The bike with the trailer is also less manoeuvrable than the bike with the seat.

Now the choice is up to you, we have already made ours and it is strictly :TAGA! Find out why!