Burley Trailercycles, Bike Riding & More {Review}

Last summer my neighbors brought out this bike thing that attached a kid’s bike to an adult bike.  All the kids took turns and loved it.  Well of course my boys wanted their own so they could ride with me or my husband anytime they wanted but I just couldn’t justify the cost.  I looked at it like once the kid is too big or just wants to ride his own bike, then what would we do with the bike trailer-thing.  I thought wouldn’t it be nice to be able to turn that trailer into its own kids bike?

Well Burley, a company that is the worldwide leader in bicycle trailer design for more than 30 years, has created not only some amazing bicycle trailers but so much more.  Yes they have a bicycle trailer for kids to ride along with an adult but then you can covert that trailer into a regular child’s bike!  Their products taken into account three main aspects:  Durability, Safety and Quality.

Piccolo

The Piccolo trailercycle allows your child to learn how to ride while staying safely behind you during the trip!

It features a versatile 7-speed twist grip shifter, adjusts easily for growing children, and offers superior stability with Burley’s patented aluminum ball-bearing guided hitch. Hitch securely mounts to the Burley Tailwind™ rear rack.  Then you can turn the Piccolo into a complete bicycle.

Features:

• Weighs 18.0 lb
• Lightweight aluminum frame
• 7-speed twist grip shifter
• Front splash guard
• Innovative Burley patented hitch system with ball-bearing guided pivots to provide shimmy-free performance
• Hitch sits perpendicular to the ground, providing superior handling and stability
• Double locking mechanism for extra security
• Stable and snug in-line handling with over-axle pivot attachment
• Comes with aluminum Burley Tailwind Rack that allows for side panniers
• Adjustable handlebar and seat post
• Safety flag and both wheel and rear reflectors for visibility
• 20-inch wheel for smooth rolling
• Recommended for children 4 to 10 years old and up to 85 lb.

So the Piccolo is pretty amazing how it can be used from 4-10 years old!  It is great whether your child is starting out riding a bike or if you want to go on a longer trip and want them safely behind you.  With the hitch system you mount the rack on the adult bike and then you can snap you the Piccolo on or off the adult bike.

I love that you don’t have to install something everything you want to use or not use the Piccolo because really for me that is a dealbreaker.  The rack stays on the adult bike and doesn’t cause any interference when an adult is riding alone.  Unfortunately though we were not able to get the Piccolo attached to our bikes due to their design.  My husband is not very bike-savvy so I think for us it is worth it to take it to a bike shop to get it installed as they would definitely have the knowledge to it.  I have heard too that some will do it for free or for a small charge.  We just didn’t have the room right now for the bike since our garage was full of everything due to our crazy weather here in Chicago.

Working though with the Burley associates was great.  When we explained the problems we were having they asked for pictures and even sent us additional suggestions and clamps to try out.  I don’t think it is the design of the Piccolo that is the problem, as it was designed to mount in the safest spot possible on a bike, but rather we didn’t have the right tools or know-how.  I was definitely though impressed with the customer service and how helpful they were.  I believe too they would have kept working with us but I just decided we would take it to a bike shop in the Spring.

We were able though to convert the Piccolo Trailercycle into a complete bicycle.

Burley Plus!

Features:

• Front and rear brakes
• Burley Plus Frame with Stem and Fork
• Front Wheel
• Easily converts the Burley Piccolo or Kazoo’s main frame into a full bicycle.

The Burley Plus is awesome because it helps your child grow from the Trailercycle attached to your bike to a regular bike for them.  For us it is a huge step because all of Aidan’s bikes have been hand-me downs and not the best of bikes.  The Burley Plus bike is so sturdy and durable that I see it lasting many years with Aidan and then passed down to my other son.  My husband was easily able to convert the Burley Piccolo to the the Burley Plus bicycle for our son who had a blast riding his first “big-kid bike.”  I think what made it a bike kid bike was the brake system and being able to shift gears.  So to reiterate the Burley Plus is basically just the front of the bike, instead of attaching the Piccolo to an adult bike you attach it to the Burley Plus to complete it as a regular bicycle.

The right side of the bike here is what the Burley Plus includes and it just fits right into the Piccolo to complete it.

This is what you get in the package:

Overall, I was very impressed with the quality and highly recommend Burley if you are looking for a bike that will last and grow with your children.  Burley is not just for kids though as they other awesome looking products that attach onto an adults bicycle to allow them to carry cargo.  Its amazing how with Burley you can convert a bike into so much more.