5 Benefits Of Riding A Tag-a-long Bike With Your Kid
Life, as you know it, came to a crashing halt when the pandemic hit and if you’re as smart as we believe you are, you turned to your bike for myriad reasons. For those who had heretofore never made cycling a family affair, the industry had already debuted a clever niche: the tag-along-bike.
Thanks to these inventions, the age of your child doesn’t matter. She can still be part of your outings and the benefits just keep coming!
What is a tag-a-long bike?
It’s a generic description for a category of “rear half” units that consist of a handlebar, pedals, and rear tire. They are appropriate for kids between the ages of 4 and 8, though every child’s ability to master these units is different.
Seat heights and handlebars can usually be adjusted to customize this appendage that attaches to the parent’s bike via a tow bar.
1. Tag-a-long-bikes double down on fun so you can partner with your little one on excursions that get both of you out into the world where surprises await. From encountering neighbors as they walk their dogs to watching squirrels dart up and down trees, your shared adventures are guaranteed to buoy your spirits so you both return home feeling euphoric and grateful for your shared journeys.
By adding a tag-a-long component to your gear, parents set a great example, too. Kids who experience their parents being active tend to love being active themselves, and from a very early age.
The only part of this equation that may prove difficult has to do with having lots of kids! While some of these products accommodate more than one child, most don't, so you could teach your kids the value of patience, too.
2. Kids learn how to balance by riding tag-a-long-bikes. According to “Parents” magazine, the art of learning to balance is a major stage in the life of any child. In fact, mastering balance is “the pillar beneath every skill we have," says Marjorie Woollacott, Ph.D., professor of human physiology at the University of Oregon in Eugene.
Bicycling experiences not only teach physical skills but can even impact a child’s brain and add to his confidence levels. “Because balance can be bolstered from infancy,” say experts.
The wide range of tag-a-long bikes on today’s market leaves no age or stage of a child’s life untouched and there are plenty of experts willing to attest to the benefits that acquiring good balance early in life can impact a child's future positively in a variety of ways.
3. Children are treated to realistic bike riding experiences. Due to the unique engineering of tag-a-long bikes that transcend the sub-category of trailer (these units are designed for little ones who take a passive role in the biking experience), kids truly engage in bike operations while sitting atop their saddles.
Some tag-a-long-bikes feature standard size rear tires while others accommodate smaller ones. You can even find products in this niche that come with suspension systems and a rear brake. It takes a little time for kids to become accustomed to the experience (Mom and Dad, too).
As a rule, parents start out shouldering balancing tasks, but as kids gain confidence, they feel secure enough to engage on their own.
4. Tag-a-long-bikes are great gateways to tandem bike riding. Tag-a-long products are idyllic introductions to the tandem bike experience, but parents don't have to share control as they would on a traditional tandem bike because tandems “behave” like single-person bikes pairing double the pedaling power without doubling the speed.
If your idea of a great way to introduce the art of bicycle riding to children is to make the learning experience a three-stepper (tag-a-long to tandem to solo), you’ll be on the right track because tag-a-longs give kids similar experiences thus parents often find that it’s effortless to transition their youngsters from tag-a-long-bikes to kid-sized two-wheelers. Once your child has found their confidence in this way, you can use a 50 cm bike to start teaching them to to ride solo.
5. Tag-a-long bikes are safe. The U.S. Consumer Protection Safety Commission (CPSC) jumps on every new child-related product the moment a complaint is received. In general, tag-a-long-bikes are safe and the CPSC rarely gets complaints.
In only one instance (1998) did the agency recall a product when parents discovered that a model built by Riteway Products of California malfunctioned. Riteway had to “recall about 5,500 Cycle Design Tag-A-Long bicycle trailers to replace their U-Joints and accompanying hardware.”
Due to manufacturing and quality control issues, this company’s product was reported due to its failure of the U-Joint breaking away and “causing the trailing rider to be separated from the towing bicycle, lose control, fall and be injured.” Riteway is out of business and there hasn’t been another complaint filed with the CPSC in 23 years. If only all child-related products were this safe!