Cyclists.

[Chippy_Tea]

Because many car drivers do not see a trailer which is lower than the cyclists. Two young children in that is bloody crazy. Would you put your young children in one of those.

Did you miss my earlier post about the big flag?

Have you any statistics for trailers being hit by motorists that didn't see them or kids being killed or injured when using a tagalong i wasn't aware towing either put them at high risk of being hit.

 

[Chippy_Tea]

I never took mine on a main road but as jjsh sasys above why are they at any more danger than if on a normal cycle?

 

[marshbrewer]

They are no lower than children on children's bikes, and yes, I would put my kids in one of those. I did when they were younger.

If you couldn't see those kids when driving, @Cheshire Cat , you need to put your driving license in the bin.

 

[Cheshire Cat]

How do you perceive the children in that photo are more at risk than if they were on their own individual cycles exactly?

Would you let those children on bikes on a road with cars and lorries.

 

[Cheshire Cat]

They are no lower than children on children's bikes, and yes, I would put my kids in one of those. I did when they were younger.

If you couldn't see those kids when driving, @Cheshire Cat , you need to put your driving license in the bin.

Personal insults tut tut , if someone's opinion doesn't match yours then insults.

 

[marshbrewer]

It's not a personal insult, it's a simple driving fact. If you are unable to see a child on a child sized bike on the road, in daylight, you shouldn't be driving. An optician may be able to help. Top tip, when he says you need glasses, that isn't a personal insult either, he's also just pointing out the obvious. Jeez.

Would you let those children on bikes on a road with cars and lorries.

Yes, all roads have cars and lorries. Not sure what your point is.

 

[Chippy_Tea]

It's not a personal insult, it's a simple driving fact. If you are unable to see a child on a child sized bike on the road, in daylight, you shouldn't be driving

Spot on and like you I have used a tagalong and had no worries whatsoever about my child's safety.
I did stay off the main road here in peak times but having said that I didn't cycle on my own at those times it's a dangerous road at rush hour.

 

[Leon103]

Would you let those children on bikes on a road with cars and lorries.

My boy as been riding on road since he was 4, with adult supervision.

 

[Poddyc]

All eggs in one basket?

Single point of catastrophic failure on connection of tagalong w/ seat post.

Sheared bolt of fastening in traffic on busy road would look like a butchers shop at closing time!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jesus_nut?wprov=sfla1

 

[Cheshire Cat]

All eggs in one basket?

Single point of catastrophic failure on connection of tagalong w/ seat post.

Sheared bolt of fastening in traffic on busy road would look like a butchers shop at closing time!

Exactly just my point.

 

[Chippy_Tea]

Single point of catastrophic failure on connection of tagalong w/ seat post.
Sheared bolt of fastening in traffic on busy road would look like a butchers shop at closing time!

This is what connects the tagalong to the cycle as you can see its a very simple device with few moving parts and highly unlikely to break under normal use in fact i have never heard or read a news article where one has failed leading to injury or death.

To shear a bolt that size you would have to have a kid that weighed two ton sat on the tagalong with the wheel missing

 

[Poddyc]

@Chippy_Tea, don't disagree with you re. probability of bolt shear (it was just an example). Though failure through fatigue rather than load is more likely.

But there are other modes of failure. I've witnessed carbon seat post failure (without tagalong) which was pretty spectacular on a trail, nevermind on a road.

Manufacturers are keen to divorce themselves from liability, with detailed instructions prescribing set up, maintenance and use. Many riders ignore the caveats, happy to risk all on poorly maintained bikes.

Only this last week I helped a kid refit his pedal which had fallen off mid ride. Had it been in traffic, it could have been a nightmare!

Each to their own, but I'd personally prefer not to subject the survival of my entire family to a single point of mechanical failure.

Incidentally, Trail-a-bike state...

Recommendations:
• We recommend using only a high quality chromoly seat post to tow the
Trail-A-Bike. Seat posts made of thin alloy, steel, or carbon fiber, could
bend or break.

I'll bet most riders haven't given it a consideration.

 

[Chippy_Tea]

Each to their own, but I'd personally prefer not to subject the survival of my entire family to a single point of mechanical failure.

That is your choice but if you use that analogy you wouldn't leave the house, every time you get in your car with your family you put them at risk of component failure at much higher speeds and then you have the risk of other road users coming towards you suffering the same, as i said i have never heard of a single tagalong clamp failing causing injury or death.

I can understand people not wanting to go into heavy traffic with a tagalong as the risk of being hit is always there but i never did that so was happy using mine.

 

[Poddyc]

@Chippy_Tea, re analogy ref...

To clarify, the primary issue I see is 'single point of failure'.

Mechanical failure with 'redundancy' is a much better option (as required to be employed in design by any motor manufacturer).

My second point is separating out probability of failure from degree of catastrophic consequences, in the unlikely event of it ever happening.

I'm a keen career cyclist. I ride a very well maintained fleet of bikes. I know I'm taking risks whenever I take on traffic.

I'm just keen to minimise risk where reasonably possible - and where I cannot eliminate risk, then I want to keep away from catastrophic consequences.

But as stated earlier - 'each to their own'.

 

[Chippy_Tea]

But as stated earlier - 'each to their own'.

 

[Poddyc]

BTW, there's a fair few product recall notices and worrying accident stats relating to child tagalong use and hitch mechanism failure in link below (though I appreciate that it's published by a very interested party).

http://www.childinjuryfirm.com/blog...d-seats-what-are-their-hazards-and-risks.aspx

 

[Chippy_Tea]

BTW, there's a fair few product recall notices and worrying accident stats relating to child tagalong use and hitch mechanism failure in link below (though I appreciate that it's published by a very interested party).

I stopped reading here -

Child & Birth Injury Lawyer

 

[Poddyc]

Agreed, not my favourite people either, but they cannot lie about the product recall notices nor accident stats...

 

[Chippy_Tea]

Agreed, not my favourite people either, but they cannot lie about the product recall notices nor accident stats...

Is there any actual stats for tagalong coupling failure i haven't time to read through it all.

I did google "Tagalong coupling failure" and come up with nothing.
(apart from one product recall from several years ago)

 

[Poddyc]

Yes, coupling failure's in there. (Tried to C&P but phone wouldn't let me).