The first thing you need to consider is the actual vehicle that you’ll be driving in which you want to use to carry your bikes. Is it a car, truck, SUV or minivan? Also, consider you (or whoever the driver will be). The reason that this is an important consideration is that sometimes people get themselves a roof rack to carry their bikes before thinking about what it takes to actually load the bikes on them. If the person loading the bikes is relatively small and the vehicle has a high roofline such as a minivan or SUV, you can imagine the potential problems that could arise.

Other aspects to consider regarding the vehicle include whether or not it has been asked Turnley mounted spare tire on the back. If it does, you might want to consider a spare tire bike rack that accommodates this fact. Or, if your vehicle has a standard 2 inch trailer hitch, a hitch mount bike rack can be a wonderful solution.

If you drive a car and imagine that you want to have a trunk mounted bike rack, does your car have a spoiler? If it does, this can cause problems for certain bike racks. Of course there are others that accommodate this situation perfectly well. One of those is the Saris Bones bike rack. Not only is this an extremely popular option for people with cars with spoilers, but this rack is one of the most versatile, adaptable by cracks anywhere. On top of that, the aesthetics and design are really something to be admired. Plus, they come in a variety of fun colors… instead of just your basic black like most other bike racks.

One more thing to consider is whether you want a bike rack that is permanently affixed to your vehicle or not (relatively permanently anyways). In other words, will you have to look up your bike rack each and every time you want to travel with your bike? Many people like this option because the amount of time they drive with the bike is a relatively tiny fraction of the overall time that they drive their car. Therefore they are happier to not have to mess with a bike rack all the time.

On the other hand, other people prefer to not have to mess with the rack when they’re ready to go riding; just load up the bikes and go. The other benefit to this kind of bike rack system is that the rack itself is safely and securely mounted to your car so there is no concern about theft when you’re off on your bike ride.

And speaking of security, how securely will your bike be attached to the rack and how securely is the rack attached to the vehicle? Like so many other things in life, you get what you pay for. Cutting corners and buying a no name brand rack with no proven history of quality manufacturing or reputable company name to stand behind it might save you a few dollars today, but what is the cost of peace of mind regarding the security of your bike? Or the safety of other travelers on the road? By buying well established, well-known brands in the car bike racks business such as Thule, Yakima, Saris, Swagman or others, you will know that you and your bikes will arrive safely at your riding destination and back home, without concerns.

I have to admit that I was initially looking at a Burley bike trailer, and it looked very good. In fact, no one I spoke to really had anything negative to say about it whatsoever. Nonetheless, we decided on the Schwinn Joyrider and we have absolutely no regrets. Its 20 inch lightweight alloy wheels allow it to be pushed and pulled easily while also creating a smooth ride for my kids and minimizing the weight I need to pull. Though I can’t give all the credit to the smooth ride to those wheels; this high-end child’s bike trailer actually is built with shocks for added comfort. How about that!

As for the cockpit itself, it’s plenty roomy for the kids and has a very secure harness that allows me to relax knowing they are fully secure in their seat. Probably the most impressive feature of this baby bike trailer is the fact that it very easily converts into a jogging stroller. So now we have not only the child trailer but also a high-performance, smooth riding stroller and baby jogger to. Nice.

There are plenty of pockets for snacks and drinks as well as a parent tray on top. The handle is adjustable so that it works well for both my wife and I for walks and runs. On top of all this, this entire contraption folds down easily and compactly the quick release wheels so that it easily fits in the back of your car trunk.

Since buying my Schwinn bike trailer I’ve subtly noticed a lot of other like-minded parents who decided to make the same purchase decision we did. It’s funny, it’s kind of like when you get a new car and think it’s something really special and all the sudden you notice every other car on the road seems to be just like yours. Oh well, it just means there are more kids out there hitting out riding with their parents and doing it in comfort and safety.

I’ve also spoken to a number of people who had made different purchase decisions prior to this one. I kept hearing the same thing over and over; “I had a (Bell, Instep, Croozer, and several other brands I don’t remember) brand bike trailer stroller before this, and this Schwinn right trailer absolutely blows that one away.” I’ve been very happy to hear this because it is on the higher end of the price range for these kind of bike trailers, but it sounds like paying less money would have been no bargain in the long run.

The bottom line is, I’m sure those other baby bike trailers are perfectly fine and perfectly safe. It’s just once you find the one that fits your lifestyle like a glove the way this Schwinn Joyrider bicycle trailer does for us, you can’t help but feel good about your purchase.

The nice thing about the frame mounted child carrier mentioned above that you may not be aware of if you haven’t looked into these yet, is that they are made of very well, with a lot of adjustable components to keep your child snug and safe, including things such as a five point harness and adjustable foot rests (this allows the seat to grow as your child grows).

Many parents prefer the rear mounted child carrier to the one that rests in front of them. This makes sense when you consider how many times you’ve been writing and taken a leaf, bug or paddle to the face. The thought of your child’s receiving those impacts instead of you is often more than enough to sway parents to purchase the rear mounted carrier. In addition, the thought of the ever possible crash has to cross every parent’s mind. The thought of crashing into and on top of your child is just too freaky for many parents to accept.

On the other hand, some parents don’t like the idea of not being able to keep a eye on their child while they ride, and not being able to interact with them. This is led to a growing popularity of front mounted bicycle Child carriers. Some of these amounts directly in front of the saddle and while they might require a slight alteration to your stance and pedal stroke, most have been designed well enough to keep its alteration to a minimum. One popular model with a slightly different mounting position is the iBert Safe-T Front Mounted Child Bicycle Seat. This has been particularly well received by taller riders who had to adjust their riding style just too much with the other style of front mounted carriers (to the point of not even being able to ride reasonably well). By mounting this carrier on the stem, and with its uniquely angled and positioned design, you as the rider can easily keep an eye on your child and interact with them while they are protected from oncoming debris.

Advancements in mounting bracket technology also makes these Child carriers quick and easy to mount and dismount, so you’re not stuck with it if you want to go for a solo ride. In addition, consumers seem to report that despite repeated mount and dismount tank of the hardware on their bikes, the mounting brackets and screws remain snug and secure, at least on the better-known brands. Some of the brands most highly ranked by consumers inclued Bell (such as the Bell Classic Bicycle Child Carrier or the Bell Cocoon Rack Mounted Bicycle Child Carrier), and the CoPilot Limo Bicycle Child Seat.

The other way you may choose to bring your child along on your bike rides is with a bicycle trailer. While you may not have the same ability to interact directly with your child, you can ride constantly knowing that they are completely protected in their own little cocoon. A few of the other added benefits of this type of bicycle Child carrier is that you can bring along more than one child at a time. In addition, many can quickly convert into a stroller making it a very versatile option.

By finding the right child by carrier for your needs, accompanied by a proper car bike rack for your vehicle, the outdoors and the wonderful world of bicycling really is your oyster for you and your child (or children).