Non-motoring > Bicycle towing bicycle.	Accessories and Parts
Thread Author: FotheringtonTomas	Replies: 37

New Tue 19 Oct 10 21:28   Bicycle towing bicycle. - FotheringtonTomas

I've a hankering to cycle to work when it's local. My son wants to cycle to school. Due to various factors, if this happens, it will be necessary for me to accompany him to school, then go on to work, with his bicycle. With a "tag bike", this was easy - but now he's got a "proper" bicycle. How do I carry, tow, or otherwise deal with it? Reply to this message | Report message

New Tue 19 Oct 10 21:43   Bicycle towing bicycle. - rtj70

Bike shed at school? Or is that too obvious and easy? PS FT I had you down as aged 50-60 so you must be younger than I thought. I got that from your posts by the way... I.e. older than me. My youngest step son is 21. Last edited by: rtj70 on Tue 19 Oct 10 at 21:45 Reply to this message | Report message

New Tue 19 Oct 10 22:11   Bicycle towing bicycle. - FotheringtonTomas

I need to carry, tow, or otherwise deal with it. It's a problem. Edit: Um. Perhaps a "trail gator" might do the trick. Has anyone here used one? Any good? Last edited by: FotheringtonTomas on Tue 19 Oct 10 at 22:13 Reply to this message | Report message

New Tue 19 Oct 10 22:20   Bicycle towing bicycle. - FotheringtonTomas

Oh rear ends. It seems to cater for (up to) 20" wheeled towed bicycles only. The one I want to tow has 24" wheels. I don't want to tow the thing with the boy riding it, of course - this is just to move the machine from "A" to "B", wherever I go. Reply to this message | Report message

New Tue 19 Oct 10 22:33   Bicycle towing bicycle. - Bromptonaut

Seriously, why can't his bike be left at school? The CTC have a right to ride to school thing going at the moment. Not an issue for me now kids are at comprehensive but I wish I'd had the resource when the Primary head said riding to school was 'unnecessary' Reply to this message | Report message

New Tue 19 Oct 10 22:37   Bicycle towing bicycle. - FotheringtonTomas

He cannot leave his bike at school. This isn't because "he's not allowed to". I need to carry or tow it or otherwise transport the thing, riding my bicycle. Reply to this message | Report message

New Tue 19 Oct 10 22:44   Bicycle towing bicycle. - rtj70

Tandem it is then. Reply to this message | Report message

New Tue 19 Oct 10 22:48   Bicycle towing bicycle. - FotheringtonTomas

>> Tandem it is then. Oh. *there's* an idea. It doesn't give him the independence I'd wanted, though. Better than a "tag bike", perhaps. Reply to this message | Report message

New Tue 19 Oct 10 22:48   Bicycle towing bicycle. - CGNorwich

I can't envisage any safe way of towing a bicycle with another bicycle - even if you built a trailer it would just too unwieldy and inherently dangerous Reply to this message | Report message

New Tue 19 Oct 10 22:48   Bicycle towing bicycle. - Bromptonaut

>> He cannot leave his bike at school. This isn't because "he's not allowed to". Sorry I'm still not grasping this. I just don't understand why you are in this position. WHY can't the bike be left at school? I'm not being difficult. The right to choose a bike as a means of transport is one of the few things in life I'm militant about. If money is no object and he's big enough to ride one can you carry a collapsed folding bike on your bike's luggage rack? Reply to this message | Report message

New Tue 19 Oct 10 22:51   Bicycle towing bicycle. - Bromptonaut

Try cross posting the question at www.cyclechat.net/ Reply to this message | Report message

New Tue 19 Oct 10 23:39   Bicycle towing bicycle. - Stuu

Why not get hold of one of those bike trailers for little kids, make a few mods to secure the front wheel of sons bike and keep it upright and your sorted. I imagine the frame of the trailer has the basics to do this. It would be hard going unless son has a lightweight bike though. Reply to this message | Report message

New Wed 20 Oct 10 08:23   Bicycle towing bicycle. - Cliff Pope

>> >>WHY can't the bike be left at school? >> >> >> a) because it is a very valuable bike. He likes showing it off to to his friends, but it will be stolen if he leaves it. b) because it is a cheap crappy bike and he doesn't want his friends to see it c) because nobody just NOBODY cycles in his crowd, so he has to get off just up the road and then pretend he has been dropped off by an enormous SUV. Reply to this message | Report message

New Wed 20 Oct 10 09:28   Bicycle towing bicycle. - Iffy

I've 'towed' a bike in the past, but only over a short distance. The method is to line the bikes up side by side, with riderless machine on the nearside. Grasp it by its handlebar stem with your left hand, and set off steering your bike with your right. Works fine on level ground. Reply to this message | Report message

New Wed 20 Oct 10 11:01   Bicycle towing bicycle. - FotheringtonTomas

>> WHY can't the bike be left at school? It would not be helpful - in fact, it would be distinctly *unhelpful*. Reply to this message | Report message

New Wed 20 Oct 10 09:30   Bicycle towing bicycle. - hawkeye

You might find a bit of inspiration in this thread. Check out some of the photos; www.bikeforums.net/archive/index.php/t-363749.html I think taking the front wheel off and strapping the forks into a pannier would be simplest. >> The method is to line the bikes up side by side, with riderless machine on the nearside. >> Grasp it by its handlebar stem with your left hand, and set off steering your bike with your >> right. The Americans call that "ghostriding" Last edited by: hawkeye on Wed 20 Oct 10 at 09:32 Reply to this message | Report message

New Wed 20 Oct 10 09:49   Bicycle towing bicycle. - Cliff Pope

Just like hitching a tow from a lorry, as we used to do in the bad old days. Reply to this message | Report message

New Wed 20 Oct 10 11:07   Bicycle towing bicycle. - Pat

I caught two lads doing that once at the rear end of my trailer on the near side. I stopped, jumped out and ran round to them. They were so shocked at seeing a female flying witch in full flight, they stood there like quivering wrecks while I lectured them. I bet they never do it again though. It wasn't anger on my part, just shock and fear at what could have happened to them. Pat Last edited by: pda on Wed 20 Oct 10 at 11:08 Reply to this message | Report message

New Wed 20 Oct 10 11:00   Bicycle towing bicycle. - FotheringtonTomas

>> You might find a bit of inspiration in >> www.bikeforums.net/archive/index.php/t-363749.html Thank you, that's interesting. >> (>> ) "ghostriding" I'm not doing *that* for 6 miles several days a week! Reply to this message | Report message

New Wed 20 Oct 10 20:14   Bicycle towing bicycle. - Harleyman

>> >> >> The method is to line the bikes up side by side, with riderless machine >> on the nearside. >> >> Grasp it by its handlebar stem with your left hand, and set off steering >> your bike with your >> right. >> >> The Americans call that "ghostriding" >> And I'd call it asking for trouble on British roads; furthermore since you couldn't operate both brakes on either bike, I'd suggest that in the likely event of an accident, a police officer could reasonably say that you were not in proper control of your machine, which I think is still an offence. There's also the fact that you'd be unable to do hand signals, although that is admittedly an affliction which 99% of cyclists suffer from anyway. Funny how if I as a lorry driver take one hand off my wheel to scratch my butt there are people screaming that I'm driving dangerously, but if it's a bicycle then people come up with daft ideas like this. Reply to this message | Report message

New Wed 20 Oct 10 20:19   Bicycle towing bicycle. - Iffy

...then people come up with daft ideas like this... Harleyman, Relax, I was talking about wobbling along a country lane at little more than jogging pace. Although I accept that scratching one's bottom at the same time would be a challenge. Reply to this message | Report message

New Wed 20 Oct 10 20:33   Bicycle towing bicycle. - Runfer D'Hills

I've used the what I now know is called "ghostriding" technique regularly when I was younger but I would urge caution with that. I had a nasty spill when the "ghost" bike got a wobble on and I managed to damage both bikes and myself quite noticeably. Not recommended. What I have seen used is a standard rear luggage / pannier rack on the towing bike with a spindle ( bicycle front axle ) clamped on to the rearmost part of it with jubilee clips. The guy had a quick release on the towed bike's front wheel. He took the front wheel off the bike to be towed and dropped its front forks onto the rack mounted spindle and tightened it up. Bungeed the now separate front wheel on to the towed bike's handlebars and off he went. Seemed to work. He fixed bikes for a living and went to collect and deliver some of them like that. I suppose it would work equally well with standard axle nuts but would just take a wee bit longer and the use of a spanner to do it up. Might be worth a try. Last edited by: Humph D'bout on Wed 20 Oct 10 at 20:34 Reply to this message | Report message

New Thu 21 Oct 10 01:01   Bicycle towing bicycle. - devonite

try knocking at a nearby house and asking if it would be possible to leave it in thier shed/garage during the day, in exchange for a small parking fee of course! Reply to this message | Report message

New Thu 21 Oct 10 08:30   Bicycle towing bicycle. - Cliff Pope

>> try knocking at a nearby house and asking if it would be possible to leave >> it in thier shed/garage during the day, in exchange for a small parking fee of >> course! >> The bike cannot be left anywhere. I am not at liberty to disclose the reason. Reply to this message | Report message

New Thu 21 Oct 10 10:09   Bicycle towing bicycle. - rtj70

>> The bike cannot be left anywhere But it can be left at your place of work? So it can be left somewhere other than home ;-) Reply to this message | Report message

New Thu 21 Oct 10 13:17   Bicycle towing bicycle. - FotheringtonTomas

>> >> The bike cannot be left anywhere >> >> But it can be left at your place of work? Yes, that's where I want to get it. As long as it goes with me, that's fine. Reply to this message | Report message

New Thu 21 Oct 10 13:16   Bicycle towing bicycle. - FotheringtonTomas

>> try knocking at a nearby house and asking if it would be possible to leave >> it in thier shed That would not be helpful - the same reason as it can't be left at school! The thing's got to go with me. Reply to this message | Report message

New Thu 21 Oct 10 06:08   Bicycle towing bicycle. - Biggles

One solution would be a flat bed trailer with a car roof rack bike carrier fixed to it. www.spoke.co.uk/cycle_trailers.htm www.thule.com/en-GB/GB/Products/BikeCarriers.aspx Reply to this message | Report message

New Thu 21 Oct 10 08:41   Bicycle towing bicycle. - Bagpuss

What about this: www.trail-gator.com/accessories.htm Maybe also available in the UK? Reply to this message | Report message

New Thu 21 Oct 10 10:45   Bicycle towing bicycle. - Bromptonaut

Trailgator(or sometihng similar) are avilable in the UK but I think we've established above that the bike is too big. Reply to this message | Report message

New Thu 21 Oct 10 10:49   Bicycle towing bicycle. - Bromptonaut

From what we know something based on a Burley or similar trailer with the son's bike wheels coming off to reduce volume is going to be the only answer. Reply to this message | Report message

New Thu 21 Oct 10 13:19   Bicycle towing bicycle. - FotheringtonTomas

I suppose it might not be too big if I bent the bar a bit straighter. I don't know how much of an encumberance these things are. Have you used one? Reply to this message | Report message

New Thu 21 Oct 10 13:38   Bicycle towing bicycle. - Bromptonaut

Friends have used them sucessfully. Never tried one myself, just accepted that for a few years the limit was what the youngest could do. The limit now is what the wife and I can do; perhaps I could get my son to tow me? Seriously, they're the sort of thing most people only use for a few years, should be plenty at carboots or on fleebay. Reply to this message | Report message

New Thu 21 Oct 10 17:38   Bicycle towing bicycle. - Dr_Rubber

I've used one for a small bike with stabilisors. In this configuration they are fine, the bike behind is quite stable. Without the stabilisors it was iffy until my kids could balance. Not sure I would want to tow an "empty" cycle with one! Joe Reply to this message | Report message

New Thu 21 Oct 10 17:41   Bicycle towing bicycle. - BobbyG

You drive to school while he cycles, park your car there and then cycle the rest of the way to your work? Incidentally, you haven't mentioned the home journey, do you meet him at the gates (or down the road from them) on the way home again? Failing that, is it too far to give a backie??? :) Reply to this message | Report message

New Fri 22 Oct 10 10:19   Bicycle towing bicycle. - FotheringtonTomas

It is indeed a logistical problem. His bicycle cannot be left at school for this reason. It must go with me. If it can't be done, he can't cycle to school. It might be possible, if this "trail gator" thing is as useless as is reported, to construct some sort of arrangement on the pannier which I could buy for my bicycle. Reply to this message | Report message

New Fri 22 Oct 10 12:02   Bicycle towing bicycle. - henry k

It cannot be bad Tesco sell it :-) Reply to this message | Report message

New Fri 22 Oct 10 15:02   Bicycle towing bicycle. - L'escargot

In my cycling days, we used to steer the bicycle we were riding with the right hand, and steer the riderless bicycle (which was alongside) with the left hand, or vice versa. Last edited by: L'escargot on Fri 22 Oct 10 at 15:03 Reply to this message | Report message