Thing We Love - Bumper Explorer Duo Bike Trailer

Now this is a bit of  beast of a trailer. I like to call it 'The Beast'...just to myself, mind. Myself and The Man both love cycling, we're not fanatical, but both enjoy it.  I have very fond memories of riding on the cross bar of my parent's bikes, and being picked up by my older step-brother, riding on his handlebars. We did decide that a safer option for our boy would be a trailer though. The main reason I wanted a trailer over a seat on the back (or indeed, a seat on the front) was that I was worried about falling off (oh the shame - I'm not the most co ordinated person at the best of times). We were due our second baby at the time of choosing a seat or trailer for The Squid, so I needed something I could use with both children by myself during the day.

Bike Mode - with a 4.5 year old, a 1 year old and the boy's bike on the back!

After mooning over the beautiful, and more-expensive-than-our-car Thule Chariot and checking out the cheapo Halfords version, we decided to go for the Bumper Explorer Duo, bought from our local bike shop. It's a bright yellow monstrosity, and I love it! It also doubles as a pushchair, so has come in very handy.

Pushchair mode - Adjustable handle, getting The Squid to push

 
It's been in use now for about two years, so we've gone from using it solo for a two year one, to using it for a 6 week old baby (more on that in a moment), and as a double for both the children who are now 4.5 and 16 months old. In order to use for a child under a year old, we purchased an inner seat - which was a challenge to find! I ended up ordering from Holland - the land of bikes was bound to have something suitable for a small baby in a trailer! The insert we bought is a basic polystyrene base, covered in lambskin. It comes with straps and a buckle, but we found it easiest to just slot the straps from the trailer straight through the insert. It made a nice comfortable ride for my Hoot, but I still wouldn't have taken her off road as there isn't any suspension on the trailer.

Clear window - very easy to see the children and check they're not destroying each other.

There are a few definite downsides to the Explorer. The main one is that in pushchair mode there are no brakes, meaning that if I let go of the handle (which you invaribly do, with two children and a dog to watch) it just rolls away from me. There is a wrist strap included though, so I do try to remember to use it! The handlebar is adjustable, so it's easy for both me and The Man to push. The front wheel is a bit small and I'd prefer an air tyre for it rather than a solid plastic wheel, but it does the job fine. I would have also liked the option of being able to cover the viewing window, as it provides no protection from the sun. Not a big issue though, as Scotland is hardly the land of the sun...

The seat insert -  Melia BRGL Baby Seat

Had I the money, I certainly would've splashed out on the Thule trailer or similar, maybe something with a jogging wheel option. But the Explorer is definitely worth it if you're looking for a good quality basic bike trailer that converts to a pushchair. 

**this review is in no way affiliated with Bumper. **