The now famous Burley bike trailer started out as bike bags sold by Alan Scholz and his wife, Burley Bev, in a Saturday Market.  Because Mr. Scholz believed in living a healthy and car-free life, he designed a bike trailer where he could safely put all his merchandise and his daughter and transport them to the Saturday Market which was a good 30 miles away from their home.  Soon enough, people and bicycle shops started noticing the bike trailer and showed interest in buying and owning one too.  Thus was born the Burley bike trailer which can now be found in distribution networks worldwide.

Today, Burley Design has come up with several types of bike trailers designed for children, cargo, and pets.  The child Burley bike trailer comes in several models namely the D’Lite, the Solo, the Encore, Bee, Cub, Piccolo, and Kazoo.  Burley’s bike trailers for pets are called the Tail Wagon while its cargo bike trailers are the Travoy, the Nomad, and the Flatbed models.

Burley Encore Bike Trailer

Burley Encore Bike Trailer

Burley Bee Trailer

Burley Bee Trailer

Burley D'Lite Bike Trailer

Burley D'Lite Bike Trailer

Here’s a video of one in action. Baby is crying at first but quickly calms down!

Some of the things that one needs to look for in a Burley bike trailer or any bike trailer for that matter are:
  • Compliance with the ASTM (American Society for Testing and Materials) F1975-09 safety standards which specifies the standards for bike trailers built for human passengers. (A label saying “Passed the ASTM safety standards” should be found in the trailer.)
  • Reflective materials and reflectors for safety.
  • Safety flag for higher visibility.
  • Foldable feature for easy storage and transport.
  • Total or maximum carrying capacity.
  • Type of bike and the type of tow hitch.  Tow hitch should also have an anti-roll over feature which enables the trailer to stay standing even if the bike tips over and at the same time, does not obstruct the maneuvering and handling capabilities of the bicycle.
  • Type of material used for its fabric and the stitching used.  The panels should be durable and tight to prevent any untoward accidents caused by the wheel coming into contact with any part of the passenger’s body.
  • Spoked alloy wheels with a wide base which assures of less bumpy rides for its passengers and also prevents any rolling over.
  • Flaps, windows, and covers that provide proper ventilation but also ample protection from bugs and other flying debris.
  • Easy clean features.
  • Extra features like extra pockets or storage space, helmet pockets, and UV protected windows.
  • A roll cage or roll bars to prevent the whole trailer body from caving in case an accident or rolling over occurs.
  • Five point harness system.
  • Warranty, return, and repair policies.

It is always important to remember that one should never sacrifice price when it comes to quality and safety.  Although there are some customers who still find some imperfections with their Burley bike trailers, the bottom line is that the Burley brand has remained unmatched in the more than three decades it has been around.  Their products have all the features that one needs to look for and even more.

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