Best Tandem Bike Attachments: Safe, Family Fun

If you love to ride, but find yourself in a bind pertaining to juggling time, family responsibilities, and daylight, then you may want to consider what it takes to find a solution that to make all involved happy. Raising children to love what you love is a great way to create all encompassing family experiences - and provide you the time to continue your regular rides. 

When your children are small, a trailer is a great option to take them along with you, but as they grow they also want to be more involved. Most children are unable to handle the long rides you may be accustomed to, but the best tandem bike attachments allow them to pedal along independently with little effort- which keeps them from tiring out.

Top 5 Tandem Bike Attachments to Consider Comparisons

Brand

Details

Bicycle attachment, tandem attachment, bike tandem attachment

WeeRide Co-Pilot Bike Trailer

  • Weight: 24lbs
  • Weight Limit: 75lbs
  • Quick Release: Yes
  • Warranty: 2 years 
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WeeRide Pro-Pilot Tandem Bicycle Trailer

  • Weight: 22lbs
  • Weight Limit: 75lbs
  • Quick Release: Yes
  • Warranty: 2 years 
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Weehoo Turbo Bike Trailer

  • Weight: 26lbs
  • Weight Limit: 80lbs
  • Quick Release: Yes
  • Warranty: 1 year 
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FollowMe Tandem - Parent-Child Bicycle Coupling

  • Weight: 12lbs
  • Weight Limit: 100lbs
  • Quick Release: Yes - from Child's Bike
  • Warranty: 2 years 
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Adams Trail a Bike - Original Folder

  • Weight: 24lbs
  • Weight Limit: 85lbs
  • Quick Release: Yes
  • Warranty: Lifetime on Frame 

Bestselling Tandem Bike Attachment 2021

What is a Tandem Bike Attachment?

A tandem bike attachment is a product that provides an alternative to a trailer or bike seat, and is a perfect solution for children who are growing into independence, but still are unable to independently complete rides of any length. They provide a seat and pedals, or may even attach to your child's own bike, to be trailered along behind your own.

These are incredibly useful, and the different styles allow you to choose what works best for your style of riding. They also provide a measure of safety for peace of mind, as you do not have to try and keep your eye on the road or trail, AND on your child- and will always know where they are.
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Who Can Use a Tandem Bike Attachment?

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Tandem bike styles are made specifically for children, usually between 2 and 9 years of age. They are made with specific weight limits in mind to provide children the opportunity to gain independence and learn as they travel along. Most bikes require a child who is able to fully support themselves in an upright position, unless it is a recumbent style. 

They are not made for larger children or adults because there are true tandem bike choices for their larger size and weight. If children are disabled of any age, there are also other options to provide the opportunity to ride with your child through the use of trailers or even recumbent styles build for larger weight loads.

How to Attach a Tandem Bike

Tandem bike attachments for children are incredibly easy to attach to almost any bike that has a seat post. A hitch attaches around the seat post and then is tightly attached via bolts. This stays on the bike and does not need to be removed again.  The post from the tandem then attaches to this hitch, usually via a quick release, in order to attach and detach easily.

How to Choose a Tandem Bike

There are a few different style of tandem bikes from which to choose, plus not all are necessarily compatible with the bike you own. Not all are built for more off road, or narrow trails, requiring you to pay attention to not only size, but how it handles when not riding on the road. Therefor it is important to consider the features of each before making a decision on which to purchase.

Consider bike compatibility

You need to ask yourself if the product you are interested in is compatible with your bike. Most bikes easily take a tandem attachment, but it is still very important to check not just for fit, but also safety purposes.

What comfort is needed?

Depending on your child’s age, height, weight, and ability, you may want to consider various designs. Recumbent style bikes can handle a wider range of ages, whereas more traditional bikes needs a child that is able to hold themselves upright with the ability to balance. Also, be sure to check pedal distance from the seat.

Top 5 Tandem Bike Attachments to Consider

Most tandem attachments are fairly similar in nature to one another, but that does not mean there are not materials or quality features worth considering from one product to the next. Once you have narrowed down what type of bike attachment are looking for, you can better look to what product is best for you.

WeeRide Co-Pilot Bike Trailer

  • Weight: 24lbs
  • Weight Limit: 75lbs
  • Quick Release: yes
  • Warranty: 2 years
Bicycle attachment, tandem attachment, bike tandem attachment

WeeRide is a popular brand that specializes in bike and bike accessories for children. Their Co-Pilot Bike trailer is a tandem attachment that is one of their original, and most popular designs. Made from heavy duty steel, it is a sturdy design that that attaches quickly to the easily attachable bike post hitch. Made to mimic a real bike, it has a seat, handlebars, and pedals for the child to learn on, as well as a place to rest their legs. 

Available in multiple colors, the bike has a quick release detachment, safety flag, adjustable seat,  and handlebar pads for comfort. The bike can handle up to a 75 pound weight, and only weighs 24 pounds for easy, foldable storage. The age range of recommendation is 4 to 9.

Who Should Purchase This
If you have a little one learning how to ride, or an older child who you want to take on longer trips, this is a great choice.

Pros

  • Easy to install
  • Lightweight but durable and sturdy
  • Great for kids to pedal or relax and ride

Cons

  • May be hard to reach pedals
  • Hitch can be a tight fit

WeeRide Pro-Pilot Tandem Bicycle Trailer

  • Weight: 22 lbs
  • Weight Limit: 75 lbs
  • Quick Release: yes
  • Warranty: 2 years 
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The WeeRide Pro-Pilot is similar in design to the Co-Pilot model, but is made with an aluminum frame for a lighter weight design. Like its predecessor, it attaches easily to a bike post hitch, and can be quickly detached for safety purposes, or storage. It also is made to mimic a 20 inch bike, with everything a child needs to learn on, as well as ride along with - including places to rest their feet. 

Made to fit most 27”/700cc bicycles, it has a folding hinge for easy storage, and at only 22 lbs is amongst the lightest weight choices in the industry without sacrificing durability. The attachment is also flexible to fit lower bike models. It also has a 75 lbs weight limit.

Who Should Purchase This
Great for leaning and riding along, this is an attachment popular with mountain bikers due to the lighter weight, aluminum design.

Pros

  • Easy to install
  • Lightweight but durable and sturdy
  • Great for kids to pedal or relax and ride

Cons

  • May be hard to reach pedals
  • Hitch can be a tight fit

Weehoo Turbo Bike Trailer

  • Weight: 26 lbs
  • Weight Limit: 80 lbs
  • Quick Release: yes
  • Warranty: 1 year
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The WeeHoo Turbo Bike Trailer is a recumbent bike design made to connect to a standard bike for ‘break down free’ riding experiences. The seat is cable of holding up to 80 lbs, with an added 14 lb storage area, and children can pedal along, or relax without having to hold themselves upright on long rides. This is made for both road and offroad experiences, and stay behind your bike for narrow trail exploration, and includes a three point harness for child stability and safety. 

The easy release hitch allows you to remove and store the attachment in seconds, plus you can also make toolless seat adjustments to reach the pedals for approximate ages 2-9. Foot straps are also included to help keep your child secure, even if they drift off to take a quick nap while you do all the work.

Who Should Purchase This
Designed with off road and long rides in mind, if you need an attachment for children that allows relaxation and peace of mind for their safety, this is a great choice.

Pros

  • Excellent for young and disabled children- very safe
  • Many optional attachments available, such as rain protection
  • Easy to attach and ride smoothly

Cons

  • Does not store well
  • Can be awkward to handle when not riding

FollowMe Tandem - Parent-Child Bicycle Coupling

  • Weight: 12 lbs
  • Weight Limit: 100 lbs
  • Quick Release: Yes- from Child’s Bike
  • Warranty: 2 years
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The FollowMe Tandem coupling is made to work with various existing full size and child bikes. This design helps safely attach children’s bicycles to an adults quickly to allow for tandem riding. This attachment holds the front tire stable and pivots as the child rides behind. It can fit most full size bikes from 26 to 29 inches, and also works with a rear child seat and support rack. 

This is a safe and stable steel design that only weighs 12 lbs, and is capable of supporting a total of 100 lbs (child plus bike). It also is adjustable for various bike sizes. Plus, because it detaches from the child’s bike quickly, you can allow for independent riding and hook back up when your child is fatigued.

Who Should Purchase This
This is an excellent choice for those who already have their own bikes but are looking for a safer way to ride with their child, or who would like to go on longer rides without trying their child out.

Pros

  • Great for high traffic areas and tired children
  • Attaches easily to child’s bike
  • Very secure and easy to use

Cons

  • Does not quick release from adult bike

Adams Trail a Bike - Original Folder

  • Weight: 24 lbs
  • Weight Limit: 85 lbs
  • Quick Release: Yes
  • Warranty: Lifetime on Frame
Bicycle tandem attachment, tandem attachment, bike attachment

Adams Trail-a-Bike design is a tandem bike attachment that provides a 20 inch child’s bike that mimics a true bike complete with seat, handles, and pedals. This is an excellent transitional product for children learning to ride or in need of more support for longer distances. Able to fit more seat posts, the attachment hitch is universal, and easily connects to the bike to provide a fast connection.

Able to fit most bikes 26 inches/700cc in size, at 24 lbs it stores easy for convenience. It can handle a rider up to 85 lbs and is made for riders between the ages of 4 and 6. A full coverage chainguard is included, as is a safety flag to make motorists more aware of you as a rider.

Who Should Purchase This
If you are looking for a good transitional product for your child, or a tandem that allows easy training to ride, this is a good choice.

Pros

  • Easy to transport and connect/disconnect
  • Helps children learn to ride
  • Works well on uneven road surfaces

Cons

  • Quality control on shipped parts may be lacking
  • Chromoly seatpost recommended

Conclusion


If riding has become a family event, and you want to help your child learn independence without sacrificing your own rides- using a tandem attachment is a great way to have the best of both worlds. The various designs allow you to choose what works best for your style of riding, and the easy on and off hitches allow you to ride individually when needed. If you have ever used a tandem attachment for your children, we would love to hear below of your experiences. And, please share!