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I am wondering if anyone has experience of pulling tag-along and then kids trailer? Would that be possible to tag a kids trailer to a 20 inch tag along?

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    Clarify please - do you intend to ride this on the road ?
    – Criggie ♦
    Jan 1, 2020 at 22:10
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    I wouldn't advise it. On a turn the trailer would tend to pull the tag-along off to the side, causing weird behavior. Even with truck trailers such double trailers are known for "fishtailing" and causing handling problems.
    – Daniel R Hicks
    Jan 1, 2020 at 22:16
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    I've added a mockup of what you describe. Is this what you were aiming for ?
    – Criggie ♦
    Jan 2, 2020 at 4:34
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    What about the legal aspect? Enquire about the maximum length for a bicycle 'train' in your country.
    – Carel
    Jan 2, 2020 at 8:41
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    This guy did it, riding all the way across Canada: youtu.be/42kVUY2HEtI
    – Noah Sutherland
    Jan 2, 2020 at 17:59

5 Answers 5

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Those of us who tow bike trailers have generally encountered a situation where some other road user underestimates your total length.

If your road-train bike was three units long there's more opportunity for someone else to screw-up and clip the end of your setup.

An off-road path or a park would be a much safer way to try this - if you intend to ride this on the road then I strongly recommend a flag on a pole for each unit. Perhaps even flag bunting between the poles (ie a string with little flags on it)

If you already own the three parts, there's no harm in trying it. Start by rigging the train empty and see how it handles in a safe location. For a better test, add some non-live ballast to the trailer (easy) and perhaps the tagalong (harder to do)

OPINION: It looks quite fun, but I'd not ride that rig on a public road.

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    Agree that doing some testing in a prudent fashion is a good idea. I'd also advise the look at the roads or trails they intend to ride on and see what the steepest incline is.They have to have sufficient braking and control going down that slope. (of course they probably will not be riding up steep inclines with that much extra mass on board.)
    – Argenti Apparatus
    Jan 2, 2020 at 19:37
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Sounds like a bad idea. The biggest concern would be how the setup would act under hard braking, especially when going down an incline. There will a lot of mass to stop which means your stopping distance will be very long. Additionally the trailer and tag-along chain will be unstable under braking and may jack-knife.

Update:

If you are going to try this in a controlled fashion as Criggie suggests in his answer, Make sure your brakes are in good shape and properly adjusted first. Having a pro mechanic at a bike shop inspect and set them up would be a good idea.

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    The braking problem could be alleviated to a degree with "trailer brakes", either as a third lever or tied to the rear brakes or implemented via a some sort of mechanism that would detect force between bike and trailer.
    – Daniel R Hicks
    Jan 2, 2020 at 3:36
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I tow a 18 foot canoe with my bike, which is much longer and heavier then your setup. As Criggie says use lots of flags. Add a dash of common sense and give it a try.

Related post How to tow a canoe with a bicycle?

Straps

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    I doubt that your canoe and trailer is heaver than the tag-along, trailer and three children.
    – Argenti Apparatus
    Jan 2, 2020 at 19:30
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    And your setup does not have the double hinge of the 3-part setup.
    – Daniel R Hicks
    Jan 2, 2020 at 19:36
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    And it's not alive, in the worst of cases it gets crushed. Now with children ... :-(
    – Carel
    Jan 2, 2020 at 20:47
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    This certain;y covers the length aspect, but OP will have a double joint in the chain. Assuming tagalong kid doesn't use their brake, and an unbraked trailer, then there will be some interesting concertina issues on a hard stop. If the rearmost trailer had brakes of its own controlled by the rider, then it will help but is more likely to skid than provide much effective braking force.
    – Criggie ♦
    Jan 3, 2020 at 6:18
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I towed this setup. The only difference, second trailer was smaller and used only for storage. We put there some supplies and small kids bike, so when we get to the park, child can drive on her own.
On straight roads no problem. Going up hill especially in windy weather can require some sweating. Maneuvering on streets taking turns, coming to press traffic light button (If there is no bike line, I'm using sidewalk) can be tricky and needs some practice.

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  • I guess the difficulty in maneuvering was coming from the two hitches, rather than the length itself, right?
    – EarlGrey
    Mar 26, 2021 at 10:14
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If you could add brakes to the tag along bike and the person riding that tag along was trained and competent, they could apply braking as needed which may reduce the "squirreliness" of the tandem setup under certain conditions.

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  • Don't tag-alongs (at least proper ones) often come with brakes already?
    – DavidW
    May 17, 2021 at 14:50

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