This post was sponsored by Burley. Bike trailer was provided as post compensation and for review purposes. All opinions expressed and photos herein belong to the author.
Biking with the kids is quickly becoming one of our family’s favorite ways to spend time together outdoors. We are lucky to live in an area with some incredible state and local parks full of beautiful bike trails. The fresh air and exercise feel fantastic, but getting the entire family out on the trails is never easy.
Our kids are as different as they can be. The 5 year-old is all wild unbridled energy. He rides his own bike and expects us to keep up with him. The 3 year-old, on the other hand, is like molasses sometimes. She takes her sweet time and would much rather twirl around and pick wildflowers than get anywhere in a hurry. She has little to no interest in riding a bike right now and is certainly not ready for any lengthy family bike rides. We’ve been looking for the best way to include her in our rides in the most efficient, cost-effective and whine-free way possible. Which is why we love our Burley Minnow bike trailer. 
Benefits of a bike trailer
While being outdoors with your kids and getting fresh air and exercise are all amazing benefits to biking with kids, having a bike trailer offers benefits beyond the obvious. Here a few of our favorite things about using a bike trailer when biking with kids:
- Storage – Most bike trailers have a cargo area in the back to store a backpack, groceries, diaper bag, toys, camera, small cooler or whatever gear and supplies you need for your biking adventure. We tend to overpack on outings with the kids, so without a storage area, we’d have to purchase a separate storage basket for our bikes or pack everything in a backpack we wear during the ride.
- Safety – I don’t claim to be an expert bike rider, so having a bike trailer behind the bike, as opposed to a large toddler in a bike-mounted seat, feels much safer to me. Bike trailers are much sturdier and less likely to tip over the adult’s bike. Plus, good bike trailers have a durable roll-cage and 5-point harness to keep children secure.
- Longevity – Bike trailers can be used for years and can accommodate kids and cargo up to about 100 pounds. This means kids can ride in a trailer for a much longer time than they can fit in a mounted seat.
- Weather-protection – While we don’t ever plan on biking through rain or storms, bike trailers offer a level of weather protection that bike-mounted seats or tow bars don’t. Lots of bike trailers have water resistant covers to protect from wind, rain and/or snow. You can even get a separate Amazon that will keep little ones (up to 2) snuggly and warm.
- Stroller option – Some bike trailers also offer the option of converting in to a stroller, jogger or even a sled!! Depending on what you want (and how much you want to spend), there are a lot of options out there for whatever outdoor needs you have.
Features and specs of the Burley Minnow
If you’re looking at adding a bike trailer to your family outings, check out the Burley Minnow. It’s the newest trailer in the Burley line-up and perfect for families looking to haul around one kid and some gear. Here are few features and specs that we love about the Minnow:
- Single-seat – While Burley does make a number of other trailers that accommodate more than one kid, the Minnow seats one and that’s all we needed. This single-seater is perfect for our 3 year-old and will last a few years until she’s ready for rides on her own.
- Safe – The Minnow has a full aluminum roll cage, 5-point harness system and passes rigorous Burley Standard durability testing. It comes with a safety flag, reflectors and UV protection on the tinted windows.
- Smooth ride – While I haven’t actually sat back there myself to personally test it out, both kids have tried it and love it. They both said it’s comfortable, not too bumpy and lots of fun.
- Storage – The Minnow has a ton of storage space. There’s a spacious rear-cargo area large enough for a full back-pack and my camera bag. Plus, there’s upfront storage for water bottles, keys, phone, snacks, etc.
- Infant seat accessory – I love that Burley offers a separate infant seat (Amazon) that you can use to secure babies 3-12 months old. While I was certainly not expecting anyone but Mim to get use out of this trailer, turns out that it will be the perfect biking accessory to have when baby #3 gets old enough to be able to go on biking outings with us. Although, be advised that the baby seat should only be used on trailers that have stroller option if your child is less than 12 months old. When towing behind a bike, baby needs to be able to sit up unassisted and wear a helmet.
- Easy to assemble – The trailer comes nearly unassembled, but it’s a quick project. There are no extra gear or parts that you’ll need to order or purchase. It comes ready-to-bike and includes a hitch, tow arm and safety flag.
- Fold-flat design – The Minnow folds flat for easier storage and transport.
- Affordable – Starting at $215, the Burley Minnow is a quality, entry-level trailer that won’t break the bank.
Our Burley experience
We have thoroughly enjoyed having the Burley Minnow bike trailer as an option for biking with the entire family. My daughter calls it her “buggy” and asks to take rides daily! We bike around our neighborhood and to local parks and playgrounds. We’ve biked to a local farm to feed the horses carrots. We’ve even ventured out a few times to hit more serious trails. Having the trailer keeps the little one safe and prevents (so much) whining! She gets to sit back and enjoy the ride…maybe even take a nap! It’s also nice to have a place to store gear and supplies while we’re out. Even small items like water bottles and Goldfish car be a hassle to carry. It was a breeze to assemble and takes no time at all to hook up to our bikes whenever we’re ready for a ride.
Find Burley online
Burley was started nearly 35 years ago in Eugene, Oregon. They’ve built a reputation for safe, durable products. The name Burley is synonymous with “bicycle trailer.” They’re known around the world for recreational transport gear that sets the standard for safety, durability and thoughtful design. While they’ve continued to perfect the bicycle trailer, the product line has grown to include multi-functional child carriers, jogging strollers and balance bikes. To shop Burley products and/or get more biking inspiration, you can find them online:
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