Replacement Adams Trail-a-bike hitch

[rusky]

Hi,

Anyone know where I can get a replacement hitch or shims for one of
these locally (Brighton)?

It seems they have become lost over the winter months!

Thanks,

Russ

[hatler]

I'm sure these are available online. Somewhere. I have ordered one.

Let me do some digging.

[hatler]

This wasn't the outfit I got ours from but I've used Bikestore before and they are good. It says this item could be despatched tomorrow, and from that could we safely assume it's in stock ?  Not sure.  But definitely worth a phone call I would say.

[rusky]

Thanks! I ordered one from them yesterday since none of the local bike shops had them in stock.

Arrived this morning too. Top notch service!

I've fitted it & hope to take the little one to nursery on it tomorrow.

[hatler]

Cool !!

We've carted our two around on a pair of Adam's trailer bikes for what seems like years now. (Gosh, in fact it is. Our eldest was on an Adams from about 4 onwards, three years ago.)

Keep your eyes peeled and you may catch team hatler hurtle into Brighton on an Orange / Admas combo early on a Saturday morning in July as part of the FNRttC peloton !

[rusky]

sounds fun!

He has a small 14" bike we got for his birthday so I'm trying to teach him to ride too.

Any tips on either the Adams or teaching him to ride??

[hatler]

One school of thought (that definitely worked for our two) is to do the pedalless thing. Either get a purpose built bike without pedals and cranks, or simply get a cheapy second hand bike and strip the bits off. We were lucky enough to get the Lidl cheap wooden Like-a-Bike copy for £9.99. So far this one bike has got four children cycling. We even bought another two and have handed these out as presents.

Let them play on that on a slightly inclined grassy slope until they get their balance, then introduce the pedals.

We combined the pedalless bikes with stints on the Adams. This got them to appreciate both pedalling and balance at separate times but contemporaneously, if you see what I mean. Eldest's first attempt at pedalling hi own bike simply involved me letting go at the top of the field, and him haring off into the distance.

For number two she was still three when she got the hang of her fixie.

[rusky]

He's happy riding around with stablisers on & has got the idea of brakes.

He's also happy on a micro-scooter.

I can't get him to try without the stablisers - even with me holding him. Also, the stablisers can't be raised far enough to encourage him to balance.

[hatler]

For the pedalless bike you need to lower the saddle so that feet can easily touch the ground, in fact the flats of the feet need to be on the ground. Then they walk it around like a hobby horse. Then, when a slight downhill approaches they can lift feet off the ground for increasing spells as the confidence and competence takes them.

[hatler]

Raising stabilisers doesn't always work. It can result in the bike becoming so leant over that it topples, and small one doesn't want to go near bike again.

[rusky]

I don't want to raise them too high, the ones on the bike are really low though, when one side is on the ground, the other is only about 15-20mm in the air.

[rusky]

Well, the Adams didn't get used for the nursery run this morning as we all woke up late, tired, tetchy etc & there was a hard frost!

We went out this afternoon & it was great fun until I got a puncture a mile away from home

I thought it would hold OK, just needed more air as it was only quite slow, so started pumping & the valve stem parted company from the tube thanks to the Taiwanese rice paper they used to make the tube out of.

Ended up having to walk the whole lot home with a 4 year old who just wanted to ride.

[hatler]

Oh no !    Sorry to hear that. Still, it sounds like his appetite is whetted.