For us (Mummy and Daddy), road riding used to be a thing we did when it was too muddy to mountain bike (strictly speaking, it is never "too muddy" to mountain bike, just too muddy to be bothered to clean up afterwards!). With the arrival of Little Chap #1, it became one of our go-to activities and we invested in a Croozer trailer. Even Little Chap #2 was catered for when we used the Croozer 2. However, trailers have a weight limit and, regardless of that, towing two growing Little Chaps around meant the rides were getting flatter and flatter. Then leg space for the Chaps (particularly #1) became an issue as well and we needed to upgrade but Little Chap #1 still didn't have strong enough legs for a "decent" day out - it was time to get a FollowMe Tandem.
What is it?
The FollowMe is an attachment to fix a child's bike onto the back of your own (we have fitted to a road bike, mountain bike and a tandem!), allowing you to ride further, faster and safely as you explore the world on two wheels (3 wheels when you are joined together!). You can hook and unhook the child's bike and both ride solo, giving great versatility for you and your Little One on your trip.
Other options?
There are other attachment methods available (eg TrailGator). I have major misgivings about these though. The first is the damage they cause to the smaller bike. The clamps go around the headtube supporting all the weight in one place. I have not seen a bike that has been on one of these without major paintwork damage. Prolonged use seems likely to scratch and mark more deeply into the frame. The second issue I have is that the smaller rider seems very imbalanced and I have often seen these with the younger rider leaned over to one side due to a lack of proper support for their bike. Even as children get older, if you want to ride further and longer, they will tire and need support to balance. I looked closely at these and just don't like them and couldn't see them supporting our Little Chaps comfortably and safely when we want to ride all day. The FollowMe tandem appears to address these issues.
Pics left to right: front axle "stunt-peg" attachment, child's bike down tube attachment, adult bike rear quick release skewer (big circular bit above the derailleur), all the bits (FollowMe, 2xadult bike security screws, 1x child downtube attachment screw)
First impressions?
Out of the box, the FollowMe looks like a really complicated bit of kit. Also, you wonder what all the bits of it do. However, once you start to fit it and get the smaller bike correctly fitted, it is brilliant that you can connect and disconnect so quickly and easily. The FollowMe attaches quickly with a dedicated rear quick-release axle for the adult bike (that I just leave on my bike all the time) and some "stunt-peg" attachments for the front wheel/axle of the smaller bike (note - you may have to buy these separately as different bikes have a particular fixing). There is a second attachment that needs to be positioned on the downtube of the smaller bike which helps lift the front wheel. This is a bit fiddly and time-consuming but not difficult. I also found that I needed to use an old inner tube underneath the down tube attachment to protect the child bike. I know I have mentioned this an issue for other attachment options but, in this instance, the inner tube a) actually protects the bike and b) doesn't prevent the FollowMe from attaching properly and securely which I have found to affect the other options.
When riding, the following bike is really stable and the younger rider has to really throw their weight about to affect your handling. It follows you nicely around corners and also for sudden swerves around e.g. potholes. Towing a child's bike did not take much getting used to. In comparison to a trailer, which is much wider, it is really easy and except for the weight you are towing, not much different to just riding your own bike.
One other point is that it is not cheap, especially when compared to the other options. It costs upwards of £200 depending on which additional parts you need - Isla bikes need an additional axle fitting which adds to the cost. As does a wider quick release skewer attachment for the adult bike (we needed to add this later when moving the FollowMe onto our tandem). The question is, is the additional expense worth it?
Pics Left to Right: riding solo; all options available to us (!); folded up on the back of a road bike
Did it work?
Yes, we love it! Enough said, buy one and get out riding! However, you probably want a bit more info from a review...
We have used this product consistently for over 3 years now, in fact for a short period of time we had 2 so the Little Chaps each had their own! Over this time we have covered hundreds, if not thousands, of kilometres in the UK, France, Holland and Germany on rides that the Little Chaps simply don't have the strength or stamina to complete solo. I really do not believe we could have done so much, so easily and as safely using other attachment methods.
Our first ride with Little Chap #1 was over 50km. He probably rode around 5km solo on a small section of traffic free cycle path and spent the rest of the time being towed. You do notice the weight you are towing (15-20kg of child plus bike plus FollowMe) but it feels much easier to manoeuvre than a trailer. Also, compared to a trailer, your aerodynamics improve dramatically so longer rides are less tiring (and the downhills are way more fun!).
The Little Chaps love going out for rides, partly because they are so used to it anyway from being in the trailer from a young age and largely because the FollowMe engages them more with a ride. It feels like a "proper" bike ride as they can communicate with us better, they can see the views better as they are higher up (than in the trailer) and also learn important riding skills like checking behind for cars and hand-signalling. It did not take long for the Little Chaps to become competent with the hooking and unhooking themselves - we would try to rival Ferrari (or other team of your choice) at an F1 pitstop!
Recently we have been using the FollowMe attached to a tandem, allowing Daddy to do the work of towing both Little Chaps. This has been great for the school holidays as Daddy Day Care often involves a trip out to our "favourite bakers" on a ride from home. On our recent multi-day ride in Scotland Little Chap #2 was able to rest (some would say sleep!) by laying his head on his bars and the "Express" remained stable - I was not aware of his resting (!) except for any additional pedalling I was doing at the front - see picture below. The actual tandem has become something of a necessity though because the FollowMe only takes bikes with a wheel size up to 20". Now Little Chap #1 is onto a 24" bike we have had to take things to the next level (more on this solution another time).
It is amazing how much of a "boost" you can get from your Little One pedalling behind you (or both of them pedalling if you have a tandem as well!). This was tricky to achieve initially as the first bike we attached (Isla Cnoc 16) was under-geared in relation to the speed I could pedal so it was hard for the Little Chaps to do anything other than spin their legs really fast. Their lower weight and much improved aerodynamics over the trailer meant that I still found towing them easy without any real input from them. Once we moved up to the Beinn with 20" wheels and, more importantly, gears, the higher gears allowed for input from behind to become noticeable and helpful. On the tandem, which is slower uphill, the input of the FollowMe rider is very welcome!
We ride a lot - day rides from home (or short drive from home) and have been on several European holidays with the intention of exploring the area by bike - and simply could not have covered so many miles without safety worries and without wearing out our Little Chaps to the point of them not enjoying the ride, without hooking up the FollowMe.
Any issues?
The main issue has nothing to do with the FollowMe. It was moving the Little Chaps out of the trailer and onto a bike. Not because they didn't want to leave the trailer (they couldn't wait to go on a "proper" bike ride") but in terms of protecting them from the weather. A trailer is warm and sheltered, a bike is not especially so if you are not pedalling. The problem was easily solved with jumpers and waterproof jacket and waterproof trousers (Islabikes have a brilliant chainguard that, so far, has prevented any trouser/chain/chainring issues). Wellies make a surprisingly good warm and windproof footwear choice! The Little Chaps do need to wear quite a lot even on days when I am in my shorts and short sleeves working hard on the front.
The further consideration with regards to the above point is also at what age you can start your Little One riding on the back. In our experience, the answer is that it depends how far you want to go. A younger rider won't reliably sit still or hold on properly as long as an older child. We waited as long as possible as we generally ride all day and needed to be sure that the Little Chaps would be safe, as well as enjoying themselves. Of course, if you are using it locally to ride to the park, shops, school etc (and it is a great assistance for these uses) then this is less of a consideration.
The only other issue we have encountered is with the type of riding that you do. In theory, you can disconnect the child's bike and then the two of you ride solo. This is great on roads, cycle paths etc. It doesn't work so well on mountain bike trails or rougher tracks. The sheer amount of weight over the rear wheel of the adults bike just doesn't allow for drops etc and does affect handling. However, I never thought this would work for mountain biking and didn't buy it for this use and I don't suggest that you do. We have been fine on the odd section of bridleway or lumpy, rocky track, just not when the going gets technical. For extending our road rides it is brilliant and has helped build the pedalling stamina of the Little Chaps considerably - which has fed back into our mountain biking.
Pic: "Don't tell Daddy I'm resting..."
Do we recommend it?
This piece of kit has been brilliant for us and we cannot recommend it highly enough. The younger rider stays upright and stable (unlike with the other products on the market) which means the adult rider retains good handling and control. It is really simple to unhook and hook the child's bike so you can do this multiple times per ride without losing loads of time. This has allowed us to keep up the Little Chaps' interest levels and also to manage their tiredness quite effectively.
There is a considerable monetary outlay required for the FollowMe, particularly if you compare it to the other options on the market. However, we find it a far better solution for the safety and comfort both adult and child and for these reasons it represents a very sensible investment, especially given the amount of riding we do. It was so good, we bought a second when both Little Chaps outgrew the trailer. The second hand market is good so selling our "spare" one once we moved up another bike size (20" wheels is the max) was easy. Also, it does not damage the child bike which helps that bike retain value for when it is outgrown and you need to sell the bike on.
Get one and the whole family will enjoy exploring the countryside and finding new places for cake (the most important bit of cycling!)...
This is a great review Andy, I am starting to think about what we are going to do - we don't cover much distance, but we definitely have one keen biker who happily pedals away, and one keen passenger who has been in the seat on the back for WAY too long. Something needs to change!!