Image courtesy of Trail-a-Bike

About a week ago, we got a huge dump of snow here in Saskatoon. It was so deep (up to my knees) that I declared it a snow day and kept my girls home from school because the roads were too dangerous. Today, mere days later, I can see green-ish grass on more than half of my lawn and yesterday I went out in just a hoodie, no winter coat. I dare say that spring is on its way.

As much as my four-year-old was begging for winter last fall, she is now begging for spring. Why? She wants to go for bike rides. I worked in a bike shop for quite a few years when my 10-year-old was little, and one of my favourite things that I was introduced to during my time there was the Trail-a-Bike.

The Adams Trail-a-Bike is a one-wheeled kids’ bike that attaches to the seatpost of an adult bike. It is perfect for allowing younger kids to participate in longer bike rides. It’s available in six styles, with each style coming in multiple colours, and is recommended for children aged three to 10. The most basic Trail-a-Bike comes in single-speed with a 20-inch wheel for the younger rider. The largest model comes with a 24-inch wheel and seven speeds, and holds up to an 85-pound rider. There is also a tandem model.

The Trail-a-Bike folds in half for easy storage and portability, and comes with a sturdy hitch with multiple shims to fit any seatpost size. Each Trail-a-Bike also comes with a safety flag and a full chainguard and bashguard, as safety is paramount.

I started my eldest daughter on a Trail-a-Bike when she was four, and she rode it until she was eight. She had her own bike at that point, but liked the Trail-a-Bike for longer rides and just for fun. My four-year-old took her first ride last fall and cannot wait to get back on it this spring.

The Trail-a-Bike, $245-$579, is available from these Canadian retailers.

Jen Wilson is a married mother of three super-awesome children—two girls and a boy—who range in age from 0-10. She enjoys photography, organizing, reading, TV, and sarcasm. She drinks her coffee black and dreams of one day owning a dishwasher. You can also find her on her blog, Hey Mrs. Wilson, where she has been writing about life in Saskatchewan since 2004.