You might have seen people riding with a bike trailer behind the bike, riding with a bike trailer is fun but not all bikes are capable of pulling a bike trailer, this begs the question of can a beach cruiser bike pull a trailer?
Cruiser bikes are built for a comfortable riding experience, cruiser bikes are best bikes if you want to explore around the city or to get some fresh air in the morning.
Some people use cruiser bikes for other purposes like recreational bike riding, commuting, and some tend to use beach cruiser bikes to pull a trailer for short distances.
A lot of factors determine if you can pull a trailer with cruiser bikes. In this article I will explain everything you should know about riding a beach cruiser bike with a trailer.
Table of Contents
Can a beach cruiser bike be able to pull a trailer?
Yes, you can ride a beach cruiser bike with a trailer, but you should have a quick release on your bike, which helps to attach and detach the trailer fast, even though beach cruiser bikes are built for comfortness, since the bike offers an upright riding position that makes it hard to pull a trailer.
Some people have disc brakes on their beach cruiser bikes, in this case you need an adapter,it costs around 60$.
Majority of people who use cruiser bikes to pull a trailer are moms, because cruiser bikes are easy to ride with a comfortable sitting position.
It can haul cargo. In fact, many cruiser bikes are designed with the ability to haul cargo in mind, and with a few modifications, they can easily be turned into workhorses.
But it depends on the ridier too. The rider should be fit and strong enough to be able to put more energy into pedaling in order to pull the trailer smoothly.
The trailer weighs around 12 lbs (5.4 kg), and beach cruiser bikes typically weigh around 30 to 40 lbs (13.4 to 18.1 kg) on average, meaning by using cruiser bikes to pull the trailer you are adding extra weight to your riding.
Beach cruiser bikes are not the best option,when it comes to pulling a trailer due to its heavy weight and comfortable riding position makes it hard to put your whole body energy into pedaling.
How to ride a beach cruiser bike with a trailer?
Riding a beach cruiser bike with a trailer is a great way to get around in style and comfort, but it’s important to know how to ride one with a trailer.
Most cruisers are designed with a long wheelbase and a low seat height, which makes them good choices for riders who weigh less than 200 pounds.
Because of their low seat height, it’s easy to ride with a trailer, but if you’ve never ridden a cruiser before, you may find it more difficult to control the bike at higher speeds. Cruise control, a feature that automatically adjusts the speed of the bike to match your speed, is a good way to ease into higher speeds.
Important thing to remember is that, when you are riding on descending roads where roads are really steep make sure not to go over 12 mp/h.
When you are carrying weight on the back of the bike, your speed will automatically increase on steep roads, so apply brakes gently often to maintain a speed under 12 mp/h.
And when you are riding uphill especially in a cruiser bike makes it hard to pedal due to the bike’s weight and additional trailer weight. And this is one of the drawbacks of using a beach cruiser to pull a trailer.
How hard is it to pull a bike trailer?
It takes a lot of effort to pull a bike trailer, but it’s a good workout. If you’re going to be pulling a trailer, it’s a good idea to build up your leg strength beforehand by riding your bike frequently.
It takes a lot of practice to pull a bike trailer efficiently. The first time you try to pull a bike trailer, you’ll likely notice that the bike doesn’t feel as stable at higher speeds.
If you’re new to riding with a trailer, it’s recommended that you begin with shorter distances and less weight until you get the hang of it. Once you’ve mastered the basics, you can start adding weight and increasing your distance.
But the good thing is that pulling a trailer on your bike will eventually become easy as your legs get stronger and your overall fitness level increases.
The most hardest part about pulling a trailer on your beach cruiser bike, is when you are riding uphill roads, your bike just feels like it weighs a ton on that movement but you have no other choice to just put everything you got into pedaling and build that leg muscles.
How much weight can you pull on a cruiser bike?
The amount of weight that you can pull on a cruiser bike is limited only by the weight capacity of your trailer.
Most trailer can carry upto 100 pounds (45 kg) and trailer itself weighs about 12 ibs (5.4 kg), if you are carrying a single baby of 4 years old weighs about 14 to 18 kg on normal, if you are carrying 2 babies you can expect to carry around 35 to 40 kg of weight.
Additionally the beach cruiser bikes weigh around 30 to 40 pounds (13 to 18 kg), if you are new to riding a beach cruiser bike with a trailer behind your bike it might be hard for you to ride at the first time.
It’s always a good idea to check the weight capacity of your trailer to make sure you are carrying within limits of weight capacity of the trailer.
But always make sure to buy a quality trailer for safety purposes, and check if the trailer can handle the heavy weight, and is it durable for the long run.
Single-speed or geared beach cruiser bike to pull a trailer? Which is best!
When shopping for a cruiser bike, it’s important to determine whether you want a single-speed or a geared bike.
Single-speed bikes are simple to operate and easy to maintain, but they’re limited by the gear ratio, or the number of teeth, of the rear wheel.
A high gear ratio makes it easier to ride at high speeds, but it also makes it more difficult to slow the bike down. A high gear ratio is best for use on roads, but it’s not a good choice for trail riding.
But if you want to pull a trailer, you’ll want a bike with at least a 3-speed or a 7-speed bike.
The added gearing reduces the strain on your legs and gives you more control over your speed.
A 3- or 7-speed bike will give you the range and control to ride further and pull more weight. If your bike has a derailleur, you’ll be able to upgrade to a 9-speed bike to handle even more weight and longer distances.
In simple words to pull a trailer on your cruiser bike it is better if you have a geared bike of 3 speed or 7 speed, in single speed gear you have to pedal on same cadence on all type of terrain, but when you a gear option you can shift to higher or lower gear depending upon the terrain to reduce the strain on your legs and you can ride for longer too.
Which is the Best Type of terrain to ride a beach cruiser bike with a trailer?
This is a common question you might have thought, “Which type of terrain is best to ride with a bike trailer?” The answer is, yes, you guessed it, the flat paved roads the more flat surface you ride on the smoother riding experience you will have.
If you like to ride long distances at high speeds, a single-speed or geared bike is best. On the other hand, if you like to ride shorter distances at a more leisurely pace, a beach cruiser bike with a trailer is a great choice.
Flat pavement roads. gives you the ability to control your speed and the ability to stop quickly if you need to. It’s also easier to navigate hills and turns when you’re on pavement.
When you’re riding a beach cruiser bike with a trailer behind the bike means you are carrying a lot of weight than usual, so it is better if you choose to ride on flat roads, it will reduce the extra effort you have to put in if you were to ride on hilly roads.
Best bikes to pull a bike trailer?
When it comes to selecting a bike to pull a bike trailer, it’s important to find one that matches your riding style and the terrain you’ll be riding on. The best bike for one person may not be the best bike for another person, so it’s important to find a bike that fits your riding style.
So the best bikes to ride with a trailer is:
Road Bikes
Hybrid Bikes
The reason why these above-mentioned bikes make a good bike for pulling a trailer is:
Weight
Roads bike on average weigh around 18 to 20 pounds (8 to 9 kg)
Hybrid bikes on average weighs around 28 pounds ( 12.7 kg)
These bikes are lightweight, and less weight on the bike means you should put less energy to pedal.
Design of the bike
Road bikes and hybrid bikes allow you to put your whole body energy into pedaling which makes it easy to pedal with less strain on your legs.
Frame material
In road bikes, the frames are usually built with carbon material which is known to have lighter material and are more expensive, carbon built road bikes are ones used in races.
And hybrid bikes come with Chromoly or aluminum which has gear durability, it may not be light as carbon material but it comes at an affordable price.
FAQs
Can a 7-year-old ride on a bike trailer?
Basically, Children of age up to 6 years of age are allowed to ride on trailers or the bike, this is because at the age of 7 Childers had already learned to walk or to even ride a bicycle of their own, but it depends on the growth of the children too.
Can you ride uphill with a bike trailer?
Riding uphill makes it easy if you have gear on your beach cruiser bike, you can just shift to lower gear uphill, lower gear ratio will help you to climb with less effort than riding on single speed gear.
How long can you ride a beach cruiser bike with a trailer in a day?
On average, you can ride a beach cruiser bike up to 10 miles in a day with a trailer behind the bike without getting body fatigue, if you have a geared bike you can ride more than 15 miles easily.
Can you put the bike trailer on a disc brakes bike?
Yes you can attach a trailer to the bike which has a disc on the rear wheel but you need to have the right adapter to fit.
Conclusion
Now you know that with a beach cruiser bike it is possible to pull a trailer, but it might not be the best option but it is possible.
Beach Cruiser bikes are built for comfortness and cruising around the town, beach cruisers are all about relaxation bike riding experience, since it is easy to ride, people choose cruiser bikes to pull trailers. It has been popular ever since.
While considering riding with a trailer on your beach cruiser bike it is always best if you have a gears option to the bike, because typically beach cruiser bikes are heavy in weight having gears gives the option to switch to easy riding without giving so much pressure to your legs and you can ride longer distances too.
