Thule Cadence 2 Bike Trailer

My wife and I were excited to review the Thule Cadence 2 Bike Trailer. As soon as the trailer arrived, I pulled it out of the box and was surprised with how light it was. This trailer only took about 25 minutes to assemble with minimal tools—a Phillips head screwdriver and a 10mm wrench. The manual was well written and easy to understand for the most part. Although, with some of the close up images, it was hard to figure out exactly what you were looking at.

The compact fold makes it easy to store when the trailer isn’t in use, and easy take on future family trips. It was difficult to unfold during assembly, though. You unfold and pull the bottom bar out until it auto locks, but I found it easier to pull one side out until it locks and then pull the other side out until it locks.

Overall, assembly was pretty straightforward. The tires were quite easy to connect and clicked right into place. The trailer attaches to the bike very easily and securely (in less than 5 minutes). The tow arm connects to an attachment that you hook onto your bike; this piece is also simple to attach to your bike. I was pleasantly surprised to see that the attachment is small and unnoticeable, so there is no need to take it off when the trailer is not attached.

Once I had the trailer assembled and connected to my mountain bike, I took it for a ride. The first thing I noticed while pulling this trailer was how smooth the tires rolled. The trailer itself is 22 pounds, but there was minimal resistance, and, surprisingly, the wind was not a factor. I had an irrational fear of the trailer flipping with my daughter inside, so my first ride was done with an empty trailer. I decided to test and see if I could intentionally flip the trailer (My neighbors were probably concerned to see me jumping curbs and taking sharp curves at high speeds while pulling a trailer). But I can confidently say that this trailer will not flip with normal riding or even when taking sharp curves.

After assembly, the first thing I noticed about the trailer was the large amount of storage space. There is about 8 inches of storage space in the back. The trailer has loads of space inside, and there are five-point security straps for two children along with a backrest so that your child can sit up right. My 7-month-old daughter was strapped in securely. The straps fit well, and she seemed comfortable and excited to go for ride. The ride was very smooth, and my daughter loved it! It was a cold, windy day, and the plastic covering blocked the wind and kept my daughter warm. The trailer has both a mesh covering and a plastic outer cover that are connected by Velcro straps to hold it firmly in place.

This trailer cannot be converted into a stroller, so if you are looking for a trailer/stroller combo, you’ll want to upgrade to the Thule Coaster.

Overall this is a high-quality, safe trailer that was very easy to assemble. Other trailers are a challenge to pull on windy days—but not this one. It rolls very nicely, is sturdy and includes an aluminum roll cage just in case. I would absolutely recommend this bike trailer.

Price: $300
Where to buy: thule.com