Instep Sync & Take 2 Bike Trailer

I'm experimenting with riding an upright bike again, in part because there was no way to attach a trailer to my Sun EZ-3 recumbent and biking just isn't very practical for me anymore if I can't bring my daughter. I went with InStep because it's cheaper new and delivered than I was finding many comparable items used, and a friend of mine who cycles much more than I do these days likes his. I picked the Sync because we only have one kid with no plans for more, so the narrower, more maneuverable model seemed like a good idea. Setup was a breeze. With a quick-release rear skewer on my bike, I didn't need any tools and it only took about 5 minutes. It would have been less if I hadn't been over cautious about reading the directions, as everything goes on just like you'd think it would looking at the trailer. The safety strap can be a bit tricky to get off when you're removing the trailer for a solo ride, but still well less than 60 seconds, and you don't want it to be too easy. Towing the trailer, you hardly know it's there. My bike is very light, so even empty the trailer probably at least doubles the equipment weight, but you really don't notice. There seems to be very little rolling resistance, and the bike handles very much like it does without a trailer. Looking at my workout statistics, I lose about 2mph when towing the trailer, but it doesn't feel that way. The tires are holding the 36 pounds of pressure they are labeled for, but only if I bring the wheels inside when the trailer is not in use. If I forget and leave the wheels on the trailer on the porch, there's entirely too high a chance that either the wheels warp so they can't hold a tire anymore or the tire and inner tube explode. With the rain covers up on the front and back, my daughter says she's very comfortable. Other reviewers have mentioned inadequate ventilation in warm weather, but this hasn't been a problem for us. We have gone on a couple very rainy rides now, and she stays dry and happy in the back with the plastic front and back flaps down. The two side pockets could stand to be a bit larger, IMO. I can get one of her 12-oz Nalgene sippy cups into them, but she can't and they bounce out on moderately bumpy pavement. There would be no hope with a regular water bottle. I think these are the narrowest children's sippies I've seen, so that seems like an oversight. The seat itself, however, is actually quite nice and adjustable. My daughter is small for her 3 years, and easily fits with the straps set to the middle of the three shoulder heights. By the time she's old enough to out-grow the leg and head room she has now, I have no doubt that she will be ready for one of the tandem-trailer type things or insist on riding her own bike anyway. Cargo space in back is somewhat limited. I managed to fit one heavily loaded canvas grocery bag into the back compartment with several inches to spare, but no hope of a second grocery bag. For now, another bag in front doesn't seem to cramp my daughter too much, but she'll grow. If running errands by bike with a child in tow is a primary use for you, consider one of the bigger ones even for one kid. Lighting may also be something of an issue if you plan to use this after dark. It does come with a small red rear reflector and two white wheel reflectors. However, as a former bicycle commuter, I am a firm believer in active lighting for road riding after dark. Unfortunately, since the outer cover goes over every metal tube on the trailer, I can't see where a rear light could be mounted on this trailer. This isn't a big issue for me right now, since sunset is well after my daughter's bed time and it's not even Solstice yet, but might be in spring and fall if you're not on stupid Indiana "double daylight savings" time. Reliability and service: Service has been absolutely hassle free. When the trailer breaks, I call them. They ask what part broke, and send me a new one free of charge. They even sent it free of charge when I managed to ram a post with the trailer and break the coupling. My daughter was fine, and I think the way the trailer broke was probably actually the result of good safety design. NOT a fault of the product, fault of the guy who rode fast between a couple posts. Unfortunately, the other three interactions I've had with InStep have been about wheel failures. Not tire failures - I'm still using the original tires. Not exploded inner tubes, though there have been a couple. Wheels warping when left on an enclosed porch. Since we have started detaching the wheels and bringing them inside between rides, no wheels have warped and no inner tubes have exploded. However, the fact that I have to do this to protect the wheels makes me think that the plastic the wheels are made of ought to be re-evaluated and the wheel design needs rim beads to hold the tires on. Evidently lack of rim beads is common on kids trailers, but still. The most recent replacement wheels I received are indeed a different design, and appear to be made of a different plastic. I have now been using them for a few weeks without bringing them indoors, and they have neither warped nor exploded. If the shipping product has been similarly modified, that may fix the wheel-related reliability issues I have experienced. (This update is being added September 16, 2013)