Fun, fall day adventure on the new John Nicholas Trail in Los Gatos.

Fun, fall day adventure on the new John Nicholas Trail in Los Gatos.​

The Lowdown: Weehoo iGo Pro child bike seat

Overall our family is very happy with the Weehoo iGo Pro, a 4-foot single-wheel trailer with pedal assist that allows our child to join us on family bike rides. Instead of being limited to simple bike paths, we can go on longer and more challenging trails than if our son were on his own bike.

Stat Box

Gear ratio: 42t x 16t Storage pockets in seat
Weight: 27lbs Enclosed sprocket and chain
Weight limit: 80lbs Storage pannier pockets over rear wheel
Length: 48 inches Foot straps
Wheel size: 20"MSRP: $299
3 point safety harnessRating:
4 Flamin' Chili Peppers
4 Chilies-out-of-5


Pluses

Minuses
  • Passenger pedaling is helpful - and optional
  • Pull bar quick releases are a bit cumbersome
  • Overall handling is better than expected
  • Hitch doesn't work with a dropper seatpost
  • Modularity makes for easy portability
  • Heavy at 27 lbs
  • We get to ride together as a family!
  • Mud and dust in child's face
  • Key safety features with safety harness and construction durability

Checking out the scenery.

Checking out the scenery.​

Full Review: Weehoo iGo Pro child bike seat

My husband and I consider ourselves outdoor enthusiasts. We love cycling, running, hiking, and most anything that allows us to adventure outside. When our son came along it was important to find ways to continue this lifestyle as best we could. From very early on we rode bikes with the little guy. We started him in a Burley Solo trailer and as he got older graduated to the front seat of dad's bike with an iBert.

Junior recently outgrew the iBert and it was time to get something new. While he has his own two wheeled bike, we were also looking for something that allows us to take longer family rides together. Based on feedback from friends we settled on the WeeHoo iGo Pro ($299 for 2014 model), a four-foot trailer with pedal assist that's pulled behind an adult bike.

We've had our iGo Pro for 3 months now and logged many hours and miles riding around the neighborhood (to dinner, to the market, to the park), and on local trails (both paved and dirt). We've even taken it on a few family vacations. So far so good.

Here's a video from another user of what riding in the WeeHoo iGo is like:




The iGo Pro arrived in a compact package with assembly required. It took a little over an hour for father and son to figure out the details of the instructions and get us rolling. There are nice videos on the WeeHoo website intended to assist with assembly (https://rideweehoo.com/ #section-products) but they weren't necessary. The package instructions and a little intuition did the trick.

Someone is excited.

Someone is excited.​

Over the next few days we rode around the neighborhood, testing out the agility of the iGo Pro on streets and sidewalks. It was surprisingly good considering the length it adds to the bike. It felt similar to pulling the Burley trailer, but with the added benefit of the kid pedaling, which provided a little boost of forward momentum. One evening we decided to ride bikes to a local outdoor market for dinner. The panniers were nice for storing bike locks, jackets, and toys. The flag and reflectors kept us visible, though we plan on adding front and rear lights just to be safe.

The next test was to take the iGo Pro out on dirt trails. With the iBert we were used to getting out on many of our local mountain bike trails. Anything from fireroad with a decent climb to singletrack fun like the Emma McCrary Trail at UCSC near Santa Cruz. With an over the handlebars seat the iBert lent itself nicely to communication between my husband and son about trail skills, safe riding, and even line choice. Our son was getting quite the lesson in riding.

iGo Pro Bicycle Trailer

Getting ready to ride.</span

With the move to the rear view in the iGo Pro our son was slow to warm up. The move also made communication between dad and son a little tough. But as the miles were logged and the speed increased the smiles and screams of "weehoo" got louder and more enthusiastic.

The adventures we can go on together are great, and we really appreciate the overall handling and stability of the iGo Pro. My husband has to ride differently with a 4-foot trailer on the back of his bike, but he's surprised that he's not always conscious of it. He is mainly more aware of pulling the additional weight than he is of the handling. And now our son gets to help out with the pedaling. Kids are always challenged to pace themselves, and when riding their own bikes that turns into lots of stopping, lots of "I can't do it", followed by sudden bursts of exertion that are completely unsustainable. With the iGo Pro, our son can burst and bust all he wants, and the family keeps riding. Also, our working together allows him to get into a pedaling rhythm and start to learn about pacing.

Of course the iGoPro does limit trail choice. Most of the singletracks we were able to ride with the iBert are now off limits simply because of the handling of the additional 4-foot trailer. We tried one local trail that is mainly doubletrack with a few singletrack switchbacks. My husband was able to make the turns okay on the climbing switchbacks, but for safety reasons needed to walk through the turns on the descent.

In the woods.

In the woods.​

The attachment mechanism for the trailer to bike involves attaching the push bar to a hitch with a bushing (or shim) that slides snug onto the seatpost. It requires removing the seatpost from the bike to slide the hitch on, which means it won't work on a dropper seatpost with internal cabling. But if you have a standard seatpost, this process is simple. The hitch mount comes with 5 bushings to make it compatible with most standard seatpost diameters. We have used it with three of our bikes (2 mountain and 1 road) and it's a simple and quick change from one bike to another. An additional $40 gets you a second hitch kit that saves bike switching time.

Weehoo has changed the design of the seat attachment from previous versions. Instead of using a plate to attach the seat with 12 available positions, it uses two clamps with quick release keys. The clamps fit into a groove on the bottom rail and the seat can be slid on that bottom rail to any position to adjust for different leg lengths. The new design is supposed to be less cumbersome with more position options. It still seems a bit cumbersome to move the seat. But that's not something we're doing all that often.

The modular design of the iGo Pro makes it easy to break down and fit inside our 4Runner along with both our bikes. It also fits easily in the back of our Subaru Outback. Given that we have to drive to all our local mountain biking trails, portability was an important factor for us.

Overall our family is happy with our iGo Pro. The best part is it allows for the family to pedal together on longer and more challenging trails than if our son were on his own bike. We look forward to logging many more miles together in 2015.

Also be sure to check out the expansive photo gallery below.

Nice spot.

Nice spot.​

Editor's Note: The unit reviewed in this test is a 2014 model, which is currently available on closeout for $299. The new 2015 model will be available soon with an MSRP of $399. The 2015 model includes a host of updates and changes, which are outlined by Weehoo here:

  1. Revised pushbar curve: Higher clearance so less chance of tire to pushbar contact on big wheel bikes, full suspension bikes, and bikes with rear racks. Pushbar to main frame connection also now uses a square tube to further simplify connection while also resulting in a better fit.
  2. Fixie style foot strap: Wider with an easier to use heel strap
  3. No QR's: Eliminated frequently improperly used items and replaced with snap pins (hitch and pushbar to main frame) or easy to use knobs (seat adjust)
  4. One handed seat adjust and lower seat height; Knob (no QR) makes for easy one handed adjustments and a slightly lower seat (couple inches) helps bring the center of gravity down.
  5. Revised seat back angle: Slightly more reclined by 5 degrees for a more comfortable passenger position
  6. Single sided stay: Dubbed the "Righty," makes changing tubes a cinch because you don't have to remove the rear wheel.

For more information visit rideweehoo.com.