Burley d’lite: A positively delightful ride

Our 4-year-old Owen and 17-month-old Sam are not exactly friends at the moment.  The love is gone, the luster of a new baby brother has worn off (only temporarily, I hope!) and they’re just generally wary of one another — to say the least.  The bickering over toys and sippy cups escalates to all out war on most days.  So the thought of strapping them side-by-side into a teeny, tiny bike trailer and going for a bike ride seemed to me to be a disaster waiting to happen. 

But when the bike trailer in question is the Burley d’lite, all bets are off.  Although the outside package looks teeny-tiny, the space inside is anything but — A deceptively large interior and incredibly smooth ride combined with a beautiful view bought us (gasp!) an hour or two of brotherly love.  Priceless!

We recently tested the d’lite (MSRP $550) and are over-the-moon happy with this product.  It’s like the luxury SUV of the bike trailer class.  Set-up was relatively easy — it takes a while to learn what all the various straps and loop fasteners were for, but that’s not unique to the d’lite by any means.  We had the trailer out of its box and up and running in about 30 minutes. 

The d’lite is, in fact, quite light — ready to ride, it weighs just 28-pounds.  We’ve used a variety of bike trailers over the last four years and this trailer, by far and away, is the easiest to transport.  Undo two clips and collapse the trailer in on itself, and you’re done.  I’ve seriously had strollers that were more complicated to fold.  Besides ease of use, the fast-action folding system reveals a surprisingly compact trailer:  When completely folded, the d’lite measures just 35 x 31 x 12.5" — it easily fit in the the trunk of our sedan. 

As easy as the d’lite is to break down, it’s just as easy to set up again once you arrive at your desired destination.  Attaching the trailer to the bike was easy, and took less than five minutes for our first hook-up (see photo at right).  Subsequent bike trips were even faster, and we were able to get the trailer set up and hooked on in a matter of seconds.  The trailer itself can accommodate 100 lbs total, and fits 1 or 2 children.  While many bike trailers that are roomy enough to hold two children only allow a solo passenger to sit on either side, all Burley bike trailers are equipped to allow solo riders to sit in the center of the trailer.  This means a more balanced load and helps prevent tip-over accidents. 

If you’re opting to carry two kids, and your two are as prickly with each other as ours currently are, you’ll appreciate the added elbow room provided by bowed-out side battens.  The kids had plenty of room to settle in, and both seemed comfortable courtesy of padded shoulder 5-point harnesses and a deluxe seat pad.  The d’lite also offers improved helmet pockets — a recessed area in the extended seat back that allows space for the bulky back of a child’s helmet. 

The boys were snug but comfy; the elbowing and pushing I thought would happen instantly never happened at all (see photo at left; note that we took their helmets off for snacks, but we do make them wear helmets on our rides!).  To me, that says that they both felt they had enough personal space, so that they could just sit back and enjoy the ride.  Speaking of sitting back, the seat even reclines!  If your little one is often lulled to sleep on a bike ride, instead of worrying about them flopping forward just loosen the tension on the lower strap on the seat back, loosen the tension on the helmet pocket straps, recline the seat, tighten the upper and lower seat strap and fasten the buckles.  Naptime!  No worries about baby being sunburned while he snoozes, either, because the d’lite comes with tinted windows with UV protection.  There’s also an adjustable sun screen for added coverage. 

If the thought of your kids napping on a bike ride sounds far-fetched, think again.  The elastomer suspension and 20-inch quick-release alloy wheels means a smooth ride.  So smooth, in fact, that we’ve given both boys juice boxes on our rides and they have emerged from the d’lite clean and dry.  A juice box at the kitchen table has elicited a bigger mess! This is also due in large part to the hammock-style seat of the d’lite; Some trailers have their passengers sitting right on top of the axle, so that they feel every bump.  By suspending the seats, a smooth ride is virtually guaranteed.  There’s just very, very little jostling going on while they’re riding — even on uneven terrain. 

There’s ample storage behind the seat for parents, and kids have pockets on the interior of the trailer for snacks, toys, etc. etc.  The d’lite comes with an adjustable padded handle bar and parking break, an all-weather cover with waterproof zippers and a safety flag.  Several kits are available for an additional price, including a stroller kit, a jogger kit and a ski kit.  Yes that’s right, you can outfit your d’lite with skis and — thanks to an adult harness system — haul your kids around in the snow!

This year, Burley celebrates its 30th year of making cycling products of the highest quality.  When you buy a d’lite, you’re benefiting from the three decades of experience that Burley brings to the table — or, in this case, the trailer.  If that’s not enough for you, the d’lite is backed by a limited lifetime warranty.  If you’re in the market for a bike trailer, the d’lite makes an excellent choice.  That it’s good enough to bring about a truce between Owen and Sam, at least for a few hours, makes it worth its weight in gold for us!

To purchase a d’lite, click here.