A Pet Trailer on My Recumbent Bike - And Otters!!

Sometimes the best gear finds you. A neighbor posted a free Schwinn Rascal pet trailer on our local Facebook group, my wife spotted it, and just like that we had a new way to bring our dog Phoebe along on the Cruzbike S40.

A Free Trailer, Almost Like New

The trailer just needed air in the tires and a new coupler, which I picked up cheap on Amazon for about $10. Swapping it onto the bike was simple - pull the dropout wheel's skewer, slide the coupler in, and put the skewer back on. The tires still had their factory rubber ridge, barely worn at all, so this thing was practically brand new.

Touring the Trailer

Before Phoebe even got in, I gave it a once-over: mesh panels on the top and both sides for airflow, a rear access panel, and a top zip opening so the dog can climb in either way. Inside there's a grippy rubber mat, a built-in tether for dogs that like to wander, a small flag, a rear reflector, and a plastic weather screen that velcros into place if it rains. It even folds flat and the wheels pop off for storage or travel.

Why This One's a Big Deal

Phoebe usually rides along in a backpack, but that only works on an upright bike - on the recumbent, there was never really a way to bring her. This trailer solves that, so she got tethered in, and she settled right in like she'd done it a hundred times.

How It Rode

Performance-wise, the trailer barely slowed me down. The one thing to watch for is bumps and curb transitions, since there's no suspension built in - I hit one sidewalk transition a little fast and could tell it jarred her a bit, so that's something to ease into more gently going forward.

An Otter Surprise

Partway through the ride we came across a family of otters, which is a rare enough sight that we pulled back and gave them space rather than stressing them out. Phoebe was clearly just as interested, craning back to watch them - and to keep an eye on her mama riding behind us. With her water bottle tucked into the trailer's built-in holder, it turned into a genuinely fun first outing in the new setup.