Burley Encore Bike Trailer

Comments about Burley Encore Bike Trailer:

We've had our Encore trailer for about a month and love it so far. It is lightweight, easy to assemble, folds down for storage, is only slightly wider than our bike handlebars (making it easy to navigate through narrow areas) and seems to ride smoothly. We also purchased the jogger attachment, and have been able to use the trailer even more often. It is very easy to switch between the bike trailer and jogger attachment; it takes about 3 minutes. To accommodate our 4 month old daughter, we bought the Snuggler seat and she seems comfortable and secure on both our runs and bike rides. The handlebar is adjustable, which is great for switching between runners of different heights. Overall, we are very pleased with our purchase.

I gave it 4 stars because we only have had it for a month and are unable to comment on durability and longevity.

Comments about Burley Encore Bike Trailer:

This is the best money I have ever spent! It is so great to finally be able to take my boys on my rides and not have to worry about their safety or comfort. In addition, once we get to the park, farmers market, etc. we just pop on the stroller kits wheels and away we roll. This trailer/stroller is such great quality. Plus, I hardly feel the trailer behind me. My boys love riding in "the Burley" they get excited anytime I open up the garage door.

Comments about Burley Encore Bike Trailer:

I did quite a bit of research before purchasing this Burley and I must say that I am disappointed with the product. I am impressed by the light weight and ease with which I can bike with the Encore, but the #1 function - to comfortably carry children, isn't met. I find that the 3 point harness (it isn't really a 5 point harness, since the lap belt and shoulder harness don't attach to each other) is a poor fit for my 2 year-old. She just slumps down in the seat and it quickly becomes uncomfortable for her after even a short (10 minute ride). There is a distinct lack of support in the seat. I guess this is considered a 'feature' in that the hammock-style seat floats, but honestly, it just sits at too wide an angle to provide any support. My daughter starts slip-sliding down the seat and eventually ends up slumped with all her weight pushing against the crotch strap - not very comfortable!

I also find that the entire trailer makes a really loud racket as I ride over any bump or uneven pavement. All the c-clips jingle like bells and there is quite a bit of flex between the bike trailer arm and the trailer itself. Very annoying and it does not inspired confidence in the design.

Overall I am disappointed in this product. True, it isn't as pricey as a Chariot, but I feel like there is a lot more design effort put into a Chariot to make it comfortable (it has a formed, supportive seat vs. a shapeless hammock) and ride better (more positive connection between bike and trailer - not so much rattling). Anyways, I guess I bought the Burley largely on the advice of reviews and the reputation of the product. I realize now that this is a reputation that was likely formed 10 or more years ago. Bike trailer technology has moved on, and Burley needs to get up to speed.

Comments about Burley Encore Bike Trailer:

I am re-writing my review of the Burley Encore. One MAJOR flaw and will be returning item due to this flaw: The adjustable handle breaks away during use. When the trailer is converted to a jogging stroller, the handles are adjustable for height. Nice feature. What's not so nice is that it doesn't stay in place during use. While running, it is necessary to push or lift on handle to turn corners, if there is a bend to the road or just to get up and over a curb. More often than not ~ and I'm not yanking on the thing ~ it just breaks away loosing control of the stroller for just a moment. I've got 2 young ones in there sleeping while I jog. Loosing control while running is NOT an option!
I'm reporting this problem to REI and directly to Burley and returning this item for a SAFER model.
All the features in the world do NOT super seed the safety of my children.

Comments about Burley Encore Bike Trailer:

We went back and forth between this trailer and the Chariot. We decided on this one because the Chariot was not only twice as expensive but you have to buy additional accessories to even use it from the start. The Burley Encore is ready to go right out of the box. Our initial setup took about 10 minutes. We took our 13 month old daughter for a ride and she seemed very comfortable and happy. I do wonder how another child would fit in there with her though, it would definitely be cozy. The trailer is sturdy, easy to set up/take down, and very practical. Our daughter was protected from the elements with the various shades and covers and she loved her ride.

Comments about Burley Encore Bike Trailer:

In comparison to it's bigger brother the d'Lite & Chariot models, this is the one to get (of course opinions may vary).
For being the lower end Burley that could convert into a jogger it has the same features as the d'Lite except a widened window for elbow room and a form of shocks. Here's my take, kids will always say 'Dad, he's touching me'. So save the extra few bucks. As for the shocks on the more expensive model, not so much like shocks as BOB strollers, but more dampeners to sort of soften the ride ~ didn't appear to be worth the money. The seat does float however (no bars beneath), which helps absorb shocks.
The handle adjusts for comfort height, which is great when my wife and I are both tall (but will lower if we weren't). Also, the handle acts as a roll cage when set up as a bike trailer if it was to tip over. Simply place handles forward over kids heads. (this is indented to do so, as per manufactures instructions).
It also has removable padded seats (unlike the lower end Chariot models) ~ BIG plus here.
The wheels are super easy to remove, push buttons on center of wheel (Chariot has clips, so the center piece of their wheel is just plastic and dents).
Weather & bug shield are stitched and bolted on and zipper down which will last. On the Chariot models, they just have stretchy bands which will wear down over time that hook over corners. Plus the chariot shield just flaps down, not creating seal on edges. They SELL an upgrade ~ that's dumb. So having a superior weather shield already attached saves even more money and makes sense.
Switching from Trailer to Jogger is simple, just takes a few minutes to do. No way to really design it better, in fact Burley has set it up so it installs right ~ not just fast. Note: the jogging break will need to be adjusted the 1st time by simply loosening up the nut and re-centering it, then tighten back up. This will keep brake from rubbing the whole time. (instructions are easy).
1 major downfall and could be re-designed is the parking break. It's a lever that pushes 2 rods into either tire. It pushes a lot though ~ and leaves marks. It appears that it could damage tires over time.
Our 2 kids love it (2.5 yrs & 5 months). Comfy and secures small one great. Plenty of room for growth (although the d'Lite does have more elbow room).
Plenty of storage in back for short trip or grocery store.
Mesh behind kids heads give plenty of room for helmets, not pushing heads forward. (chariot model was stiff, which would make for an uncomfortable ride with helmets.) Yes, USE HELMETS if using as trailer w/bike. Keep our kids safe. Drivers don't always miss us with their car.
Seats recline, which is great for putting kids to sleep and the 3 point harness has pads. Also included is a lap belt to make it a 5 point to keep kids safe and secure. A flag is also standard which helps visually on the road and trail for oncoming traffic.
Overall Happy with this trailer. We purchased the Jogging kit which works great. Rated it a 4 star only because of the parking break and lack of shocks. Hey for the money, I think it should be included (like the BOB strollers).
We spent hours looking at specs on the computer and time going to the store before deciding. Hope this helps with your shopping trip.

Comments about Burley Encore Bike Trailer:

I bought this trailer after comparing it to the d'lite, chariot cabriolet and the croozer 525. The d'light was out of our price range, the chariot had plastic parts and expensive ad ons and I could not see a croozer(plus it weighed 33lbs) in person. So that left the Burley encore. I was able to compare both the d'lite and the encore in person and both had nice solid bench type padded seats and nice five point harnesses with solid buckles instead of d clips. They each had sun shades and zip up weather covers as well. The seats are almost the same size but the d'lite bows out for more elbow room. After comparing the two we decided the d'lite although nice was not worth the extra cost. The basic features we wanted were all in the Encore including a solid padded seat, padded harness, sun shade and the zip up weather cover. [...] It was easy to set up and I only had to install the wheel guards. Attaching the hitch was simple too. I have a 3.5 year old and a 10 month old and they both fit comfortably in this trailer. I did a test run with the trailer kid less and it pulled and turned well. I could not even feel it behind the bike! Then I put the kids in and could not feel them in there either! Amazing! Very light and easy to pull, tracks well. We're loving it so far and have used it on windy cold rainy days. The kids stay warm and dry. Highly recommend!