Today I'm writing about my bike trailer and how much I love it. This isn't a sponsored post, the trailer truly brings me joy! It's the second bike trailer I've had and the first one did NOT bring me joy.
Bike trailer one was a cheap trailer from Halfords. When I bought it I had the limiting belief that I didn't need or deserve good quality things and that I should make do with the cheapest versions. I've since done a lot of work on myself and changed that belief. A life coach can help you identify and change limiting beliefs. Sometimes you are so used to a limiting belief it feels like part of the way things are but they can be changed.
Trailer one was difficult to pull and I felt like a failure because I was so slow when I cycled with it, I couldn't stop thinking - why am I so unfit? Why can't a pull a bike trailer with a small child? Why am I so useless? The thing is, when cycling was difficult I blamed myself. I had that trailer for 3 years and for all that time I blamed myself. Blamed myself for not cycling more often, cycling further, cycling faster. Because I though I didn't need a better bike I blamed myself not the bike, it was miserable.
Finally, after the birth of my second child I was ready to let go of the idea that I didn't deserve a better trailer. We now had two children who didn't fit in the old one and so if I wanted to keep cycling with them it was time to get a new trailer. Before buying bike trailer two I decided to get advice (another old belief of mine was that I should never ask for or accept help). I tried out a friends trailer, I joined a facebook group and asked for advice, I read articles on the best trailers. Finally I bought a Thule trailer and not only was it big enough to comfortably carry both children and a folding pushchair it was much easier to cycle! I finally feel like a competent cyclist and a competent mum when I take my boys out in it.
I'm so glad I have a good bike trailer now, I feel so much better about myself when I use it. For me it was definitely worth the extra money and to be honest I wish I'd gone straight for the good trailer and never bought the other one. Having addressed my limiting beliefs that
1) I don't deserve good quality things
2) I shouldn't ask for help
I'm hopeful that I won't make a similar mistake again!
Do you cycle your children? How does it make you feel?