February was a whirlwind that passed by in the blink of an eye.
To everyone who joined our anniversary events and the brands that collaborated on our pop-ups, thank you so much!!
Seeing how much everyone enjoyed themselves made us incredibly happy, and we had a wonderful time too.
And yesterday was our 2nd Anniversary Ride. We headed out to Izu Oshima.
It was absolutely incredible… I wish I could go back to yesterday morning. I’m still buzzing from it.
To everyone who participated, thank you!
I’ll be sharing more about this amazing ride on the Yoshimoto blog soon.
Now, starting in March, we return to our usual daily routine. Although it's "back to normal," we have plenty of events lined up.
We look forward to having you with us for Circles Tokyo’s third year.
Well then, today I’d like to introduce an item I recently purchased that has become essential to my daily life.
BURLEY Child Trailer
I had been using a front-mounted child seat until now, but as my child has grown, I decided it was time for an upgrade.
Nami from the CWD team uses a child trailer, and I’ve secretly been envious of it. I always told myself I’d get one eventually, and that time finally arrived…!
I chose the BURLEY Bee Single.
What is BURLEY? And why did I choose it?
BURLEY is a trailer brand hailing from Oregon, USA.
Actually, the person who founded BURLEY is Alan Scholz, the creator of BIKE FRIDAY, which I am also a big fan of. (He was also introduced in Tanaka-san’s blog recently.)
The origin of BURLEY is very simple:
Alan just wanted to ride his bike with his family.
Life changes when you have children.
Before, I used to just head out on a whim for a solo ride, but those solo moments dwindle, and family time naturally becomes the priority.
That’s the beauty of cycling—you can still enjoy it even as your lifestyle changes.
Instead of riding fast or far,
it’s about the time spent leisurely heading to a destination with your family,
or dropping off the kids at nursery school and running errands at the supermarket.
It turns even those everyday "commutes" into something special.
The time you can ride a bike with your child is limited and not very long at all.
I chose BURLEY to maximize that precious, irreplaceable time.
My experience using it…
The reason it’s used all over the world is simple: the balance of safety, comfort, and practicality is overwhelmingly high. It really boils down to that.
I’ve summarized the key points that stand out to me.
Point 1: Reliable Safety Design
One of the reasons BURLEY has been trusted for so many years is its safety.
As a parent, safety is my number one concern.
Its low center of gravity provides exceptional stability.
A key design feature is that even if the bike were to tip over, the trailer itself is designed to stay upright.
I’m sure many of you have seen situations where, with a child seat, a gust of wind or a loss of balance causes the whole bike and child to topple over while stopped.
With the trailer, even if the bike falls, the unit remains stable, providing a much greater sense of peace of mind.
Also, it has minimal impact on the bike’s handling, allowing you to ride through city streets with lots of hills and stop-and-go traffic without any stress.
The front features mesh for great ventilation, so you can chat while riding. On rainy days, the waterproof 600-denier polyester cover keeps everything dry and comfortable.
It can be rolled up and stored when the weather is nice.
Point 2: It’s a "fun" ride for kids
Honestly, this might be the biggest point.
Seeing my child simply enjoy the ride is the greatest joy for a father. (My kid is in the "I don't wanna!" phase right now, so I really want to score as many points as I can….)
To them, it’s like a secret base. Moving from place to place isn’t "boring travel time"—it’s a "fun adventure."
The 5-point harness also adds to the peace of mind.
I thought they might be scared at first, but my kid seems so comfortable they spend the whole time singing at the top of their lungs.
We use it for the daily school drop-off, and the other kids naturally gather around it—my child has become a bit of a local celebrity.
Point 3: Surprisingly easy to detach
This is a point not many people know about—I didn't realize it would be this easy.
With the dedicated hitch, the BURLEY trailer can be attached or detached in one touch without any tools.
1. Remove the rear wheel (quick release or thru-axle), install the hitch bracket on the left side (non-drive side), and secure it.
2. Attach the towing arm to the trailer. Insert the arm into the front of the trailer and secure it with the quick-release pin.
3. Attach the safety strap to the frame.
And that’s it—you're ready to go.
Always double-check these three points before you ride off. Detaching follows the reverse procedure.
You can leave the hitch bracket attached, so it’s easy to drop the trailer and head out for a long ride!
Point 4: You can haul gear—it fits perfectly into your lifestyle
There is storage space in the rear, so you can pack items even while the child is inside.
Plus, on days without the child, it acts as a cargo trailer:
• Grocery shopping or hardware store runs with bulky items
• Hauling camping or outdoor gear
• Carrying park toys
You can accomplish errands that don't justify taking the car by bike instead.
People often think child trailers are "only usable while the kids are little," but you can use it for school runs and outings, then transition to hauling gear or outdoor equipment as the kids get older.
It’s not just for child-rearing; it’s something that can be used throughout your entire lifestyle.
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Since adding BURLEY to our lives, I’ve been able to share the joy of cycling with my "family" rather than just by myself.
Above all, seeing my child smile makes choosing this trailer worth it.
Every day is a frantic race against the clock between work and parenting, but those "daily nursery school runs and quick neighborhood trips" turn everyday moments into irreplaceable memories.
Cycling lets you take detours much more easily than a car, and for a child, those detours become little adventures.
Just the other day, on our way home, we found a slightly rough path along the river. I wanted to see how they'd react, so we rode it—my son loved the bumpy thrill so much he excitedly shouted, "Again!!" over and over.
Seeing that look on his face, I really felt deep down that I hope these moments last forever.
For those of you with small children, why not choose BURLEY to make those limited years of riding together truly special?
Feel free to reach out to us for more information.