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Schwinn Day Tripper Review

Designed for simplicity and ease of use, this bike trailer will get you to and from the grocery store without any hassle
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Schwinn Day Tripper Review
Credit: Schwinn
Price:  $150 List
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Manufacturer:   Schwinn
By Brian Martin ⋅ Review Editor  ⋅  Aug 24, 2021
65
OVERALL
SCORE


RANKED
#6 of 8
  • Capacity - 30% 6.0
  • Ease of Use - 20% 8.0
  • Ease of Towing - 20% 7.0
  • Smoothness of Ride - 20% 5.0
  • Versatility - 10% 7.0

Our Verdict

As its name might imply, the Schwinn Day Tripper isn't a cargo trailer we would load up for a weekend of gravel road bikepacking, but we found it quite useful in our day-to-day. Hitching up the trailer for a quick grocery run is quite simple and the mounting attachment is subtle enough to live on a bike permanently. The two-wheel design allowed us to really overload it without much hassle and we found ample attachment points to secure odd-sized loads. While we didn't feel the Day Tripper had the necessary wow factor required for any awards, it is a simple utilitarian cargo trailer we found quite enjoyable to use.
REASONS TO BUY
Easy to use
Good tracking
Simple assembly
Affordable
REASONS TO AVOID
Noisy
Wheels out of true
Thin fabric top

Compare to Similar Products

 
schwinn day tripper
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Best for Heavy Loads
Best Buy Award
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Price $150 List
$149.99 at Amazon
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$190 List
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Bottom Line An around town trailer that assembles quickly and proved to work well as a grocery getter or while out doing some greenway trail steward cleanupA large carrying capacity makes this trailer quite versatile and uniqueThis model is a bit heavy, but its an excellent valueNot recommended for epic bike touring adventures, but this trailer is an excellent around-town optionWhile this trailer isn't the most refined, it is extremely affordable compared to the rest of the field and will get the job done
Rating Categories Schwinn Day Tripper Burley Design Flatbed Aosom Wanderer Retrospec Rover Hauler Aosom Elite II
Capacity (30%)
6.0
9.0
9.0
6.0
7.0
Ease of Use (20%)
8.0
9.0
7.0
8.0
7.0
Ease of Towing (20%)
7.0
7.0
6.0
6.0
6.0
Smoothness of Ride (20%)
5.0
7.0
5.0
6.0
4.0
Versatility (10%)
7.0
9.0
7.0
6.0
6.0
Specs Schwinn Day Tripper Burley Design Flatbed Aosom Wanderer Retrospec Rover Hauler Aosom Elite II
Capacity 50 lbs 100 lbs 110 lbs 80 lbs 88 lbs
Weight 18.5 lbs 14.5 lbs 30 lbs 20.1 lbs 34.6 lbs
Number of Wheels 2 2 2 2 2
Size (when open, L x W x H) 25" x 16.5" x 10" 33" x 16.1" x 30.9" 57" x 27.6" x 19.2" 27" x 24.5" x 20" 35" x 33" x 25"
Wheel Size 16" 16" 16" 16" 20"
Access into Trailer Top Top Top Top Top
Cover Protection Weatherproof cover None None Weatherproof cover Weatherproof cover
Attachment to Bike Forged Steel Hitch Forged Hitch Aosom Type 'B' Bike Trailer Universal Hitch Coupler Forged Steel Hitch Forged Steel Hitch

Our Analysis and Test Results

You likely know Schwinn for the same reason we do, their bike manufacturing legacy that originated in the late 1800's here in the good old U-S-of-A. While that pedigree might hint at a high degree of research, development, and tight tolerances in manufacturing, the reality is a bit different. Manufacturing has shifted entirely to China and Schwinn's quality has shifted more towards the “McDonalds” end of the quality spectrum rather than the classic designs and quality we're used to. That being said, the Day Tripper feels pretty solid and handled our around-town testing like a champ.

Performance Comparison


schwinn day tripper - the day tripper isn't an elegant design but what it lacks in style...
The Day Tripper isn't an elegant design but what it lacks in style it makes up for in ease of use and simple around town towing.
Credit: Brian Martin

Capacity


The Day Tripper boasts a 50-pound payload limit and it'll do that with no problem. Our testing bordered on unnecessary punishment but the Day Tripper shrugged it off and asked, “what else you got?”. We spent several days riding greenway trails around Salt Lake City doing our civic duty; that is to say, cleaning up everyone else's garbage that has been deposited on the trails. The highlight of this cleanup was finding a dual speaker subwoofer box half-submerged in the Jordan Creek. Easily weighing 60+ pounds, the waterlogged wooden box failed to crush the Day Tripper's spirits. This gross overload also highlighted a nice design feature of the Day Tripper, its wheels being situated near the back which greatly improves handling with a heavy load and keeps the trailer from lifting your bike's rear wheel.

schwinn day tripper - we found this waterlogged old speaker box (probably weighing 60lbs)...
We found this waterlogged old speaker box (probably weighing 60lbs) discarded in the Jordan River. Luckily the Day Tripper could handle the gross overload without falling apart.
Credit: Brian Martin

Ease of Use


The Day Tripper is extremely easy to use both in the practice of hauling and in assembling it out of the box. Out of the box, the side rail structures unfurled and popped into place easily. The wheels also snapped into their sockets without any drama. We did have to inflate the wheels as they arrived totally flat, but that wasn't a big deal. After assembly, we found the boxy design easy to hitch, load, and unload. While the fabric topper is quite thin, it was easy to get in place and did a nice job holding our groceries gently in place.

The Day Tripper mounted up and ready to go.
The Day Tripper mounted up and ready to go.
Unhitched, the Day Tripper mount is unobtrusive enough to leave on...
Unhitched, the Day Tripper mount is unobtrusive enough to leave on all the time. We wish this was compatible with thru-axle style modern bikes but it isn't.

Ease of Towing


There is an inherent friction penalty accepted when using a two-wheel trailer versus a single wheel. The Day Tripper, while quite pleasant to pull, is no different. The towing highlight of this trailer is the clever wheel placement. Having wheels situated near the back of the trailer keeps heavy loads from “helping” you steer your bike and also keeps the rear wheel from lifting off the ground when you step off your bike. Due to this clever wheel placement, we really felt that this trailer did an excellent job under heavy load. Tracking was straight and true throughout our testing even when we grossly overloaded this little fella.

schwinn day tripper - while doing our greenway trail cleanup mission, the day tripper was...
While doing our greenway trail cleanup mission, the Day Tripper was a delight. The two wheels kept our uneven load stable and never really felt overloaded, even when it was.
Credit: Brian Martin

Smoothness of Ride


When rolling around on city streets and the main greenway cycling artery through Salt Lake City, the Day Tripper rolled smoothly, albeit a little noisy — all of the attachment points are horseshoe-style metal clips that rattle incessantly. Lacking any suspension and having relatively small 16-inch wheels, gravel roads, bumps, and obstacles were a bit of an issue. We got the trailer up on one wheel a few times while simultaneously cornering and clipping a curb or other obstacle. Without any shock absorption, the energy had nowhere to go but straight into the trailer lifting one side into the air. Still, this trailer was generally quite pleasant to pull and performed best on smooth paved trails and roads.

schwinn day tripper - on bike paths, roads, and even hard-packed gravel the day tripper...
On bike paths, roads, and even hard-packed gravel the Day Tripper did quite well. When roads got bumpy and gravel loose the trailer was rattly and noticeably more difficult to pull.
Credit: Brian Martin

Versatility


Probably the most important note on versatility regarding the Day Tripper is the fact that two-wheel trailers, in general, are significantly less adept for bike touring or bikepacking. The Day Tripper can't really handle singletrack trails and is a little too rough on gravel roads, not to mention the rattling that might drive one to insanity on a long gravel tour. What this trailer really does well is hitch/unhitch easily, get groceries, and haul your goodies to the park for an afternoon.

schwinn day tripper - the two-wheel design excels when it comes to hauling weird loads...
The two-wheel design excels when it comes to hauling weird loads, coolers, and generally anything with a higher center of gravity.
Credit: Brian Martin

Value


The bottom line here is that the Day Tripper is downright cheap when compared to other name-brand bike trailers on the market. In many cases, it's half the price of others. The conversation, however, is not so simple as what the price tag might imply. The Day Tripper, while sturdy, is relatively cheaply made. The wheels, while easily detachable, were wildly out of true and connection points were all fastened with pins and horseshoe clips. Yes, these do function well, but they are not subtle or chic — they were in fact, unchic. This aside, the Day Tripper held up to our abuse, both physical and verbal, and kept on ticking throughout our testing. It represents decent durability for the money and a simple solution for anyone wanting to get their picnic supplies to the park without firing up an automobile.

schwinn day tripper - the thru-pin clip design holding each wheel in place exemplifies the...
The thru-pin clip design holding each wheel in place exemplifies the overall vibe of this trailer. It is sturdy and held together with metal components, but it isn't refined.
Credit: Brian Martin

Conclusion


The Schwinn Day Tripper is a reliable friend who always shows up when you need them, even if they are a bit disheveled and rattly. We put this trailer through its paces and even threw in a little extra in the way of a significant weight overload and it just wouldn't die. Riding around our local greenway picking up garbage and trail-stewarding was actually quite fun with this maneuverable mid-sized two-wheeler. If you're looking for something simple and reliable, this is a solid option.

schwinn day tripper - yes, our tester is wearing two fanny packs in this photo. don't let...
Yes, our tester is wearing two fanny packs in this photo. Don't let that distract you from a very affordably priced and effective around-town bike trailer!
Credit: Brian Martin

Brian Martin