Croozer Dog Peppa: Testing a Modern Dog Trailer

My border collie Blue is a real trail dog. She loves to tag along when I’m on my mountain bike, and runs after me on the trail with great enthusiasm. However, the distances or speeds are not always suitable for her. Even on everyday paths, it is rarely possible to take her with you on a leash on your bike. A great alternative: a bicycle trailer for dogs. With a dog trailer, she could always be with me and I could forgo the car more often. It’s a win-win in my book. So, it was especially fortunate that we added dog trailers from Croozer to our range. I ended up deciding on the Croozer Dog Peppa. At a shoulder height of about 49 centimetres, Blue fits perfectly into the trailer, which is approved for loads of up to 35 kg (max. standing height: 62 cm). For larger dogs, Croozer also has models such as the Jokke (standing height up to 77 cm) and Bruuno (standing height up to 87 cm) in its range – both are approved for loads up to 45 kg. My sporty commuter serves as the tractor: a Focus Mares AL. Over the last four weeks, we’ve been on the road three times a week for an hour and a half on average. Our excursions have taken us to the Eifel as well as the Vennbahn cycle path.

Assembling and mounting on the bike

Before we could set off, I had to mount the trailer, of course. Assembly is very easy, also thanks to the very detailed and well-illustrated assembly instructions: unpack, unfold the frame and mount the bumper and the tow bar. The wheels are mounted quickly and effortlessly with a quick-release fastener. It took me about half an hour, and unpacking was the most time-consuming part. Even if you’re not all that handy with tools or assembly work, you will certainly be able to set up the dog trailer without any issues. All I had to do was mount the axle hitch on the bike. A universal hitch for clamping under a quick release or a solid axle is included – however, this does not secure the trailer well against theft. If you don’t connect it in a certain way, it could be stolen along with the hitch by loosening the quick-release. I therefore recommend the Quick Release Axle Hitch from Croozer. If you install these, there is no way to detach the trailer from the bike as long as the hitch of the tow bar is locked. It hides the hex socket, as the hanger mount is slipped over the entire end of the Croozer quick-release. There are also various adapters for bikes with thru-axles, which take into account a variety of over locknut dimensions and thread pitches. Hooking it up to the bike itself is then a matter of a few seconds, and is very easy to handle. However, the bike must stand upright. Since there is no side stand mounted on my crosser-commuter, I can only hitch the trailer if I lean the bike somewhere. This also applies when I open the "door" for Blue to get in or out. It would often be easier with a stand on the bike, but it also works that way. The trailer’s parking brake stabilises the situation so that the whole thing does not suddenly roll away when Blue jumps into the trailer.

Surprisingly good handling

The handling of the trailer is much better than I expected. Despite the decent length of the bike and Croozer, even winding roads and narrow paths pose no problems, though I had expected it to be much more cumbersome and less manoeuvrable. Gravel roads and dirt tracks are also no problem. For bumpier rides, you should drive a little slower, as the trailer has no suspension apart from the pneumatic tyres.
Of course, you notice the extra weight. At just under 14 kilograms, the trailer weighs quite a bit. With the additional 17 kilograms that Blue weighs on the scale, I'm dragging an extra 31 kilos behind me. When you’re riding uphill, this definitely requires strength and endurance – but also promotes them. However, using a pedelec as the towing vehicle naturally makes life easier here.