Frequently Asked Questions
What does "Built to Order" mean? How long will it be before I can receive a trailer?
We often are unable to build enough trailers to have enough in stock, especially during the summer and fall of the year. Hence, we often have a waiting list of customers waiting for one of our trailers. If you order a trailer and we have none in stock, we will put you on a waiting list and ship your trailer to you as soon as we can. To be fair to everyone, we build and ship each trailer in sequential order, so that those who have waited the longest get the first available trailer. If delivery time is critical to you, you can call or email us before you place your order to see how long it will be. In any event, we will provide you with an estimated shipping date of your trailer after you place your order.
Will I have to put the trailer together when they arrive?
The trailers are shipped unassembled. The trailers are easy to put together and take about 30-45 minutes to complete. We supply a complete set of instructions as well as two wrenches. The only additional tool you will need is a screwdriver to attach the reflectors.
How much does shipping cost?
The cost of shipping depends on your location and the shipping method you choose. You can compare shipping options and prices using the shipping calculator in our shopping cart. Just select the trailer and accessories you're interested in and enter your country and postal code in the shopping cart. A drop-down list on the subsequent page will give you your shipping choices and costs.
What kind of bike do you recommend to pull these trailers?
Mountain bikes work best for pulling our bicycle trailers. Hybrid or road bikes will work OK as long as the trailer isn't loaded to capacity. If you carry more than about 150 lbs (68 kg) using a bike with 27" or 700c wheels, the rear wheels on hybrid and road bikes may "taco" (bend into the shape of a potato chip) since they are generally not as strong as bikes with smaller wheels.
Can your trailer be used on a recumbent bike, electric bike, or bike with a rear disc brake?
Our hitch will fit most common mountain and hybrid bikes, with or without a disc brake. Our standard hitch will generally not fit recumbent bikes that do not have a seatstay or some bikes with a rear suspension pivot at the dropout. It may or may not fit an electric bike, depending on the amount of clearance between the drive motor and frame. More information on our hitch is available here. We have, however, made some custom hitches to fit bikes that would not accept our standard hitch. If you have questions about whether our hitch will fit or would be interested in having a custom hitch built to fit your bike, contact us before ordering a trailer.
What methods do you accept as payment?
We accept Visa, Master Card, Discover, American Express, Money Orders, Cashier's Checks, and government or corporate purchase orders. Sorry, we cannot accept C.O.D. orders nor installment payments.
We generally will not charge any credit card or deposit money orders or checks until your trailer is complete and ready to ship. If paying by credit card, we will authorize your credit card for $1 when you submit your order to validate your credit card information. This will reduce your credit limit by $1 but will not increase your credit card balance. We will authorize your card for the balance of the amount and complete the transaction when we ship your order.
For foreign customers, we may authorize your credit card for the full amount or deposit your payment and wait for it to clear a few days before shipping to verify that your payment is valid.
What is your warranty and return policy?
The trailer frame is warranted for two years. If any part should crack or break during that time, simply send the broken part back to us and we will replace it free of charge.
If you place an order and decide within 30 days after receiving it that it doesn't satisfy your needs, call us at 515-233-6120 or email us to let us know that we should expect a return from you. Disassemble and repackage the trailer and send it back to:
Bikes At Work Inc.We will promptly refund you the amount you paid less the cost of shipping.
129 Washington Ave.
Ames, IA 50010-6729 USA
Do you have any used trailers available?
We rarely have any used trailers available. If we do, we list them on our web site under the "bike trailers" section of our web site. If you don't see any listed there, we have none avaiable.
Do you sell through dealers? Can I become a reseller?
We sell all our products direct to our customers only, because we truly enjoy serving them and building products to meet their unique needs. If we sold our trailer through dealers, we would lose the ability to meet every customer.
Do you give discounts for non-profit groups or quantity orders?
Unfortunately, we can't afford to do so.
Have additional questions? Ask us.
