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Thule Cadence Review

The Cadence is light and does well in wet weather, but its basic passenger area and awkward frame design make us question its mid-range price
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thule cadence bike trailer review
Thule Cadence 2
Credit: www.thule.com
Price:  $350 List
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Manufacturer:   Thule
By Joanna Trieger ⋅ Review Editor  ⋅  May 11, 2023
56
OVERALL
SCORE


RANKED
#6 of 9
  • Protection - 30% 6.0
  • Passenger Experience - 20% 6.0
  • Biker Experience - 20% 7.0
  • Ease of Use - 20% 3.0
  • Versatility - 10% 6.0

Our Verdict

The Cadence is Thule's most affordable bike trailer model, and it's a decent option for parents seeking a reliable entry-level trailer made by a company that knows about transporting precious cargo. It's light and nimble to tow, and it did a great job at protecting passengers from rain and wind. However, the Cadence also comes with downsides; it's very basic for passengers, with an unpadded seating area and an awkward tilt to the seat. It's more difficult to snap together than most of the other trailers we tested, and it doesn't provide much in the way of versatility.
REASONS TO BUY
Lightweight
Water-resistant
Large wheels
REASONS TO AVOID
Uncomfortable for passengers
Difficult to set up and break down
Noisy

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Bottom Line The most basic trailer in the Thule line, the Cadence is lightweight and rain-resistant but doesn't provide a very cushy experience for passengersThe Bee is light and easy to use and delivers the durability and design quality Burley is known for at a bargain priceIf you're willing to spend more for value, there are better optionsThe Allen Sports Steel is a solid, affordable option for parents seeking an entry-level bike trailer for occasional in-town useThe Take 2 is an inexpensive option for parents who want to roll with their kids but don't want to break the bank
Rating Categories Thule Cadence Burley Bee Schwinn Echo Allen Sports Steel InStep Take 2
Protection (30%)
6.0
8.0
5.0
4.0
5.0
Passenger Experience (20%)
6.0
7.0
5.0
5.0
5.0
Biker Experience (20%)
7.0
10.0
8.0
7.0
4.0
Ease of Use (20%)
3.0
8.0
4.0
6.0
3.0
Versatility (10%)
6.0
6.0
5.0
5.0
5.0
Specs Thule Cadence Burley Bee Schwinn Echo Allen Sports Steel InStep Take 2
Converts to Stroller No No No No No
Number of Children 2 2 2 2 2
Harness System 3-point with lap belt 5-point 5-point 3-point with lap belt 5-point
Weight 22 lbs 20 lbs 25 lbs 26 lbs 24.5 lbs
Size Open LxWxH (inches) 35" x 30" x 35" 32.25" x 30" x 36" 51.8" x 32.5" x 31.9"' 22" x 21" x 21" 31.5" x 32" x 31"
Size Folded- wheels removed LxWxH (inches) 37" x 30" x 9" 35.5" x 29.25" x 28.6" 31.5" x 26" x 8" 31" x 25" x 6.5" 31.5" x 26" x 7"
Wheel Size (inches) 20" 20" 20" 16" 16"
Access into trailer Front and back Front and back Front and back Front and back Front and back
Cover Protection 2-in-1 mesh and rain shield 2-in-1 mesh and rain shield 2-in-1 mesh and rain shield 2-in-1 mesh and rain shield 2-in-1 mesh and rain shield

Our Analysis and Test Results

Performance Comparison


The Thule Cadence offers quality construction at an affordable price, but with a few design issues and an uncomfortable passenger area, it was outperformed by several of the other trailers we tested. We give you the details in each of our five performance categories below.

thule cadence bike trailer review - this is thule's most basic passenger trailer. it comes with the...
This is Thule's most basic passenger trailer. It comes with the quality of construction that Thule is known for, and not much else.
Credit: Joanna Trieger

Protection


The Cadence meets ASTM safety standards, like all the trailers we tested. Beyond that, Thule doesn't go too much farther with safety features in this model. The roll cage features one bar across the back of the trailer, but no extra bars on the top or sides. The harness is three-point with a lap belt, similar to the Allen Sports Steel, while all the other trailers we tested came with five-point harnesses. We didn't feel that this trailer was unsafe, but if you're looking at a product in the same price range that puts safety front and center, we'd recommend checking out our Best Bang for the Buck Award winner, the Burley Bee.

thule cadence bike trailer review - a minimal roll cage, unpadded seat area and somewhat flimsy harness...
A minimal roll cage, unpadded seat area and somewhat flimsy harness earned this trailer a relatively low score in the protection category.
Credit: Joanna Trieger

The rain guard in this trailer performed better than we expected, with barely any water in the body of the trailer after a five-minute blast with a sprinkler, but it was outperformed by the Thule Chariots and by the Burley Bee, which all remained completely dry inside. The Cadence has no suspension system so large bumps were very noticeable.

thule cadence bike trailer review - don't worry, we buckled the elephant in securely before we took off...
Don't worry, we buckled the elephant in securely before we took off. Our passenger testers were happy to go for a ride in the Cadence, but Thule's higher-end models, the Chariot Cross and Chariot Lite, were much more comfortable.
Credit: Joanna Trieger

Passenger Experience


Passengers in the Cadence are in for a pretty basic experience. The seat is bench-style with no contouring or padding. We noticed that the seat bottom slants down slightly, so our passengers tended to slump forward against the harness, leading to dreaded wedgies. The harness is unpadded and is a three-point design with a lap belt, and this didn't secure kids in place laterally as well as the five-point harness designs in most of the other trailers. Finally, the lack of suspension in this trailer makes for a pretty bouncy ride on uneven terrain. For long stretches off road, we'd recommend a trailer with suspension, like the Burley D'Lite models or the Thule Chariot Cross.

thule cadence bike trailer review - this trailer is lightweight and aerodynamic, and we found it to be...
This trailer is lightweight and aerodynamic, and we found it to be one of the easier trailers to tow.
Credit: Morgan Trieger

Biker Experience


The Cadence is lightweight, aerodynamic and fairly low-profile, so we gave it relatively high marks in this category. As with all the Thule models we tested, we noticed a bit of feedback from the trailer to the bike, especially when standing up on hills or going over potholes. This is likely due to the slight play in the ezHitch system as the ball moves back and forth in the socket. The 20" wheels did well on uneven terrain, though this trailer doesn't have a suspension system so it was more bouncy than the Burley D'Lite models and the Thule Chariot Cross, which do. We found the Cadence to be a relatively noisy trailer, with general rattling on par with the Allen Sports Steel and the InStep Take 2. If you're looking for a trailer that's quiet as a mouse, we'd recommend the Burley Bee, which outperformed all the other products in this category.

Ease of Use


The Cadence was quick to assemble — we had it attached to the bike 20 minutes after it came out of the box. Like all the trailers we tested, the Cadence attaches to the bike with a steel adapter that's clamped to the frame by the rear quick release skewer. Thule's patented "ezHitch" system uses a rubber ball at the end of the tow arm that slides into the socket of the hitch adapter and is then corralled in the socket with a cotter pin. This system is intuitive, quick and easy to use, but we did notice that it took a fair amount of tugging to secure the cotter pin in place with its rubber fastener. Sometimes this motion was enough to knock the bike over, which was obviously annoying and could freak kids out. We found the bracket hitch used in the Burley D'Lite models and the Burley Bee to be a little easier.

We didn't like the way the Cadence's frame snapped together. Pulling the frame into place required significant force, and folding it back up was almost impossible to do once the trailer was detached from the bike. We found we had to wedge the front of tow arm against a wall to get enough resistance to collapse the frame. The angles were awkward and fingers got pinched. For a much easier and more intuitive setup and breakdown experience, check out Thule's higher-end models, the Chariot Cross and the Thule Chariot Lite.

Versatility


The Cadence is a bike trailer only, with no stroller, jogger, or cross country ski conversions available. It has one of the smaller cargo spaces we tested with a cargo area footprint of 22" by 9.5", putting it behind most of the other trailers in our test group. The seats in this trailer don't lie flat, so the interior space isn't as flexible as the Burley D'Lite models or the Hamax Outback, but the interior is big enough to fit a large load of groceries.

thule cadence bike trailer review - this is one of the smaller trailers we tested and doesn't have a...
This is one of the smaller trailers we tested and doesn't have a convertible interior space, which affected its versatility.
Credit: Joanna Trieger

Best Applications


Since the Cadence doesn't have a suspension system and its seats aren't the most comfortable, we'd recommend this trailer for shorter trips mostly on paved roads. This bike trailer did a good job of protecting passengers from wind and rain, so it would be a great entry-level option for short commutes in places with a lot of inclement weather.

Should You Buy the Thule Cadence?


The Cadence is one of the less expensive trailers on the market, but we felt that the price was still a little steep for what is essentially an entry-level product. It had a better quality of construction than some of the budget models, but it still performed similarly in most of our testing categories, and it costs more than those models. We feel that there are other, better models in a similar price range.

What Other Bike Trailers Should You Consider?


For a similar price, we'd recommend looking at our Best Bang for the Buck Award winner, the Burley Bee, which scored the same or better than the Cadence in every category and was far easier to set up and tow. For a more plush passenger experience, the Burley D'Lite X and Thule's highest-end model, the Thule Chariot Cross are the best of the bunch.

Joanna Trieger