Touring - Nashbar Cargo Trailer

How long has Nashbar had a trailer ?
Doesn't look like it hauls as much as a Bob but not a bad price.



http://www.nashbar.com/profile.cfm?sku=18733

Not sure what to make of it. The 45lb weight limit is a bit worrying, though. The BoB Yak, the closest model to this one, weighs in at around a pound heavier, but has a 70lb weight capacity. The difference may well be in the hitch systems -- the Nashbar one looks to create a fair degree of leverage on the dropouts, whereas the BoB one keeps its stress well inboard or close to the dropout.

Still you get what you pay for, and at less than half the price, the Nashbar deal might be too attractive for some. For touring, I wouldn't consider it. For commuting for shopping loads, the weight capacity limits it, and for 45lbs I would use panniers.

The BoB Yak, the closest model to this one, weighs in at around a pound heavier, but has a 70lb weight capacity.
I thought some have said that was minus the weight of the trailer making it something like 50 pounds or so. Still I see what you mean on you get what you pay for, The BOB looks better built.

I looked into buying a Nashbar and a Bob Yak before I bought a Sunlite trailer for kids and did a bit of conversion. Trek "strongly recommended" that I NOT buy a bike that pulls from either side of the rear axle, ststing that the bike was not designed to bear that type of load at that location. They recommended the type that clamps to the chain guard, and that's what I got.

The Bob holds 70 pounds in addition to the weight of the trailer, so the Bob can hold more. I honestly think 50 lbs is on the lower side to make a trailer useful. In fact, I'm a bit disappointed that the Bob can only hold 70 lbs.

I looked into buying a Nashbar and a Bob Yak before I bought a Sunlite trailer for kids and did a bit of conversion. Trek "strongly recommended" that I NOT buy a bike that pulls from either side of the rear axle, ststing that the bike was not designed to bear that type of load at that location. They recommended the type that clamps to the chain guard, and that's what I got.

Honestly, Trek WOULD say something like that. Since they didn't test it, they aren't going to suggest you DO it. That doesn't mean you can't do it though. I think Trek was just covering themselves, as any good company should.

These tests don't necesarilly mean anything. For instance product tests that give a 6 month shelf life may only mean that is how long they tested it for, maybe it lasts for 10 years. We would need a parallel test of each trailer, to destruction. Preferably cycling both really huge loads, and just minor loads over millions of cycles, because the failure modes are different.

Maybe at 50 pounds loading the Nashbar doesn't wipe out bikes.

What you really get with the Bob is the confidence that comes from all the cycle adventures that have been done with it. You know those folks got by with it so you should also.

Trek "strongly recommended" that I NOT buy a bike that pulls from either side of the rear axle, ststing that the bike was not designed to bear that type of load at that location. They recommended the type that clamps to the chain guard, and that's what I got.
I emailed Trek about using a BOB trailer and received this reply;

Thanks for writing. We do not recommend trailer with the carbon frames,
but you can use it with an aluminum or cro moly frame.

Matthew Gutowski
Tech Support
Trek Bicycle Corporation
matthew_gutowski@trekbikes.com

The Bob holds 70 pounds in addition to the weight of the trailer, so the Bob can hold more. I honestly think 50 lbs is on the lower side to make a trailer useful. In fact, I'm a bit disappointed that the Bob can only hold 70 lbs.
Hehehehe... careful my friend... 70lbs is starting to get a bit tough on the hills. I buiilt a simple two-wheel trailer than could carry my own weight (at the time 88kg or ~195lbs). Just. The axle started to bow quite a bit. I moved my furniture and almost everything from my unit into storage with it using my MTB as the prime mover. The trouble was, the storage was around 6km away and generally uphill -- a gradual climb admittedly, but nevertheless hard work.

The problems with heavy weight is not so much going uphill, however. It is the desire for the trailer to overtake the bike going downhill. I had the trailer set up so the wheels were well back and the drawbar always had decent weight on it, but there were some interesting moments. Especially under brakes.