Utility Cycling - The post your trailer thread.

Post them if you got em'!

I'll start with mine. Based on http://www.bikesacrossborders.org/diy/trailer.html . Finally something to use those steel 27's on. The box is 132gal which is enough for whatever I would need to carry, yet I could mount another one up front if I needed to.

My Pac-mule trailer, along with my hardtail 1985ish Fuji Thrill:



East Hill

I'll start with mine. Based on http://www.bikesacrossborders.org/diy/trailer.html . Finally something to use those steel 27's on. The box is 132gal which is enough for whatever I would need to carry, yet I could mount another one up front if I needed to.
Can you get a close up on the hitch?

Using a Kid Trailer as a Touring trailer on the Upper Peninsula of Michigan!:D 65 pounds of gear and fully self supported. This included 105 miles of fire roads in sandy conditions and a skinny tire bike.;)

A Burley Flatbed

Trailer w/plastic box purchased in Germany 6, 7, or 9 years ago for 40 DM or Euro, I don't remember which. Bicycle is a 5 speed Kynast of undetermined age, (probably mid 90's); cost nothing as I found it on Sperrmüll (Trash Day for getting rid of household accumulations.)

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(http://img35.imageshack.us/my.php?image=kynastbigrightsidewtrailer24fk.jpg)

[URL=http://img59.imageshack.us/my.php?image=biketrailer5qi.jpg]

I don't have a trailer, but I think I need one, and I have a couple of questions:

1. Is it hard for motorists to see that there's a trailer behind your bike? (I'm concerned about someone turning, running into my trailer because they don't know it's there, and dragging me backwards down the street...)

2. I need a trailer that you can break down (I live in a condo), that's sturdy enough to haul an 8hp outboard motor, and that's not too expensive. I'm not handy, so I probably won't make my own trailer unless I have to. Any suggestions?

1. Is it hard for motorists to see that there's a trailer behind your bike? (I'm concerned about someone turning, running into my trailer because they don't know it's there, and dragging me backwards down the street...)

I've never had that problem, but you could use one of those tall, orange flags if you were concerned.


2. I need a trailer that you can break down (I live in a condo), that's sturdy enough to haul an 8hp outboard motor, and that's not too expensive. I'm not handy, so I probably won't make my own trailer unless I have to. Any suggestions?

How heavy is the motor? I have the Burley Flatbed that AllenG has in his photo. It's very versatile, but has a 100 lbs weight limit. I understand if you mod it with a board on the bottom, it can carry more weight. It's $200, but I'm willing to be there are some shops in Seattle that would do layaway if it's too much at once. It only weighs 13 lbs, and will fit in small spaces on its side - even if you don't want to remove the wheels.

I must say that having the trailer has been very liberating for me. :)

I've never had that problem, but you could use one of those tall, orange flags if you were concerned.



How heavy is the motor? I have the Burley Flatbed that AllenG has in his photo. It's very versatile, but has a 100 lbs weight limit. I understand if you mod it with a board on the bottom, it can carry more weight. It's $200, but I'm willing to be there are some shops in Seattle that would do layaway if it's too much at once. It only weighs 13 lbs, and will fit in small spaces on its side - even if you don't want to remove the wheels.

I must say that having the trailer has been very liberating for me. :)

Thanks! I'll look into the Burley flatbed, $200 doesn't seem totally absurd, and if the wheels come off, so much the better. (I think the outboard is almost exactly 100 lbs...)

I don't have a trailer, but I think I need one, and I have a couple of questions:

1. Is it hard for motorists to see that there's a trailer behind your bike? (I'm concerned about someone turning, running into my trailer because they don't know it's there, and dragging me backwards down the street...)

2. I need a trailer that you can break down (I live in a condo), that's sturdy enough to haul an 8hp outboard motor, and that's not too expensive. I'm not handy, so I probably won't make my own trailer unless I have to. Any suggestions?

How heavy is that outboard?

My Nashbar Caro hanging takes little room,
Has a tall orange flag and dual flashing tail lamps, and wheel reflectors.
40 lbs is too much to control, but 30 is ok. I like this trailer, do not recommend pulling it clipless.

Post them if you got em'!

I'll start with mine. Based on http://www.bikesacrossborders.org/diy/trailer.html . Finally something to use those steel 27's on. The box is 132gal which is enough for whatever I would need to carry, yet I could mount another one up front if I needed to.


Freaking Sweet! I dig the bullhorns on that bike. I have never seen or thought of bike trailers much before, but man.... I needa get me one of those.
What kind of things do you carry around in those?

my latest build it's scrap metal pipe and the drawbar is from a whipper snipper the box is 150 litre

The wheels are off my two daughters old Bratz bikes ( they finally died so I stripped them for spares ) they rims were rusty so I painted them flat black , I don't know how many spokes they have and the tyres I got 2 pairs off ebay for $2.25 one set of kenda freestyle tyres went onto my sons bike and the other set which were a little to cracked for a bike are on the trailer . All up the trailer owes me $30.25 au the container was $20 and paint was $8.00 ( which I still have heaps of for next time :lol: ) and the tyres for $2.25 .

I don't have a trailer, but I think I need one, and I have a couple of questions:

1. Is it hard for motorists to see that there's a trailer behind your bike? (I'm concerned about someone turning, running into my trailer because they don't know it's there, and dragging me backwards down the street...)

2. I need a trailer that you can break down (I live in a condo), that's sturdy enough to haul an 8hp outboard motor, and that's not too expensive. I'm not handy, so I probably won't make my own trailer unless I have to. Any suggestions?

Flag or big warning triangle on back!

My Pac-mule breaks down if necessary. He also makes haulers that can take deer out of the woods, so yes, they can handle a fair amount of weight. Just remember that if you are going down hills that the weight in the back can make you go really, really fast :eek: . He is a bit more expensive than the other trailers, but on the other hand, he's local (Pac-mule is a member here, and he's in Olympia).

East Hill

Flag or big warning triangle on back!

My Pac-mule breaks down if necessary. He also makes haulers that can take deer out of the woods, so yes, they can handle a fair amount of weight. Just remember that if you are going down hills that the weight in the back can make you go really, really fast :eek: . He is a bit more expensive than the other trailers, but on the other hand, he's local (Pac-mule is a member here, and he's in Olympia).

East Hill

I'll check it out, thanks!

[QUOTE=Autokat;4955942]The wheels are off my two daughters old Bratz bikes ( they finally died so I stripped them for spares ) they rims were rusty so I painted them flat black , I don't know how many spokes they have and the tyres I got 2 pairs off ebay for $2.25 one set of kenda freestyle tyres went onto my sons bike and the other set which were a little to cracked for a bike are on the trailer . All up the trailer owes me $30.25 au the container was $20 and paint was $8.00 ( which I still have heaps of for next time :lol: ) and the tyres for $2.25 .

The bikes right? not the daughters...

:eek:

CE

:lol:

ha ha I never thought of that :lol:

All pictures have links back to my my thread.

Grocery mode
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Utility and general hauling
(http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=311932)

Bare deck



Flag or big warning triangle on back!

I use both :D
[URL="http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=311932"] (http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=311932)

I use both :D


Certainly doesn't hurt!

East Hill

This is my bike and trailer. The trailer is usually used to take food from store to home or to move 2 kids from one place to another. I was whole Friday afternoon and Saturday at forest so this time I used trailer to get all stuff to there. So during those days I picked up about 13l blueberries. I love forests and what they can give for me.



(And yes. I know fenders are missing. I lost them at touring last summer.)

So during those days I picked up about 13l blueberries. I love forests and what they can give for me.


Mushrooms as well? That's a lot of blueberries--do you dry them?

East Hill

Unfortunately there wasn't mushrooms which I know. We store blueberries to freezer. That's simplier than drying them. Part of the berries were used to the cake which we happily ate today and offered it for relatives.

If I find mushrooms which I know, I usually collect them so that I can enjoy them with my son at evening. I don't store them because usually my parents gives us enough dried mushrooms. (And most of our family doesn't like mushrooms so I'd rather get as much berries as possible.) Distance to the place were the picture were taken was 12km. It was such place were nobody ends up with car. Never. Dead end. Nothing intresting around. Not even parking place. Using bike takes me to such places quite often.

Teme

My Bikes At Work trailer http://bikesatwork.com/

Works great. Cool website too. You can calculate how fast you can expect to pull a certain weight over a chosen grade.

This trailer really allows me to be car free more easily. It will haul over 300lbs of stuff. Rubber tubs not included. I think I paid $400+ US a couple years ago and saved that in car note over a couple months. Very well made and nice design. Pulls like a charm. I would suggest a triple chain ring tho.

This is probably pretty obvious, but if you can get your hauling done in a trailer designed for towing kids around, and leave the sun/rain hood up, most motorists will give you extra space when they pass 'cause they think you got a kid in there even tho the trailer is full of beer and chips. Least that's what I hear - no kids and I spend all of my beer money on bikes.

Here is my very cheap (albeit temporary...I'm saving for a Xtracycle) solution to the "how to get the dog and catfood that don't fit in the panniers home" problem. This is for the kind of person who would mount a milk crate on their bike and not be embarrassed...:)

The grocery cart was $10 at the Thrift Store and a bag of 40 zip ties was 99 cents. I do this every two months...about 2 miles round trip on quiet suburban streets. Total weight 45 pounds. After reading this thread I think that I'll put a flag on it for greater visability.

Here is my very cheap (albeit temporary...I'm saving for a Xtracycle) solution ....

Those wheels will wear out pretty quick. When they do, see if your local bike shop can fit some new kid tricycle wheels on it. The newer wheels are actually GIANT inline skate-like wheels. They should wear a long time. Might need a spacer on the basket's axle to make the trike wheels work.

alicestrong,
I wonder if anyone has ever modded a grocery cart as a trailer? I'm thinking those non-metal plastic ones would be fairly light.

alicestrong,
I wonder if anyone has ever modded a grocery cart as a trailer? I'm thinking those non-metal plastic ones would be fairly light.

There have been a couple on here that have modded grocery carts, but they typically had access to welding tools.

Those wheels will wear out pretty quick. When they do, see if your local bike shop can fit some new kid tricycle wheels on it. The newer wheels are actually GIANT inline skate-like wheels. They should wear a long time. Might need a spacer on the basket's axle to make the trike wheels work.

It's funny you should mention switching out the wheels. The original person who gave me the idea to ziptie the grocery cart to my rack did exactly that. He used his cart for mostly trips to the post office transporting tall cardboard shipping tubes.

The trailer with the bike.



Trailer decor. :)

Ouch, with that seat angle.

Ouch, with that seat angle.
http://www.bikeforums.net/showpost.php?p=5143473&postcount=34 :D

lol ok. Have you at least tried a level seat?

Of course. That's where I started. I feel like I'm sliding off the saddle when it's that way, and I put excessive pressure on my arms and shoulders trying to "hold myself on". If it makes you feel any better, I'm not the only chick I know who uses this same solution to the same problem.

http://www.bikeforums.net/showpost.php?p=5143473&postcount=34 :D


Hey I can't quite tell, is that a Brooks?

Here is my very cheap (albeit temporary...I'm saving for a Xtracycle) solution to the "how to get the dog and catfood that don't fit in the panniers home" problem. This is for the kind of person who would mount a milk crate on their bike and not be embarrassed...:)

The grocery cart was $10 at the Thrift Store and a bag of 40 zip ties was 99 cents. I do this every two months...about 2 miles round trip on quiet suburban streets. Total weight 45 pounds. After reading this thread I think that I'll put a flag on it for greater visability.



Simple, cheap, and effective ... nothing wrong with that! :D

Hey I can't quite tell, is that a Brooks?
Yes, a B-67.

Yes, a B-67.

That is one classy rig you've got there! Yeah, I've heard the Brooks can be tilted back a bit
and still be comfortable. Kind of like a butt-hammock! :D

Butt hammock or nut cracker? Lol

I'm torn about what trailer to get. First I was going to build one but I have changed my mind. Now I'm down to the burley flatbed, the Carry Freedom lg y-frame and maybe the Wicycle DIY kit to make the small flatbed. I can't find much about the Wicycle. I have one friend with a Burley flatbed and one with a y-frame and both swear by them. Each of them critcises the other one but I see good in both. I don't know that I need the size of the burley and I really like the way the y-frame comes apart. I could easily store it in my office. Any one have any strong feelings about these trailers. Of course money is the next big hitch...the Y-frame is so expensive that it keeps making me go back to the other two. I could build the little wicycle kit trailer for about $100 but I just don't know anything about it.

Well, I ruled out the Wike trailer because it won't work with my bike's frame/hub combination, and it looks like that Carry Freedom hitch would have the same problem for me. The Burley Flatbed cost me $100 because I share it with my brother. He only lives about 5 miles from me, so that works out well. It's been great.

The Wike seems very economical and I like the simplicity of the Carry Freedom design. I think you'll be happy with whichever of the 3 you end up choosing. It looks like you've narrowed it down to 3 very high quality trailers. :)

This didn't work well at all.







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[URL=http://s30.photobucket.com/albums/c346/diff_lock_cr-v_awd/?action=view&current=b67dcf3c.flv] (http://s30.photobucket.com/albums/c346/diff_lock_cr-v_awd/?action=view&current=8fe806d2.flv)

After much deliberation I ordered the Carry Freedom. I really like the simplicity and sturdiness of the design. My friend that owns the Burley flatbed also is part owner of a Bikes at Work trailer. Those things are amazing but I don't need anything that major. My other friend owns a Carry Freedom Y-trailer and it is amazingly easy to use and I like the way it folds up. I want to be able to store it in my office because a lot of the use will be on campus for my job. Anyway...I'll let you know how I like it in a few days. I should get it by the end of the week and I plan to immediately put it to use by transporting a bunch of my supplies from the Vet School to the Med School next week for some research we are doing.

That last set of picture (from diff_lock2) is similar in concept to the hitch assembly I built back in the 70's
on mine I had the same framework on the bike (metal, with a brace to seat post though) and used a CV joint instead of the hinge and angle plate shown. which gave a nice tight 'ball and socket' joint at the hitch. advantage there was that the trailer was free to move up/down left/right but didn't have any tendancy to wander while providing a pretty tight turning radious, and keeping hitch weight low.

Ken.

A little something I have been working on.

A little something I have been working on. Some good ideas going on there. Although I need a 2 wheeler, I just hauled home a old Huffy 10 speed thats only good for parts. I like the hitch idea. Maybe incorporate a U-Joint from the steering shaft of a car....Hmmmmmmm.

I didn't really like how the single wheel affected the handling of the bike so I added another. The only modification I had to do is remove the hitch shem so the trailer does not lean with the bike anymore. It may have problems with tipping since it is thin but I could always cold set it wider since it is cheap steel.

i like the look of the one wheel..........maybe you can move the packs more twards the front and down some?............try to lower the center of gravity..........a one wheel trailer feels wierd and takes some gettin used to........especially once you load it

FWIW, I'm a dude (and have been told that I'm NOT small by any means) and I ride with my saddle adjusted somewhat up. No pain whatsoever. And, I've run two saddles, an unknown big huge cushy one with springs, and a moderately padded Bell saddle with a built-in blinky at the same position.

Anyway, this thread is giving me tons of ideas... maybe I WON'T do an Xtracycle...

Here is My Burley Flatbed. I am extremely satisfied with it.

The orange Edger weighs about 75-80 Pounds and is atleast 30-40 years old just got it fixed


This is a broken Hitch mount bicycle rack, it is bent from being overloaded and will soon be replaced. I will take it to be scrapped tommorow





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