Utility Cycling - I want a trailer for shopping.

I would like a trailer that could be disconnected easily for shopping, and then for bringing the grocceries into the house.

The one trailer I have seen that is supposed to be for shopping doesn't seem quite right to me (when I look online)... It looks too deep.

Ideally, I would like good visibility into the trailer when it was used as a shopping cart (to avoid the appearance of hiding something, and remembering if I already got item A), and be able to handle the usual shopping trip items, bread, milk, eggs, frozen food, meat, a few cans, cereals... You know the drill.

It doesn't need to be waterproof, as I can drive when the weather is poor.

Does anyone know of such a trailer?

If not, does anyone know a legal place to get a small shopping cart for conversion and/or use of the basket section?

What have others done for shopping?

Try out Tony's trailers. He has a model called the grocery-getter. You can unhitch from the bike and use it as a grocery cart.

http://www.tonystrailers.com/grocerygetters/

Why not build , or convert to, a flatbed trailer that you can strap
a plastic tub to ,or whatever, to carry more than just groceries.

I picked up a child trailer, it has a jogging bar behind it so all I have to do is fold under the tow bar, pin it, and walk around with the trailer in the store and load it with groceries. It fits through the checkout and then I just unfold the tow bar and hook it back up to the bike and go home. It can hold 100 pounds, it also folds flat-ish and I have moved a chest of drawers and boxes of stuff with it over a mile too. I got it at walmart:
http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=7732656

I use a BOB. The bag is pretty much water proof and you can take it with you to the store. Carries up to 70lbs (although you have to get used to hauling that much weight not because of the weight itself but because how it affects your bike's handling). Easy to attach/detach.

I cannot more highly recommend the Burly Flatbed trailer.
Easy to connect/disconnect and vary versatile.
It can carry loads similar to my XtraCycle.

http://homepage.mac.com/awcg/.Pictures/Bike/Trailer.jpg

I picked up a child trailer, it has a jogging bar behind it so all I have to do is fold under the tow bar, pin it, and walk around with the trailer in the store and load it with groceries. It fits through the checkout and then I just unfold the tow bar and hook it back up to the bike and go home. It can hold 100 pounds, it also folds flat-ish and I have moved a chest of drawers and boxes of stuff with it over a mile too. I got it at walmart:
http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=7732656

That sounds like a good idea... How easy do you think it would be to modify for an even more ideal shopper (since I won't be towing kids)... Maybe replacing the cover of the seating area with something custom.

I had considered this before, but I am still in the searching phase, so I haven't setled on anything yet.

I cannot more highly recommend the Burly Flatbed trailer.
Easy to connect/disconnect and vary versatile.
It can carry loads similar to my XtraCycle.


That would be nice for many things. But that is later, I am looking for something I can roll through a store right now.

I guess I am being a little lazy... I don't want to load the cart, go through checkout, load the basket back up, then go out and load the trailer...

My ideal is to hook up, ride to the store, unhook, shop, hook up, ride home, unhook and roll it into the litchen. :)

That sounds like a good idea... How easy do you think it would be to modify for an even more ideal shopper (since I won't be towing kids)... Maybe replacing the cover of the seating area with something custom.

I had considered this before, but I am still in the searching phase, so I haven't setled on anything yet.

It's all fabric, so you could make something custom if you needed it and had a sewing machine. You could even add something with velcro attachments, that might be even easier than replacing what is there.

what about this? I've got a quick release mechanism on the tongue and a 12 inch wheel with a quick release

http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/cc319/erythropoet/bikes/trailerSide.jpg

http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/cc319/erythropoet/bikes/trailerF.jpg

Here is my 2 cents, I enjoy getting groceries with the bike, I do it a lot in the summer, I also haul other cargo. I feel too rushed at the check out to properly pack my groceries, so I like to do it at the shopping cart rack where my rig is locked up.

I prefer trailer that is less trouble to tow, 2 wheelers are stable, haul lots of weight but you must take wide turns or risk stopping suddenly from grabbing a pole or curb with the trailer tire. I tow a Schwinn. Pic attached.

The Bob and Nashbar(Lighter version) single wheel trailers tow with less leg work, some loads play hokie with the handling.
I like the single wheel for small load, I like the Nashbar, very light weight. It is limited in capacity, I found 6 gals of gas a real challenge to tow. The Nashbar trailer could have better grade hitch.
I found the Bob to be extremely well made, but lots more money. It looks heavier to pull but I have never pulled one.