Living Car Free - Pulling a "trailer"..

I've been considering getting a small "trailer" for my bike but I have a few concerns before dishing out the cash. Mainly, I'm concerned with how well they hold up. With the areas I ride, I'm often jumping curbs. While this is easy with just a bike, can it be done with a trailer set up? Will the trailer handle the abuse and will I still be able to easily maintain control of the bike jumping up on a curb with a trailer in tow? I would hate to spend the money only to find that it just doesn't fit my riding style. Any input would be appreciated :)

I've been considering getting a small "trailer" for my bike but I have a few concerns before dishing out the cash. Mainly, I'm concerned with how well they hold up. With the areas I ride, I'm often jumping curbs. While this is easy with just a bike, can it be done with a trailer set up? Will the trailer handle the abuse and will I still be able to easily maintain control of the bike jumping up on a curb with a trailer in tow? I would hate to spend the money only to find that it just doesn't fit my riding style. Any input would be appreciated :)

Hopping curbs, with a trailer in tow. isn't a good idea.
All it takes is for it to catch, and not clear, and you'll go down like a sack of curb-jumping potatoes.

I have towed two wheeled trailers quite a bit. Coming down off a curb is doable with a trailer. I think any faster than very slowly is going to be hard on the trailer however. I doubt if going up a curb is going to work. I think the wheels just won't climb an obstacle that high. What I found early on is that when the trailer catches and stops suddenly, the bike stops suddenly and you keep going.

I have also found that a trailer changes the handling characteristics of a bike, making it less nimble but more stable.

Of course there is also the option of having a trailer and panniers and only using the trailer when carrying something too big for the panniers. You won't have to tow it every ride.

Make a choice, mate. NO curb hopping while towing a trailer or a really good
life & medical insurance policy that pays.

To even consider curb hopping with a trailer in tow is insane!!:roflmao2::roflmao2:

Xtracycle. Hop curbs and haul stuff.

To be honest curb jumping and hauling anything doesn’t sound like it will fit the Ops riding style. Anything you would haul in a trailer or on a Xtrabike is not going to like jumping up or down a curb.

I have lost how many hundred miles I have pulled the Nashbar Trailer, but I would never hit a curb fast if at all, it's just plain not good idea.

I've had excellent luck with my BOB yak from REI. They make an IBEX with shocks for rougher duty work. A standard rubbermade tote fits perfectly in it, and it will haul 75+ lbs which is a lot of groceries.

I have a BOB IBEX, I have no problem going down, or up, curbs.

I use my trailer on the weekends when I am shopping, doing the laundry, etc. Hoppin the curb is not something I would do. the few times I have hit a curb or made too sharp of a turn has been rough. The trailer turned over and I almost fell off the bike. No, I don't think jumping curbs is something one should do.

Gas, .69 cents the price of a can of beans.

I hooked up my trailer to go to the grocery store about noon today. Picked up a case of water, two 12 packs of Soda and a few things for dinner. I guess the things weighed maybe 30-35 pounds. I can’t imagine hitting a 6 to 8 inch square faced curb with a 20-inch wheel at anything faster than a crawl. Going up or down hopping sounds like you would be going faster than that. Start pushing 100 pounds and you could come to a screeching halt if the trailer hit one of those curbs.

I do have another question however, why would someone be hopping up over the curb anyway? Where I live riding on the sidewalk isn’t common practice unless it is a bike path and then there are curb cuts to allow you to ride up off of the street to access the path. I ride in the street almost all of the time in the city.