Utility Cycling - Burley Nomad: First impressions

When I got home and saw that box on the front porch, I was pretty excited. I got the trailer assembled that night in about an hour. Most of it is pretty simple, and the only puzzling bit was trying to find where to mount the flagpole.

I tried putting a sticker on the back "bumper" area, but stickers don't adhere well to fabric. Anyone manage to get bumper stickers to stay on a Nomad?

The next evening, I brought the trailer outside to take it for a spin around the block. Looking in the garage, I found a dozen sweaters to use as ballast. (It's time to bring those inside anyway.)

The trailer handles very well indeed, much smoother than a one-wheeled trailer. Cornering is a small issue, but I didn't have to slow down all that much; making the turns a little wider seems to do the trick.

A few days later, I took 30 pounds of laundry downtown (about a mile). The weight is noticeable, but the bike feels more nimble than it does with panniers. The front of the bike did feel a little squirrely, but nothing I can't get used to. The trailer does attract attention, but I hardly mind that. I'll have to pick up a second hitch so I can pull the trailer on Little Red (my Dahon Curve).

Not having a second lock, I locked my bike to an iron bench outside, and rolled the trailer into the laundromat. I'm wondering if I'll be able to do that in the supermarket; I guess I'll find out this week.

The one thing I don't like is that I can't jacknife the trailer, but that's a limitation of two-wheeled trailers in general. I'm gonna have to break down and get a kickstand.

I got both a Nomad and a BOB Ibex this past summer and much prefer the Nomad for intown use. I don't miss the wobble I get when towing a single wheel trailer and really like how the Nomad is self enclosed for conveniently securing most cargo.

Let me know how you plan on securing the trailer.

Cheers,

Let me know how you plan on securing the trailer.

Do you mean locking it up? Haven't had to do that yet, but if I venture out of my home town with the trailer, I'll probably have to get a long cable, thread it through both QR wheels, and attach that to another cable that goes through the right-side hitch arm mounts (the ones I'd be using if I were riding on the other side of the pond). I have to find a long cable lock and a long cable with loops on the end (the kind you use with a U-lock).

Do you mean locking it up? Haven't had to do that yet, but if I venture out of my home town with the trailer, I'll probably have to get a long cable, thread it through both QR wheels, and attach that to another cable that goes through the right-side hitch arm mounts (the ones I'd be using if I were riding on the other side of the pond). I have to find a long cable lock and a long cable with loops on the end (the kind you use with a U-lock).


Thats what I do with mine and it works pretty well. Since I have the trailer, some times I toss an extra U lock in just for extra measure. Like obanta, I have both and much prefer the nomad.

Looks like a nice trailer... Where did you guys purchase them from ?..
How do they compare to the Kroozer cargo trailers ?... Do they have a solid floor
like the Kroozer ?...
I have never owned a trailer and am trying to decide between the Burley and Kroozer.. The Kroozer seems to be about the same as the Burley but a lot cheaper ?....

Looks like a nice trailer... Where did you guys purchase them from ?..
How do they compare to the Kroozer cargo trailers ?... Do they have a solid floor
like the Kroozer ?...
I have never owned a trailer and am trying to decide between the Burley and Kroozer.. The Kroozer seems to be about the same as the Burley but a lot cheaper ?....

I got my Nomad from biketrailershop.com (http://www.biketrailershop.com/). They have a trailer comparison chart (http://www.biketrailershop.com/catalog/compare.php) that might help you.

Thanks.. Some good info there.. What kind of floor is in the Burly ???
Looks like I can get the Kroozer for around 160.00 from Nashbar which is
less then half the price of the Burley... Is the Burley worth paying twice as
much for ???...
I want to use it for grocery shopping etc.. Like trips to Costco...
Would be a 12 mile roundtrip for that one...I am sure I would find
a lot of other good uses for it too...
I get the impression from what I read that the floor in the Burley is stretched fabric ?..
If so it doesn't seem like it would stand up that well ... Those beer cases have sharp
corners :-)
Thanks

The floor of the nomad is canvas stretched on a frame. Canvas is pretty strong. The trailer handles 35 pounds of laundry easily, and it's rated for 100.

The floor of the nomad is canvas stretched on a frame. Canvas is pretty strong. The trailer handles 35 pounds of laundry easily, and it's rated for 100.

Thanks for the reply.. Ya, the 100 pounds is a definite plus.. My concern though is what about putting the BBQ etc in it and going a sometimes bumpy 15 or so miles each way tp the lake.... Are the legs going to poke through the canvas ?... Guess one could put a peice of cardboard or somethin on the bottom/floor..
I am trying to rationlize paying that much for a trailer :-)
Thanks

Thanks for the reply.. Ya, the 100 pounds is a definite plus.. My concern though is what about putting the BBQ etc in it and going a sometimes bumpy 15 or so miles each way tp the lake.... Are the legs going to poke through the canvas ?... Guess one could put a peice of cardboard or somethin on the bottom/floor..
I am trying to rationlize paying that much for a trailer :-)
Thanks

Hold on, are you planning to put a BBQ in a trailer on its legs? You may not be aware that the Nomad is an enclosed trailer, and isn't all that tall.

If that's mostly what you're going to be hauling, you'll probably be happier with a flatbed and some bungee cords.

Oops. I was thinking I could leave the top off and height would not matter ?... Bad idea ?...
Guess a peice of cardboard on the floor would help...

Oops. I was thinking I could leave the top off and height would not matter ?... Bad idea ?...
Guess a peice of cardboard on the floor would help...

You could do that, but why not get a trailer that will allow you to do what you need out of the box?

If you barbecue often, you could buy/build a flatbed, bolt the grill to the trailer, and have a cycle-chef rig.

Great idea :-)... Primarily need on to haul groceries etc with though... I prefer them covered when doing so..
I am trying to decide between the Kroozer Cargo and the Burley Nomad.. I like the Nomad specks a little better but not sure if it is worth twice the cost ????????..

Great idea :-)... Primarily need on to haul groceries etc with though... I prefer them covered when doing so..
I am trying to decide between the Kroozer Cargo and the Burley Nomad.. I like the Nomad specks a little better but not sure if it is worth twice the cost ????????..

I am at the same dilemma between these two. Can anyone tell us why the nomad is better?

Does anyone here have a Kroozer Cargo trailer ?...
If so are you happy with it ?.. Good points ?... Bad Points ?

I am at the same dilemma between these two. Can anyone tell us why the nomad is better?

From http://www.biketrailershop.com/catalog/578-croozer-cargo-p-199.html

"The Croozer Cargo is a great economy option for use around town. The Burley Nomad is a comparable trailer that is better suited for touring and other uses where weight is a consideration. At 14.5 lbs, it is 10.5 pounds lighter than the Croozer Cargo. It also has a larger 100lbs capacity, weatherproof covers and additional beneficial features."

I have read the advertising hyp... Would like to hear from people that have one if possible.. The advertising makes it sould like the Nomad is not suitable for grocery gettin...

I have read the advertising hyp... Would like to hear from people that have one if possible.. The advertising makes it sould like the Nomad is not suitable for grocery gettin...

The Nomad is awesome for shopping, laundry, and neighborhood errands that involve carrying lots of small objects around. If you want to haul large things like car tires, scrap metal, dead bodies, etc., go for a flatbed.

I am lots of good things about the Nomad... I haven't heard from anyone that has a Cargo though... Would like to know if the Nomad is worth twice the money...

I am lots of good things about the Nomad... I haven't heard from anyone that has a Cargo though... Would like to know if the Nomad is worth twice the money...

When I bought the Nomad earlier this year it was $265 at biketrailershop.com*. Looks like you can still find '08 Nomads for good prices - http://brandscycle.com/itemdetails.cfm?ID=6526 ($275 w/ free shipping). With that, I think the Nomad is well worth the extra $80 when you take into account the 'marketing hype' of significant weight savings, higher towing capacity, and a really nice build quality.

* I was very impressed with biketrailershop.com. Very fast shipping and very responsive to emails.

Updated: I guess shipping is $25 on Burley trailers, even though the ad for the site says free shipping on parts, accessories, and apparel over $50.

Thanks. that is helpful... Nashbar had a 15 percent off thing going so the Cargo was around 160.00... Not sure if that is still on or not... Thats a 115 dollar differance at the lower price you mention..
The Nomad sounds like a great trailer and I just may end up with one but would sure like to hear from someone that has the Cargo... Then again maybe there is a reason no one seems to have a Cargo :-)

Nashbar currently has the Croozer Cargo for $189 (http://www.nashbar.com/profile.cfm?category=&subcategory=&brand=&sku=24396&storetype=&estoreid=&pagename=%2Fsearch%5Fresults%2Ecfm). I'm not gonna do it, but I'm tempted to get a cargo trailer as well. Trailers can be addicting.

I'm actuallly looking forward to doing laundry; it means I get to haul 35 pounds downtown on my Nomad. The new washer/dryer shows up in january, which means I don't get to do that anymore. :(

Where do you guys park your bikes with a trailer attached ?.... When I go to the grocery store etc I usually end up locking up to a sighn post or something like that.... Works fine with just the bike but with a trailer I would be sticking way out blocking foot traffic and stuff...

Where do you guys park your bikes with a trailer attached ?.... When I go to the grocery store etc I usually end up locking up to a sighn post or something like that.... Works fine with just the bike but with a trailer I would be sticking way out blocking foot traffic and stuff...

You can always jacknife the trailer so it's a little bit out of the way, or unkitch it and lock it up separately (yuck). The best option is to take the trailer with you and use it as a shopping cart, if the store will let you.