Utility Cycling - The Burley Project.

I found this Burley trailer in the garbage last year, I've ripped the fabric off it and it's bare bones, Theres just one issue, I find this is to wide, Should I slice it in half then remove a section? or basicly say, you know what cars, GO AROUND! lol, so now that thats cleared up ive gotta make this into a working trailer, any ideas on what I should do? I was gonna put slats of wood then stain them but it might make it weigh abit to much, it also has to be light enough to be pulled for a hour to and from work daily, I've got some finishing touches that will make it pretty, Free leather! lol

Also, this damn thing wont connect to my 3 speed, i'm pissed! lol

Edit: I GOT IT! I ned ass loads of bike chain, i'm gonna make the main cargo place out of bike chains, Now to aquier all these bike chains, I have alot but more, more! lol

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v309/demonic_inu/100_1494.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v309/demonic_inu/100_1495.jpg

I found this Burley trailer in the garbage last year, I've ripped the fabric off it and it's bare bones, Theres just one issue, I find this is to wide, Should I slice it in half then remove a section? or basicly say, you know what cars, GO AROUND! lol, so now that thats cleared up ive gotta make this into a working trailer, any ideas on what I should do? I was gonna put slats of wood then stain them but it might make it weigh abit to much, it also has to be light enough to be pulled for a hour to and from work daily, I've got some finishing touches that will make it pretty, Free leather! lol

Also, this damn thing wont connect to my 3 speed, i'm pissed! lol

Edit: I GOT IT! I ned ass loads of bike chain, i'm gonna make the main cargo place out of bike chains, Now to aquier all these bike chains, I have alot but more, more! lol

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v309/demonic_inu/100_1494.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v309/demonic_inu/100_1495.jpg

If it were mine I would keep the width the way it is and I would've have left the fabric on. Why? Nothing scares four wheelers more than having a kid on the road.

Making this trailer narrower won't accomplish anything but move the right side closer to the left side. It won't change where the left side of the trailer tracks in relation to the bike while being towed. I wouldn't change the width.

For the bed I would use the heaviest Coroplast I could find. If I didn't use Coroplast I would use the thinnest, cheapest plywood I could find and paint it. Your idea of using wood slats would work. I don't think the extra weight over the fabric the trailer came with will be significant. I have found a few extra pounds on the trailer to be unnoticeable when towing.

Burley should have a hitch available that will fit your bike.
http://www.burley.com/

The trailer "bed" can be woven and screwed to the deck from either salvaged seatbelts or other
wide nylon webbing for a light strong waterproof deck that adds some suspension features to
the deck. Whew!

The trailer "bed" can be woven and screwed to the deck from either salvaged seatbelts or other
wide nylon webbing for a light strong waterproof deck that adds some suspension features to
the deck. Whew!

Another alternative for a deck is rubber bungee cords. Works for me and cost nothing, since I have barrels of bungee cords of all sizes that have been picked up off the highway that I commute on. Just toss a plastic utility box or milk crate inside.Works with or without the trailer fabric.

http://img156.imageshack.us/img156/1858/trailerbungeecordfloor1.jpg (http://img156.imageshack.us/my.php?image=trailerbungeecordfloor1.jpg)

http://img145.imageshack.us/img145/2835/trailerbungeecordfloor2.jpg (http://img145.imageshack.us/my.php?image=trailerbungeecordfloor2.jpg)

http://img509.imageshack.us/img509/8201/shoppingbybike.jpg (http://img509.imageshack.us/my.php?image=shoppingbybike.jpg)

Hmm thanks for the ideas, Wood is at my dissposal any kind of wood I basicly get free or very cheap.

The chain would be a pain in my ass lol, so i'll go with A flat piece of thin wood then make wheel wells, god forbid when it rains bare wheels can be a pain lol, then make a wood fence like on those old pickups around the trailer, sometimes a heavy trailer is actualy less work to pull because it pushes you, just stopping can be a pain sometimes.

nylon straps, light and strong.

Hmm thanks for the ideas, Wood is at my dissposal any kind of wood I basicly get free or very cheap.

CommuterRun is right about changing its width, and it's width gives you a degree of safety as it says to cagers "I'm bigger than the average cyclist so give me more room" and you'll find that they do.


The chain would be a pain in my ass lol, so i'll go with A flat piece of thin wood then make wheel wells, god forbid when it rains bare wheels can be a pain lol, then make a wood fence like on those old pickups around the trailer

I was going to suggest bungee and/or seatbelt webbing also, but if you already have access to a supply of wood then go with thin plywood.


sometimes a heavy trailer is actualy less work to pull because it pushes you, just stopping can be a pain sometimes.
Sometimes it may seem that way but in reality that's not how the laws of physics work (assuming you start and finish your ride at roughly the same altitude), otherwise every racing car would have a heavy trailer hooked up to it.

Yeah... I needed the trailer to haul something so I had to find something to fill the hole but also be very strong, And well these fit in there pretty good lol, it gave me an idea also, i'll used recycled bicycle pieces.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v309/demonic_inu/100_1499.jpg

Yeah... I needed the trailer to haul something so I had to find something to fill the hole but also be very strong, And well these fit in there pretty good lol, it gave me an idea also, i'll used recycled bicycle pieces.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v309/demonic_inu/100_1499.jpg

Rather Artisic to boot! :thumb:

I have an older Burley D'lite that I use mainly for carting my tubas to the college where I teach, as well as to some gigs. I'm planning on removing the fabric and replacing the floor with nylon webbing. I'll hang it kinda loose, so the center of gravity will be lower.

For the upper portion, I'd like to somehow make a larger cover to give it that 'Conestoga wagon' look. Someday, when I have the time...

I'd like to repeat what SirrusRider said - keeping the trailer 'au naturel' will definitely keep the cagers at a distance. I got yelled at by some silly lady in a minivan, something along the lines of, "You shouldn't bring your child in a trailer on the street! It's too dangerous!" Mind you, there's two tubas in gig bags hanging out the back of the trailer with a big triangle. I just put on a sheepish face and apologised. That was a two-mile laugh!

Lol some people are just so silly on the road, I worked on the trailer today and I cut the alloy fabric holder sides down making it so it's like a chopped top, i'm useing them as wheel well supports, My dad has huge rolls of good alloy sheets that is light, i'm gonna cover the wheels with that, and the bike rims with it, the rims was a neat idea, it's actualy really strong, it should look nice when compleated, it can even hual another bike now, theres a hub stuck on the back for a bicycle to be placed on lol, max the load! it's wide enough for two hubs.