Long Distance Competition/Ultracycling, Randonneuring and Endurance Cycling - $25 trailer for 450 mile ride

So to keep this from turning into a 9000 word essay I'm just going to hit on the highlights here.
Me and a few others are biking the natchez trace in 3 weeks. Needed a way to bring all our gear beacuse we won't have any support once we leave out of Nashvile. Found this cheap childs trailer on craigslist and rigged it up so we could all take turns pulling in on the trace. Now The trailer was in really good shape, but the way it attached was to the carbon riser on the back of the bike and I didn't want the added stress to the carbon. After some tinkering I rigged it so it could quickly be connected to either of the 3 or so bikes going to the aluminum lower triangle. Heres where i need some help. If anyone who's done one a long distance multiday ride, or just has some good insight please chime in. Are we going to regret pullling a trailer and would it be better to just go with all of us having some decent bags. Are there any issues you could think of that may come up from having the trailer hooked to the bikes the way I do. Going to try and keep it light as possible, under 80lbs for sure. Any advice would be great. Thanks always

http://s627.photobucket.com/albums/tt354/dariley83/?action=view&current=DSC00004.jpg

http://s627.photobucket.com/albums/tt354/dariley83/?action=view&current=DSC00006.jpg

http://s627.photobucket.com/albums/tt354/dariley83/?action=view&current=DSC00006.jpg

You might ask this question in the Touring Forum and in the Utility Forum .................. most cyclists doing centuries, brevets, and 24-hour races travel quite light. :)

thanks, i actually thought i did... see what happens when you open to many tabs in firefox

A while back, I was expecting to go on a camping trip about 20 miles away, and got industrious and made me a nice little trailer. The camping trip got cancelled, but I did try the trailer around the block. I made a discovery: I don't like pulling trailers! So my suggestion is, get all your gear out, plus some groceries, load that little trailer down, invite your friends on a practice run and see how y'all like it. Try to get several miles in each, try some hills and stuff. That way you don't get 10 miles into a 450 mile ride and start thinking "Dang, this was a BAD idea!"

one advantage i've found with my trailer vs. panniers, is that i can carry a lot of weight (50-100#), without making the bike any less stable than a trailer with little weight (except for braking, of course). plus, when you don't need to carry the gear, unhooking the trailer makes it feel like you've got a brand new super-light racing bike in under 10 seconds!

a properly loaded pannier bike will be fine, of course, with heavy loads; the trailer might make packing/unpacking a little easier though.

That's no $25 trailer. That probably sold for hundreds, originally.

To each his own. I actually prefer pulling a trailer over attaching bags to the bike. I pulled both my daughters in our trailer simultaneously. I was lucky we didn't live in a very hilly area at the time. It was tough when I hit headwinds, though.

Are there any issues you could think of that may come up from having the trailer hooked to the bikes the way I do.

I don't see how you've allowed for the trailer to move independently of the tow vehicle. Your hitch needs to allow for differences in pitch, yaw and roll between the bike & trailer. i.e. the bike leans in turns, a two wheeled trailer does not. Also, it appears you're counting on friction to hold the 'hitch' to your stay. I suspect you'll find that over time - like a long day's ride - the hitch will work itself loose through flexing.

You might try looking at the way the burley trailers attach. They sell just the 'hitch' that mounts to the bike & the rubber 'tongue' on the trailer that allows for the relative motion I describe above. Or copy the design with your own materials.

I don't see how you've allowed for the trailer to move independently of the tow vehicle. Your hitch needs to allow for differences in pitch, yaw and roll between the bike & trailer. i.e. the bike leans in turns, a two wheeled trailer does not. Also, it appears you're counting on friction to hold the 'hitch' to your stay. I suspect you'll find that over time - like a long day's ride - the hitch will work itself loose through flexing.

You might try looking at the way the burley trailers attach. They sell just the 'hitch' that mounts to the bike & the rubber 'tongue' on the trailer that allows for the relative motion I describe above. Or copy the design with your own materials.

+10. I wouldn't trust that setup at all.

I used a similar trailer on tour, all over the UP of Michigan, including across the fire roads through the Superior national Forest....

http://i122.photobucket.com/albums/o260/TomStormcrowe/UP2/UpperPeninsulaII090.jpg

http://i122.photobucket.com/albums/o260/TomStormcrowe/UP2/UpperPeninsulaII076.jpg

http://i122.photobucket.com/albums/o260/TomStormcrowe/UP2/UpperPeninsulaII030.jpg

It did quite well, other than the fact that it allowed me to grossly overload myself, and not notice it until I tried to ride uphill. :p On flat ground, the apparent weight load was about 10 pounds, but I sure noticed it trying to ride uphill. :twitchy:

The trailer looks good, but you definitely need a bona fide hitch. This rigged up system will either break within a few kilometres if you are lucky, or in the middle of nowhere if you are not. I think, however, that your trailer should be compatible with either Wike, Burley's or Chariot's hitch system.