Utility Cycling - Trailers in Winter

Just a curious question. How well do 2 wheeled trailers handle in different conditions of snow and ice/evil black ice. We havn't had any real snow yet but black ice should soon be happening more often. And with having to live in an area with many steep hills, I'm curious if I should more careful with my trailer.

- Handling characteristics in snow/ice?
- Heavy loads to light affecting sliding/skidding?
-Trailer breaking loose and jacknifing on steep decents?

edit: my trailer has 20" wheels and good ground clearance. The tires a basically slicks, with minor trend.

Be worried more about losing traction on the bike than the trailer. And even if you have that handled, the trailer will affect rear wheel traction, depending on speed and load.

:)ensen.

I used a bike trailer in Vermont. They get a little bit of snow and black ice there. I have never had a jackknife in icy conditions, but it was a concern. I descended hills with extreme caution and slow speed. A properly loaded trailer exerts a load on the rear wheel, actually improving traction and making the rear brake much more usable than without the trailer.

While the trailer will add some weight to the rear wheel thus adding traction, it can also push the bike forward under braking which decreases traction.

Trailers on ice/snow are dicey at best and never good behind a bike especially when empty!

I've had no problems with mine through a few northern Michigan winters. It's neither really good or really bad. When you hit those big clumps of snow that the plows leave behind for you they're a little tougher to get over.

I've had no problems with mine through a few northern Michigan winters. It's neither really good or really bad. When you hit those big clumps of snow that the plows leave behind for you they're a little tougher to get over.

Yeah, I was going to say similarly that they're not particularly difficult to ride with, but that they do make for harder work when riding in snowy, sloppy road conditions.

Transitions over plow piles at intersections feel funny, because once you charge the cycle through, you get to correct again when the trailer wheels hit it. So it's the frequent decelerations and adjustments that make it more work, not necessarily adverse handling traits.