Touring - What about trailers?

Instead of hanging things all over the bike, why not tow a trailer? Experiences?

they work well.. there was a Swede, rode his bike across Europe, and to Nepal ,
climbed Everest, repacked his bike trailer , and panniers and rode Home.

Good thing you brought this subject up, cause theres only about 200 threads in Touring alone on trailers...

http://www.bikeforums.net/search.php?searchid=3006155

Good thing you brought this subject up, cause theres only about 200 threads in Touring alone on trailers...

http://www.bikeforums.net/search.php?searchid=3006155

well... there's one cranky old person I wouldn't want to tour with. Oh, and the BF Search "feature"? Yeah, it's pinpoint accurate *cough*

p.s... welll, by-jiminy, you're right, there ARE a lot of posts already on the topic. Never mind folks, I'll do my own due diligence.

i haven't try my look alike bob as yet but to be honest i think i would rather have my panniers.

Instead of hanging things all over the bike, why not tow a trailer? Experiences?

They do the job but they have their issues. First there's transportation. Getting a loaded trailer on to a plane, train or bus can be problematic. The trailer is larger than bags and more bulky to deal with. Then there's the cost which is about the same as a set of 4 panniers and racks.

The trailer has an effect on the bike handling too. They tend to 'wag the dog'. Single wheel trailers like the BOB tend to push the bike off-line in corners. Two wheel trailers have two wheels to deal with and they are wider.

On the plus side, they do carry lots of stuff and most are very rugged.

All in all, panniers are a better way to go...if your bike will handle panniers. In your case a trailer may be the way to go.

And the name is Goran Kropp. Rode a bike from Sweden to Nepal to climb Everest in the disastrous 1996 season. Rode to Nepal, climbed to the top of Everest without supplemental oxygen, didn't have yaks carry his gear to base camp, didn't have Shepas carry his gear, and then rode home afterward. Here's a review of his book on the adventure (http://www.nytimes.com/1999/10/10/books/climbing-everest-was-the-easy-part.html?src=pm)

I'm no expert, but I've now put over 1500 miles on my trailer/bike combo in preparation for next month's xcountry tour. You're going to find those who like panniers will swear up and down that they're the only way to go. Those of us who like trailers will swear up and down that...well, you get the picture.

I use a Mayacycle trailer (single wheel). I go out every day with it fully loaded and ride up and down the local hills/mountains. I wouldn't trade it for anything. For one, I'm a klutz and couldn't balance a fully loaded bike (I have the scars to prove it) and for another, I like the quick freedom that unhitching a trailer gives-it's a small detail, but it's important to me. If I have a flat tire on the bike, I just need to unhitch (3-5 seconds). If the wheel on the tire goes flat, I move the arms on the trailer (1-2 seconds), pull out the bag, and just flip the trailer over and repair the flat. Seconds again.

I haven't had any "push" from my trailer, nor do I find it to be a problem cornering, parking, etc. I have to remember that I have something behind me, but since I like to keep an eye on what's behind me anyway, it's not a problem. Just like a loaded bike, you have to be aware of your extra weight and to make the appropriate adjustments for it. There's a slight drag going uphill, but it doesn't slow you down much more than panniers would...either way, you still have to get the weight up the hill. Once you get moving on flat roads, you won't even know it's there. I tear around the corners and zip down hills here and it's not a problem. Just be aware that you can't stop quite as quickly as an unloaded bike (panniers or trailer) and you'll be fine.

You do need to try to distribute the weight, but it's not as critical as it is with panniers. The downside is that it's too easy to find room to put in "one more thing". :p

I love when folks talk about having to lug a trailer up stairs or in an airport, because they still have to lug their panniers...and just how many times will you be lugging things up and down or in an airport on a trip? It sounds like a pain either way, however, mine converts to a wheelbarrow, so it's a little easier. Mine breaks down so it can fit in a large (checked) bag.

I'm not knocking panniers at all, far from it. They just wouldn't work for me, And I really, really love my trailer.:love:

My 2nd Trailer Purchase , A Carry-freedom city, it folds flat,
a sling bag hangs inside the frame on the road ,
and the handle/towbar folds down, the wheels fold into that frame in transport.

a very clever thing..
It stows inside the cargo area of my Burly Flatbed in the closet,
when not needed.

Instead of hanging things all over the bike, why not tow a trailer? Experiences?

Why ask why? Drink...Bud dry.

A trailer.....a trailer? My goodness, what an absolutely smashing idea!

If I didn't know this was Hossenfeffer, I'd swear it was carrots!

As in the Kroop case trailers make sense when the mass of gear exceeds what one can carry in panniers. Some say in order: Pannniers front and back, then panniers front and trailer, then panniers front and back, and trailer.

Trailers also get the nod from various folk who prefer to use non-touring bikes and can carry the gear in a trailer without having to change their ride.

If my 5' tall, petite girlfriend can handle a trailer on steep roads like this, anyone can. This was actually one of the nicer sections of a 20 mile unpaved road we recently took.

211592

On the steep switchbacks of the Pioneer Mountains Scenic Byway, she left my pannier-carrying butt in the dust. The only problem she has with it is parking. She's never been able to get the knack of it.

"The trailer has an effect on the bike handling too. They tend to 'wag the dog'. Single wheel trailers like the BOB tend to push the bike off-line in corners. Two wheel trailers have two wheels to deal with and they are wider. "


This is only true if the trailer is not packed properly. I've done 42 mph with my loaded BOB and it trailed perfectly. If I pack it top heavy or the heaviest stuff too close to the front, it wobbles above 20mph. Just like panniers, it's all about weight distribution. One of the other posters mentioned using the trailer with a bike not made as a touring bike. Yep, that's me and I'm too tight to get an additional bike. Besides I LOVE my bike and it will go the distance. For me, that was the motivation for the BOB over panniers. I'd actually like to try the right bike with the panniers, but until I come into more money, I'm content if not outright happy.

The biggest issue I have with the trailer is that nothing is compartmentalized without using additional bags inside of the dry sack. I can see where the panniers have a distinct advantage in that area.

"The trailer has an effect on the bike handling too. They tend to 'wag the dog'. Single wheel trailers like the BOB tend to push the bike off-line in corners. Two wheel trailers have two wheels to deal with and they are wider. "


This is only true if the trailer is not packed properly. I've done 42 mph with my loaded BOB and it trailed perfectly. If I pack it top heavy or the heaviest stuff too close to the front, it wobbles above 20mph. Just like panniers, it's all about weight distribution. One of the other posters mentioned using the trailer with a bike not made as a touring bike. Yep, that's me and I'm too tight to get an additional bike. Besides I LOVE my bike and it will go the distance. For me, that was the motivation for the BOB over panniers. I'd actually like to try the right bike with the panniers, but until I come into more money, I'm content if not outright happy.

It isn't a wobble. It is a push and that push occurs on every single trailer used whether the trailer is connected to a bicycle or a motorized vehicle. It's basic Newtonian physics. The pulling vehicle is going in one direction and the trailing vehicle wants to continue in the direction it was going. It lags behind the centripetal force placed on the pulling vehicle and works to 'push' on the back of the pulling vehicle. The magnitude of that push is dependent on the weight ratio of the pulling vehicle and the trailing vehicle. The wheel base of the leading vehicle has an effect on the handling too. A short wheelbase vehicle which already has quick steering will exacerbate the push from the trailing vehicle. That's why you don't see too many sports cars pulling trailers.

However, the push experienced while pulling a trailer is very different from the way that panniers interact with the bicycle. There the weight is part of the bike and there is no 'push' on the back of the bike. Essentially, there's little or no tail on the dog. Mount most of the weight over the front wheel and there's absolutely not tail to wag the dog.

I pull trailers - with my truck and my mountain bike - when I have to but overall, it's best to carry the load inside the vehicle whether that is carrying panniers or a load in my truck. Sometimes that's not possible and I recognize that. But it's best to be informed about possible problems beforehand. Surprises of the handling kind are seldom welcome.

It isn't a wobble. It is a push and that push occurs on every single trailer used whether the trailer is connected to a bicycle or a motorized vehicle. It's basic Newtonian physics. The pulling vehicle is going in one direction and the trailing vehicle wants to continue in the direction it was going. It lags behind the centripetal force placed on the pulling vehicle and works to 'push' on the back of the pulling vehicle. The magnitude of that push is dependent on the weight ratio of the pulling vehicle and the trailing vehicle. The wheel base of the leading vehicle has an effect on the handling too. A short wheelbase vehicle which already has quick steering will exacerbate the push from the trailing vehicle. That's why you don't see too many sports cars pulling trailers.

However, the push experienced while pulling a trailer is very different from the way that panniers interact with the bicycle. There the weight is part of the bike and there is no 'push' on the back of the bike. Essentially, there's little or no tail on the dog. Mount most of the weight over the front wheel and there's absolutely not tail to wag the dog.

I pull trailers - with my truck and my mountain bike - when I have to but overall, it's best to carry the load inside the vehicle whether that is carrying panniers or a load in my truck. Sometimes that's not possible and I recognize that. But it's best to be informed about possible problems beforehand. Surprises of the handling kind are seldom welcome.

Good thinking. But I'm thinking maybe a little bit of over-thinking.

I've towed a lot of trailers, with lots of vehicles. I would say that the vehicle that I feel the phenomena you're referring to the least, would be a bicycle. Slower speeds and more control are probably the reasons.

I think that a bike towing a trailer handles infinitely better than a bike loaded down with a full set of panniers, with the same basic load.

If my 5' tall, petite girlfriend can handle a trailer on steep roads like this, anyone can. This was actually one of the nicer sections of a 20 mile unpaved road we recently took.

211592

On the steep switchbacks of the Pioneer Mountains Scenic Byway, she left my pannier-carrying butt in the dust. The only problem she has with it is parking. She's never been able to get the knack of it.

Which one is your girlfriend? :p

I recently gave a couple of touring cyclists a lift past a treacherous stretch of road near where I live. Both were outfitted with BOBs. I had never seen one up close before. Nice little contraptions. If I didn't already own a full set of Ortlieb panniers I would give serious consideration to a BOB. Like with everything, there are trade-offs, but the idea of getting that weight off the bike is attractive.

Like with everything, there are trade-offs, but the idea of getting that weight off the bike is attractive.

One tradeoff no one has mentioned is the weight of the trailer itself? Surely this must come into consideration? A trailer and sack must weigh more than a few panniers

They do the job but they have their issues. First there's transportation. Getting a loaded trailer on to a plane, train or bus can be problematic. The trailer is larger than bags and more bulky to deal with. Then there's the cost which is about the same as a set of 4 panniers and racks.

The trailer has an effect on the bike handling too. They tend to 'wag the dog'. Single wheel trailers like the BOB tend to push the bike off-line in corners. Two wheel trailers have two wheels to deal with and they are wider.

On the plus side, they do carry lots of stuff and most are very rugged.

All in all, panniers are a better way to go...if your bike will handle panniers. In your case a trailer may be the way to go.

And the name is Goran Kropp. Rode a bike from Sweden to Nepal to climb Everest in the disastrous 1996 season. Rode to Nepal, climbed to the top of Everest without supplemental oxygen, didn't have yaks carry his gear to base camp, didn't have Shepas carry his gear, and then rode home afterward. Here's a review of his book on the adventure (http://www.nytimes.com/1999/10/10/books/climbing-everest-was-the-easy-part.html?src=pm)

Okay, I just ordered the book... this is great, thanks for the tip. Sadly, Goran Kropp died in a climbing accident in Washington in '02.

I've owned a Bob Yak for years, and have a proper tourer with racks/panniers. Either work fine. I prefer the Yak for off-road conditions, gets the load off the bike. Jarring, heavy loads on a rough road or trail can wreck a rack/frame bosses/rear wheels.

Best thing about trailers is they allow one to tour with a std bike for relatively low cost. You can easily sell a Yak or a Nomad on eBay after completing the tour and recover half your cost. Rack/panniers cost more, and to fit them properly you really need a touring bike with long chainstays and special fork. P&Rs can weigh less than most trailers if you've made the right choices, so they are better in mountainous areas.

The worst thing about trailers is you tend to carry too much crap, taking advantage of the volume/weight capacity. Panniers are more limiting, thus saving you from yourself. Panniers lead you to think about weight/volume reduction, trailers seem to do the opposite.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H9x1Jkl_680&feature=mfu_in_order&list=UL

i recently did up my old Raleigh specifiably to pull a trailer a look alike bob.
i packed the bag of the trailer with dust sheets ( i'm a painter)
and just rode up and down the street, to be honest i just didn't like the feel of it at all .
felt like somebody was holding me back ,but my thorn with loaded rear panniers is fantastic i keep having to look behind to see if the panniers are still attached, the bike is that well built , loaded panniers don't faze it at all.
and before someone asked well why the hell did you go to all the expensive of doing up an old bike and buying a new trailer,well you don't know until you try these things.
verdict panniers over a trailer.

Good thinking. But I'm thinking maybe a little bit of over-thinking.

I've towed a lot of trailers, with lots of vehicles. I would say that the vehicle that I feel the phenomena you're referring to the least, would be a bicycle. Slower speeds and more control are probably the reasons.

I think that a bike towing a trailer handles infinitely better than a bike loaded down with a full set of panniers, with the same basic load.

Having just taken my first shopping trip last week w/a trailer I would venture that this simply isn't true. No disrespect intended. The particular Newtonian law that applys here is one of inertia, regardless of the speed involved. Having grown up in the country where towing a disabled vehicle by chain is standard practice it's always the car being towed that stops both vehicles.

Would think that using a combination of a brake on the trailer as well as the bike would make for much safer decends, yes? Putting most of the braking force on the trailer would create the same dynamic as the aforementioned vehicle towing. Brake the trailer hard w/o locking the wheel(s) up and pulse the front caliper on the bike.

These type of questions are of great interest to me as I'm planning a transamerica trip within 2 years using a Bushtrekker tent/trailer combo. I want to take my mandolin and be able to sleep anywhere.

surge linkage to trailer brakes has been done.. Greenspeed has single sided hubs, or one can use
a front drum hub brake ..

A trailer like Burly's use 2 front hubs , until recently.. now the use a single sided mount.

One tradeoff no one has mentioned is the weight of the trailer itself? Surely this must come into consideration? A trailer and sack must weigh more than a few panniers

Good point. According to REI, the BOB Yak Plus weighs in at 13.8 pounds. My Ortliebs (Frontroller and Backroller Classics) weigh in at just about 7 pounds, plus another 3 for the racks. Difference of about 4 pounds. That's a pretty good reason (for me anyway) to stick with the panniers.

Edit: Oops, forgot the dry bag I carry my tent in. That's another pound. Still a 3 pound difference.

why would you need to carry your tent in a dry bag.i'm not be a smart ass but the bag your tent come in is as good as any dry bag.saving you a pound and a few bucks.

Instead of hanging things all over the bike, why not tow a trailer? Experiences?

BOB,,,BOB,,,BOB,,not Bob Dole,,just BOB Tows like perfect, and less energy drain than front panniers...
Took me a lot of riding to say that with confidence. I even think it upset my handling less, and like one guy I saw flips it upside down and uses it for a table at camp.

My 2 Cents

PS, NEVER bing empty panniers just in case,,You might end up hauling you buddies load......

BOB,,,BOB,,,BOB,,not Bob Dole,,just BOB Tows like perfect, and less energy drain than front panniers...
Took me a lot of riding to say that with confidence. I even think it upset my handling less, and like one guy I saw flips it upside down and uses it for a table at camp.

My 2 Cents
any more pic's please.

why would you need to carry your tent in a dry bag.i'm not be a smart ass but the bag your tent come in is as good as any dry bag.saving you a pound and a few bucks.

It's not just for the tent. I carry other things in there as well that I don't want getting wet. The tent fits perfectly in there too, so I leave its bag at home. As far as cost, it was 20 bucks - well worth it IMO.

It's not just for the tent. I carry other things in there as well that I don't want getting wet. The tent fits perfectly in there too, so I leave its bag at home. As far as cost, it was 20 bucks - well worth it IMO.
i used to do that as well but now i just compress the things to make them fit in my panniers, but each to there own.

I am about to start my first tour with a trailer and it is for a reason no one has mentioned yet. I will be using a BOB trailer and so for I have used it only for groceries on local runs, one time with a load over fifty pounds. It was a serious hard pull up hill to my home, but very steady. Like everything on a bike that seems tough to me, I just keep pedaling.

My wife and I will be doing the Oregon coast starting this week and my wife has never toured, nor is she really a cyclist, so I bought the trailer to carry my gear and hers. I would not have been able to do that with panniers. So wish us luck or wish me luck. I'll be the old guy with a very heavy trailer chasing my wife down the coast. :)

I am about to start my first tour with a trailer and it is for a reason no one has mentioned yet. I will be using a BOB trailer and so for I have used it only for groceries on local runs, one time with a load over fifty pounds. It was a serious hard pull up hill to my home, but very steady. Like everything on a bike that seems tough to me, I just keep pedaling.

My wife and I will be doing the Oregon coast starting this week and my wife has never toured, nor is she really a cyclist, so I bought the trailer to carry my gear and hers. I would not have been able to do that with panniers. So wish us luck or wish me luck. I'll be the old guy with a very heavy trailer chasing my wife down the coast. :)
yes the very best of luck dont be a hero as in taking way to much stuff ,careful planing is needed especially as you going to be carrying your wife's gear as well.will you be taking spare tubes for the trailer and what about the trailer tire what will you be using .anyway keep safe hope all goes well for you.

will you be taking spare tubes for the trailer and what about the trailer tire what will you be using

Never having toured with a trailer I decided to bring a spare tube and the tire I am using is the Schwalbe marathon. Last night my wife made a pile of all the clothes she wanted to bring, I had to laugh. We thinned it down quite a bit. I really can't wait. I have done the west coast alone before and the days flew by along with all the sites. This trip I should get to see a whole lot more and even though I know there will be times my wife will get a little frustrated with me, but we will have the best experience.

ah if only my wife would tour with me brilliant.i hope you get a chance to post some photos of your tour especially the whole trailer thing and camping set up. anyway have a fantastic time ENJOY>

i used to do that as well but now i just compress the things to make them fit in my panniers, but each to there own.

Well - like Tanslacks, on my last tour I was carrying some of my gf's gear, but on the next one I'll be solo so might be able to go without the dry bag. We'll see.

it's yet another bag to stuff unwanted gear into imho.i bought two ortlieb front panniers last year and as yet i haven't even taken them out of there packaging because i know if i do all of a sudden more gear will magically appear oh i must take that (NOT), have you ever notice when a fisherman wares his jacket of many pockets he has something or other in every one ,sometime these things have been there for god knows how many years .same with panniers you will fill them up guaranteed with unnecessary gear every single tour.
so my advice for what it's worth just take two panniers you really dont need any more than that.

so my advice for what it's worth just take two panniers you really dont need any more than that.

I probably could fit everything I need in two panniers, but the other two panniers plus the dry bag are for the things I *want*. :-)

good answer,( i dont know how to add smiles )

Dont overthink it ...get on the bike go buy a map go tour....its that simple.

wicki your obviously not married lol.

I think that a bike towing a trailer handles infinitely better than a bike loaded down with a full set of panniers, with the same basic load.

I think that is dead wrong. A properly-designed touring bike handles better when loaded than unloaded. Unloaded plus a trailer is the worst of all worlds.

1) Procure trailer for penny farthing
2) Attach to fixed, brake-less bike
3) Tour 300 miles, in some of the hillier region of AZ on it
4) Get home
5) List on craigslist
6) Sell for 10% loss


Coasting and brakes make towing a trailer a whole lot more fun.

Oh the broad generalizations.. it is just one persons opinion, fortunately..

I think that is dead wrong. A properly-designed touring bike handles better when loaded than unloaded. Unloaded plus a trailer is the worst of all worlds.

big piles of LHT's and so forth. get ridden by Commuters , apparently.. from just this list..

big piles of LHT's and so forth. get ridden by Commuters , apparently.. from just this list..

Yes, I often used a tourer for commuting, myself. But that doesn't alter the fact that loaded tourers handle much better than tourers (or road bikes, for that matter) that are pulling trailers. There's no avoiding it, the physics makes it inevitable.

Actually, cost can be a factor. A set of the least expensive Ortliebs is gonna run about $260. However, they aren't gonna mount themselves to the bike. Keeping it high quality, a set of Tubus racks are going to set you back about $200. So, for about $460 you've got a first class set of Panniers and are ready to roll. However, the Bob, with dry sak, out the door is about $350. It has a carrying volume of 5600ci versus the Ortieb's roughly 4000ci. Now, of course, you can spend more money to get more volume from the Panniers. You can buy add on pockets or you can buy the biggest set of Ortliebs. Those, stock, without added pockets will run about $360. Adding the $200 for racks to carry them tacks on that extra $200, bringing total cost to $560. Volume is up to almost 5000ci.

From a pure cost POV, for someone with a new or stock bike, the trailer is the cheaper option. The rest is purely a vanilla chocolate debate.

wicki your obviously not married lol.


no ...number two has gone the same way as number one and number 3 just aint gonna happen...hence no need to haul the kitchen sink plus wardrobe including shoe store.

a free spirit good for you wicki i'm sure you seen plenty of the world touring ,but i'm happy enough with my lot who the hell else would have me anyway LOL.
you seem an interesting charactor so tell me where you have toured and whats your set up .
cheers .

I use the BOB trailer, I ride a Catrike Trail. The BOB tracks very well with the trike, I hardly feel the weight on the flats and not at all downhill. I've found that if I keep the center of gravity as low as I can, this helps with control with a heavier load (camping gear etc)
Since I made my BOB an E-BOB, I've really been able to further enjoy my touring experiances. I wanted to have assist on the hill's but still have the trike light, so the E-BOB was my best option.

now that is very clever but how does it work ,do you flick a switch when the going gets tough (HILLS)
and what about cost .

HI antokelly......The motor is laced into the 16" wheel, the Lit-Ion battery is mounted on the trailer deck also holds the controller. The throttle and CA (CycleAnalyst, monitors all function's) are mounted on my Catrike. When I want to use the motor I simply advance the throttle to the desired amount, all the while pedaling. For me its about distance.....I want to be sure I'll have the motor when it's required. I use the power only as an assist, so using it sparingly I've been able to get 100+K day's (while touring), with recharging for 3hrs. in the evenings.
The cost is minimal based on the enjoyment achieved ($1200 motor, battery, controller, CA and essential bits)