pwhallon

Hi all,

Bike is a 2009 Novara Safari. I'm a big guy so I don't want to add a bunch more weight to it.

I'm considering 3 trailers.

1: Burley Nomad with rack.

2: BOB Ibex 28 plus, with the recumbent rack over the tire.

3: Extrawheel. I have Ortlieb classic panniers, so I would only be buying the trailer.

My first thought is that the Ibex and Extrawheel might be nice because they track at about the same width as the bike.

I could load the Burley to minimize tongue weight. I have checked out Burley kid haulers and they are very light weight and seem to roll efforlessly.

Your opinions would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

Paul

Rifleman

I have the Burnley Nomad.I had about 30 lbs of gear in it when I did the Pacific coast last year.When going down hill u dont even know its there.The only thing I didnt like about it was it doesn't track directly behind the bike.The reason they made it that way was so the right side wheel did not roll off the road.I was scared the left side of the trailer would get clipped by a car.

Rowan

Be aware that this is bad self-advice. The tongue has to have a reasonable amount of weight on it to avoid it lifting and start to push the rear of the bike off line when descending. Fishtailing with a trailer like that is not something you want to experience.

Other than that, I have toured with a single-wheel trailer like the BoB, and I liked it. The trailer was pulled behind a titanium framed road bike (pictured).

I have towed a self-built dual-wheel trailer, and that was pretty good for the job it did, which wasn't touring. But having to watch where the inside wheel is all the time did become an issue.

Others have used the ExtraWheel and like it; its primary target audience was the single-trailer MTB rider.

All have their advantages and disadvantages.

DocsDad

Burley Nomad worked perfectly for our tour. It also made a nice rolling carrier in hotels and the elevators.

antokelly

not a trailer user i did have a copy of the BoB trailer didn't like it hated the small wheel.the extra wheel would be my choice same size wheel as your bike ,and there a guy on this forum that has just revolutionised the extra wheel the guy is a genius, all his ideas are out of the top drawer thats for sure, i will see if i can get a link to his idea of a great trailer.

Thulsadoom

Another vote for the Nomad. I've tried touring with pans and several trailers. The Nomad is "it" for me. I don't really know how you could improve much on the design.

Danneaux

Hi All!

Thanks so much for your kind words, Anto; much appreciated!

Yes, I am currently working on a project to develop the Extrawheel trailer for larger purposes by installing a dynohub, B&M e-Werk charging system, B&M Toplight Line Plus taillight powered by an AC-DC rectifier and SON28 "Klassik" and plan to add solar charging to the mix; development is well under way for wind-charging in camp overnight. The trailer's charging capability will make it possible to use the Extrawheel as a powered camera dolly for my GoPro HD Hero2 and will allow extended filming as I ride along.

I'm an adventure tourist who often goes off-road, and the Extrawheel appealed to me for this project in particular because it uses a standard bicycle front wheel (in this case, shod with a Schwalbe 26x2.0 tire on a Rigida Andra rim), and the larger wheel rolls so much better on rough ground. Ground clearance overall is better than on the small-wheeled platform trailers, and it is short and light enough to pack in the same crate with the bike when air-freighting the lot to a new overseas touring destination (a consideration, as my bike -- a Thorn Nomad Mk2 -- is not the lightest).

I often tour solo and self-supported in the world's deserts and particularly in America's Great Basin, where I am far from resupply and the little available water is often contaminated with alkali and undrinkable. I've fitted the trailer with a pair of 40l Ortlieb Bike Packer Plus panniers and a 13l Ortlieb dry sack atop the Extrawheel rear rack. All this will provide extra capacity for the 15-20l of water and extra food I'll be taking for extended desert transits; daytime temps often reach 125-134°F/52-57°C, so water reserves are critical. After further development this Fall, Winter, and Spring, the lot will see use in Spring 2013 on a 2,000mi/3,200km tour that will include a longitudinal passage of Oregon's Alvord Desert and a return home via logging roads and fire trails along the spine of Oregon's Cascade mountain range. Here's a photo of the desert terrain where I frequently ride and where the trailer will see heavy use: I've built my own trailers as well, including a couple of two-wheeled trailers with lockable, waterproof cargo boxes that are used primarily with my tandem to add capacity for cycle-camping. While they work nicely for use on paved roads, they are not as suitable off-road -- with two wheels, I hit everything the bike wheels miss. The Extrawheel has been a revelation; I'm glad for the flag else I wouldn't remember it was there. So far, it has been largely transparent in use.

My initial posts on Extrawheel trailer selection and my plans for it are posted over at the Thorn Cycling Forums, where I am administrator. See: https://www.thorncycles.co.uk/forums/...p?topic=4953.0 Mine is the newest model with a host of improvements; I've described the trailer extensively and included a number of detailed photographs of the hitch system at that link. Ride reports will soon follow, with video of the trailer in action linked to my YouTube account. Please feel free to join in the discussion there; questions are welcome here as well, though I spend more time on the Thorn Forum and will be more likely to see them there.

Best,

Dan.

antokelly

WOW Dan What a set up fantastic best of luck with your next adventure sounds seriously HARD

seeker333

I have a BOB Yak, it works as expected, no surprises. Occasionally someone reports a heavily loaded Yak caused them to crash, but I have not had this experience.

The Yak Ibex is unnecessarily complex, heavy and costly, especially for smooth dirt or paved routes. It's an off-road / single-track-only trailer IMO.

I eventually hope to get a Burley Nomad. It's design places more of the cargo weight on the trailer's two wheels. With the Bob the weight is basically split between the trailer wheel and the bike rear wheel.

The Nomad's slightly wider profile and left offset create more of a visual cue / virtual safety barrier between the bicyclist and intercepting motor vehicles.

The complete BOB Yak trailer weighs 13.5 lbs (I've weighed it), and the Yak Sak weighs an additional 4.5 lbs, for a total wight of 18 lbs. BOB deceptively advertises the Yak TRAILER as weighing 13.5 lbs (less than the Burly Nomad's 14 lbs total weight) by failing to include the Sak weight, which is the way >90% of the Yaks are sold.

The Nomad has a higher load capacity than the Yak both weight-wise (100 lbs IIRC, due to 2 wheels) and volume-wise. A properly closed Yak-Sak will contain ~4,000 cubic inches (65L) versus about ~10,000 ci (164L) under the Nomad fabric top. Both trailers can be overloaded beyond the Sak / fabric canopy.

The Nomad is easier to use off-tour for grocery / utility hauling purposes. It will stand up while you load and unload, even if the bike starts to fall over. With the Yak, the whole bike+trailer will tip over if you're not careful.

Used Yaks and Nomads in good condition can be quickly resold on eBay / Craigslist for more than half the original cost. So you can buy one, use it on tour, then get rid of it later if you wish.

The Extrawheel trailer is a little silly to me, due to the dubious value of it's namesake. The extra wheel it provides is useful as a front wheel replacement on rim-braked bikes only, and front wheels almost never fail. Bike shops will nearly give away a front wheel, because their back room is full of fronts orphaned after the inevitable failure of the companion rear wheel. Aside from this marketing/sales nonsense, the Extrawheel trailer does offer a respectable cargo weight capacity at low overall weight.

If it were to be given to me as a present, I'd choose a Nomad of the three aforementioned trailers. I have the Yak now partly because I was able to buy it at wholesale cost, $155 vs the $350-400 retail price.

BTW OP, if you had bothered to search, you would have discovered hundred of threads on this topic. Please take a few moments to research a topic before starting redundant new threads.

fietsbob

I own a Burly Flatbed.. prior 406/20" wheel US made version.
I can use my Cascade Designs Portage pack on it and using the Pack's straps
shoulder the trailer , and carry the bike .. over road obstacles or even stiles
over fences and rock walls .. in one trip.

The tongue folds down.. , 2 QR front normal hub wheels ..

When I got my Brompton, the perfect match
was a Carry-freedom City, it folds flat, wheels go into the frame.

A Sling bag, is kind of hammock-like, and carries well off the bike.
messenger bag like.

mjww

I have also used a Nomad and loved it. No experience with the other two listed.

ksisler

Please keep us appraised on how the electrification project goes... seems quite interesting. Maybe a dyno hub on each side of the trailer perhaps?

Danneaux

Will do! Things are progressing nicely at present. I'm in the midst of trialing several different designs for the detachable windmill airfoils for nighttime power generation, and building the latest of several rectifiers so I can power the B&M Toplight Line Plus taillight directly from the SON28 Klassik. I found I can invert the trailer using the flag as a stabilizer, so few extra parts are needed to convert it to a nighttime wind-powered generator in the areas where I often camp (coastline and desert regions).

Addressing an earlier concern, I don't expect to use the trailer's wheel as an emergency replacement. Instead, I selected the Extrawheel because the single, larger-diameter wheel tracks the bike exactly and rolls more freely over the kind of varied terrain where I often tour. The two 16" wheels on my pair of homebuilt trailers seem to fall into ruts and potholes, and though I offset them so one wheel tracks inline with the bike's wheels, the other wheel hits everything the others miss.

Best,

Dan.

gdlerner

I use to have a BOB yak I sold it and I got the extrahweel for travel I like this one better,for cargo I own a carry freedom I can load 100kg

saddlesores

bob - pulled one around oz and nz, and across the us. i likes it. trailer wheel tracks
along with the bike, kinda nice when you have to avoid obstacles, or need to be
close to the edge of the pavement. drawback is flying - you need a separate box
(and more weight). sometimes tough to get into small taxis or 3-wheel motos.
other drawback for some is stability - they seem to have trouble parking a single
wheel trailer. smaller wheel is no big deal, just zip-tie a spare tire underneath
the trailer.

i wouldn't use a two-wheel trailer due to the tracking issue.

an extrawheel might be the way to go if you don't have gobs of bulky stuff. (3-man tent,
heavy-duty hiking boots, 4-5 gallons of water) i assume it's lighter than the bob,
and just might fit inside your bicycle box.

Danneaux

Yes, it is lighter, but the weight ultimately depends on the weight of the wheel that is fitted (and the tires, as well; my combo with Rigida Andras, SON28 Kassik and Schwalbe Duremes is heavier than when it is fitted with a narrow road-bike wheel. The same trailer frame and fork fits either size wheel and will even manage a 20"/406 wheel for use with my Folder).

And -- yes! -- I tried fitting the Extrawheel trailer inside the bike box with the bike today, and it fits nicely. Much better if the mudguard is temporarily removed and sleeved over the separated wheel, but it does all fit together.

For my 2013 tour, the trailer offers flexibility in load capacity. I will likely leave it largely unladed on the paved stretches through populated areas, then load it primarily with 15-20l of water and with food for cross-country and desert crossings. It would have come in very handy on my 2010 length-and-breadth crossing of Nevada's Black Rock Desert, when the bike sank into sometimes soft playa. In similar conditions with the trailer, I would use it to redistribute the load for less weight per wheel.

For maximum capacity when used alone, I load mine with 40l panniers (Ortlieb BikePacker Plus with pockets that hold 3l each, so 46l total for the two bags) and a 13l Ortlieb drysack on the rear rack, so 59l trailer capacity with this setup. I have found I can instead put my sleeping bag, silk liner, air pillow, and winter-weight pad in a 35l drysack (rolled down to about 25l) and secure it crosswise on the trailer rack, tying each end through the Ortlieb bags with the compression straps I always use. The lightweight 1-person tent goes across the top of that, so if I add my clothing, rain gear, meths stove and fuel with cookset and food, I have enough on the trailer alone for a 4day/3night trip in above-freezing weather if it is attached to a bike with no racks or luggage.

This has opened up the possibility of shipping the trailer and my gear and pedals in a single largish airline bag I could leave at the airport or in storage, saving on the cost of shipping my bike by air for shorter trips. I paid USD$300 each way to fly my bike round-trip from the US to Amsterdam in 2008; I was quoted almost $500 recently for the same trip. That's a lot of money...enough to make renting a bike on landfall a viable proposition or even buying a cheapish new or used bike for the duration, then reselling it on departure. With the dynohub and taillight on the trailer and a suitable long lead-wire with a clamp-on headlight, I would have charging and lighting no matter what bike I use it with. As with any trailer, the bike's handling is less affected than it would be carrying the same load in panniers on racks.

Is the Extrawheel the be-all/end-all in trailers? No, of course not. Different trailers will always be suited better- or less-suited for a specific use, load, or conditions. However, I am finding it can perform in some surprising and unexpectedly useful ways I had not thought possible when I embarked on this project. The Extrawheel's use of a large diameter front wheel makes it particularly suitable for my use off-road and allows me to put the dynohub to daily use on my 26"-wheeled tandem on my return from a single-bike tour, or provides dynopower and lighting options when I attach it to the tandem for touring with the Big Bike (I have a nutted rear axle and Arai drum brake, so the tandem is fitted with the nutted "hitch" rather than the q/r version).

This is proving to be a fun and satisfying project, and so far the trailer exceeds my expectations. I've surely enjoyed this and related threads, seeing what trailers have worked well for others.

Best,

Dan.

Ciufalon

Here's an option that I posted to another thread asking about trailer options. Looks like it would perform well to me, but I have no experience with it and I am not sure how much weight it can carry or the load capacity. Might be worth inquiring.

Aushiker

Another BoB Ibex user (well ex-user) and now a reformed Extrawheel Voyager user


This is the Bob Ibex in use on the Munda Biddi Trail in 2008.


I have used the BoB Ibex behind my mountain bike on bikepacking rides and my Surly Long Haul Trucker on road tours and similarly with the Extrawheel Voyager including my 3,000 km Chasing the Dirt tour. Of the two, I prefer to the Extrahweel but I do miss at times the flat loading that you get with the BoB. The big advantage for me is that the Extrawheel is easier to fly with. If I was making a choice today, I would go the Extrawheel Voyager.


Behind the Surly Long Haul Trucker - at its peak loading it was carrying [bike+trailer] me, gear, 16 days of food and 38 litres of water.



Back doing bikepacking duties on the Waterous Trail last month.

Andrew

antokelly

Aus thats some serious touring and a great looking rig.

ksisler

For any trailer, recommend one or two safety flags to keep the other folks on the road fully aware of your existance and desire to stay alive.

Aushiker

Thanks.

Andrew

onbike 1939

I no longer can cycle tour because of health problems and had to sell my Extrawheel but miss it still. This trailer weighs around 8 lbs and the new version is probably even less. The two other options quoted weigh 14 lbs and 18 lbs respectively and that is a huge difference. In my experience the Extrawheel tracks beautifully and the Yoke itself is a work of art and extremely ingenious in design. The trailer's simplicity of design is yet another reason for my choice and I'd choose it without a qualm.

fietsbob

For those who haul an electronic office on tour, an Xtrawheel gives you the opportunity
to run 2 dyno-hub front wheels to run USB chargers

GreenspeedGTS

Trailer not mentioned that I have used several times is the two wheel Equinox. I bought the kit and put it together

ClemY

Another option if you can find it is the Jack Taylor trailer. I got one many years ago mostly using it to carry my kids when they were small. With the Taylor brothers retired, you aren’t going to see any new ones, but you could find one on Craig’s List or something like that. I still have mine and I still use it, mostly to carry loads of groceries or just dead weight for a workout.