DeadGrandpa

I have transitioned from front and rear panniers to bikepacking, with framebag, seatbag and drybag between the drops. I figure the weight of the panniers vs bikepacking bags is about the same, meaning I am traveling without the weight of the racks themselves. Regarding convenience of storage, I find I don't need to remove the frame bag; the seat bag removes easily; the dry bag attachment, tied to the bars with a nylon ribbon, could use a little improvement but it works and is lightweight. The lightest trailer weighs how much? Weight is everything, especially if you are going uphill. If I can't fit all of my stuff into my bikepacking bags, I really wonder how much I need to bring some of that stuff. But of course, you will look much cooler with the racks, panniers and a trailer, especially if you also have a small backpack.

PedalingWalrus

It was an assumption thrown for a discussion with a disclaimer of inexperience... I'm not sure if you stopped reading after the premise raised your heartbeat 

bradtx

PedalingWalrus, My opinion is that trailers aren't more efficient in general usage, but are when heavier or bulkier items which are beyond a loaded touring bike's ability enters the equation. Trailers are also a viable choice for those who want to use a bicycle for loaded touring that isn't designed for that task.

Brad

Ty0604

I have two. One is 13.5lbs (BOB) and the other 18.7lbs with bag included (not sure of the brand, from Discount Ramps). The heavier one was much cheaper but I happen to prefer it. Seems to have less drag. ($89.99 vs $369.99).

rifraf

Like anything else, trailers are fantastic if you feel you need on.
Somewhat less cost effective if you feel you don't.
Can be quite a few days in between water replenishment where I am so I love my Extrawheel trailer.

Extrawheel | Bike Trailer


The utility of my Carryfreedom Y-frame trailer should also not be underestimated and is very cost effective for on the tarmac.
Two wheel trailers are not at their best off road.

1 year ago 262 15 02:36 CURVES 'N' TURNS - Trailer

Ridefreemc

My BOB was 14 pounds, but the waterproof bag was (guess) about 3 pounds too.

YAK | BOBgear

Not more efficient, but more useful than panniers in some situations. For touring I think I'd go with racks/panniers (which I am doing). Sold my BOB to a guy that came from Alaska to Florida and was going back. He needed something to carry his vegetables (in a cooler) because it was so hard to get good fuel regularly, and he wanted to stock up.

antokelly

hah fun on this place you jest. more like a flaming row.

fietsbob

Extrawheel | Bike Trailer , big wheel more efficient than smaller one since bearing rolls less per Mile

Ty0604

Thank you for pointing out the weight of the bag. Your post made me check to see if my Discount Ramp single wheel trailer included the weight of the bag that comes with the trailer in the 18.7lbs and it does. I'm guessing the trailer by itself weighs 15 or 16lbs.

Ty0604

For anyone wondering, it appears this is the only USA dealer of this company. They're based in Poland. I didn't see a Canadian dealer listed.

UNITED STATES

[TABLE]
[TR]
[TD]Bike Trailer Shop[/TD]
[TD]tel.: 800-717-2596[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]120 E. Phoenix Ave.[/TD]
[TD]tel.: 928.226.0294 (local)[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Flagstaff, AZ 86001[/TD]
[TD]e-mail: info@biketrailershop.com[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="width: 300"][/TD]
[TD]website: www.biketrailershop.com[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]

Tourist in MSN

Interesting. I always used panniers, I assumed trailer would be a lot heavier. But, trailer not much heavier than my stuff when I pack heavy with the full set of Ortliebs:

Item Weight (Grams)
Front Rack Tubus Ergo 570
Rear RackTubus Logo EVO 860
Front Pannier Ortlieb Frontroller 1,640
Rear Pannier Ortlieb Backroller 2,140
Duffle Ortlieb Yellow 31 Liter 795
Handlebar Bag Lou G 9 liter 900

Total grams 6,905

Convert to pounds 15.19

But, realistically cutting the handlebar bag would cut about 2 pounds, but I like the convenience of it so am willing to carry it.

The weights are as I measured them on my scale, so might differ from manufacturer specifications. Sorry the formating is messed up, this website deleted extra spaces that I used to setup neat columns.

gregjones

I didn't know how much use I'd get from a trailer, I had no problems shopping with panniers but didn't want to take trash to the county dumpsters in them.

I bought one of the cheap Asom trailers off eBarf for $60 w/shipping. Used it on more than half of my "chore" trips around town. But it folds for storage and flexes at the pivot points. That makes for some tricky rides with a heavy load. No problem under about thirty pounds.
So I decided to save an eBarf search for a BOB Yak. The early ones only had one brace on each side but the later ones have two in a "vee" configuration. I decided that I'd only get one of the later ones if I could get one for under $200. It took almost a year but I finally got one for $135 w/shipping. It had been used once then sat in a garage for eight years. The tire had a sidewall crack, another $15. Total $150 investment without the dry bag.

The BOB is easily worth the $300 for a new one when compared to the $60 eBarf trailer. The scary flexie tail wagging the dog rides are gone. I've carried 55lbs in the BOB for a total of 68lbs. Solid, no problems. Didn't know it was back there......until I hit my 12% hill on the way home from the store.

Stuart mentioned rolling resistance. I don't have a sensitive enough butt to tell it, but there has to be some. I've seen some recommend a higher PSI tire. I need one so I got a 16" Maxis Hookworm because I found one on sale. It's 100 (or so) PSI. The stock tire on the BOB was 45, if I remember right. That must be sufficient because the difference in price for the higher PSI version of the same tire is less than ten bucks difference. I would figure that the factory would use it if it mattered. I've ran mine a 40 to 80 PSI with different loads and really can't tell the difference. But that could be due to my hard ass!!

prathmann

Agreed. I find a trailer to be useful when having a particularly heavy load. But for most of my tours the extra trailer weight is enough so I prefer to just use a set of rear panniers. My lightest configuration consists of the rear rack at just under one pound and an old set of Nashbar panniers (Cannondale clone but with lighter material) at 2.5 pounds - so 3.5 pounds as opposed to at least 16 pounds using a trailer. My newer Nashbar waterproof panniers are 3.6 pounds and I sometimes also use a handlebar bag for the convenience of being able to reach things while riding - but I'd probably still want that even if I were towing a trailer.

A trailer would add about 12 pounds to the weight of my gear which is usually only about 18 pounds. OTOH, if I were crossing the Sahara or on some other tour that required carrying much more than the usual gear weight then the trailer weight wouldn't be a big consideration.

fietsbob

I got My (2 wheel, folding) Carry Freedom city ... trailer to hook up to my Brompton From them.

Ty0604

That was my assumption as well until I purchased my first trailer. When you break it down, as you did, they're pretty comparable.

+1 - See below if you're interested in a cheaper (but heavier by +/- 2/3lbs) trailer than a BOB

+1

For anyone interested in the trailer I was referring to, here's the link. $89.99 + $20 in shipping. For the USA at least.

Single Wheel Bicycle Trailer for Cargo BCT-8002 | DiscountRamps.com

gregjones

That is very similar the one the I replaced with the BOB. Almost identical except for rear fender. $73 w/shipping from Amazon.

Ty0604

The rear fender on this trailer was the one down side to it. I ended up leaving it off. It wasn't a big deal since the bag is waterproof and the spray is minimal. I couldn't get the fender on without it rubbing on the tire. I'm sure I could have bent it into place to make it fit but didn't care to do so.

I also spray all of my waterproof bags etc with a spray. Thompson's Water Seal Farbic Spray works the best in my opinion.

djb

Tourist, thanks for putting together that list and weights, I too figured the difference would have been more.

DeadGrandpa

Sorry, PedalingWalrus, I did not mean to offend. Once again, the small part of my brain that thinks it is funny got control of my fingers. As many others have pointed out, efficiency depends on the purpose intended. Yes, I get excited when I think I have a clever thought. More and more often, I am proven wrong about that.

saddlesores

the drybag is 3 pounds, water-resistant canvasy bags maybe a pound.
both my bobs (sold) had the canvas bags....cheaper and lighter.

pack some things in plastic bags and you're fine. if monsoony, you
a lightweight trailer cover out of waterproof rainjacket material.

CliffordK

I've pulled an ordinary 2-wheel trailer quite a bit. I can definitely feel the drag, even when empty. My last trip from Portland to Eugene was towing, and I think I lost about 2-3 MPH, and I was definitely hurting by the time I rolled up my driveway about 145 miles later.

I've carried panniers (2 rear panniers + stuff strapped to the rack), and would much prefer that for touring.

PedalingWalrus

No problem. It's all good.i have learned a lot in this thread thanks

staehpj1

Yes, depending on the rack and pannier choices they could be heavier than a trailer. Go with Surly Nice Racks and the heavy duty Arkels all around and you can be well above the weight of a BoB.

On the other hand it is pretty easy to make rack/pannier choices that come in lighter than pretty much any trailer. First, I'd argue that the biggest reason for the handlebar bag is to be able to reach items easily while on the bike, so one might choose to use it even with a trailer. Second, many of the items that might go on top of the rear rack really don't require the duffel. Third, all those bags assume that you want/need a lot of capacity. Going with only one rack and one set of panniers is sufficient for many. And fourth, there are lighter bags.

I have done the range of packing styles over the years, but these days I have a hard time relating to 15 pounds of racks and bags. My most recent tours have been with total loads of less than you list for your racks and empty bags.

Of course some folks just like to carry more stuff. I met a guy on the TA in Rawlins, WY who had heavy duty racks (Surly I think), a full complement of heavy duty Arkels bags, and a BoB trailer loaded to the max (BoB bag and another duffel on top). His empty bags, racks, and trailer must have come in at 40 pounds or maybe more. I won't even guess what his total load must have weighed. You couldn't pay me to haul all of that but, he had come from the coast and seemed happy. He must have been tough because he was a little guy and his bike and gear were probably double his body weight or more.

My point in all that rambling is that a trailer, say a BoB, can be very light or very heavy depending on what you are comparing it to.

Ridefreemc

They are great for utilitarian use, and everyone should have one for that! It is a pain to try and use panniers for that type use.

I had a 50 pound bag of chicken feed on mine and it was not good,even though it was as low a load as one could expect. I do think it was because of the bike though (Salsa Vaya) as it really doesn't handle much weight in the back (does better with front panniers, then weighted in back, but not just weight in the back). I never felt resistance while riding, as it really gave you a lot pf peddling momentum (until you hit the steeper hills).

One thing to consider is if you need to get into buildings or tight spaces they can be a handful. Basically a straight-line deal is easy, but walking next to it and trying to maneuver not so much.

Ridefreemc

My recent across Florida ride had a buddy that was carrying a lot of gear for others (less experienced and also not much gear) and he had a BOB with two rear panniers, and a handlebar bag. Probably 70 extra pounds. He was hard to stay with, even on the hills (especially down )! He rode across the USA with it too (not as much weight) and said the only difficulty was climbing the Rockies (and other steep stuff out west).