cradduck

i have seen an overwhelming number of bikes on this forum that use panniers and racks instead of trailers...like the B.O.B. trailers i see at REI. are the trailers no good or is it the expense that people are steering away from? i am planning on doing a ride from SF to OC this comming spring/summer and don't want to start laying out cash for the wrong equipment.

Bikepacker67

The only thing that bothers me about trailers is more moving parts to break down.

jamawani 

I find that people who use BOBs tend to collect more stuff - like the 40 foot RVs that are crammed full - if you have the space, you tend to use it. The one great thing about BOBs is that you can disconnect and zoom off on your bike - even with the BOB attached, you have a freer biking feeling. But the trade-offs are significant - harder to ship plus more expensive. Harder to catch a ride in case of breakdowns. Certain places like Zion Tunnel where bikes aren't permitted - makes it even harder to get thru. There are people on both sides of this fence. People who have BOBs swear by them. I like panniers.

Jama

HelenHeart

I did soooooooo much research on this subject. At the onset, my instincts told me I wanted a 2 wheel trailer..Burley Nomad, for my 1500 mile tour, but I was prepared to listen to the loudest voice on this forum. As it turns out, it came down mainly to preference, rather than any definate black and white answer. So, I bought the Nomad, and I am now on mile 823, of the aformentioned tour. I love my trailer. I had to put tire liners on the wheels, as they punctured easily, but that is it. I travelled for a while with a guy who had a BOB, and he was envious of my 2 wheeler!! However, the BOB can support the bike and keep it upright, when you park it, which is the only thing I don't have with my Burley. Otherwise, I couldn't want more from it.
Anywho, go with what you want, or think you want, you'll probably be right.
Good luck.
Helen

Machka 

I have avoided purchasing a trailer for the following reasons:

1. The hassle of transportation. It is bad enough that I have to break down my bicycle to put it into boxes to fly to various parts of the world to tour ... that is often quite a hassle in itself. But if I had a trailer I would have twice as much hassle. This goes for if you need to transport yourself and all your gear by airplane, bus, train, or even car rental.

2. The hassle of accommodation. If you camp, it probably wouldn't be too bad, but the moment you stay in a hostel or motel, you've got to do something with BOTH the bicycle and the trailer. Most of those places will reluctantly let you keep your bicycle in your room or will provide a little corner somewhere to store your bicycle ... just think how much more reluctant they would be if you indicated you wanted to store your trailer as well.

3. The expense. First, trailers cost more than panniers. Second, if you are trying to transport them all over the world with your bicycle, you would probably end up paying twice as much as you would for just your bicycle.

4. The weight. Nature abhors a vacuum. If I bring small panniers, I will fill them. If I bring large panniers, I will fill them. If I bring a trailer, I will fill it to overflowing. That's just the way it works. I have enough trouble climbing hills with my medium-sized panniers filled to capacity, without trying it with a trailer filled with three times that much stuff.

5. That moving parts thing Bikepacker67 mentioned. I worry enough about the odd noises I hear my bicycle make without worrying about the odd noises my trailer is making too. Also, there is at least one more tire to consider too (or do they have more than one wheel?). It will wear out along the way, and probably flat several times, and so you'll have to carry tubes and a folder for it, as well as for your bicycle wheels.

6. I rode a bicycle with a trailer, and although I know I would probably get used to the handling, I was all over the road with it.


If you are still considering a trailer, see if you can borrow one from a friend for a weekend and take it for a test spin ... see if you still like it then.

Bikepacker67

This is hilarious, and so flippin' TRUE!

BikePackin

If you are going to use a trailer, my experience says pack it and ride it only within the parameters specified by the manufacturer..... I thought I had and, yet, I still had a poplular single wheel brand (NOT A B.O.B) send me into a wobble and a bad spill on level, smooth pavement while I was traveling in a straight line at less than 15 mph.
It is not unsual to read journals of trailer equipped cyclists on descents at speed over 25 mph and it causes me to really shutter when I reflect back on my experience. I cannot imagine having to brake and then change direction to avoid a rock or a critter with a trailer while on a downhill at nearly any speed.

NoReg

I think you have to look at the needs aspect of it. I just completed 1000 miles with lightly loaded paniers, camping, and lots of variable weather 35 centigrade to near freezing. With a basic load including the paniers of 35 pounds, I would be hard put understanding why a trailer would be better. One advantage to the trailer is the fact everything is in one location, with paniers there is a lot of opening and shutting going on. Plus a bob would allow interesting packing options. But overall, on this level I don't see any need for a trailer.

When it comes to carrying kids who eventually weighed the 100 pound maximum, we used a trailer, it just made sense. So the same would apply to the carrying of either oddly shaped or just plain mega loads, like say going into the backcountry on a hunting trip. A lot of people carry as much as 80 pounds, and some say that a bob and front paniers are better than having anything in the rear paniers at those load level.

I'm just saying, rather than looking at apples and apples, I think the reason for a trailer is obvious, rather than being a prallel thing to paniers in most cases, it would really apply when the loads get out of size, and there can be real reasons for that. I don't buy that one can't control the accumulation of gear. Just start with the assumption you aren't bringing everything that you may "need", set a weight budget, and live with it. I had probelms with the gear I didn't bring, but I was not going to go nuts on the weight thing, as a majr priority. Bikers and hikers are gear freaks, that is cool, but the point is having fun, so you need to be willing to carry a light enough load if hevier weights are going to ruin your trip. If you can carry the hevier loads, then it is up to you.

Trailers are also great if your bike won't carry gear, like some recumbents, or sport bikes.

By the way, you can manufacture a good trailer for peanuts, there are web plans. Yes the pricing on the BOB is obscene, but it is an easy piece of gear to fab, so I don't see that as a problem, at least for me.

valygrl

I'm with BikePackin... my bob hucked me off my bike and sent me to the hospital. I'm using panniers now, and I like them a whole lot better. Not only because of the handling, but also, parking the trailer was a pain. I actually like having multiple separate bags, too, it helps me keep my stuff organized. in the trailer, the thing I wanted had always found its way to the bottom of the pile.

crazybikerchick

On my first week long tour I used panniers. I already had the panniers from commuting (where a trailer would be overkill IMO) so it was a simple matter of convenience and avoiding expense. On the trip we ran into a couple that were about 2000 km into a cross Canada tour. The husband had a BOB trailer and the wife had panniers. They mentioned the BOB was *much* easier to pull the weight. I would say too its a matter of how light you plan to travel, on the heavier side I would definitely think the BOB would be nicer.

sydney_b

So true.... in all areas of life. In my neighborhood, the houses are plenty large, all with double garages, and the vast majority have added those little mini-garages in the back yard. In the 'burbs, new homes often have 3 garages AND the little ones in the backyard.

cyccommute 

A single wheel trailer is a bit easier to get up to speed than a pannier loaded bike but there are handling issues. I have used, and will continue to use, a SWT for off-road touring because of clearance issues and other factors. But on the road, the trailer tends to push the front of the bike when in a corner especially if the bike has a springier rear triangle. I found that using a steel touring bike which handles a pannier load just fine, the trailer would pushing it to the outside of corners and tended to lighten the front end. A stiffer aluminum bike doesn't have this problem (at least mine doesn't) but I didn't want to risk problems when I was out in the middle of nowhere so I went the pannier route.

To the original poster, the cost is about the same especially when you figure in racks. For example, 2 sets of Ortlieb classics cost around $290 while the Tubus racks for the bike cost around $200 (front and rear). That's a even a bit more expensive than a trailer.

cyclintom

Look, a BOB trailer is the greatest invention in recent bicycle history. Ignore all the stuff about them and remember this - you can ride a very nice road bike and pull a trailer with all of your stuff. It handles great and when you get to where you're going you can leave the trailer locked to a tree and ride into town with a nice bike.

BE SURE TO CARRY SPARE BOB TUBES!

HelenHeart

[QUOTE=cyclintom]Look, a BOB trailer is the greatest invention in recent bicycle history. Ignore all the stuff about them and remember this - you can ride a very nice road bike and pull a trailer with all of your stuff. It handles great and when you get to where you're going you can leave the trailer locked to a tree and ride into town with a nice bike.

BE SURE TO CARRY SPARE BOB TUBES![/QUO

I second the spare tubes, although I put tire liners on my Burley, which is even better (so far)

Marylandnewbie

I just recently got a single wheel BOB clone (TW Bents folding trailer) and my one piece of advice is to consider your size and weight in relation to the trailer weight. I've done a few test rides with the trailer loaded so the total towing weight was probably somewhere around 50 lbs. Since I am 260 I found I was able to control any wobble or lightness in the front end caused by the trailer with minimal effort. If I were substantially lighter then handling might be an issue.

On my aluminum frame hybrid I found no flex and no major handling problems that could not be easily countered. As for the cornering -- there is a kind of a cool feeling once you get used to it. You will find some push-pull sensation as you start off or go uphill, but I found this a minimal problem. The sensation might be more pronounced for a smaller, lighter rider.

For us the trailer is the way to go since my son is only 8 and my wife is not yet a strong biker so to get our gear out to where we want to go I will play pack mule for a few years. Eventually, I plan to hang it on my son's bike as sort of a brake so he can't get too far in front of mom and dad.

balto charlie

I own a Burley flatbed and use my kayak dry bags to store my gear. Works great. If you are B&B touring, then I would not use it, no need. In fact I would only use small panniers for that type of riding. This type of trailer compacts quickly(QR wheels and tow bar) and I think (tho never tried) it might fit in a bike box with the bike. Price...cost me 100.00 new(end of year clearance). I don't think you can find decent panniers and racks at that cost. My main complaint is when I walk through town it clogs up the sidewalk. So I just lock it up and walk w/o my stuff.
A trailer allows for some gear swapping allowing one person to ride 'free' for 1/2 the trip. On a recent tour I carried everything and my buddy carried nothing. It was easy. We were gonna swap but I didn't feel the need. Just another option.

cyccommute 

Actually the greatest invention in recent bicycle history is the threadless head set followed closely by external bearing cranksets but ... how is locking your trailer to a tree and riding your bike into town any different from taking the panniers off your bike and riding your bike into town? Or do you just not like the look of touring bikes?

Matthew A Brown

I love love love my Bob. It means I can carry a lot more "stuff" around, the center of mass is MUCH lower for your cargo, those little wheels are MUCH stronger and are much better at handling the weight, weight that is NOT being carried by a (probably) heavily dished rear wheel....


I found the nature/vacuum sentiment accurate for all of about three days. Once you have ridden hills of any consequence, you will quickly find a good weight/usefullness balance and be able to appreciate the extra space for unexpected souvenirs, spare loaves of wheat bread, etc.

The surface of the bag is great for drying clothes and for keeping hella stinky things out of the way....

Trailer + good-sized handlebar bag = goodness.

gpsblake

I fooled around with a 2 wheel kids trailer a few weeks ago. Didn't keep it, sent it back to the store. Here in South Carolina, there are no shoulders on the road and I kept on forgetting about the width and kept running my right wheel into the grass and dirt off the road. I guess you have to train yourself to remember that you have 3 sets of tracks to worry about if using a 2 wheel trailer vs one trick to worry about with a BOB, same as a regular bike.

Personally, I think BOB's are way overpriced for what they give you. For now, I'll stick to putting my stuff on my rack w/o panniers.

If I get some time this winter, I might play around and try to build my own version of a BOB.

NoReg

When I was on tour last week, I camped one night with three guys on recumbants who all had bobs. They took them with them everywhere, no unhooking a 400 buck trailer and going off to see the sights for them. That thing costs like a bike.

Wingman115

I have both panniers and a bob trailer. Both are great but I did find myself over filling the bob trailer on trips and the extra weight killed me on the hills. That said the panniers were great I took my bike on the train in san diego and rode to santa barbra no hassle. With the trailer I would of had to pack it up and but it in cargo. really pain.
Both worked great I would say either way make a short list of items to bring and don't pack more than what's on the list.I've done 3 tours and each one I've cut my short list in half.

Rogerinchrist

I've been waiting for someone to bring this up.

Machka 

Yes, but you don't have to go with the most expensive stuff out there! My panniers (one set - that's all you need) cost me $100, my Carradice cost about $100, and my handlebar bag about $30. The racks (front and back) were in total about $30. TOTAL: $260 for the whole setup.

And if you question the durability of all that ... I have toured (in Europe, Australia, Canada, and the US) a total of about 18-20 weeks over the past two years with those items, and I've done most of my riding (approx. 10,000 kms a year) over the past two years with the handlebar bag, and the Carradice. In all that time, the mount on the handlebar bag broke once, and was replaced for free by the company who made it, and I sheared a bolt on the front rack, which was removed and replaced for free by a friend of a friend.

Rogerinchrist

With the Burly Nomad coming in at 25 inchs overall width, and I do believe that the tracking is still offset, the right tire doesn't get much to the right of your bike wheel. Now other 2 wheel trailers might be different.

Someone mentioned above about switching the trailer to another bike. With a Burly, it is very easy, no special axel attachment needed as with a BOB.

BikePDX

Welcome to the debate of Trailers vs. Panniers. As you can see by the posts here, so many people, so many opinions and experiences.

Merriwether, in a thread titled "Burley Nomad cargo trailer--a review" a few months ago provided an excellent review on trailers. I wish I had had an opportunity to inform myself with such a review when I began touring two years ago and was agonizing over the grand debate -- trailer vs. panniers. It would have made my ultimate decision much easier.

After much research and queries of other tourers, an important consideration for me to decide on a trailer was cost. A good set of panniers plus racks can easily run into $400-$500. Although you can purchase less expensive panniers, you're still faced with the purchase of racks. Then I had all those accessories to buy -- tent, cookware, stove, etc. Once I decided on a trailer, then began the debate of BOB vs. Burley. Again, after much research and many questions, I was leaning toward a Burley for most of the reasons Merriwether outlined in his review -- ease of connecting and disconnecting; less stress on the bike frame; greater load capacity; zero effect on handling characteristics of the bike, and so on. But a strong personal reason that pushed me over to the Burley side of the fence was the opinion of a very respected, even legendary, tourist here in the Portland area. Mike S. has had over 20 years' touring experience in both the U.S and in Europe (he's there now on a 2-month tour), all with panniers until two years ago. A friend lent him his Burley, and Mike said he would never go back to panniers. Decision made! Then I was fortunate enough to acquire a barely used Burley on Ebay for $100.

Merriwether's review needs no further comment, but I can't help point out one thing that he did not mention. Regarding stability on fast descents, many of the BOBers I have encountered have stated that above 30 mph the BOB tends to become unstable in the longitudinal axis. Living in Washington state, hills are the norm. As I typically carry 50-65 pounds of cargo in my Burley (still a novice tourer and have not yet mastered the science of minimalization ), it is not difficult to quickly build up speed even on a short downhill. But it seems that the faster I go, the more solid my rig becomes. I've been as fast as 45 mph on one long downhill, and I had no sensation that I was carrying any weight--it felt rock solid and as if I was being propelled. I think I'll try to avoid that kind of speed in the future, but 35 mph is quite common and comfortable with a good load in my Burley.

In my opinion, the two greatest shortcomings of the Burley are lack of weather resistance and unavailability of fenders. The former is mitigated by the necessity of a design that enables easy dismantling for storage or packing. Merriwether packs his stuff in bags. I generally line the compartment with a common garden debris bag--fits just right and it can be used to discard garbage at tour's end. I once rode 65 miles with rain all the way and everything stayed nice and dry. The latter is a different matter. With all the rain we get here in the Pacific Northwest, the top of my Burley gets covered with mud splatterings. I wish Burley or an after-market provider would see a market here and respond accordingly.