Originally Posted by
Lieren
Cyclaholic, love your set-up! That's where I intend to be in a few years when kid #1 outgrows the trailer.
So I tried the LHT with the trailer and kids today and was--sadly--not blown away in the way I expected to be. That "steer with one finger" quality disappeared with the trailer in tow. However, I was riding on perhaps the worst stretch of pavement in Philly (lower Spruce Street bike lane, for locals), and I should really have gone a couple miles further to get away from the potholes and stop signs every block. But a second however--this catapults the CC w/granny gear back into contention!
And now I really have NO idea what LBS #1 was on about with drop bars and a trailer. I was in some busy traffic with narrow bike clearance today and felt no concern at all. As much as one can feel no concern when there are Jersey drivers around.
A bike/trailer combo takes some getting used to as it is a whole new and unique experience. As for the handling itself, it has as much to do with the trailer as it does with the bike. One critical aspect is the bike-trailer interface. It you have a crappy hitch design your handling will be crappy irrespective of how good your bike is..... and stop worrying about the whole drop bar & trailer combo thing, it's a total non-issue.