Originally Posted by 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.
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.