I did my first tour this week-end with the Yak trailer, so I thought i'd give my thoughts. In my view the advantage of the trailer is the fact that it can instantly turn almost any bike into a pack mule. The trailer is quite handy for the around town errands that you would otherwise use a car for.
For touring the B.O.B. makes packing easy. Although I haven't toured with full panniers, I've read that the weight of your gear needs to be distributed from side to side and from front to rear. With the yak everything goes in the big yellow bag. It's a good idea to put your heavier gear low and towards the rear of the trailer but otherwise pile everthing in and you're set. The trailer tracks behind the bike perfectly and unless the trailer is empty the trailer really doesn't bounce. You'll feel the trailer's tire go over a bump or hole or whatever but it's just enough to remind you that the trailer is there. The best thing about the Yak is that the majority of the weight is being applied to the stout 16" trailer wheel and not the wheels of your bicycle. I guess I should get a spair tube for that wheel but I haven't had any problems yet. Does it affect the bikes handling? Sure, but so do panniers.
Are there disadvantages? I would not recommend a trailer to anyone that needs to transport or ship their bike and gear on a tour. A trailer, in my opinion, would be too much of a hassle if taking a plane, train or bus to reach a destination. The Yak is pretty big and even with the fork reversed and the wheel removed for shipping it would still be a big package. I suppose a trailer would also be a pain if you plan on staying in the occasional hotel, hostel or B+B.
Also everthing is in one bag so it can be a difficult to find what you're looking for. With panniers you can place everything where you want it and it stays there. When you go to get your jacket or whatever out of the trailer you can end up messing up everthing else
I was interested in comparing the BoB Yak trailer to a set of racks and panniers. Heres what I came up with.
The Yak:
Weight: 13.5#
capacity: 70#
5700+ cubic inches
cost: $289 msrp
Jannd setup from Jandd.com; expedition rear rack, front lowrider rack, pair of mountain panniers, pair of mini mountain panniers
total Weight: 4972 grams or 10.9#
Capacity: racks rated at 75# (50# rear and 25# front)
6276 cubic inches
Total price: $322
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"only on a BIKE"
Last edited by thbirks; 04-21-03 at 07:00 PM.