Hi All,

I'll try to answer the questions you all asked.

(1) Extra drag with the Nomad compared to the BOB?

I never did ride my acquaintance's bike *without* the BOB, so I am not certain about the apparent difference in drag. My guess is that there is not *noticeable* difference in road-wheel drag between the Nomad and the BOB. Still, the Nomad's got an extra wheel, so there must be twice the drag. Wheel resistance is very low, so I just don't think that it would be felt by a rider.

The Nomad does make for slightly more drag than without a trailer-- no surprise there. I find I have to pay attention very carefully, or ride the bike and immediately attach the trailer, to notice it, though. With significant weight, then yeah, you know the trailer's there. I think it's got to be about the same with a BOB, though.

I do think the BOB would provide less aero drag, as it is narrower than the Nomad and narrower than the cyclist's front end. A minute or two an hour on tour can add up.

(2) Tracking wobbly compared to the BOB?

I've found the Nomad tracks very well. The BOB is not *truer* in its tracking, I'm sure. That is, the Nomad doesn't slide or wobble, absolutely or in comparison to the BOB. Of course, on the Nomad neither of the rear wheels follows the path of the bike's rear wheel. Just the way it is with a two-wheeled trailer.

A bike's natural wobble at the front end will induce some back and forth in a trailer, of course. Maybe the Nomad's longer than a BOB if you include the tongue, and it is certainly wider, so these facts might exaggerate the back and forth as viewed from the behind a trailer. I don't know about this, though.

I got a Nomad in part because I'm sure it will track true even with a heavy load. Since the bike frame won't bear that twisting motion a BOB makes when it uses the frame to balance itself, there is no risk of a dangerous wobble. So, I think that the Nomad will track better, and handle more safely, with a heavy load than a BOB. I don't think I would trust a BOB at full load on a steep descent, for example, where I would put more confidence in a two-wheel trailer.

(3) Table?

You could use the Nomad as camp furniture pretty easily, though not as easily as the BOB. You could take the wheels off in a moment and sit the thing on its side. Of course, the table would be canvas, not metal, so that's not quite as good. You could put a plate on it, but not a cup of liquid, or the stove.

The Nomad will also stand on its rear end, but that makes it a bit tall for a sit down table.

(4) Travel, with no separate bag?

Yeah, I'd agree that if you were planning on putting the Nomad on a train or a plane you'd have to have an extra bag for your gear. But the trailer itself can pack very flat, and that would make it easier to travel with, and it might even save you some money on baggage charges.

I think I'd want an extra bag(s) anyway, if I were touring with the Nomad, to keep my things organized, and, as I said above, to make sure nothing inside got wet.

Breaking down the Nomad or just removing the wheels might be a nice thing when it comes to storing the trailer in the garage or in the house. With the cover on, it is bigger and less wieldy than the BOB.

Overall, the difference between the Nomad and BOB is almost all determined by the two- vs. one- wheel designs. The two-wheel trailer will bear greater loads more stably than the single wheeled design. The one-wheel trailer will be narrower and thus more manageable with lighter loads. It will also have less aero drag, and, less importantly, less wheel resistance. It also has one less tire to go flat.

The Nomad's an excellent execution of a two-wheeled trailer. I've had mine for a few weeks and I love the thing. It'll carry *anything*: oversized, overweight, you can get it on the Nomad. It has a lot more floor area than a BOB to make carrying many utility loads more practical. You can fit fifty pounds of gardening dirt in the front of the trailer and two twelve packs of paper towels in the back, for example (though you couldn't close the top in the back then). If you want to use your bike for everything from ferrying r.c. aircraft to buying firewood to carrying picnic supplies with chairs the Nomad's got the edge on the BOB, in my view.

Still, if were thinking of a trailer just for touring, I think the BOB would be better. I wouldn't carry that much weight on tour, and the BOB's narrower profile would be a nice thing. (Still, even on tour I would feel more comfortable on longer descents with a two-wheeled trailer. But, on balance, the BOB's a better touring trailer, I think.)