steve-in-kville 

(Yes, I searched back a little bit on this but need fresh opinions...)

I suppose its a good sign when my own wife suggests I buy a bike trailer!! We live a car-lite lifestyle and she is starting to see how handy it is for her when I ride... and cost effective.

I would like something for cargo hauling and maybe take the toddler for a ride.

So should I go with a kiddie trailer and use it for commuting when needed? Or go this a cargo trailer? I am partial to the Burley Nomad, even though its plenty pricey. I also looked at the BOB trailers but I don't see how a single-wheeled trailer would work for children.

I have a really nice pair of panniers. They are great when I need the cargo space, but otherwise I take them off and put the rear trunk bag back on.

I figure if I had a trailer I could simply hook it up before leaving for work when I know I am gonna need it. Panniers are a real pain to strap on at 4am with no coffee in my blood stream.... trust me!!

Should I simply skip the kid-hauling idea and stick with a cargo trailer, or try to satisfy both worlds??

I welcome and feedback, especially anyone's personal experience.

exile

I would suggest go with the kiddie trailer as it would serve two purposes (kid or groceries). I think instructables has a DIY cargo trailer idea & with a little ingenuity you might be able to adapt it as a dual purpose rig.

Aeneas

Is a Big Dummy/ Xtracycle out of the question?

fietsbob

Carry Freedom City, It folds flat , with only the sling bag coming off.
the wheels fold inward, tongue folds down. there even two small wheels
to roll it behind the seat on the Train commute.
https://www.carryfreedom.com/city.html#4

steve-in-kville 

You mean like a trail-a-bike??

xtrajack

A Big Dummy/Xtracycle is a cargo bike that can also haul people.

nashcommguy

Would think that for your situation this would make the most sense. Recently, I purchased a blue/yellow trailer off of e-bay for 100.00US to try out the process of grocery shopping and it works quite well. The drag isn't nearly as bad as I thought it would be, but one can't get out of the saddle when climbing because the trailer 'bumps' w/each pedal stroke. Mine fits one grocery kart full to a trailer load. It's on permanent hook-up to a Specialized Crossroads 3x6. 700 wheels w/a 34t bailout gear. 28/38/48 on the front. Trailer has 16 inch wheels and plenty of reflective material. The cover is permanently attached to the front and has velcro on the sides and rear. No panniers or trunkbag. Just a seatpost toolbag w/the regular stuff. I like it.

BHOFM

First thing is to hit the yard sales. I got a Burley for a dollar.
Needed air in the tires, they thought the tires were bad.

It folds flat when empty so there is almost no air drag.
Unfolds for loading in seconds,, like five seconds. OK, OK,,
maybe six..

https://img694.imageshack.us/img694/2204/onedollarn.jpg

blakcloud

When I had kids I had a Chariot trailer that did double duty for groceries etc. It was great and my kids loved being in the trailer. I used it everyday to take them to daycare and school. When they outgrew the trailer it was a little big and cumbersome to use just for utility purposes, so I sold it.

I bought a BoB and it just wasn't a good fit for me. Hard to get in and out of the apartment with my bike etc. So I sold that one pretty quick.

Now I have a Burley Travoy trailer and this has to be the best trailer for utility use. It double as a shopping cart and then attaches to your bike. I can wheel my bike and trailer into the elevator without a problem. For car free living this is the way to go for me. I have even used it for my commute to take in clean clothes for the week and pick up a some groceries on the way home.

Before I bought this I toyed with the idea of a Kona Ute, but I decided for the same money I could buy a bike and the trailer and it would be more versatile. Sometimes you just don't need the Ute when you want to take a ride to get a coffee. Those bikes are huge and you have to deal with the storage issue. The Travoy folds up into its own bag when you don't need it.

In the end, if you are even considering putting your child into a trailer go with one designed for that. Much safer. You can always sell it when they grow out of it.

ClemY

My trailer is a Jack Taylor camping trailer. It has one wheel and a spring loaded swing arm for the wheel. I have used it for carrying groceries and carrying the kids when they were little. When the kids out grew the trailer, I put them on a tandem and then a triple. Now that they are grown and have families of their own, that stuff doesn’t get used much.

Leisesturm

^^^This. Air resistance is huge and on my 10mi. summer commute if I needed the trailer it would be the BOB Yak for me. We use our Yak on the back of a tandem and haul 100lbs. (its rated for 70) 15mi roundtrip ever week. If we needed a two wheel trailer we would get one and use it when we needed to really haul stuff. Horses for courses. You don't just have one bike do you?? Do you?

H

fietsbob

Got rid of My Yak, as a utility trailer it was unsatisfactory ,
too tall a load and it Torqued the rear of the bike..

Got a Burly Flat Bed , newer ones have the tongue fold down,
older ones the tongue tube is bolted solid.

then I got the Carry Freedom city to go with my Brompton
Folding trailer, folding bike..
The load area in the flat bed takes the folded up city trailer ,
so 2 in 1 storage.

Sundance89

I have a Burley Nomad. It's a great cargo trailer, but I sure as heck wouldn't put a kid in it.

BenBurchfield

I agree with the other posters in regard to having the right trailer for both jobs. A dedicated kid carrier would be better designed and safer for carrying your children in, however, it would not be idea for commuting. I purchased the Travoy back in early Spring for commuting and cannot say enough about it. When not in use the trailer folds up into a 2'x3'x6" package and hangs in my garage. It is ideal for those daily errands like grocery shopping or even runs to the big, big box store.

All this being said, if you plan to haul A LOT of cargo and weight, the Bikes At Work trailers are your best bet. Good luck.

corkscrew

I don't have kids, so can't comment on those trailers.

I do have the Nashbar Cargo trailer, the second gen one. So far it's really light and has handled everything I've been able to throw at it! Got it shipped to me for less than $100 too. I'd look elsewhere (Maybe a BOB) if you need to carry more than 45 pounds.

https://www.nashbar.com/bikes/Product..._#ReviewHeader

Leisesturm

I've got the dry sack for that trailer. I've never used it! Lost the sack for my Yak when moving cross-country and didn't want to $$$ for another. Don't like the Nashbar one as much because it opens on the short axis. It is tough as hell though and its too long to fit comfortably in the Yak bed but iffn you don't already have one you can have mine for what it will cost to mail it to you. That shouldn't be much from Oregon. I've replaced the Bob Sak a long time now and the Nashbar Sack just sits in the garage. PM me and its yours.

H

corkscrew

You Rock Kind Sir! You have a PM.

Sundance89

Maybe there's hope for BF after all?

Well done.