So I have been finding when I pull my kids bike trailer that drivers seem to give me more room. Anyone else experince this? Ever thought to commute with a childless trailer in tow?

That's just might be the greatest idea ever!

I was carrying a milk crate & handlebar basket (inside the milk crate) zip ties to rear rack from where i found them plus 2 panniers, and people definitely gave me at least a lil more room vs nothing on rack. Been contemplating trailer for this new bike, so this idea of drivers giving trailers more room would definitely push me towards the "yes" camp. Interested to hear input from others......

- Andy

Yes, in most cases, drivers give you tons of room. Make your trailer more noticeable (to even the sleepiest driver) by adding reflective tape and a safety triangle. In the 5 years I've been pulling a trailer, I had no problems, even on busy roads. Be careful, puling a trailer is hard work. Read your trailer's specs. to see what is load limit and follow them.

I have Wald folding baskets on my commuter. Any single load goes in the left one and I notice that drivers give a little more room, even though though my total width is still no wider than my shoulders.

Since a trailer/panniers makes your profile wider, this makes sense.

There's also "oh, he's just going to the store" instead of "why doesn't he go to the gym to exercise" in the driver's head.

Plus no one wants to hit a possible child.

Yes I noticed that when I have my trailer on, vehicles do give me more room, don't really know why but I suspect it's because I seem to wander more, tho what I am really doing is trying to avoid potholes not just with my bike but the trailer too...

Two wheeled child trailers have mucho drag on windy days !
That being said, I have pulled one many a time, windy or no.
Usually loaded w/ youngling(s).

I rode with a trailer for the first time on Friday. There is only one spot on my commute where I cross lanes to turn left. Normally I have to 'fight' my way over there. On Friday, as soon as I looked back to prepare to move left, two drivers nearly stopped in the road to let me go. Even though there was plenty of room for them to proceed and for me to fall in behind them.

I would definitely be looking at a utility/cargo trailer, not a kids trailer, because i'd need the weight capacity & tie down options of the cargo specific model, but i am very encouraged by what i'm reading here.... I guess i should start saving up!!

- Andy

And , the 2 wheel trailer tends to be centered at the hitch , left axle end, so its on the traffic side
unless in a drive left country .. ..

Put a large doll in the back and take the HOV lane?

I'd be wary of instant karma.

- Andy

I've also found that drivers give me a bit of space when I have the trailer. They seem less annoyed when I take the lane - it's almost like I'm (gasp) a vehicle! Maybe it's just the giant safety triangle and cutesy bumper sticker?

Do it!!! I was skeptical at first, but a cargo trailer makes a ton of difference if you want to carry heavy/bulky things with a bike.

Yeah It can be great fun.. I get a kick from watching the "blue hairs" pass by with a look of horror on their faces as they pass "Bad Daddy" (Me) pulling his (Imaginary) kids in traffic..

I think it depends on where you live; drivers in smaller cities and towns might give cyclists with trailers more room than drivers in larger cities. Cjhoyle, from Toronto, said that drivers weren't giving him a lot of room when they were passing him, even though he had a cargo trailer full of groceries.

Picking up Groceries with a Bike Trailer - YouTube

I wonder though if he had a child trailer if they would? The experience I have had has been with a childs trailer.

I pull a trailer about once a week.. Its good.. but kind of adds more to pull on your legs...

ALL trailers are designed so that no matter where the hitch is located, the trailer itself centers behind the bicycle. Exactly behind the bicycle. There are no exceptions.

Wrong oh blanket generalizing mr know-it-all ..Towing .. centers behind it's attachment point ..

its centered behind the bike CL only if its attached there.



I Have 2 both , the tow center is the hitch point .. to the left of the bike's center line.


you will not get that peer reviewed thesis passed with bad information.

I pull a cargo trailer often when shopping. It is obviously not a child hauler. I would not, and could not advocate that one pull an empty child trailer simply to get some peace on the road. Truly, if its that bad where one has to do their vehicular cyclist thing... maybe the takeaway is that one should move to somewhere more bike friendly. The only martyrs that get any respect are religious martyrs. I'd bust a gut laughing if any of my cyclist friends told me that they did or planned on pulling an empty child trailer.

H

Photo's please. Or the url to the product website. That should clear this up in a hurry. I have yet to see the hitch that didn't curve around so that the trailer tracked behind the bicycle. This should be very educational.

I need funding for that.


IT does tow behind the bicycle BUT ,, the center line of the trailer is parallel to the center line of the bicycle .
not in line with it .. exceptions seat post , tow fittings; and a fork of its own
like for the tow fittings of 1 wheel trailers

First, not everyone has the option to move, so to say that it would be the solution is rather moot. Second, if I can do something that can get drivers to notice me better, than why not do it? Third, I wonder if your the type that laugh at people with reflectors on their wheels or helmets?

I know for me, I want to make it home from every ride alive and in one piece, so if you see a big fat guy pulling an empty bike trailer....