Anyone use a trailer for stuff?
 

I suppose it would be tough with heavy loads, stopping and starting. But these days I've got a hot nut for a trailer, and was wondering what all you peeps roll with. I guess it would be easier with an SS, whatever. WHO'S GOT ONE? What kind? Pics of y'all carrying foolishly heavy/bulky stuff?

brakeless + heavy trailer + downhill == **** yes.

no, but I want one that can carry people

I haul around my son who is disabled, and/or groceries in my Wike trailer. http://www.wicycle.com/bst.htm I use it on my geared bikes. It's a pretty good quality rig. folds down real easy, and even converts into a stroller. I can fit about 8 paper bags of groceries in there. It's rated at about 150# which I have pulled up and down hills, but I wouldn't want to do it without some low gearing, and I wouldn't even try without 2 good brakes. They also sell a shopper, and a kit with the wheels, axle, and tongue for you to build your own trailer onto.

I have an old Bugger that I haul behind my geared bike. It's great, even if the bearings are trashed and unserviceable (not just a little bit, but flopping around on the axle style).

i took a 3100 mile trip this summer around europe on the track bike with a trailer. i had a front brake for touring. it was rad. sadly i didnt make mine since i was in europe when i bought it, and didnt have access to weld. i bought the bikebox modular bay, from canada.

then i went to 'best friends day' in rva when i got back, and pulled 6 cases of beer plus 3 bags of ice brakeless to haddads, the water park everyone rides to. it was awesome. bombing huge hills, locking sketchy skids. tons of fun.

since ive been back in nyc i hook up the trailer to pull my records when im djing, like to bike kill or my weekly spot in brooklyn or across the manhattan bridge. again, skidding is fun with 2 crates of records on the back.

and now it makes frequent trips to the dumpster with me. so awesome to have around.

if you weigh the trailer to its rear, it lifts the hitch cup/axle a little bit making locking the rear wheel a little easier.

james
blbc ny

I'm thinking about getting an xtracycle myself (www.xtracycle.com). Kind of like a trailer, only it extends your whole wheelbase. Only downside: $$$

Here ya go....

http://www.fixedgeargallery.com/2005/feb/taylor.htm

for really hauling stuff around, I highly rec. blue sky cyclecarts. We've got three of them in varying sizes (the small one has phil wood racing wheelchair wheels and high pressure tires and I barely notice that I'm dragging it) I'll put up to 400 pounds on one of these (rated to 200.) Ours are reinforced with steel skid rails on the bottom and leather patches on the corners of the fabric. Waterproof and super tough. I can also send anyone great plans to build their own trailers (nice strong ones). Plans are free, parts are about 40 bucks.

my girlfriend and I have moved several times using the Bikes At Work trailers (also known as Fresh Aire). I use a B.O.B. a ton on my MTB, but I have yet to get the appropriate nuts for my fixed gear. I've also used a Bikaboose, which was also pretty good.


What kind of trailer you get really depends on what you're looking to do with it. The B.O.B. is FAST and very agile, but doesn't do well with large/heavy loads. You also have to get used to the way it weaves under load before you can take big loads at speed.

B.A.W. trailers are a good deal slower, but are VERY stable and will carry up to like 300 pounds. I've moved a queen size bed on one twice. Our former landlords moved their washer and dryer to the building we lived in with theirs. (it kinda messed up the trailer).

For daily-driver/grocery run type use, I think the B.O.B. is king. You can travel pretty dang close to your normal speed with a light load on it.

For heavy utility/car replacement type use, the B.A.W. trailer can't be beat. You might not get there the fastest, but there aren't too many things around that you can put a keg or two on and have a rolling party.

Alternately, a friend of mine is building a MUCH cheaper version of the B.A.W. style trailer. It's a good deal faster, but maxes out at like 150-200 pounds.

http://bikesatwork.com/
http://www.bobtrailers.com/

i had a cheap baby trailer that i got at a yardsale that i used to haul my kayak around in. it worked well on the flat parts but on the steep hill down to the river it got out of control, i even pondered installing a break :). but now that ive got a car i dont need that

my brother just built one himself, he's in portland. i'll try to get him to post pics or snap some myself when i go home to visit. i know it didn't cost him **** and it's sturdy as hell, but that's about all the detail i have.

I've got a couple bikes at work trailers, too, and can't really rec. them unless you are moving things that are large and light or small and heavy. The wheels are too far back to effectively center a heavy load (at least on the 6 and 9 foot models) and the wheel wells tend to get in the way of large loads...

http://www.bikesatwork.com/hauling-c...rigerator.html

jey-sus....

fsnl
sparky

http://myspace-328.vo.llnwd.net/0010...05968328_l.jpg

Fully loaded + guit. SS would be "best", but there's no reason why fixed wouldn't work swimmingly for hauling laundry/groceries/illegal immigrants/beer around town, provided proper gearing and a brake.


I wub me Bob.

I carried two passengers last night on my BAW 64". I wish I could prove it with a picture, but you'll just have to imagine a spaceship-like recumbent (see my avatar, or the recumbent pics thread) pulling a long trailer with two ladies seated on it, holding on to each other and shouting "happy valentine's day!" to pedestrians while I honked away on my air zound. The route was almost entirely downhill, otherwise I wouldn't have let both of them on. I climbed West Washinton street earlier that night with one passenger, and boy was it a trudge!

I did some trail maintenance with a guy a few years back who rode a mountain bike with a trailer to do trail work. It was sort of a custom job, kind of a flatbed with some rails around the side. He could put shovels/picks etc. in it, and he had a dog that would jump on the trailer too when going between spots on the trail.

Yeah I frequently ride with a trailer, every two weeks or less I bring my young daughter to my place in one - it's a crappy Little Tikes one I got from Toys R Us.

Last Thursday I used it with my fixed gear - quite a lot different I'll tell you what, but not bad - was just careful (special cargo is worth the extra time/effort :D).

I usually break out the MTB for trailer runs though, it fits that bike way better and it's just more sturdy. I'm probably going to get rid of it soon as the sprogg is getting too big, trail-a-bike time and maybe a BOB trailer for actual cargo is in order.

I haul my kid everyday in a Burley kiddie trailer, fixed. I've taken him on 50+ mile rides on the thing, fixed gear and SS. You can't beat a well made trailer for hauling stuff (including small people) around.

I just noticed how old this thread is. I was pulling my kid in the same trailer in 2005 too.

How about this?

http://www.3aweb.com/trailer/biket2.jpg

Otherwise, I normally would just use my B.O.B.

I have an In-Step kiddie trailer that I took out the superstructure and floor out of and replaced with corrogated plastic (the stuff they make cheap advertising signs out of) for the floor.

I pull it with a geared bike sometimes and sometimes my winter fixed bike. Works just great. I can haul a lot of stuff with it. The winter bike is geared so low that I could be pulling a dead cow back there and not notice it.

jim

Wow. I don't even remember starting this thread. I haven't gotten a trailer yet. My focus shifter to tandem bikes when I got married. Maybe trailer will be next.

I just ordered a CETMA rack but I'd still like to get a trailer at some point. Does a BOB work with a bolt-on rear axle?

I've been wanting to get one because no one will **** with you if you have a trailor that looks like it holds little kids. I would obviously put my stuff in it too, but no cars honk, cut you off, make careless turns if they think you have a 3 yearold in your car. No one likes a cyclist, everyone likes a family man.

How wrong you are! I was just passing through by the mall with my actual 11 month old in the trailer, and I couldn't believe how rude people were.

As I start across an intersection, on the crosswalk, with the signal, people would blatantly turn right in front of me like they were going to miss the light. They could see me, they just made it obvious their needs were more important to them than mine.

This is consistent with my experience, but there are always jackasses who don't care, just fewer with a trailer. Try pulling a kiddie trailer at night (with lights) during a snowstorm. People will practically drive through yards to get out of your way.

I have a kid trailer I use to go grocery shopping and other chores that my panniers can't handle. I recently helped move a dresser 1.2 miles down the road by folding the trailer down and lashing the dresser to the trailer. It was a pleasant ride and I would for sure do it again.