Question about Cargo trailers. One wheel or 2 wheels?
 

I'm getting ready for my first weekend trip with my teenager son. Problem is that we own 2 road bikes with no rack eyelets. Mine is a Fuji Gran Fond carbon frame that will take up to 28c tires and his a Trek Madone 2.1 that will take up to 25c tires.

A friend suggested a cargo trailer that attaches either to the seat post or the quick release on the rear wheel.
I've been window shopping the burley trailer with 2 wheels and the BOB Yak with one rear wheel. They are both very price and I've seen several cheaper brands at amazon and other online sellers.

Is there any advantage/disavantages for the 2wheel trailer versus the one wheel trailers out there? I'd assume the 2 wheeled ones would be more stable and the one wheeled would be more nimble/maneuverable but I'm just speculating.
What say you?

Get the Yak or the Nomad, they are both well tested, proven and popular for good reasons. You can resell either after the tour and get at least half your money back. Not so much with some no-name trailer.

The Yak is better if you intend to ride on single track. The Nomad is better if you intend to keep it after tour and need a good trailer for fetching groceries.

Here's an old post on this topic, which will also link you to the thread (upper right hand corner).

I have a two wheel trailer that I use for grocery shopping (Burley Travoy) and a one wheel trailer that I've used for touring (Extrawheel). I also have a one wheel (Bob Yak) trailer but haven't used it as much for touring.

An additional consideration for one-wheel trailers is that the trailer wheel follows the same track as the bike wheels. This becomes easier if you are trying to avoid potholes or if the road shoulder is narrow and you need to watch where the trailer wheel goes. Having a trailer mount low down also seems to help some with stability compared with up at the seat post. I also like that my Extrawheel trailer uses the same-size tires/tubes as my bike so I don't need to bring different spares.

So for my grocery shopping, my Travoy is fine (and I can wheel it into the store as a grocery cart). However, I am happier with a one-wheel trailer out on the road. That said, I expect a two wheel cargo trailer attaching down low would also do fine despite my preferences.

I've only used a 2 kid trailer (100 pound load capacity) without the "seats" installed, with my bikes. They work fine, but are easy to overload ... so far, no problems with that.
Quite handy. I never leave home without the trailer.
For my Miami Sun standard "old fogey" trike, I had the "John Deere" green and yellow 4 wheel garden tractor trailer (with a 1,000 pound load capacity ... only had it overloaded a couple times)
Thinking of getting another of those 4 wheel trailers and making a hitch so I can attach it to the bike.
As far as maneuverability, as long as the trail or gate is as wide or maybe a little wider than the handlebar, I've never had amy problems.
I run SLIME in all my tires, if you are worried about the right trailer tire going off the pavement or "road", you can always put one of those airless foam tubes in.

I have used a BOB trailer way back when but "upgraded" to an Extrawheel Voyager which I have been using since 2011 on both road, gravel rides and single track mountain bike tours when I have needed the extra carrying capacity.

I have found it very good and will continue to use it both behind my Surly Long Haul Trucker and my Salsa Mukluk fatbike when remote bikepacking.

https://i1.wp.com/aushiker.com/wp-co...1/P9080683.jpg

trailer type aside, an important factor to take into account given the bikes that you both have, is gearing.
The gearing on your bikes are going to have a low gear of X gear inches--most likely your bikes have 50/34 cranks and maybe a 28 or 30t at the rear, so with a 34crank and 30 rear, with 28mm tires, this comes out to 30 gear inches low gear.
With either trailer, with a given amount of weight, you will quickly find that on hills your gearing is way too high for enjoyable riding (and your knees).

Unfortunately if you havent ever ridden a bike with load on it, you may not have a reference, but depending on where you ride, your bike as is with trailer may be a bit overgeared, quite a bit overgeared, or really really really overgeared with a given load on a given trailer.

The only thing I can suggest is to try to borrow a bike with panniers and put X lbs of stuff in them (about what you expect to take on a trip with your son) and see how the equivelant low gear of your road bike is going up some hills.
There won't include the weight of the trailer itself (obvoiusly a bit more), but at least it could give you an idea of what X gearing feels like on X hills with X weight.

I ride with a suspended single wheel trailer made by Tout Terrain. It attaches to the seat post with an articulated hinge. One big advantage over trailers that attach to the rear axle is that I can turn on a dime. I don't much consider the weight other than what the manufacturers maximum capacity is since I use an electric motor to help pull it. Like you guessed it can make the bike lean when the mass isn't moving. A center-stand, I am hoping, will let me stop, drop the stand and jump off with a camera. The trailer has a built-in stand that keeps it rock steady when standing on its own. Someone mentioned the mass riding high would be less stable and is correct. There are two setting one low (roads) and one high (off road/single track). I was following a rider with a two-wheeled trailer that almost lost control when an inside wheel grabbed a rock and hopped up into the air. He veered to the left where traffic could easily have been. I guess stability equals speed + surface. I would guess that two wheels would support more weight if it were being used for daily cargo run. It is easy to forget it's there at times and that is when physics decides to remind you, road surface, the coefficient of friction (COE), inertia, gravity, even the size and moisture content of an unfortunately placed cowpie can teach a bitter lesson. The picture below is before I tore one of the Salsa Anything bags off of her. I guess that is the one disadvantage, because of the seat post connection she doesn't track exactly when the back tire does unless going straight. There is a learning curve but given enough time physics will show you what you can't do. My dream is to be able to mount a motor designed only for energy recapture (hopefully Vastly improving our current ability) when descending. Pull a separate lever, engaging the drive, slowing the descent and recapturing the energy as electricity, and saving brake pads!. Or even more far fetched... generating power when stopped by mounting a dynamo hub, turning the wheel axle 90 degs. (single swing arm so this would be easy), and attaching small portable verticle generator blades. Let it spin all night as you sleep tight.

Wait, there is another disadvantage, it doesn't use the same size wheel as my bike. Meaning additional tube/tire, spokes etc. for repairs. That is something I need to look into modifying.

I use my 2 wheel trailer* a lot at home, got rid of my BoB, because it's not so great s a utility trailer ..

but folks around here use them while Hunting, to carry back Game Carcasses .. from the woods, essentially single track,
there a 1 wheel trailer would be better.
other 1 wheel users, tow behind Race style bikes so have no need of any bags on racks,
(a bag with backpack straps can let you wear the trailer then carry the bike around obstacles or up stairs, like fence stiles.)

*Burly Flatbed..




.....

Two wheels for heavier loads if you need..otherwise, go for a one wheel as for less weight and friction. I've used both a like the single much better. Recently purchased a Maya Cycle trailer and love it. Even with 20 or 30 lbs in it, I can barely tell it's behind me. It's built very well. There are some knockoffs selling on Amazon..don't..trust me just dont.