No Front Rack
 

I am considering pulling a BOB IBEX and using and rear rack and panniers but no front rack or pannier. Do you think that this is cause any problem while long distance touring?

A lot of people do that - it seems to work fine. You will most likely have to play with packing to figure out what feels best to you - more weight in the panniers or more in the trailer. We are touring with four panniers and the BOB as we need more capacity than the average cycle tourist.

Everyone I met using a trailer either loved it or hated it. Everyone I met using front panniers loved it and some asked what a trailer would be like. Therefore front rack > trailer.

For a more thoughtful insight I can say that I traveled with a couple people who pulled trailers and they were always a huge pain. Tires would go flat and eventually wear out. Sometimes the frame of the trailer would break. Try finding spare parts in South America. Not easy. To me a trailer is just something more you have to worry about but if you're staying in Canada or the States it shouldn't be a huge problem. Trailers may not cause any problems but IMO they are more of a hassle than having a nice compact ride.

I've heard a lot of "I almost crashed" or "I crashed" stories with trailers. Some friends of mine toured down the Mississippi trading off a trailer that was loaded with a guitar and maybe some other stuff. On a long, fast descent, my buddy hit the brakes pretty hard for whatever reason. At that same moment, the trailer went airborne somehow (my other friend recounted this, as she was riding behind him) and jacknifed before making contact with the road. He very nearly lost it at speed.

My opinion based on this and other stories -- no trailers. Also the temptation to WAY overpack them, since the space is there. I haven't ever toured with a trailer, though, so I suggest you try it carefully and see what happens.

You'll be putting most of the weight of your cargo on your rear wheel which is dished and will also be carrying the majority of your body weight. If you want to do panniers and a trailer maybe put the panniers on your undished strong front wheel and the trailer at the back. That will reduce the stress on your rear wheel and balance your load better.

My main concern is that so many touring bikes are designed with a front load in mind. Not sure how a trailer would affect handling, but things could get a little squirrely without some more even weight distribution. Even a loaded up handlebar bag might help.

I have a suspention front end on my bike. My wife and I decided to get a Bob and st it up on my bike, with extra hook ups set up on her bike so we can trade off on the trailer. This came about with our thinking that a front rack would be an issue on my bike (w/suspention front end) Hard to type with a stiff beer in me . So along the same lines with the OP would you still want to balance out on the front or let the fron be free of weight??

I did a 3-month tour with two rear panniers, a trunk bag, and a handlebar bag. No need for either front panniers or a trailer.

Why do you think you need a trailer AND panniers??

Everything on the rear rack worked fine for me without handling problems. While riding that is - I had to let go of my bike a lot while walking it, which was quite annoying.

We have not had ANY problems with our BOBs - those things are rock solid. We do have to carry an extra tube and a spare tire for them - never needed the tire, but don't want to end up stranded. My BOB is not very heavy at all, but hubby carries all our computers and tools in his so is heavy - still no problem after coming all the way to Bolivia from Alaska

that being said, the trailers are hassle in another way. When I want to park my bike, I have to look for a "runway" rather than simply approaching the wall and then making a tight turn right at the end. When I want to carry my bike up to a hotel room on the 2nd or 3rd floor, I have to unhook the trailer and have more "stuff" to store. the trailer itself weighs something like 13 pounds or something.

If I didn't need the capacity, I would ditch the trailer in a heartbeat and go with panniers only. But - with having to carry essentially 4 people's gear on 2 bikes, we need the capacity. Plus, it does get the weight off the bike, which is a good thing in the long run. If you want ALL the weight off your bike and easier maneuvering, get the ExtraWheel.

That was exactly what I was thinking of when I was thinking of hassle. Nearly every night and every morning I'd have to carry my bike up flights of stairs and the thought of pulling up a trailer too just doesn't sit well.

Also the trailers my friends were using were not BOB so their quality was likely not all that great.

you can put a rack on the BOB
http://www.biketrailershop.com/green...er-p-1385.html

I did a fabrication of a pannier rack over the rear wheel of a boB trailer , used the low-rider front racks in blackburn style
there some Knock offs copying those now, that and flatbar aluminum from the hardware store..

Now i prefer 2 wheel trailers..

snacking from the handlebar bags is still tough to beat along the way handling solid with well packed low front bags .
If anything , replace the rear load with the trailer.