bike trailer project

The folks at BicycleR Evolution (bikerev.combikerev.comOpen ↗) make the travel trailer for Bike Friday bikes, which attach via a frame attachment. They also make attachments for other (more standard) bikes. I'd recommend taking a look at their web site for other ideas.

iancollinson said:

hi,
i am in my last year of school in britain and as part of my 'A' level
design project i am going to build and design a cargo trailer for bike.
This would only be for road use. I am leaning towards using a 2 wheel
design, but as of yet have not decieded on how to attach the trailer to
the bike i have identified 3 possibilites;(if do not know the correct
terminololgy for the parts, please forgive me!)

the rear axel; 3 ideas here. a folk style desing that attaches to the
same bolt as the rear wheel. a single bar attaching to the same place
or the screw holes for a rear pannier rack-my concern with this is that
it my not be strong enough.

the seat post- i fear here that there may be too much strain on the
post during turning to be effecient and it would require a longer arm
to get the COM (center of mass) as low down as possible.

the post above the pedels-
the obviouse problem here is that the spars my get in the way of the
user and is also makes it longer.

If anyone has had any experience of tailers of has built there own it
would be useful to know of you have any tips of comments on the above
thanks in advance
Ian

P.S
i have been told that there is a company that makes thease in cornwall,
england if anyone know who they are or how to contact them please could
you tell me how!!

I have used, and been impressed with, trailers from bikes at work.

http://www.bikesatwork.com/bike-trailers

They attach with a bracket that clamps to the chainstay on one side.
The trailler can be unhitched in a couple of seconds, and the bracket
can be removed in not much mor time by looesenin two hex bolts. Here
is a picture of the hitch:

http://www.bikesatwork.com/catalog/hitch-sscs.jpg

iancollinson <[email hidden]> wrote:

.... Well, you're lucky I saw this one quoted. I don't generally read
anything from the home of the sock puppets...

Quoted message said:

the rear axel; 3 ideas here. a folk style desing that attaches to the
same bolt as the rear wheel.

My old trailer had a hitch of this design. There's a small portion that
attaches outboard of one dropout, prevented from rotating by an extension
into the dropout. This carries a joint that permits side-to-side, up and
down, and rotational movement, and clamps to the tongue on the trailer.
This small unit stays attached at all times; hence attaching the trailer
is a ten-second job. The tongue goes out sideways then curves back in to
attach to the front of the trailer - otherwise the rear wheel would foul
it in corners.

Quoted message said:

the seat post- i fear here that there may be too much strain on the
post during turning to be effecient and it would require a longer arm
to get the COM (center of mass) as low down as possible.

Actually the problem with this design - which my current trailer used
before I cut it off and attached the old hitch - is that it potentially
has to clear a rear pannier rack and maybe even luggage stored on top of
that; this is particularly likely because people who use trailers tend to
be keen to carry luggage. The hitch on my current trailer was not long
enough; but one that would clear all such obstructions would be
prohibitively long.

Quoted message said:

the post above the pedels-
the obviouse problem here is that the spars my get in the way of the
user and is also makes it longer.

This simply doesn't work, since it has to clear rear panniers without
fouling the rider's legs - even in corners. There isn't any room.

Quoted message said:

If anyone has had any experience of tailers of has built there own it
would be useful to know of you have any tips of comments on the above
thanks in advance

Don't save money by speccing solid tyres. Your luggage gets rattled to
hell and back.
--
David Damerell <[email hidden]> Distortion Field!

iancollinson <[email hidden]> wrote:

.... Well, you're lucky I saw this one quoted. I don't generally read
anything from the home of the sock puppets...

Quoted message said:

the rear axel; 3 ideas here. a folk style desing that attaches to the
same bolt as the rear wheel.

My old trailer had a hitch of this design. There's a small portion that
attaches outboard of one dropout, prevented from rotating by an extension
into the dropout. This carries a joint that permits side-to-side, up and
down, and rotational movement, and clamps to the tongue on the trailer.
This small unit stays attached at all times; hence attaching the trailer
is a ten-second job. The tongue goes out sideways then curves back in to
attach to the front of the trailer - otherwise the rear wheel would foul
it in corners.

Quoted message said:

the seat post- i fear here that there may be too much strain on the
post during turning to be effecient and it would require a longer arm
to get the COM (center of mass) as low down as possible.

Actually the problem with this design - which my current trailer used
before I cut it off and attached the old hitch - is that it potentially
has to clear a rear pannier rack and maybe even luggage stored on top of
that; this is particularly likely because people who use trailers tend to
be keen to carry luggage. The hitch on my current trailer was not long
enough; but one that would clear all such obstructions would be
prohibitively long.

Quoted message said:

the post above the pedels-
the obviouse problem here is that the spars my get in the way of the
user and is also makes it longer.

This simply doesn't work, since it has to clear rear panniers without
fouling the rider's legs - even in corners. There isn't any room.

Quoted message said:

If anyone has had any experience of tailers of has built there own it
would be useful to know of you have any tips of comments on the above
thanks in advance

Don't save money by speccing solid tyres. Your luggage gets rattled to
hell and back.
--
David Damerell <[email hidden]> Distortion Field!

iancollinson said:

hi,
i am in my last year of school in britain and as part of my 'A' level
design project i am going to build and design a cargo trailer for bike.
This would only be for road use. I am leaning towards using a 2 wheel
design, but as of yet have not decieded on how to attach the trailer to
the bike i have identified 3 possibilites;(if do not know the correct
terminololgy for the parts, please forgive me!)

the rear axel; 3 ideas here. a folk style desing that attaches to the
same bolt as the rear wheel. a single bar attaching to the same place
or the screw holes for a rear pannier rack-my concern with this is that
it my not be strong enough.

the seat post- i fear here that there may be too much strain on the
post during turning to be effecient and it would require a longer arm
to get the COM (center of mass) as low down as possible.

the post above the pedels-
the obviouse problem here is that the spars my get in the way of the
user and is also makes it longer.

If anyone has had any experience of tailers of has built there own it
would be useful to know of you have any tips of comments on the above
thanks in advance
Ian

P.S
i have been told that there is a company that makes thease in cornwall,
england if anyone know who they are or how to contact them please could
you tell me how!!

For scholastic purposes.... you can look at patents in the patent
offices of several countries.

For the USA try:

http://www.uspto.gov

elect to do a patent search and try key words like "bicycle AND trailer"
or adding in terms such as "hitch" or 'connection" or other things
that come to mind.

It was informative to have spent 10 minutes looking at one of the very
first listings.

You can also search the web for things like "Bicycle trailers" or
"bicycle cargo trailers"......

It won't really take you a lot of time.

You can do all this searching without having to use any upper case
characters on your keyboard either~

You've got the skills and ability. I am sure you will do a great job.

Jim

--
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