"Steve McDonald" <
[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>
> I've had a bike trailer flip over on me several times and it was always due to something
> unexpected. A large gopher mound on the edge of a path, cutting too sharp into a ramp and
> bouncing a wheel off the curb, an outside slant and a sharp turn coming together. I'd never
> carry
For the record, what kind of trailer? There are good designs and bad designs. Combine a bad design
with an inattentive rider and I'm sure you could flip one unexpectedly.
> children in a trailer, unless the French were invading and we were fleeing for our lives. If I was
> the sort of person who would do this, the brats would have motorcycle helmets and be strapped in
> as well as having double rollbars on the trailer. But, most flimsy tube and
Brats? Hmmm. Any decent trailer comes with a five-point harness for each child and has a perimeter
cage to protect them in the event of a rollover. In any case, I have TRIED to flip our trailer and
have yet to succeed. Alright, I haven't tried the high-speed-clip-a-curb scenario yet, but I guess I
just pay enough attention to avoid that scenario. With no accidents (including rollovers) to date
and over a year pulling the trailer with and without my daughter, I have come to the conclusion that
they are very safe.
> plastic trailers would still offer little protection to their occupants. I know two local people
> whose children were killed in bike trailers when motorists ran them down. This is just something
> to consider.
I find that towing the trailer gets me a lot more attention and respect from motorists. On
yesterday's ride I had a fellow follow me for a couple of blocks instead of trying to pass me on a
relatively narrow road. Getting hit by a car is getting hit by a car and the trailer probably has
little or nothing to do with it. I have to admit that in the years that I have been participating in
this group, this is the first time I have seen a post where kids died in a trailer. There have been
a couple of memorable stories - a rollover with kids left hanging from the harness upside down,
laughing the whole time; and one where the side curtain failed in a tipover and the kid got road
rash on her face. This would not have happened in a well designed trailer with proper side curtains.
In short, the dangers of cycling have been over-hyped and the dangers of trailers are even lower.
> Fact is, lots of kids are killed because their parents take them in cars and drive carelessly.
Now the smoke clears and the truth comes out. The risks of injury or death in a car are many, many
times greater than in a trailer. Let's put it this way, trailers are a relatively small business. If
it was a really risky activity, do you think it would still be a business? Someone involved in an
accident where the trailer was at fault would have sued them out of business by now.
As for the original poster, keep in mind that there are good quality and low quality trailers. When
I entered the market, I searched for a trailer with a perimeter frame design for safety, five-point
harnesses also for safety, a roll-up window for weather protection, decent ventilation, a solid
mounting design for attaching to the bicycle, flexibility in the mount for manueverability, bright
colors for visibility, heavy duty canvas for durability, and side windows that do not open so little
fingers don't end up in the spokes. If I were to search again, I would also look for a seat shape
that was more comfortable while wearing a helmet. Small children are not tall enough for the helmet
to clear the top of the seat and end up either looking at their feet or having to hold up their
helmet with their hands. A skating style helmet works better than a cycling helmet because they do
not protrude as much behind the head.
As for jogger conversions, I can't say much. Our trailer doesn't make the conversion. That being
said, I think the conversions kits look a bit flimsy and don't look very functional. I think a
dedicated jogger is probably a better idea.
Another concern is aerodynamics. The drag from a trailer can be significant. In still air, it
doesn't make much difference at sane speeds. But if you get the speeds up or add a headwind into the
mix, and you will really know the trailer is there.
When I was first searching, I thought the footwell area should be made of something other than
canvas. But it has been a non-issue so far. If the canvas eventually fails, I might replace it with
some sheet metal, but I will probably take the easier route and just add a new layer of canvas.
With all that in mind, here is a site with a collection of links for you:
http://www.mikebentley.com/bike/trailers.htm
Good luck! -Buck