Get that man an 8 Freight!

[Danny Colyer]

Erik Sandblom wrote:
> I have never pulled a trailer on a bike, just so that's perfectly clear
>
> Having said that, I guess it would be three times as hard as a one-wheeled
> trailer, given that a one-wheeled trailer would track the rear wheel, to the
> same extent that the rear wheel tracks the front bicycle wheel.

Having used both, I'm going to support Erik's preconception that it is
harder to avoid obstacles with a 2-wheeled trailer than with a
one-wheeler. I wouldn't say three times as hard, though, except in the
case of broken glass.

To avoid potholes with a 2-wheeler, I'll generally aim to just miss the
pothole with my bike in the hope that the trailer wheels will pass
either side of the pothole. When the pothole is too wide for that and I
can't go round it, then I'm very glad of my full suspension.

--
Danny Colyer <URL:http://www.colyer.plus.com/danny/>
Subscribe to PlusNet <URL:http://www.colyer.plus.com/referral/>
"He who dares not offend cannot be honest." - Thomas Paine

 

[John B]

Erik Sandblom wrote:

>
> As has been mentioned, the centre of gravity is important too. Are there any
> trailers besides the Combein, which have a load bed lower than the wheel
> axles?

Yes, mine, a Vitelli, has its bed about 6" below the axle height.

John B

 

[Alan Braggins]

Danny Colyer wrote:
>To avoid potholes with a 2-wheeler, I'll generally aim to just miss the
>pothole with my bike in the hope that the trailer wheels will pass
>either side of the pothole. When the pothole is too wide for that and I
>can't go round it, then I'm very glad of my full suspension.

Suspension on the trailer too, or rely on the trailer going either side
of even a wide pothole if you go through the middle?

 

[David Hansen]

On Thu, 04 May 2006 13:20:21 +0100 someone who may be Simon Brooke
<[email protected]> wrote this:-

>>> >What is the width of a Bike Hod?
>>>
>>> A little narrower than a "standard" door.
>>
>> Which standard? That'd be about 70cm then?
>
>Narrower than that, as I remember it. The bag is stated on the website to
>be 48cm wide; I'd guess the track is less than 60cm.

The outside faces of the wheels are 60cm apart on the example I saw
yesterday afternoon. The mudguards are a little wider.


--
David Hansen, Edinburgh
I will *always* explain revoked encryption keys, unless RIP prevents me
http://www.opsi.gov.uk/acts/acts2000/00023--e.htm#54

 

[David Martin]

David Hansen wrote:
> On Thu, 04 May 2006 13:20:21 +0100 someone who may be Simon Brooke
> <[email protected]> wrote this:-
>
> >>> >What is the width of a Bike Hod?
> >>>
> >>> A little narrower than a "standard" door.
> >>
> >> Which standard? That'd be about 70cm then?
> >
> >Narrower than that, as I remember it. The bag is stated on the website to
> >be 48cm wide; I'd guess the track is less than 60cm.
>
> The outside faces of the wheels are 60cm apart on the example I saw
> yesterday afternoon. The mudguards are a little wider.

The smallest trailer I have used had a track of 85cm (my child trailer)
and the wheels quite a long way back from the point of attachment. I
think that would definitely contribute to stability over a Bike Hod
type design, though at the expense of manouveurability.

...d
>
>
> --
> David Hansen, Edinburgh
> I will *always* explain revoked encryption keys, unless RIP prevents me
> http://www.opsi.gov.uk/acts/acts2000/00023--e.htm#54

 

[David Hansen]

On 5 May 2006 01:07:57 -0700 someone who may be "David Martin"
<[email protected]> wrote this:-

>> The outside faces of the wheels are 60cm apart on the example I saw
>> yesterday afternoon. The mudguards are a little wider.
>
>The smallest trailer I have used had a track of 85cm (my child trailer)
>and the wheels quite a long way back from the point of attachment. I
>think that would definitely contribute to stability over a Bike Hod
>type design,

Certainly. However, I don't see those with Bike Hods constantly at
the side of the road righting their capsised trailers, which is the
impression some have given.

>though at the expense of manouveurability.

Precisely. There are advantages and disadvantages to most things.


--
David Hansen, Edinburgh
I will *always* explain revoked encryption keys, unless RIP prevents me
http://www.opsi.gov.uk/acts/acts2000/00023--e.htm#54

 

[Danny Colyer]

I wrote:
>>To avoid potholes with a 2-wheeler, I'll generally aim to just miss the
>>pothole with my bike in the hope that the trailer wheels will pass
>>either side of the pothole. When the pothole is too wide for that and I
>>can't go round it, then I'm very glad of my full suspension.

and Alan Braggins wondered:
> Suspension on the trailer too, or rely on the trailer going either side
> of even a wide pothole if you go through the middle?

The trailer has only annular pneumatic suspension. I rely on the
trailer going either side of a pothole. I haven't yet encountered a
pothole while towing that particular trailer that was anywhere near as
wide as the trailer's track (about 85cm). If I did, I'd just have to go
through it very slowly to avoid shaking the kids around.

--
Danny Colyer <URL:http://www.colyer.plus.com/danny/>
Subscribe to PlusNet <URL:http://www.colyer.plus.com/referral/>
"He who dares not offend cannot be honest." - Thomas Paine

 

[Tony Raven]

Danny Colyer wrote:
>
> The trailer has only annular pneumatic suspension.
>

You can always get the BOB Ibex suspension trailer.

--
Tony

"The best way I know of to win an argument is to start by being in the
right."
- Lord Hailsham

 

[Danny Colyer]

Tony Raven wrote:
> You can always get the BOB Ibex suspension trailer.

Wouldn't be much use for towing the kids, though

--
Danny Colyer <URL:http://www.colyer.plus.com/danny/>
Subscribe to PlusNet <URL:http://www.colyer.plus.com/referral/>
"He who dares not offend cannot be honest." - Thomas Paine

 

[Clive George]

"Tony Raven" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Danny Colyer wrote:
>>
>> The trailer has only annular pneumatic suspension.
>>
>
> You can always get the BOB Ibex suspension trailer.

Not for his cargo IIRC..

cheers,
clive

 

[John B]

Danny Colyer wrote:

> Tony Raven wrote:
> > You can always get the BOB Ibex suspension trailer.
>
> Wouldn't be much use for towing the kids, though

It would train them up for riding full suspension jobbies when they are
older ;-)

John B

 

[Tony Raven]

Danny Colyer wrote:
> Tony Raven wrote:
>> You can always get the BOB Ibex suspension trailer.
>
> Wouldn't be much use for towing the kids, though
>

Just lay them down and scrunch them in. Much better with the CoG kept low.

--
Tony

"The best way I know of to win an argument is to start by being in the
right."
- Lord Hailsham

 

[Colin McKenzie]

David Martin wrote:

> David Hansen wrote:

>>Indeed. I gather Mr Cameron lives in Notting Hill and I am unaware
>>of any terrain between there and the Westminster parliament where
>>using one would be a great problem compared to its advantages.
>
> I am trying to think of anything.. The only hill is Constitution Hill,
> and even that is pretty flat.

But just at the moment it's seriously bumpy in parts.

Horse Guards Parade was the same but I think has been resurfaced.

Colin McKenzie

 

[Colin McKenzie]

davek wrote:
> But to put my point in a less terse and cryptic fashion: whatever law
> has been enacted, it remains the case DC is promising to abolish
> something that doesn't yet exist. Unless he is thinking of abolishing
> passports and driving licenses (and it would be impossible to reverse
> the requirement for biometric passports unless he wanted to prevent all
> UK citizens from ever visiting the US ever again).

I think you could still visit the USA with a visa. Not all countries
are going to have the technology to do biometric passports.

A government that took freedom seriously would allow people to choose
biometric or non-biometric passports, and accept the consequences of
their choice. Like David, I'm happy not to visit the USA if they feel
that my passport isn't good enough.

At the next general election I will vote for the party that gives the
best chance of abolishing the ID database. It is likely that to do
this I will have to seem to be supporting a lot of policies I disagree
with. Bring on PR!

To drag this vaguely on-topic, Lord Howarth's idea of registering
cyclists will be unnecessary in a few years if this government has its
way. The ID database plus face-recognition on CCTV will allow anyone
to be followed anywhere.

Colin McKenzie

 

[David Hansen]

On Sat, 06 May 2006 10:50:05 +0100 someone who may be Colin McKenzie
<[email protected]> wrote this:-

>I think you could still visit the USA with a visa. Not all countries
>are going to have the technology to do biometric passports.

Biometric passports essentially mean one with the photograph stored
in electronic form, think of it like a JPEG.

The Home Office and Labour Party are lying to the public when they
assert that anything else is part of such passports.


--
David Hansen, Edinburgh
I will *always* explain revoked encryption keys, unless RIP prevents me
http://www.opsi.gov.uk/acts/acts2000/00023--e.htm#54

 

[Chris Malcolm]

David Hansen <[email protected]> wrote:
> On Thu, 04 May 2006 00:09:53 +0100 someone who may be davek
> <[email protected]> wrote this:-

>>> The Labour Party have failed completely and utterly on transport
>>
>>Much the same as every government for at least the past 50 years, in fact.

> Did the others claim that things could only get better?

> Did they appoint someone like Two Shags to play with it for a few
> years and then drop it when he got bored and/or realised how
> difficult it was?

Transport policy is a very difficult area with serious problems, and
no possibility of solutions that aren't copntroversial and don't upset
some powerful vested interests. We'll know when a govt takes transport
seriously when they appoint someone unusually intelligent to be
transport minister instead of someone unusually stupid.

--
Chris Malcolm [email protected] +44 (0)131 651 3445 DoD #205
IPAB, Informatics, JCMB, King's Buildings, Edinburgh, EH9 3JZ, UK
[http://www.dai.ed.ac.uk/homes/cam/]

 

[Mark McNeill]

Response to Chris Malcolm:
> We'll know when a govt takes transport
> seriously when they appoint someone unusually intelligent to be
> transport minister instead of someone unusually stupid.


Incidentally, from the website of Douglas Alexander MP, transport
minister since Friday:


"This site aims to keep you in touch with the latest news from
Westminster...

Douglas Alexander is also Minister of State for Europe."


Well, I suppose it *has* been a busy weekend... ;-)



--
Mark, UK
"We make irrevocable decisions in a state of mind that is not going to
last."

 

[Chris Malcolm]

Mark McNeill <[email protected]> wrote:
> Response to Chris Malcolm:

>> We'll know when a govt takes transport
>> seriously when they appoint someone unusually intelligent to be
>> transport minister instead of someone unusually stupid.

> Incidentally, from the website of Douglas Alexander MP, transport
> minister since Friday:

> "This site aims to keep you in touch with the latest news from
> Westminster...

> Douglas Alexander is also Minister of State for Europe."

I've no idea what Douglas Alexander thinks about transport, but I have
seen him being interviewed now and then about some European topic. He
struck me as rather intelligent and well informed, extremely so for a
politician, so maybe at last there is some hope of a transport policy
worthy of the name.

--
Chris Malcolm [email protected] +44 (0)131 651 3445 DoD #205
IPAB, Informatics, JCMB, King's Buildings, Edinburgh, EH9 3JZ, UK
[http://www.dai.ed.ac.uk/homes/cam/]

 

[Mark McNeill]

Response to Chris Malcolm:
> I've no idea what Douglas Alexander thinks about transport, but I have
> seen him being interviewed now and then about some European topic. He
> struck me as rather intelligent and well informed, extremely so for a
> politician, so maybe at last there is some hope of a transport policy
> worthy of the name.

He's already managed to p*ss off Paul Smith, so perhaps you're right.

--
Mark, UK
"You are in a maze of twisty little passages, all different."