What fails most on bicycle cargo trailers?

[DougC]

"Bicycle trailers" being, those of the likes of BOB and Burley, that you
attach to the back end of a bicycle and pull while riding.....

I am pondering building one of these trailers in the future--I have a
welding torch and can get steel stock (drops) pretty cheap. I have
looked around and am not impressed with the many $200-$350 trailers that
only support 75-100 lbs.

One matter I don't like with most examples is how the tall bicycle
wheels stick up above the cargo deck..... I realize that a lot of
home-builts use bicycle wheels just because that's what they can
scrounge but I'm wondering about using smaller lawn-tractor or
wheelbarrow wheels, and building the deck high enough to clear the
wheels. These wheels cost $10-$20 each, are usually rated for 200-300
lbs each and have fatter cross sections--which (if you adjusted the air
pressures to the load) could provide a much smoother ride than bicycle
tires could.

I was assuming I'd do a left-side type tow bar, as opposed to the yoke
that the BOBs use. And I do realize that some trailers (like BOBs) are
basically "touring" trailers and not really cargo trailers at all.

Any secrets of cargo trailer building you'd care to share?
If you ever had a trailer, did anything on it break?
Got any spectacular stories of cargo trailer failures?
~

 

[Ron Hardin]

Weight matters a great deal. Imagine loading the whole trailer
on the luggage rack, for an intuitive feel.

The way weight matters, is in the effective steepenss of hills.
Grades you don't notice at all without a trailer become very
noticeable upgrades.

And on any trip, you spend most of the time going uphill.
A trailer (or any weight for that matter) just makes the balance
even more uneven towards slow uphill durations.

On the level, weight doesn't matter; and on downhills, you noticeably
go fast for a much longer time after the grade ends, with a loaded
trailer. But the amount of time you spend doing that is very small.

Just some thoughts when you mentioned steel.

(I just hauled three 160 pound loads home, which is about 400 feet
higher than the store, so far away. Granny gears are a necessity.)
--
Ron Hardin
[email protected]

On the internet, nobody knows you're a jerk.

 

[A Muzi]

DougC wrote:
> "Bicycle trailers" being, those of the likes of BOB and Burley, that you
> attach to the back end of a bicycle and pull while riding.....
>
> I am pondering building one of these trailers in the future--I have a
> welding torch and can get steel stock (drops) pretty cheap. I have
> looked around and am not impressed with the many $200-$350 trailers that
> only support 75-100 lbs.
>
> One matter I don't like with most examples is how the tall bicycle
> wheels stick up above the cargo deck..... I realize that a lot of
> home-builts use bicycle wheels just because that's what they can
> scrounge but I'm wondering about using smaller lawn-tractor or
> wheelbarrow wheels, and building the deck high enough to clear the
> wheels. These wheels cost $10-$20 each, are usually rated for 200-300
> lbs each and have fatter cross sections--which (if you adjusted the air
> pressures to the load) could provide a much smoother ride than bicycle
> tires could.
>
> I was assuming I'd do a left-side type tow bar, as opposed to the yoke
> that the BOBs use. And I do realize that some trailers (like BOBs) are
> basically "touring" trailers and not really cargo trailers at all.
>
> Any secrets of cargo trailer building you'd care to share?
> If you ever had a trailer, did anything on it break?
> Got any spectacular stories of cargo trailer failures?


If you put the load below the axle of a 24 inch wheel (Blue Sky) it will
roll better than a dinky diameter wheel and be less tippy. Neither of
those factors may apply to your situation.

There are many designs because there are various design parameters. One
man's critical issue is another's useless feature.
--
Andrew Muzi
www.yellowjersey.org
Open every day since 1 April, 1971

 

[Leo Lichtman]

"Ron Hardin" wrote :in message news:[email protected]...
> Weight matters a great deal.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Everything Ron said about weight is true. On top of that, consider these
factors:
1.) The smaller wheels you are considering will have a harder time with
rocks and bumps. The trailer will bump more, and be more tippy.
2.) Those fatter, broader tires will have more rolling resistance than
narrow bicycle tires, particularly if you lower the pressure to get the
smooth ride you are talking about.
3.) If you place the load over the wheels, you will wind up with a high
center of gravity, which will make the trailer tippy on turns, and going
over bumps, especially with small wheels.
4.) The wider tires you are considering will hit more rocks and small bumps
than bicycle wheels would.

A load limit of 75 to 100 lb is realistic for a bicycle trailer. Why build
it stronger if you can't pull it?

 

[Leo Lichtman]

"A Muzi" wrote: (clip) One man's critical issue is another's useless
feature.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
I'm going to add that to my short list of quotable quotes.

 

[Victor Kan]

The only thing that ever failed on my Burley d'Lite trailer was the
parking brake mechanism.

It was an overly complicated, articulating frame of aluminum flat bar
stock that pressed and locked against the tires, leaving weird
indentations in the tread.

The failure was that the vertically oriented bolts holding it together
at the articulation points tended to vibrate loose and fall out.

I think their intention was to allow for frequent, quick applications
of the parking brake, perhaps when setup in stroller mode. I don't
know if they've improved it, but it was squeaky (who wants to bother
keeping a parking brake greased up?), had to be adjusted just right to
work properly, and required frequent adjustment, at least on the
trailer I had (and recently sold).

 

[Victor Kan]

On May 31, 4:46 pm, Victor Kan <[email protected]> wrote:
> The only thing that ever failed on my Burley d'Lite trailer was the
> parking brake mechanism.

Oh, and I realize the subject is about cargo trailers, but I ended up
using my d'Lite more for cargo (like recycling runs) than passengers
before I ended up selling it.

Even that use fell by the wayside since my town started with curb side
recycling of everything.

I did order one of these recently:

http://www.rei.com/product/751978

and should get it soon. I hope to fasten a cooler on it for grocery
runs.

 

[Victor Kan]

On May 31, 4:46 pm, Victor Kan <[email protected]> wrote:
> The only thing that ever failed on my Burley d'Lite trailer was the
> parking brake mechanism.

Oh, and I realize the subject is about cargo trailers, but I ended up
using my d'Lite more for cargo (like recycling runs) than passengers
before I ended up selling it.

Even that use fell by the wayside since my town started with curb side
recycling of everything.

I did order one of these recently:

http://www.rei.com/product/751978

and should get it soon. I hope to fasten a cooler on it for grocery
runs.

 

[[email protected]]

On May 31, 3:59 pm, Victor Kan <[email protected]> wrote:
<deleted>
> I did order one of these recently:
>
> http://www.rei.com/product/751978
>
> and should get it soon. I hope to fasten a cooler on it for grocery
> runs.

ONE cooler? I have a Model 64 Truss trailer from http://www.bikesatwork.com,
300 pound limit, took 2 tubs of laundry and washed, brought home the
laundry and a 50 pound load of groceries in a third tub, and an empty
cooler (after doing laundry decided it was slightly warm to buy
anything frozen).

 

[DougC]

Leo Lichtman wrote:
> ....
> A load limit of 75 to 100 lb is realistic for a bicycle trailer. Why build
> it stronger if you can't pull it?

That's my conundrum here: should I build it to hold the amounts of
weight I'd use most? (well under 100 lbs) Or build it to hold the
heaviest loads I'd think would be practical? (200-300 lbs)

But either way, using little bicycle style wheels seems to be a
disadvantage.
~

 

[tmac-100]

On Jun 1, 11:15 am, DougC <[email protected]> wrote:
> Leo Lichtman wrote:
> > ....
> > A load limit of 75 to 100 lb is realistic for a bicycle trailer. Why build
> > it stronger if you can't pull it?
>
> That's my conundrum here: should I build it to hold the amounts of
> weight I'd use most? (well under 100 lbs) Or build it to hold the
> heaviest loads I'd think would be practical? (200-300 lbs)
>
> But either way, using little bicycle style wheels seems to be a
> disadvantage.
> ~

I used a BOB Ibex last year while bicycling the dirt road along the
Savannah Way (Australia). The frame was excellent - so was the rest of
the design. I never had a problem with the Ibex - I would SHUDDER to
think about pulling my load with wide tires and their huge rolling
resistance. The Ibex was worth every penny I paid for it.

 

[Robert Raburn]

Doug:

What fails? Trailers that don't use a ball or u-joint hitch that attaches
low on the seat- and chain-stays (avoid attachment to axle, clamps to chain
stay, and attachments to seat post). Unless you are only hauling crackers
and toilet paper, your cargo trailers should be capable of carrying over 200
lbs. Towing large or heavy loads is not difficult with the right gear.
Light-weight components are short-lived. Also avoid nylon fabric, flimsy tow
bars, and wheels that are not protected by sturdy fenders.

Don't forget to consider a sturdy bike frame with fat tires, a triple
chainring, and cantilever brakes.

I own five trailers because better equipment keeps becoming available.
Nevertheless, we remain in the dark ages of good trailer design. The 32" and
96" Bikes at Work models are currently my favorites. Read about Bikes at
Work trailers at
http://www.bikesatwork.com/hauling-cargo-by-bike/bicycle-trailer-guide.html.

I have twice crashed by attempting tight turns. Both were at extremely low
speeds: one was with a Bikes at Work with a high center of gravity load on a
crowned road, the other was a BOB Coz that dumped me when it hit a pothole
while I was making a U-turn. Live and learn.

Overall, trailers give bicyclists the freedom to ride for any trip. Enjoy!

-Robert Raburn, Executive Director
********************************************
East Bay Bicycle Coalition www.ebbc.org
PO Box 1736 tel: (510)530-3444
Oakland, CA 94604 fax: (510)336-1604
info msg: (510)433-RIDE
(7433)********************************************
"To promote bicycling as an everyday means
of transportation and recreation"

"DougC" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> "Bicycle trailers" being, those of the likes of BOB and Burley, that you
> attach to the back end of a bicycle and pull while riding.....
>
> I am pondering building one of these trailers in the future--I have a
> welding torch and can get steel stock (drops) pretty cheap. I have looked
> around and am not impressed with the many $200-$350 trailers that only
> support 75-100 lbs.
>
> One matter I don't like with most examples is how the tall bicycle wheels
> stick up above the cargo deck..... I realize that a lot of home-builts use
> bicycle wheels just because that's what they can scrounge but I'm
> wondering about using smaller lawn-tractor or wheelbarrow wheels, and
> building the deck high enough to clear the wheels. These wheels cost
> $10-$20 each, are usually rated for 200-300 lbs each and have fatter cross
> sections--which (if you adjusted the air pressures to the load) could
> provide a much smoother ride than bicycle tires could.
>
> I was assuming I'd do a left-side type tow bar, as opposed to the yoke
> that the BOBs use. And I do realize that some trailers (like BOBs) are
> basically "touring" trailers and not really cargo trailers at all.
>
> Any secrets of cargo trailer building you'd care to share?
> If you ever had a trailer, did anything on it break?
> Got any spectacular stories of cargo trailer failures?
> ~
>