Trailer Touring

Stuww

Just planning my first bike tour, 5 days around Devon and Dorset.

I started reading up on trailers last night to see if it would be a better option than panniers.

The thing that attracts me to trailers is that it takes the weight off of the back wheel and being a large bloke I tend to pop spokes for a living even with my one commuter pannier!

I've shortlisted two trailers to potential attach to my Specialized Tricross 08:

http://www.carryfreedom.com/Y-Frame.html

http://www.edinburghbicycle.com/comms/srv.a4d?f_pg=site_sizing/revolution-cargo-trailer.htm

Has anyone had experience touring with either of these and is one more suited to attaching to a 28" wheeled bike.

Any thoughts gratefully received.

Thanks

Stu

jimmcdonnell

I toured right along the Atlantic coast of France using a BOB trailer, which is essentially what the Edinburgh Revolution is. It was a top bit of kit, easy to hitch and pull. It's definitely the answer to touring, but trailer touring brings with it some problems (some specific to this type of trailer)

1) the load-carrying ability of a trailer is so large, it's very easy to over-pack. For this reason I'd suggest the (smaller) Y-frame might be better.
2) the single-wheel trailers track and handle better than 2-wheelers, but when they're not on the bike they've got a mind of their own, and it seldom agrees with what you think it ought to be doing!
3) the BOB original comes with an Ortlieb bag; the Edinburgh one isn't 100% waterproof and I'd say (given that, as soon as you leave your house to start your tour it'll start to pour with rain which won't stop until you get home again) that's a significant disadvantage

I'm going down the Radical Cyclone route for the next trailer, but I'm very intrigued by the Extrawheel idea too, though I'm not convinced I could get all my camping and photo gear in it...

http://www.radicaldesign.nl/en/products/trailers/cyclone.php
http://www.extrawheel.com/

weeve

live in holland and the radical design thing is good - but bit heavy - over 5kg..but looking around they all seem to be ... Ive got 30kg of climbing/camping equipment and then food to drag around in combo with the bike stuff so 5kg is too much to more to add if in mountains in my view if I can find an alternative..

trying to find a trailer like the BOB one with a 26" wheel a' la

http://www.treehugger.com/Goran-Kropp-c ... verest.jpg

but not so long/big.....he made his own ... I can hardly make the bed ...so would prefer to buy off the shelf...

andymiller

You can get the Bob Dry Sak seperately for just under £60 (50 dollars in the US).

http://www.cycle-world.co.uk/products.p ... e_-_Spares

So if you're not happy about using rubble sacks with the Edinburgh bag you could presumably use the Bob bag.

but I'm very intrigued by the Extrawheel idea too, though I'm not convinced I could get all my camping and photo gear in it...

I'm not a trailer user, but the ExtraWheel is intriguing (although the 'don't go faster then 40km/hour downhill warnings were a bit offuptting). But the panniers are either 2x30 or 2x40 litres - which is absolutely huge: how much stuff do you carry?????

.

trickeyja

I'm also interested in trailer touring, and I've got a few questions.

Do you think that road bike + trailer would be a feasible option for touring for several months? Would a dedicated tourer be a better idea?

How much do these things slow you down?

Thanks,
James.

nicktheluddite

Stu,

Personally I prefer panniers although trailers can be a good option especially if you're on a mountain bike/serious expedition.

I'm a bit concerned by your "tend to pop spokes for a living" comment. Is that just a glib comments? What sort of wheels are you using? I've not broken a spoke for 15 years - a properly built wheel shouldn't break unless you seriously abuse it. Potholes/kerbs shouldn't break spokes if you take them properly - think about the sort of stuff the pros do. A decent touring wheel (Deore quality, not £500 DH bombproof thing) can take the load of full panniers and a well-built cyclist.

Nick

Stuww

Hi Nick

A bit glib maybe....

But my last two bikes, the tricross and a Giant with 26" wheels both needed new wheels within 3 months of ownership.

The Tricross recently had a mavic rim put on it by the lbs and to be fare has been great, no popped spokes and still straight as a die.

I suppose I suffer from spoke pop paranoia... being 19 stone doesn't help my predicament!

Best I up my 100 miles a week and cut back on the pies, that should save a few spokes!!

Stu

andymiller

[quote="Stuww"But my last two bikes, the tricross and a Giant with 26" wheels both needed new wheels within 3 months of ownership.

The Tricross recently had a mavic rim put on it by the lbs and to be fare has been great, no popped spokes and still straight as a die.[/quote]

I was going to ask whether you had tried having a wheel built by hand by a wheelbuilder. Factory-built wheels just don't seem to be as reliable. and much as I rate Specialized, their wheels don't seem to be very robust. A 36-spoke wheel might help as well (assuming the LBS didn't already go for 36 spokes).