Bike touring with a trailer?
#26
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#29
Banned
A week after the Warrenton Wally opened, the first bike, broken ,
BSO, showed up at LBS, asking about repair..
Take it back for replacement/refund , having saved the receipt is a good Idea..
Ikea has an adequate cargo bike trailer too..
BSO, showed up at LBS, asking about repair..
Take it back for replacement/refund , having saved the receipt is a good Idea..
Ikea has an adequate cargo bike trailer too..
#30
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It is just a trial run on a gravel for the most part rail trail.
#31
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thanks @PhoenixBiker I was going to start in the south and head north but it seemed like campsites, water access, and the fact that we were riding slightly uphill seemed silly. I think he will enjoy it especially if i can get him a bike with gears before then. It is time for him to start learning gears. He hoped on a bike with handbrakes only at the bike shop and had no problem with them. He has already ridden 17.4 miles on a 20" kids bike (*single speed)
#32
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No matter what you do, plan it so that with lots of breaks time, and snacks time, all the usual things with any kid activity so that the whole experience is a fun one.
We did some bike activities with our kids and always did our best to make it just plain fun, to encourage doing more other times in the future.
We did some bike activities with our kids and always did our best to make it just plain fun, to encourage doing more other times in the future.
#33
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No matter what you do, plan it so that with lots of breaks time, and snacks time, all the usual things with any kid activity so that the whole experience is a fun one.
We did some bike activities with our kids and always did our best to make it just plain fun, to encourage doing more other times in the future.
We did some bike activities with our kids and always did our best to make it just plain fun, to encourage doing more other times in the future.
#34
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thanks, as parents we just want new experiences to be good ones, and not put them off doing x or y activity.
#35
Harsh Adventurer
Yak with a Kick stand
I bought a BOB YAK on Ebay for $80 and towed it with various test weights as an evaluation for using it on a trans America tour. I loved the way the bike handled with the trailer and I was even willing to live with the extra weight when climbing, but I just hated the fact that I could not lay the bike down with the trailer attached. I did not want to put a kick stand on the bike because I was told that it could damage the bike frame. In the end I did the ride with traditional panniers.
Some months ago, I came up with a design of a kick stand for the trailer that could support itself and the bike. (loaded or unloaded) I made it out of PVC pipe. The total cost was about $6. Now I love the trailer! I used it a tour of about 1010 miles and held the bike up perfectly for the entire tour (18 days)
Some months ago, I came up with a design of a kick stand for the trailer that could support itself and the bike. (loaded or unloaded) I made it out of PVC pipe. The total cost was about $6. Now I love the trailer! I used it a tour of about 1010 miles and held the bike up perfectly for the entire tour (18 days)
Last edited by KFC; 04-14-20 at 08:11 PM.
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#36
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A suggestion for those looking to buy trailers, I would make, is to future proof your purchase by getting one with a 29er fork if possible.
When I bought a different bike, my trailer was unusable due to my not knowing that the trailer forks, which attach to the rear of the bike, were suitable for a 26' wheel bike
and not my new 29er Surly Ogre, which caused some consternation initially.
If memory serves this is true for both a Bob and an Extrawheel trailer.
Oh a second tip is, be prepared to move your mudguard/fender "stays" as when I bought my Extra-wheel trailer, my setup initially lacked any articulation, due to the positioning of
the stays, which thankfully, were easily relocated upward, giving me some off road ability once again.
When I bought a different bike, my trailer was unusable due to my not knowing that the trailer forks, which attach to the rear of the bike, were suitable for a 26' wheel bike
and not my new 29er Surly Ogre, which caused some consternation initially.
If memory serves this is true for both a Bob and an Extrawheel trailer.
Oh a second tip is, be prepared to move your mudguard/fender "stays" as when I bought my Extra-wheel trailer, my setup initially lacked any articulation, due to the positioning of
the stays, which thankfully, were easily relocated upward, giving me some off road ability once again.
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I bought a BOB YAK on Ebay for $80 and towed it with various test weights as an evaluation for using it on a trans America tour. I loved the way the bike handled with the trailer and I was even willing to live with the extra weight when climbing, but I just hated the fact that I could not lay the bike down with the trailer attached.
#38
Harsh Adventurer
I tried that a few times, but it was 'touch and go' at best for me. If the bike fell over with the trailer attached, it put a BIG strain on the rear triangle of the bike and the fork of the trailer. I was only ever able to do it under ideal conditions - dead level, hard packed or paved ground. The PVC kickstand worked out very well. It supports the trailer and the bike whether the trailer is loaded or not. When I toured with it I never had to lay my bike down on the ground. The upright bike was a great place to air out my clothes and towel while in camp.
#39
Harsh Adventurer
OOpps! Should have proof read before I posted.
'I used the trailer on a tour of about 1010 miles (see The Grey Beard's Tour) and it held the bike up perfectly'
'I used the trailer on a tour of about 1010 miles (see The Grey Beard's Tour) and it held the bike up perfectly'
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KFC, Well done ! I love when creative people are willing to share their problem solving ideas. How does your stand remain folded up and out of the way while riding, is there some type of retention device or clip that I'm not seeing ?
#41
Harsh Adventurer
#42
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Seriously, something like that should come as standard equipment on a Bob. I'm thinking aftermarket here, your ingenuity and my marketing, I'm smelling big dollars here, what do you say ? Ha
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#44
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#45
Harsh Adventurer
It actually received a good reception on a Facebook bike trailers group. Someone suggested that I should investigate making it out of one piece of aluminum tubing bent into the correct shape. Frankly I am not convinced that aluminum tubing would be as strong and as durable as the PVC, and I have no way to bend it. The 'feet' each have about one inch of adjustment in them (threaded) to allow for different size tires and fine tuning it to the bike. A friend of mine as an Asom trailer ( Bob look-alike), and I made one for him too. He seems very pleased with it. If you have a single wheel trailer, I heartily recommend you give it a try.
Last edited by KFC; 04-14-20 at 07:01 AM.
#46
Senior Member
I've never been interested in using a trailer, but as robow says, I'm impressed with your creativity with coming up with a straightforward, light solution to what must be an annoying aspect of a one wheeled trailer.
Improvisational skills are a great thing to have.
Improvisational skills are a great thing to have.
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A fellow I toured with years ago often had difficulty finding a wall or a fence long enough where he could lean the length of his bike and the length of the trailer safely, without putting too much torque on the rear triangle.
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#48
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I was looking for trailer some years ago for a longer tour. I ended up talking with the bike messengers in the town. Their suggestion was BOB. Yes it is expensive but believe me you want something that hold up when you are on the move.
#50
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thanks all I forgot about this thread. I have since bought my son a COOP bike with gears. he has to grow a little bit more into the bike. with the shut down of travel and parks we will have to rethink about camping bike plans.