Rogerinchrist

One of the best answers to the original question.

gregw

I weigh 220 and I can't imagine my heavily loaded BOB doing anything but following my bike like a good "Beast of Burden". I've had massive loads over 40 mph and it just follows along. What would make a trailer push in any direction, it's being pulled, how can it push???? Your trailer must be bent or in some way out of line, it's the only possible explanation.

stevage

>What would make a trailer push in any direction, it's being pulled, how can it push????

Gravity.

Eclectus

This is why heavy-load trailers in the automotive/trucking realm have brakes in addition to those on the towing vehicle. It would be a challenge to have a conventional cable or hydraulic line from the handlebar to the trailer, but maybe someday somebody will design a wireless bike trailer brake system.

AsanaCycles

a trailer "pushes" when the bike is braking around a corner.

once upon a time, i inadvertently slid the rear wheel of the bike, with the BOB "pushing" thru a down hill down, on the pavement, in a neighborhood, around a corner... the typical 4 way neighborhood intersection.

with that said, i had often thought of a disc brake, drag brake for BOBs

Joe_Gardner

A remote drag brake would be neat.

My bike became unstable at ~38 MPH when towing a fully loaded bob. Anything slower has been 100% fine so far.

fuzz2050

Anyone have weight on an extrawheel type thing? seems like that's just about as light as possible.

one_beatnik

There is a family (mom, dad, twin 11yo boys) pedaling the PanAm. They have both trailer, BOB and Extrawheel. Mom does a review here: https://familyonbikes.org/blog/?p=397

onbike 1939

Extrawheel tows like a dream, now comes with pannier racks as well as the net pouches model, and weighs in at around 8 lbs. I thought it an ideal trailer for the sort of load you had in mind.

jbpence

WRONG - the BEST trailer is a whopping 25% less than that - INCLUDING THE WHEEL

its the Extrawheel made in poland - uses a front wheel, 26 or 700c.

check out the videos there -

I use this trailer and it is JUST AMAZING - EVEN OFF ROAD. EVEN ON GNARLY SINGLE TRACK - I know this by using one - even on Yak trails in the southern Himalaya!!!

carries the load well below the axle, very stable, can't even feel it unless climbing (you can feel that you are dragging a trailer) the large wheel has low rolling reistance. the voyager is only 8 pounds and you can use a BIG fat tire if you wish!! - comes apart so it can be shiped in airline legal box! (26x26"x10" - and there is still plenty of room for other gear). the classic is too big to go in an airline legal box -

the voyager uses rear panniers, you get them from Extrawheel or use your own. no need to carry extra tubes and a tire just in case for your BOB trailers, its a FRONT WHEEL.

there is a US distributer - google it.

have used this on three tours

if you think the way it fastens to the bike cannot work, I assure you that you are WRONG.

one_beatnik

I've used a BOB for many years now. The ONLY time it gets weird handling it is if I've packed it wrong. If the heaviest stuff is at the bottom and at the back. I know it's there only when I'm going up hill. I've done 42 mph with it down hill. Packed wrong it starts to wobble at 20+ mph. I've never used the Extrawheel so I can't comment, but they look good.

Barrettscv 

Hi JB,

I've been thinking along the same lines. It's great to hear from a user. I'm going to look into the Voyager.

Thanks,

Michael

gregw

The disadvantage of the extra wheel is that it's less aerodynamic than a BOB. The extra wheel is just as wide as panniers on you back rack. Seems to me as long as you have a proper strength rear wheel, there is no advantage to the extra wheel. Whereas the BOB rides in the slipstream created by you and the bike. I have done sis by side test with traditional touring bike with panniers and my bike with a BOB is much more aerodynamic. Having said that I still see no reason that an in-line trailer can't be built in the 5lbs range.

jbpence

my pleasure.

jbpence

careful about generalizing about trailers - the extrawheel trailer carries the load well below the axle. I've ridden 45 mph downhill - no issues. never jackknifes, doesn't sway. I will admit that I have disc brakes on touring bike - so stopping is not an issue either. ALso, I am 195 pounds, so dont know if it feels like its pushing a lighter rider.

using an extrawheel is MUCH more stable than panniers. end of story

jbpence

aerodynamic??? The extrawheel also rides in the slipstream of the bike, though it does have panniers. if you ride with a handlebar bag, on a touring bike with a more upright position, at touring speed this is definately a non issue.

I have ridden down hill on 30 mile grades at speeds up to 45 MPH - and would have ridden faster if I hadn;t reached terminal velocity. could not feel the trailer

no advantage to an extrawheel compared to a BOB?

hmmmm... lets see

handles better
large wheel has less rolling resistance
lighter
carries the load lower relative to the axle
no need to carry extra tubes and tires for the odd wheel size
simple to get it apart, pack and ship
you have an extra front wheel in case anything happens to your bike's front wheel - put the panniers back on the bike, carry the trailer parts on the bike!
if anything happens to your back wheel, could use the trailer rim for the back wheel. This reportedly happened to a person touring in the middle of nowhere, he rebuilt the rear wheel using the rim from the trailer

BTW if you look at the extrawheel in person, i think you'd realize that it would HARD to build a trailer at a weight less than 8 pounds. its so simple, the only way you could reduce its weight would be to go with a lighter wheel, and for touring, that might not be a good idea.

jbpence

according the extrawheel website, you can load one side heavier than the other, by a LOT, and not effect handling. I pay NO attention to keeping the weight very even across both panniers. just pack them and go.

gregw

That's what I said, an extra wheel is just as wide as a typical touring bike with panniers, so therefore just as much of a wind hog. So if your just as wide as regular bike, why bother with the extra wheel, there is no advantage over a regular touring bike, none.

Now if you have some other type of bike that can not handle the additional weight. Then there is a need. Of course the BOB is much more versatile with it's open bed and the fact that it truly does ride in the slipstream of the bike. There is no reason a single wheeled trailer in the more versatile BOB design can't be built in the 5 lbs. range, but no one has, yet.

A trailer in the 5 lbs range is very possible, consider a recumbent 20" front wheel weighs 1lb and a full bike frame from Cannondale weighs 3 lbs, surley a trailer can be made in the 5-6lbs range.

Barrettscv 

A lighter bike with a heavy rider and packed panniers is not an improvement over the Extrawheel concept as you stated. Considering that jbpence is the only poster who has used the equipment, his opinion beats the armchair critics.

If I owned a touring bike, like the LHT, Fargo or Soma Saga, I would load up the bike and not consider a trailer.

However, I plan to use a bike that is great at long distance riding but was never designed for loaded touring. I would rather put a light trailer and most of the load behind the bike and keep the bike as-is. The combined weight of the 21 lbs bike and the 8 lbs Extrawheel will be within a few lbs of most touring bikes once all the equipment is installed.

My plan is to start touring without getting a new bike. If I enjoy touring enough and want to build a touring specific bike, I can do that after evaluating my needs based on actual exsperiance.

Michael

gregw

Michael, in my very next paragraph, I said "Now if you have some other type of bike that can not handle the additional weight. Then there is a need" So I agree with you. Now if a trailer is the answer and I think it is, do you choose a BOB or extrawheel. Both will do the job. Questions:

Will most of your touring be on road, off or a mixture?

Will you use the trailer for hauling other things while not on tour or touring tool only?

How much will your haul on tour and do you have any large bulky items?

The answers to these questions might help you decide which trailer is best for you, not for everyone, but for your particular needs.

My point all along is that I think the BOB trailer is a better overall solution, BUT it is heavy and that weight penalty could easily make you choose another option. I wish that BOB would make an "on road only", light weght version of their trailer in the 5 lbs range, because it would then be the easy winner.

Barrettscv 

see reply above

BlueRidgeBiker

I would not run a trailer on any tour. My buddy brought one along on the pacific coast trail and had stability issues downhill and couldn't hit the turns as well as those of us who had panniers.

gregw

It sure looks to me that the extra wheel has the advantage for you. Might want to check your load volume. Easy way is to fill an empty cardboard box with everything you will take and measure the cubic inches it fills. The EW bags hold 3661 cubic inches. Just for reference the BOB bag holds 5600, but it sounds like you don't need that much.

gregw

I've done the Pacific coast route with a heavily loaded trailer and never had a problem on any corner at any speed. I'm not sure what problems folks are having, I load my trailer to the max. and have it over 40mph on a regular basis, I can't tell it's there. I can't imagine how my bike could handle any better than with my BOB trailer.

prathmann

I've toured with both panniers and with a trailer and never had any handling issues with either. And that includes fully loaded panniers on a crit-geometry bike that was clearly never designed for touring. If the planned load fits in my panniers then that is certainly the way I prefer to tour regardless of whether I'm using a racing bike or a touring one.

With the suggested load of less than 25 lbs. I'd much rather carry it using a rack weighing under a pound and panniers weighing about 3 pounds than to use a trailer plus panniers for a total of 10 pounds.