Barnaby

I posted on the Touring site rather than here-sorry.
I would like comments on touring with bike trailers, in full-camping mode, including how it makes the ride, and the relationship to flats. Rear pannier weight and cyclist weight combined is considerable. Is this a better alternative?

alexeicharkham

I definitely saw some stuff about trailers etc a short while ago (pretty sure it was in this section). have a search for 'trailer' or 'bob' and see what you find...

D*Alex

Well, the problem with trailers is that the weigh a lot more than racks and panniers. If you are carrying so d@mn much weight that you fear you will break your hubs, then you are carrying too much! Also, consider the way a loaded trailer reacts on a long descent. Most don't have brakes (saw one once that did, tho....). Stop fast on a steep hill, and you'll know what the term "jacknife" means!

Barnaby

D*Alex- When touring with full gear, I don't think I ever came close to busting hubs. I don't know anyone who carries that much weight. That is not really my concern. It has more to do with what is the best way to carry weight that is necessary for full-camping touring.
I know that when I pull a 200 lb. load in my garbage trailer behind my ancient '85 LTD, I do not notice the load, including the weight of the trailer itself. If I pull one half cord of wood, I can feel the load, and the rear end of the car dips somewhat.
If I was to put that 1/2 cord somehow in the backseat, I know that I would not be going anywhere. Maybe that is comparable to full weight on the back panniers.

catfish

I use pannieers but Ive met many people on tours that use BOB they all liked them and had all good thimngs to say about them.
catfish

Dwagenheim

My experience with the BOB trailer has been good. I have a bit more weight at 215 so I feared that a loaded up bike would put too much weight on the back tire. So the trailer does a nice job of evening it all out. It also enables you to carry the weight at a lower center of gravity.
I disagree about the jackknifing. I think you use common sence and down go speeding downhill with a loaded up trailer and you'll be ok. I've had my rig up to 45 mph BOB and although it exceeds the speed they recommend, I had no problems. I only notice when you try to pedal downhill or at high speeds with the trailer, the pedaling action can make things a bit shaky and unstable. So just use common sence.
I also like the BOB because I don't have to worry about space. I still use rear panniers and have my tent and sleeping stuff on top of my rack. But I keep it pretty light over the back tire and pack all the heavy or bulky stuff in the BOB. And still have plenty of room.

I think the trailer is great. They are expensive, but if taken care of will probably outlast your bike.

Dave

zlj75

The BOB rides great...once you get it going, it is a little shakey off the line. If Dave gives them a good recommendation, you cannot go wrong with them...

Grisha

I just completed my first Bob ride. 1970 km from Niagrara Falls to Nova Scotia via New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine, and New Brunswick.

The trailer takes awhile to get used to. When I first got on with a loaded Bob I thought I might not make it to the end of my street.
But halfway through Maine I found myself checking to see that it was still there! I even learned to stand up on the pedals for really steep hills. You basically have to relearn your bicycle sense of balance.

The advantage of the Bob is that you can take on so much more weight. I am planning to cross Australia via some outback routes, and I will need a large water capacity. That is why I wanted to try out the Bob. If you don't need a large capacity, then panniers will suffice fine. If you need a larger capacity, the Bob works great once you get used to it.

Don't worry about jack knifing.

Take a spare 16in tube, and cut up a Mr. Tuffy liner to fit the trailer wheel.

Good luck, and have fun!

threadend

Having never used panniers, I won't dis them.

I have taken repeated unsupported tours with a BOB trailer and see no reason to consider any other method. :thumbup:

Michel Gagnon

Back in the days of freewheels, breaking axles used to be a possibility, because there was a long unsupported section of the axle under the freewheel. And basically, the more speeds one had, the nore likely one could bend or break an axle.

Now that we have freehubs (and cassettes), the bearings on both sides of the hub are close to the dropouts, which means that the axle is well supported.

Barnaby

I confess Mgagnonlv, that I had never heard of breaking axles under load before, and that they were associated with freewheels. Next summer I won't have to worry about weakening inside the freewheel though since some other forum members have got me into the fixed-gear idea. This idea fascinates me, something like a good wooden canoe over fibreglass, I guess. Simplicity, and the idea of working harder over all, and not being ruled by cadence. Avoiding the laziness of coasting as well. But, its easy to theorize, the proof is in the pudding!

Merriwether

I've never used a trailer, so I can't comment on them from experience. A trailer seems to me to involve more trouble shipping and traveling, and some risk to a frame, too. But many others have toured with them with no trouble. Their opinions count more than mine.

I can say that I have toured a lot with panniers, though. I have never wished for a trailer instead.

What I want to post about, though, is a device I saw recently at my LBS. It's called Xtracycle. It's an extension on the rear of a bike designed for carrying very large loads. It's rated to 250lbs, they say. You can sit a passenger on it, if you want. I looked at it for a while; I might get one along with an inexpensive mountain bike to use for crazy fat loads. It's an alternative to a trailer.


www.xtracycle.com

alexeicharkham

wow