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The post your trailer thread.

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Utility Cycling Want to haul groceries, beer, maybe even your kids? You don't have to live car free to put your bike to use as a workhorse. Here's the place to share and learn about the bicycle as a utility vehicle.

The post your trailer thread.

Old 08-16-07, 09:19 PM
  #26  
JoeyBike
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Originally Posted by alicestrong
Here is my very cheap (albeit temporary...I'm saving for a Xtracycle) solution ....
Those wheels will wear out pretty quick. When they do, see if your local bike shop can fit some new kid tricycle wheels on it. The newer wheels are actually GIANT inline skate-like wheels. They should wear a long time. Might need a spacer on the basket's axle to make the trike wheels work.
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Old 08-17-07, 12:51 AM
  #27  
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alicestrong,
I wonder if anyone has ever modded a grocery cart as a trailer? I'm thinking those non-metal plastic ones would be fairly light.
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Old 08-17-07, 02:01 PM
  #28  
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Originally Posted by ShinyBiker
alicestrong,
I wonder if anyone has ever modded a grocery cart as a trailer? I'm thinking those non-metal plastic ones would be fairly light.
There have been a couple on here that have modded grocery carts, but they typically had access to welding tools.
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Old 08-20-07, 12:12 AM
  #29  
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Originally Posted by JoeyBike
Those wheels will wear out pretty quick. When they do, see if your local bike shop can fit some new kid tricycle wheels on it. The newer wheels are actually GIANT inline skate-like wheels. They should wear a long time. Might need a spacer on the basket's axle to make the trike wheels work.
It's funny you should mention switching out the wheels. The original person who gave me the idea to ziptie the grocery cart to my rack did exactly that. He used his cart for mostly trips to the post office transporting tall cardboard shipping tubes.
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Old 08-24-07, 07:49 PM
  #30  
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The trailer with the bike.



Trailer decor.

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Old 08-25-07, 12:03 PM
  #31  
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Ouch, with that seat angle.
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Old 08-25-07, 01:58 PM
  #32  
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Originally Posted by diff_lock2
Ouch, with that seat angle.
https://www.bikeforums.net/showpost.p...3&postcount=34
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Old 08-25-07, 02:35 PM
  #33  
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lol ok. Have you at least tried a level seat?
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Old 08-25-07, 03:01 PM
  #34  
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Of course. That's where I started. I feel like I'm sliding off the saddle when it's that way, and I put excessive pressure on my arms and shoulders trying to "hold myself on". If it makes you feel any better, I'm not the only chick I know who uses this same solution to the same problem.
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Old 08-25-07, 03:23 PM
  #35  
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Hey I can't quite tell, is that a Brooks?
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Old 08-25-07, 03:25 PM
  #36  
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Originally Posted by alicestrong
Here is my very cheap (albeit temporary...I'm saving for a Xtracycle) solution to the "how to get the dog and catfood that don't fit in the panniers home" problem. This is for the kind of person who would mount a milk crate on their bike and not be embarrassed...

The grocery cart was $10 at the Thrift Store and a bag of 40 zip ties was 99 cents. I do this every two months...about 2 miles round trip on quiet suburban streets. Total weight 45 pounds. After reading this thread I think that I'll put a flag on it for greater visability.

Simple, cheap, and effective ... nothing wrong with that!
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Old 08-25-07, 03:29 PM
  #37  
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Originally Posted by Andronicus
Hey I can't quite tell, is that a Brooks?
Yes, a B-67.
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Old 08-25-07, 04:32 PM
  #38  
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Originally Posted by donnamb
Yes, a B-67.
That is one classy rig you've got there! Yeah, I've heard the Brooks can be tilted back a bit
and still be comfortable. Kind of like a butt-hammock!
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Old 08-25-07, 05:53 PM
  #39  
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Butt hammock or nut cracker? Lol
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Old 08-25-07, 11:02 PM
  #40  
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I'm torn about what trailer to get. First I was going to build one but I have changed my mind. Now I'm down to the burley flatbed, the Carry Freedom lg y-frame and maybe the Wicycle DIY kit to make the small flatbed. I can't find much about the Wicycle. I have one friend with a Burley flatbed and one with a y-frame and both swear by them. Each of them critcises the other one but I see good in both. I don't know that I need the size of the burley and I really like the way the y-frame comes apart. I could easily store it in my office. Any one have any strong feelings about these trailers. Of course money is the next big hitch...the Y-frame is so expensive that it keeps making me go back to the other two. I could build the little wicycle kit trailer for about $100 but I just don't know anything about it.
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Old 08-26-07, 12:43 AM
  #41  
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Well, I ruled out the Wike trailer because it won't work with my bike's frame/hub combination, and it looks like that Carry Freedom hitch would have the same problem for me. The Burley Flatbed cost me $100 because I share it with my brother. He only lives about 5 miles from me, so that works out well. It's been great.

The Wike seems very economical and I like the simplicity of the Carry Freedom design. I think you'll be happy with whichever of the 3 you end up choosing. It looks like you've narrowed it down to 3 very high quality trailers.
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Old 08-26-07, 04:44 AM
  #42  
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This didn't work well at all.









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Old 08-26-07, 07:46 PM
  #43  
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ordered the Carry Freedom

After much deliberation I ordered the Carry Freedom. I really like the simplicity and sturdiness of the design. My friend that owns the Burley flatbed also is part owner of a Bikes at Work trailer. Those things are amazing but I don't need anything that major. My other friend owns a Carry Freedom Y-trailer and it is amazingly easy to use and I like the way it folds up. I want to be able to store it in my office because a lot of the use will be on campus for my job. Anyway...I'll let you know how I like it in a few days. I should get it by the end of the week and I plan to immediately put it to use by transporting a bunch of my supplies from the Vet School to the Med School next week for some research we are doing.
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Old 08-27-07, 12:05 AM
  #44  
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That last set of picture (from diff_lock2) is similar in concept to the hitch assembly I built back in the 70's
on mine I had the same framework on the bike (metal, with a brace to seat post though) and used a CV joint instead of the hinge and angle plate shown. which gave a nice tight 'ball and socket' joint at the hitch. advantage there was that the trailer was free to move up/down left/right but didn't have any tendancy to wander while providing a pretty tight turning radious, and keeping hitch weight low.

Ken.
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Old 08-27-07, 03:41 PM
  #45  
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A little something I have been working on.
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Old 08-28-07, 07:57 PM
  #46  
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Originally Posted by roughrider504
A little something I have been working on.
Some good ideas going on there. Although I need a 2 wheeler, I just hauled home a old Huffy 10 speed thats only good for parts. I like the hitch idea. Maybe incorporate a U-Joint from the steering shaft of a car....Hmmmmmmm.
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Old 08-29-07, 04:37 PM
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I didn't really like how the single wheel affected the handling of the bike so I added another. The only modification I had to do is remove the hitch shem so the trailer does not lean with the bike anymore. It may have problems with tipping since it is thin but I could always cold set it wider since it is cheap steel.
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Old 08-29-07, 06:18 PM
  #48  
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i like the look of the one wheel..........maybe you can move the packs more twards the front and down some?............try to lower the center of gravity..........a one wheel trailer feels wierd and takes some gettin used to........especially once you load it
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Old 09-08-07, 08:51 AM
  #49  
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FWIW, I'm a dude (and have been told that I'm NOT small by any means) and I ride with my saddle adjusted somewhat up. No pain whatsoever. And, I've run two saddles, an unknown big huge cushy one with springs, and a moderately padded Bell saddle with a built-in blinky at the same position.

Anyway, this thread is giving me tons of ideas... maybe I WON'T do an Xtracycle...
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Old 09-09-07, 08:08 PM
  #50  
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Here is My Burley Flatbed. I am extremely satisfied with it.

The orange Edger weighs about 75-80 Pounds and is atleast 30-40 years old just got it fixed


This is a broken Hitch mount bicycle rack, it is bent from being overloaded and will soon be replaced. I will take it to be scrapped tommorow





Groceries


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