PedalingWalrus

Just wondering. Disclaimer - I have never used single wheel bicycle trailers.

I have, however, used panniers, for a while.

I switched to bikepacking style bags like handlebar bag, frame bag and rear seat bag.

For long distance touring (which I have never had the fortune to do (not yet)) I'm wondering if single wheel bicycle trailer isn't more efficient?

I hope this isn't a topic that is trolled here often. I haven't seen it in the top 20 posts ... if, yes, then my apologies :-)

corrado33

I think you could easily argue that single wheeled trailers are more efficient. Less air resistance, less tire resistance, etc.

I'd have one except the nice ones are really expensive and I don't think the cheap ones are worth buying.

rhm

I have a cheap one, but haven't used it much. I lent it to a friend and while using it, he broke the skewer that attaches the trailer- it mounts to an extended QR holding the rear wheel. I don't know how he dealt with this problem on tour-- could be quite a problem, for sure! I have also heard that they have an adverse effect on handling, especially going down hills.

VT_Speed_TR

It has been discussed many, many times, but so have most topics, so let the fun begin

saddlesores

how long is long? and how much stuff do you need? they say you need pretty
much the same stuff for a one week tour as for a one year tour. if you like
bikepacking.....keep at it.

i've used a bob for 25,000 miles or so. i like it, but it seems LESS efficient, since
packed gear always expands to fit available space. bob has lots of space.

other big drawback is the size. need a second crate to carry on the plane. much
more difficult to fit in smaller taxis, to carry up three flight of stairs, or across
a wet field and over a fence.

if i go trailer again, will probably be an extracycle. uses the same wheel size,
and same tire as your bke, weighs less than bob, since it's basically a simple
frame you hang a couple panniers off of.


why less tire resistance. now you've got three (or four) tires instead of just two.

PedalingWalrus

What's a 'bob' ? :-) This? = https://www.bikeshophub.com/trailers...er-p-1359.html

If so then is this one of the top brands? $300 does not seem like a lot considering I have about the same investment in my bikepacking bags.

fietsbob

Efficiency minutiae aside what you want to haul? (most of the time) compact touring load vs a bulky utility trip like to Costco, etc.

cyccommute 

It depends on how you measure efficiency. I have a trailer and would come down on the side of saying no. While the trailer is tucked in behind you, you are pulling one more tire with that tire's rolling resistance. The tire of a single wheel trailer is usually much smaller than the bicycle in front of it and has greater rolling resistance. Whether this is important or not depends on the wind resistance benefit you would get from pulling a trailer. Rolling resistance is linear with speed while wind resistance is logarithmic. Choose your poison.

You also have to take into account that you have another tube you have to deal with that is usually a different size and often has a different valve from your bike. I've found 20" presta tubes but they are rare.

Functionally, there are some issues with trailers. The load tends to push the back of the bike off-line on corners which can be rather disconcerting. The load also tends to push the rear end of the bike upwards under braking. On twisty downhills, this can make the ride...um...interesting. Braking in corners is already a bit dicey but with the load pushing you out of the corner and lifting the rear of the bike, handling can become difficult. On steep downhills (mostly off-road), the rear of the bike can be completely lifted off the ground which can lead to some intense sphincter tightening moments.

There's also the logistics of moving the trailer around for nonbike activities. If you happen to want to stay in a hotel, the trailer is more difficult to maneuver down a hall way and into a room. If you want to get on a train or plane, you have another large piece of luggage that you need to box and will be charged for. Simply moving the trailer with a load and without it being attached to the bike is cumbersome.

Finally, the bike feels heavier with a trailer than with panniers in my opinion. I know that racks and bags weigh about the same as the trailer but with a trailer attached the whole vehicle just feels less lively. Like I said, I have one and I've used it off-road and for errand running around town but, given the choice, I'd rather carry stuff on the bike.

PedalingWalrus

If this is a question then I missed it. Are you asking specifically what I (the OP) want to haul?

PedalingWalrus

your input is much appreciated. Thanks.

Rob_E

What would make them more efficient? Most trailers way far more than the panniers they replace, so right away you've added weight. Most trailers use a different-sized wheel than the bike, so now you need at least one more tube. I find bike handling more difficult with a trailer: wider turns, and tricky to back up, but that's with two wheels. Maybe a single wheel is better.

Basically when I'm pulling a trailer with a well balanced load down a straight, flat road, it feels great, like I'm not carrying anything. But getting up to speed, and on every hill, there's more weight to deal with. When switching to any other type of transportation (plane, train, bus, etc.) there's more gear to deal with.

The advantages I see are: You can carry more gear. You spread your weight out over more wheels. You can switch from loaded to unloaded just by ditching the trailer.

But I don't know how any of that equates with more efficiency. In general I think more weight is less efficient.

PedalingWalrus

how much does a topnotch weight weenie bicycle trailer weigh ? (empty)

Squeezebox

My understanding is that bikepacking can be done on just about any bicycle. racing, to MTB. Might add a lot of versatility to your options.

PedalingWalrus

for fatbiking is totally get bike packing and so far this has been my only bicycle touring experience.

as I plan future trips to try biketouring on the road I wondered about the trailer, hence my original post. The feedback on the downhill effects is a great info I did not consider.

The feedback difficulty handling on a train or in a motel is harder for me to subscribe to. At best I see it as a 50/50 .

PedalingWalrus

One of the options that attracts me to a trailer is the ease with which you can unhook the trailer, set up your camp or roll it into the motel and then bike around with the freedom of totally unloaded bike. Taking bikepacking bags off and on is annoying. It is somewhat easier with panniers but I'm not a big fan of panniers per se.

corrado33

As compared to a traditional 2 wheeled trailer.

gauvins

While the assumption is that the decision is pannier vs trailer, in many cases it is panniers + trailer. I've googled "bike touring trailer" and I'd say that most pictures (of tourers) show such combo.

Our case might be typical -- I'll be hauling our family's luggage (my wife trailing the little one, and the no-longer-that-little will be all by herself). We've opted for the extrawheel because:

1. it is among the lightest trailer you can find (under 5kg)
2. it uses a standard (26") wheel - less spares
3. small enough to fly

More generally, a trailer should help distribute the load. In particular, should reduce wear and tear on the rear wheel.

WRT aerodynamics -- at first you'd think that bulky panniers would be terrible and that a low profile trailer should significantly reduce drag. I haven't found any good evidence for this. Tourers (with an engineering background ?) sometimes explain this by observing that rear panniers sit behind your legs and are therefore in a zone of perpetual turbulence.

WRT organization -- many comments on the fact that trailers are usually used in conjunction with a large bag, making things more difficult to find. As we store everything in small (2-5L) stuff sacks, I wouldn't see it as an issue. We plan to travel with 6 Ortliebs rollers (2 front, 4 rear) of different colors.

Will update next Fall. as we are for now in the always pleasant planning stage.

PedalingWalrus

I believe in my case it would be an either or proposition. I have an extensive backpacking history and I am able to pack light.

Sharpshin

I pondered this question before my 2,000 mile tour in 2014.

My guess is much depends upon the bike.

In talking to a bike shop employee who had started with a trailer but then gone to panniers, he mentioned that the trailer could be felt through a frequent slight "tugging" sensation pulling backwards on the bike. He did still use a trailer for shopping trips etc around town.

Another friend/employee mentioned a major trailer-induced wreck he had witnessed on a long downhill in Colorado subsequent to an emergency-stop situation. The rider involved hit the brakes hard and jack-knifed.

The issues of a separate tire/tube size have already been addressed.

I was carrying 40 pounds of water and gear, but still fit that easily into four panniers.

But I have a purpose-built touring bike that is stable and comfortable loaded down front and back.

I also commute on a 90's mountain bike, I put front and rear racks on and commonly ride it to work or the store loaded down front and rear. With any load, even just in back, this bike feels top-heavy and unstable. If I were to tour on that bike I'd want to try a trailer.

Mike

gauvins

You can unhook panniers even more easily.

staehpj1

If you like your bikepacking bags or panniers, why go to a trailer. Are you planning to take a lot more stuff or something? If so why? I carry almost exactly the same stuff going coast to coast as I do if going for a shorter tour. If anything I pack more carefully for a longer tour. Granted you may need things for different seasons and climates on a long tour but you can mail stuff to and from home when you go from one season/climate to another.

As far as efficiency... weight, rolling resistance, and aerodynamic drag all come into play, so there are a bunch of possible ways to look at it and those factors will all be influenced by what you carry and how you pack it. All that said... IMO there isn't any significant advantage in efficiency with a trailer; it could be slightly more or less efficient.

fietsbob

Absolutely Anything?


I'm very efficient in processing Beer into Urine

Tourist in MSN

I have never used a trailer, but I saw several people in hiker biker sites that were using skinny tire road bikes with trailers when I rode the Pacific Coast. If you don't have the resources to buy a touring bike that can take the weight or for some reason don't want to get a touring bike, a trailer might be a good option.

Most of my tours have involved a train ride to the start or end point on a tour. A trailer would complicate logistics.

mev

I have done most of my touring with panniers. However, I had occasion to use an Extrawheel Trailer when riding my mountain bike from Portland, OR to Fort Collins, CO - Extrawheel | Bike Trailer

In this case, I had four panniers: two on my rear rack and two on the extrawheel. The efficiency was probably a little less than if I would have had a front rack with panniers on it; and definitely less than if I had only two panniers. However, it all still worked fairly well. I like the extrawheel for a two reasons (a) same size wheel/tube/tire as my other wheels (b) tracks very well, better than my Bob which I used around town.

mdilthey

Wait, wait, wait.

Am I the only one still chewing on the basic premise here? More efficient how?

As far as I can tell, a trailer adds weight (the trailer and wheel), drag (the wheel and tire on the trailer), and messes with the handling, which creates even more drag. There MIGHT be an aerodynamic benefit, but I suspect not, because panniers do a pretty good job of turning your bike into a "wing" shape for better aerodynamics, as has been discussed in other threads.

Saying "Isn't it more efficient?" implies that it's more efficient. I think it's the opposite. I am not sure if it's just a bunch of trailer users agreeing with the premise, or what!