Trailers

[mithril]

You've probably all seen the picture of Flecc's amazing trailer in the 'show us yours' thread

I was wondering if anyone else uses a trailer regularly?

Flecc - do you have a more modest trailer for smaller loads or just that monster? I'm considering getting one for the supermarket run (another car journey ditched ) but I've no idea if it's feasible. Is it OK to use trailers on busy main roads or do you think it's best keeping to the quieter ones? I have a 14 mile round trip to Tesco's through some big roundabouts and stretches of dual carriageway (same as my commute route). Obviously, I'll also be taking my Torq to local farm shops for veggies

Also, how do you find parking and leaving a trailer at places like supermarkets - is there generally enough room/easy to lock up etc.

 

[flecc]

I have no problem using trailers in the London Borough of Croydon and North Surrey where there's no shortage of traffic, and find drivers leave me more room than when riding solo. At the supermarket, Halfords, the DIY store, parking is coped with by locking the trailer to the bike with them side by side, in or out of a cycle rack. That way they can't be moved since they make an impossible bundle to handle.

With the big trailer at one supermarket where there's no cycle parking room, I just lock the trailer alongside the bike in the middle of a parking bay amongst all the cars. That never causes annoyance, just amusement sometimes, and anyway, there's no sign saying that they're car parking bays, they're just for customers vehicles.

I do have a smaller trailer for shopping and the like, and I also sometimes use them two in a row behind the bike (!) when there's loads to carry. You can see a picture of that on my other site, scroll down for the double-up picture. Here's the link, and if you have any interest in wildlife, also use the Home page button afterwards:

http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/fleccb/trailer.html

 

[Jed]

These trailers look pretty useful! Do you have to fit lights to them directly ?

thanks
Jed

 

[flecc]

I haven't done Jed, since I don't ride with a trailer after dark, but I have two strips of reflector tape on the rear top rail. To fit light's I'd use the seatpost type LED cycle lamps adapted to fit at the top of two load support posts in the rear post sockets to make sure they were in drivers eyeline.

Note to mithril.

Trailers add quite a lot of drag and shorten the range substantially so you may need second battery to complete that 14 mile trip, particularly if derestricted. That'll also be particularly true for the Torq due to it's high motor gearing, the opposite of what's needed for towing. The average side trailer mount might also interfere with the brake torque arm clamp so you'll need to check that when buying. A good solution for moderate loads can be the Bob Yak type one wheel trailer that fits directly behind, half the tyre drag and banks with the bike. It's a great favourite with long distance touring cyclists.

 

[Tim]

Child tag-along trailers and seats

Hello, is there one brand of tag-along trailer that is better than the others, or that is compatible with a wider range of bikes? I see loads of them on the road here in Cambridge. Any experience with them on the forum, more specifically when used with electric bikes?

 

[flecc]

All my riding experience with cycle trailers has been with goods, but the two most favoured child trailers are Burley and Chariot, each with various models in the £300 to £450 range. One problem with selling these, as many cycle dealers know, is the occasional availablity of alternatives at lower prices, sometimes much lower. The Lidl discount stores occasionally bring in a respectable child trailer at below £70, but supplies are eratic and they cannot be ordered. Cycle discounters like the Cycle King chain of stores usually have a Chariot "clone" at around the £150 mark, so these do tend to make the market "difficult".

While all the hitches are safe, the flexible spring type is the least satisfactory since trailers can pulse back and forth while riding, jerking the bike in an unpleasant manner. The Burley "alternative" hitch in either Quick Release or hub gear versions is a favourite at a reasonable price, while the Weber is the best hitch of all at a price to match which was £50 in 2003.

Burley Trailers are handled by Fisher Outdoor Leisure, http://www.fisheroutdoor.co.uk

Chariot Trailers are handled by Amba Marketing, www.amba-marketing.com who also sell the Croozer trailer which I'm not familiar with, but see below.

Velovision Magazine issue 20, Decenber 2005, had a three child trailer thorough test of Chariot, Burley and Croozer models which might be helpful. Although some articles can be downloaded as PDFs, not this one sadly, but the back issue is available from:

http://www.velovision.co.uk/

Alternatively, I can scan the article as a PDF and mail it to you if wished.

 

[flecc]

P.S.

The hitches I've mentioned are the types that fit at the rear wheel spindle so will suit all eZee bikes. Many of the cheaper trailers use clamp hitches, two plates that are bolted across the two A frame tubes ahead of the rear wheel nut. These are not so suitable since they can crush the alloy frame tubes, and on the Torq would clash with the roller brake torque arm and clip.