Trailers

[Ixus _123]

Do any of you use trailers? To me they look like they are a lot more practical than panniers.I've been looking at

[Gary Fisher 3]

I tried a trailer to put all my luggage in while touring around Scotland.I would only use a MTB. You need low gears, good brakes and a very strong frame. If your trailer weighs 10kg and you put a tent, clothing and food in there say 30kg then this is just over 6 stone of extra weight! Doesn't sound much and infact on flat smooth roads this extra weight isn't too much of a problem; but add potholed hills into the equation and suddenly your on the granny ring struggling.

[Ixus _123]

Ah, i see what you mean. I did have a rack on the back of my road bike for a pair of 20 litre panniers. Even with only one loaded the bike felt unbalanced - i guess I should have bought smaller rears or maybe balance it out with a front bar bag.I'd really like to try touring (B&B / hostels rather than camping)- maybe testing the water in Ireland & if I cope with that then maybe S.E. Asia somewhere.

[NumbNuts]

I have a bob yak and with 20Kg in it you don't know you have it, but on hills YES the granny ring comes into play as for a strong bike I use an alloy full sus frame with no problem as yet

[Ixus _123]

Does the bike really have to be that strong?I just watched a video of Lucas burnell rowing a couch with BBQ, 2 people & beers - they reckoned it weighed in at about 200kg - obviously I don't intend to be doing anything that extreme. I reckon a max of 20kg - 7kg was enough to last me a week in Thailand

[NumbNuts]

7kg was enough to last me a week in Thailand7 Kg are you sure I wish I could go that light, how did you do it

[Ixus _123]

yeah - my carry on luggage. 2 pairs of shorts, sandals, tshirts, underwear, 3 pairs of socks (I think) combat trousers, jeans (wearing on outbound trip), towel - which I didn't need, sarong - doubles as beach towel, sheet etc.Needed to go light as I was hoping from isalnd to isalnd & didn't fancy dragging a huge backpack on boats & buses. Couldn't fit my trainers in the bag over there though & had to tie them on by the laces. It certainly is a lot easier to travel light in a hot country though - that's for sure

[Miike Boxwell]

The Carry Freedom trailers are really, really good. I've got one - I've been known to put a couple of electric folding bikes on the back and take them out.You get some strange looks from passers by when carrying bikes on a bike trailer though!If you want a Carry Freedom trailer, don't be frightened to negotiate with your supplier: there is a good margin to be made on Carry Freedom trailers, so you may want to suggest the supplier shares it with you...If you want cheap - as in paying almost nothing to get a trailer - get a copy of the latest issue of Velo Vision. Page 15 gives instructions of how to build your own trailer out of sticks! Its written by Nick Lobnitz, who designed the Carry Freedom City folding trailer, so he knows what hes talking about.

[Miike Boxwell]

Another thing: if you use trailers alot, consider an electric bike. You don't notice the extra weight of the trailer and luggage when you've got an electric motor to help you.Interestingly, in the States there are a couple of manufacturers of electric trailers. So instead of having the motor on the bike, you have it on the trailer - which is great for pulling heavier objects.Clever. Don't know what the legalities of it would be over in Europe though...

[VerySlow]

I have a Der Roland, it's OK, but only just, but I wish I'd bought the Carry Freedom. The Carry Freedom looks very good and it's reasonably priced. If the CF had been available when I was looking, I would not have bought the Der Roland. Don't know about one wheeled trailers, they're probably better at higher speeds.