Information about tandem recumbent bicycles

Bicycle Trailers


Photo: BikeBox trailer posing over the Burrard Inlet on the Lions Gate bridge in Vancouver, BC.

Cycletourists sometimes discuss the merits of pulling a cargo trailer while touring. A trailer can be convenient because a lot of items can be carelessly loaded onto it without having to worry about carefully packing pannier bags. Some people even take panniers and a trailer. The trailer can be left behind for day trips but so can pannier bags. Under any circumstance, cyclists should have at least one pannier and rack for day trips, to put extra clothing, sundries, tools and a patch kit into.


Photo: BikeBox trailer and Zarges aluminum container.

Inexperienced cycletourists tend to take too much stuff. They usually discover halfway through their tour that they are not using some of that stuff and that its weight is slowing them down, damaging the wheels and wearing out the drivetrain. The extra stuff usually ends up being sent home in the mail. Even when cycletouring with full camping gear on a tandem, all of your gear should easily fit into four full-size pannier bags with your sleeping bags on the top of the rear rack.

Reducing several pounds of needless stuff will make a tandem noticeably faster and the bike will handle better. A bicycle trailer (even the single-wheel type) weighs substantially more that a set of panniers and racks. The additional weight of the trailer will noticeably slow the bike and add stress to the bike's braking system.

One must take care with the larger two-wheeled trailers because their wide profile can catch on passing objects if care is not exercised (note, the pictured BikeBox trailer has a conveniently narrow profile, for getting through doors, etc). The two-wheeled trailers are excellent for heavy cargo because all the weight is carried on the trailer wheels and the two-wheeled trailers do not tip over when parked. The two-wheeled trailers are also easier to hitch and un-hitch from the bike.

On off-road singletrack there may be no choice but to use a single-wheel trailer. Really rough conditions can even make the BOB suspended trailer desireable.

A cargo trailer is very useful for shopping and picking up bulky items that should not be loaded onto the pannier rack. Once you try a trailer you will wonder how you ever got along without it. Sometimes a trailer can give you an excuse to get some exercise instead of driving a car to pick up or deliver something. The two-wheeled cargo trailers tend to be more versatile around-town, because they carry more weight than the single-wheel trailers and because they stand upright while loading and unloading. Some trailer manufacturers offer cargo trailers that collapse for storage.

Child trailers are another story because there is really no alternative. A child trailer is simply much safer than a child seat that is attached directly to the bicycle.

 

  
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