45
votes
Accepted
Does toddler need a helmet inside a bicycle trailer?
Generally helmets are recommended for carrier usage by manufacturers and governing bodies, although local cultural practices may vary depending on perceived risks.
Helmets are recommended because it ...
- 30.7k
21
votes
I am trying to find a trailer for a disabled adult
There are a lot of options that don't involve a passive trailer. Moving two people with the energy of one person means that hills are to be avoided. You'd struggle to get up an overbridge or short ...
- 129k
20
votes
Does toddler need a helmet inside a bicycle trailer?
We opted for helmeting our kid whenever we use the trailer in bicycle mode (i.e. not as a pram). This is why:
Our neighbours managed to flip over their trailer once. Kid got a nasty bump on the head, ...
- 209
17
votes
Does toddler need a helmet inside a bicycle trailer?
No, your kid does not need a helmet, if you have a proper trailer. Proper trailers do have belts and rollover protection. If you don't wear a helmet in your car, you don't need one in a trailer. ...
- 289
14
votes
Burley trailer - Repair cut in plastic window
I was going to suggest any clear roofing repair tape.
A manufacturer known as Gorilla have a product with the following description. Other brands are available.
Gorilla Tape Crystal Clear is ...
- 15.1k
12
votes
Dog Trailer Wheel size - for commuting/touring
I don't have a dog, but that means my trailer passenger can speak.
Specifically she can complain about the rough ride compared to the child seat on the back of my bike. That's with 16x1.75s pumped ...
- 61.2k
11
votes
Accepted
A two successive wheel trailer ; would it work? (followme-tandem)
The follow-me tandem lifts the front wheel of the child's cycle off the ground because that's the only way to have stable handling on corners.
I made some primitive drawings to explain. Note that ...
- 29.4k
11
votes
Accepted
Is there a benefit of lacing trailer wheel spokes radially instead of crossed?
Crossed spoke lacing is primarily necessary to transmit torque from the hub to the rim, rather than for increased strength, although I suspect hub flanges have more strength when loaded by a crossed ...
- 75.9k
11
votes
Towing children and rear tire
The fact that you were towing a trailer should not have had any influence on your tire going flat. Quite surely it was either some sharp or pointy object that the tire picked up on the road or ...
- 4,359
11
votes
Accepted
What bike components will receive more wear when pulling a 65 lb. trailer?
Some components will wear faster when pulling a trailer, but the key question is "how much faster?"
Brakes
As you already pointed out, the brake pad and disk wear rate will be the most ...
- 2,922
9
votes
Accepted
How do you lock up your bike trailer?
I have a Burley pet/cargo trailer and when I take it to the store, I use a long (~ 3 meter) cable with a loop on the ends. I loop the one end around itself on one wheel, loop it around the hitch bar, ...
- 1,799
9
votes
Accepted
What are the advantages of the Burley hitch design?
The spring hitches seem to be a cheap/simple way to allow the flexibility needed to both bend and twist when the tow bike corners, but they have an annoying side effect. In my experience when ...
- 146
9
votes
Does toddler need a helmet inside a bicycle trailer?
I mainly go with @Leonidas: no helmet for children inside. We have a quality trailer (from Chariot).
I like my children not to wear a helmet in the trailer because:
A helmet puts their head in an ...
- 191
9
votes
Accepted
Quick release inside of thru axle?
It will be safer to get a special thru axle to swap your stock one. Special thru axles are designed to accommodate trailer hitch.
Since you did not specify your TA sizing and trailer brand I will use ...
- 2,922
9
votes
Using a dynamo hub to run ONLY rear lights
Yes, it will work just fine in this day and age of modern LED lighting.
A dynamo in its typical operating mode is a constant current device. It provides very high voltage, far higher than 6 volts, if ...
- 20.5k
8
votes
Designing Bike Trailers – Especially the hitch and load
There are a few of these trailers around, even some that are made in the US, including some from a company that sells multiple options (although they may have stopped, everything is out of stock on ...
- 23.6k
8
votes
Experience biking with child trailer during winter?
I strongly suggest you put a studded tyre on the bike (ideally 2, but certainly the back in your case). I run Schwalbe winters for occasional icy patches (overkill round here, except when they aren't)...
- 61.2k
8
votes
Quick release inside of thru axle?
The big picture answer is buy a trailer thru axle.
As for whether the idea would work of putting a QR through your through axle for this: A lot of thru axles don't really have flat faces for the hitch ...
- 87k
7
votes
Accepted
Is it appropriate to carry furniture with bike and suggestion for equipment
Based on the photos on the Christiana website I think you'll be fine. The exact law I'm not sure of, I can't find a translation of their bike laws online.
It seems that people do carry big loads ...
- 23.6k
7
votes
Camber angle on a two-wheel trailer?
Tyres wear a heap faster when they're not square to the road surface. For example, tadpole recumbents wear out front wheels very fast.
Also, those riding bikes while towing trailers are going ...
- 129k
7
votes
What is the technical name for the push-on type of wheels that are found on some bicycle trailers?
As various people have noted, wheelchair hub is the correct term for these one-sided, push-button release hubs.
It goes without saying that this type of mechanism is now being widely used in cycle ...
- 29.4k
7
votes
Is there a lightweight electric assist braking system that can be applied to a bicycle trailer?
People have come up with their own inertial/surge trailer hacks. Google is your friend here. On stackexchange is a related question: How to build surge brakes on bike trailer?
As far as I know, there'...
- 29.4k
7
votes
Accepted
How do I true a trailer wheel?
I would skip using the truing stand and just true the wheel on the trailer. You can generally clamp a strip of something to the frame to act as an indicator (have it stick out and just brush the rim, ...
- 53.9k
7
votes
Are there any bike tires that can hold 500 lbs (225 kg) each?
At those weights you're looking at three wheels minimum and maybe four.
Simply loading 1000 pounds (500 kg) onto a trailer will be difficult without a lifter of some sort, and you would have to ...
- 129k
7
votes
Accepted
Attaching child trailer with motor in the way
There are trailers where the boom/drawbar attaches to the bike's seatpost. These normally exit the chassis in the middle rather than at the side.
One variation on that attaches to a ball on the ...
- 129k
6
votes
Accepted
City Bikes vs E-Bikes with baby trailer
First, a city bike is a style of bicycle with sit up and beg styling, generally a single gear or internal gear hub with chainguard (although derailleurs do exist), full fenders, and a step through ...
- 29.4k
6
votes
Camber angle on a two-wheel trailer?
On top of Criggie's answer there's another practical reason: camber would increase the width of road taken up while simultaneously decreasing the usable width. When towing I'm already very aware of ...
- 61.2k
6
votes
Looking for bike trailer with pedals for a disabled, older adult
Disabled cyclists are cyclists and so they would like some control over steering, braking, or pedaling.
It's tough to design a strong singlewheeled adult-sized pedaled trailer because of the weight ...
- 29.4k
6
votes
Accepted
How is bicycle trailer stability affected by hitch position?
In my experience, an axle mount is most stable compared to a seatpost mount.
With the seatpost clamp, the differences are most evident when braking and when turning. The contact point is a hefty "...
- 129k
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