Cycling UK Forum

Hi All,

I have a Burley trailer and despite pushing the flag into place prior to every journey it manages to come out of place and end up at a very funny angle on every single ride. To date it's not actually fallen off the trailer but by the time I get home after some journeys I often think that it looks like it's about to.

I appreciate that I could perhaps glue it into place but if there are other ideas or options I was hoping to avoid that if I can. This is because for example if you want to be able to dismantle it to take it away with you for use I wouldn't really want to have super glued the flag into place.

I just wondered if anybody else has had the same issue and if so if they had any clever ideas to fix the wonky flag problem.

Thanks in advance if anybody has any ideas!

John

How does the flag attach to the trailer ??

I've only seen bent trike flags and there the flag pole fits inside another tube solidly attached to the trike. So there's no way it can become wonky.
So maybe find a tube that fits snugly over the flagpole and attach that to the trailer.

Hi Tigerbiten,

There's a bar across the top of the trailer which is part of the frame / structure/ support / roll cage of the trailer itself. The bar has sort of a handle that is in one position when you riding with the trailer in tow or if you wanted to you can fold this bar back and it forms a handle which you can use to push the trailer as a sort of giant pushchair/ buggy if you wish. Now there's a plastic handle with a catch on which either releases or secures this bar across the top of the trailer. On the side of the handle there's a plastic bit with a slot in into which you push the flag.

When stationary the flag seems secure enough but always comes lose when riding and enters up on a funny angle looking like it might fall off the trailer.

Now I'll hold my hands up and admit that maybe this is a complete user error issue and perhaps I'm either putting the flag into the slot incorrectly or maybe what I thought seemed like the obvious place to put the flag is completely wrong.

Thanks,

John

Hi again,

According to the Burley website it says in the Tips & Tricks section of the FAQs :-

"I’m having trouble getting my flag to stay in. How do I correctly install the flag?
The flag can take a good amount of pressure to seat into its housing. Try twisting the flag post clockwise and counter-clockwise as you push it downwards. Once set into the flag housing you will not have to worry about it popping off somewhere along your ride."

However despite at least thinking that I'm pressing the flag in firmly it seems to be working its way loose on rides.

Thanks again,

John

I've not had our dlite trailer or for some time and stopped using the flag well before that so it's from memory.

IIRC the flag goes into the locking mechanism on the handle that allows you to adjust its position. There's a kind of tube it slots into. This tube is not closed on the inside but has a top bit that goes around the flag pole, then an open gap on the inside with another bit at the bottom. If you don't insert the pole through and into the bottom loop of this you will not get a sturdy grip on the flagpole.

BTW this fixing point can be adjusted from left to right side and the angle it holds the flagpole at. We had ours adjusted so the pole was vertical when the trailer handle is locked just over the top of the trailer. It gave me the idea of acting as a kind of extra roll cage on top of the trailer frame.

One last thing, the pole is a tight fit into this lower gripping loop if the attachment point. It is easy to miss locating the pole fully into this. It could be the OP had hit it partly in but not fully allowing it to come out during use of the trailer.

I would contact Burley. Maybe you need a new holder? I think it's a common problem, though. I know a few people with Burleys & they all go about flagless.

Hi Tangled Metal,

Thanks for your message and I'll follow your advice and give the installation another go. Perhaps I've just not quite got the knack of getting it in correctly so that it's not fully in position therefore allowing it to work loose with vibrations as I ride.

Hi Vorpal,

Thanks for your message and the fact that you've said that you know of other people who have had this problem makes me feel better because perhaps it's not just me being stupid with user error after all. However following the advice of Tangled Metal above I will be going back to the drawing board and having another attempt at installing it again to see if things improve.

Thanks for the messages and advice which is much appreciated!

John

It took me a while to get the flag in securely. The lower loop was a very tight fit possibly because it wasn't lined up with the top ring.

I think they've changed the design or at least they offer a replacement that's different. The new flag attachment is a loop you bolt on to the frame I think. It's a bigger fixing.

Not sure what sort of trailer you have, but I had the exact same problem and used to use an old squash ball to solve it.

Force the flagpole through the squash ball, which then sits just inside the structure of the trailer, forcing the bottom of the flagpole into the bottom of its holder.

If that makes sense.

BrianFox wrote:Not sure what sort of trailer you have, but I had the exact same problem and used to use an old squash ball to solve it.

Force the flagpole through the squash ball, which then sits just inside the structure of the trailer, forcing the bottom of the flagpole into the bottom of its holder.

If that makes sense.

The Burley has a special flag holder on top of the trailer.

My Bee has a sleeve the flag slips into on the material and I’ve never had a problem. Sounds like a different securing method on other models?

Hi Tangled Metal, BrianFox and Vorpal,

Thanks for the extra messages and the fact that it sounds like Burley have changed the design compared to the one I have at least makes me feel a bit better in that the design isn't helping the situation as opposed to my poor execution of installing the flag. However following all of the help & advice that I've been given I am going to work on trying to get it secured as best I can. Worst case scenario I might have to look at a replacement part if they've upgraded the design as long as the new part is compatible with my trailer.

Hi Honesty,

That design sounds better than the one I have and maybe Burley have been learning from past mistakes.

Thanks again to everyone for all of the help & advice which is very helpful.

Cheers,

John

Not very conversant with Burley , I bought a flag for our Trailerbike ("The Broom" as my Grandaughter cristened it) that had a nice inteference fit bracket that clipped behind one of the Track Nuts on the rear wheel. Pretty cheap off e bay.

Tape round the pole to make the fit tighter?

The small flag holder works okay to locate the bottom of the flagpole, but to keep the flagpole upright it needs to be supported higher. On my Burley D'Lite, the 'pram handle' is adjustable, so i leave it close to vertical (when seen from the side) and adjust the flagpole holder so the flagpole is parallel to the side of the pram handle. Then just wrap a toestrap or similar around the highest point of the handle and flagpole. Mine's travelled this way, more or less upright, for the last few years.

Hope that helps