Trailers!

For discussions about bikes and equipment.
martinwf5
Posts: 157
Joined: 6 Oct 2008, 4:34pm
Location: Wakefield, West Yorks.

Post by martinwf5 »

Well after selling both cars ,iv'e just purchased this trailer to do the weekly shop, gear to and from work/allotment/tip/camping..

Image



Bring on the fun !!
peevafred
Posts: 45
Joined: 30 Mar 2007, 4:04pm

Post by peevafred »

Asdace wrote:I'm in two minds whatever to get either Carryfreedom Y-Frame (sml) or the Extrawheel.

I'm planning a 60 mile ride based on the Crosses of the North Yorkshire Moors and the route is on bridle-ways, rough tracks and forest drives.

If I opt for the Y-Frame, I could take the Dawes Kara-Kum or better still, the hardtail mountain bike with the Extrawheel. Although I will be camping 3 nights, I would prefer the Y-Frame being a overall choice. I'm wondering if the Y-Frame can cope on rough tracks, where the Extrawheel should cope with only one wheel.

Any thoughts.

I used a CF touring Sweden and Finland up to and across the Arctic circle. There were some very difficult hills and the roads were gravel and mud.
The trailer coped very well and in my opinion the bikes handled far better than with loaded panniers. We did see some German cyclists who seemed to be carrying the proverbial kitchen sinks and several of them had obviously come off their bikes and had cut and grazed legs. When speaking to them ,it was the fact that they could not hold the bike when it started to slide due to the weight. The CF handles great and I would recomend them.
Peevafred
toontra
Posts: 1190
Joined: 21 Dec 2007, 11:01am
Location: London

Post by toontra »

Just a nod to say that Chain Reaction Cycles have the small Carry Freedom trailer for £128 at the moment, which is £40 cheaper than anywhere else as far as I know and £50 off the RRP.

I've been meaning to buy one for ages, and this had done it!


http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=11357
Ruth28
Posts: 29
Joined: 20 Jun 2009, 4:52pm

Re:

Post by Ruth28 »

numbnuts wrote:
Re: the mule trailer, did you see any reflective material on the back or mounting opportunities for led lights?

no sorry, but you must be able to bolt something on


I've got one of these and don't rate it. It has sticky reflectors, which have dropped off over time. The wheels are loose and rattle and the hitch has a habit of coming undone. It's ok for carrying shopping but I wouldn't go far with it.

Ruth
ian burt
Posts: 159
Joined: 6 Feb 2007, 11:19am

Re: Trailers!

Post by ian burt »

Hi Trailer Buddys

I have no car so my trailers are increadibly usefull. I use a Bob for shopping touring etc and a Carry Freedom Large Y Frame for trips to the vets, recycling centre and even to the cycle jumble with a large self built extension. The Bob gets through the traffic best but the CF is more versatile. I've built fittings for the CF to take a very large 'Really Usefull' box that is waterproof, carry another bike for when I maintain other peoples bikes, an open top drop side top for recycling trips and the very large extension for carrying timber and to deck out as a jumble table.

The CF traileres do rattle a bit but I'm sure you won't regret it.

Ian
User avatar
Mick F
Spambuster
Posts: 56359
Joined: 7 Jan 2007, 11:24am
Location: Tamar Valley, Cornwall

Re: Trailers!

Post by Mick F »

ian burt wrote:The CF traileres do rattle a bit but I'm sure you won't regret it.
Mine doesn't rattle.

Rattles on CF trailers are usually the wheel axles not being adjusted correctly, also the old universal joint rattled a bit.

My trailer is silent because I've fixed the axles in position so can tighten the wheel-nuts very firmly, and I have the new Lollipop hitch.
Mick F. Cornwall
User avatar
jayjay
Posts: 140
Joined: 24 Jan 2011, 9:37pm
Location: East Yorks

Re: Trailers!

Post by jayjay »

I'll have to have a look at the axles. I invested in a CF Y-large early this year, and it is earning its keep as a local trip load carrier saving me from resorting to the car. It only rattles when empty. I do need the qd wheels for storage.
Last load was 48kg (I don't usually bother to weigh it but was curious for once) of tools, some rubble, rucksack, a 2x2 glass greenhouse pane and a growbag.
Built f' comfort.
User avatar
Mick F
Spambuster
Posts: 56359
Joined: 7 Jan 2007, 11:24am
Location: Tamar Valley, Cornwall

Re: Trailers!

Post by Mick F »

Press the button and release the axle.
Use a spanner on the flat bits on the inner end of the axle and tighten the wheel nut just a bit.
Refit the axle.
Maybe it won't click in, or it might and rattle a bit.
Trial and error will make the axle snug and rattle free.
Grease will help too.

When empty, the trailer bounces a bit, and even if you have the Lollipop Hitch, the tow-arm may rattle in the Y of the frame. Again, grease will help.

Hope that helps.
Mick F. Cornwall
Father Jack
Posts: 237
Joined: 4 Apr 2011, 10:07pm

Re: Trailers!

Post by Father Jack »

my cf is gonna have two water tanks. Shame they're angled, gonna have wasted space between them. Got one free other £1

http://www.lofttanks.co.uk/loft_tanks/5 ... 200_litres)_cold_water_loft_tanks/25_gallon__slash__114_litre_cold_water_loft_tank_(k25r)
ian burt
Posts: 159
Joined: 6 Feb 2007, 11:19am

Re: Trailers!

Post by ian burt »

Largest load on my CF so far is an under counter freezer. The Bob has had 40 lbs, but the most fun was a Xmas tree in it's pot. Car passengers did a double take when they saw a cyclist being followed by a tree.

Ian

Remember; Reduce, re-use, recycle, repair.
ian burt
Posts: 159
Joined: 6 Feb 2007, 11:19am

Re: Trailers!

Post by ian burt »

How much luggage do you want to carry? If not a huge ammount panniers would be the best option but otherwise look at the BOB trailers. They just follow you along with no increase in width and are superb if you do any off-roading.

I have now found a problem with my Carry Freedom in that although the wheel bearings are pressed into the hubs they are a sliding fit onto the axles. This means that they rattle and wear the axle which leads to greater rattling and greater wear. I'm just in the prosecc of repacing the wheels using front road hubs with offset solid axles bonded into female stb axles. Fortunately I have the machinery to do this.

Ian
The fat commuter
Posts: 292
Joined: 12 May 2014, 7:54pm
Location: The hilly side of Sheffield

Re: Trailers!

Post by The fat commuter »

I've read the first few (five) pages of this thread and the last few posts (in other words - not all of it). Has anyone on here built their own trailer and hitch?

We're getting a log burner for the house next year. I keep going out on the bike and seeing logs here and there as well as various wooden packaging. This evening when picking up an item from an industrial estate I saw some non-standard wooden pallets. I could just whack them in the boot of the car but it would make me feel much happier to stick them on a trailer. Bit wide but the two I saw tonight were about two feet wide by four feet. Oh, I did ask the owner of the pallets and they were available.

What's the maximum width of trailer that would be feasible on a bike in traffic? I was thinking about two feet wide.Could one go wider? Just thought of an issue though, in Sheffield my route takes me along tram tracks which could be a pain (Holme Lane, Hillsborough and Glossop Road/West St for anyone that has knowledge of Sheffield).
User avatar
[XAP]Bob
Posts: 19793
Joined: 26 Sep 2008, 4:12pm

Re: Trailers!

Post by [XAP]Bob »

Bizarrely I can't find any trailer restrictions for cycles, other than that your brakes must be able to stop you in a "reasonable distance" (which of course could just mean that you cycle slower).

I think you could reasonably tow something the width of a car, but that might not fit down single track...
A shortcut has to be a challenge, otherwise it would just be the way. No situation is so dire that panic cannot make it worse.
There are two kinds of people in this world: those can extrapolate from incomplete data.
User avatar
Tigerbiten
Posts: 2503
Joined: 29 Jun 2009, 6:49am

Re: Trailers!

Post by Tigerbiten »

The width of my large Carry Freedom trailer is the same as my bent trike at 800 mm/~2.5'.
As this is roughly the same width of a wheel chair, any wider and it will start to get blocked by the anti-cycling barriers on start/end of cycle tracks even more.
LittleGreyCat
Posts: 1177
Joined: 7 Aug 2013, 8:31pm

Re: Trailers!

Post by LittleGreyCat »

Just a heads up that the Y frame large is £269.99 at Wiggle and Chain Reaction at the moment.
Post Reply