Trailer vs panniers

[Gizzmo]

I'm trying to work out if to get a trailer or panniers for my weekly ride, I ride a few miles mostly gravel and concrete to my local venue have a break and a coffee then a couple hours track ride on my bike (mostly a social meet) then I go shopping for dinner and ride home no kids on this journey. Shopping would include 3l milk, dinner for 4 big eaters, plus any other bits we need for the day would be limited when needed. Other days I ride I have a child seat frame mounted I could be towing a 3 year on his bike (mostly up hill with a towie as seat post mount is not a option baby seat is in the way) I need to carry 1-3 waterbottles keys purse snacks/lunch I don't take both kids shopping with the bike it's just too much lol.

Panniers would need to be easily removable, trailer would need a quick release

[Jdsk]

Welcome

That track ride adds an unusual twist!

How are you towing the 3 year old... some sort of tagalong?

And how old is the other child?

Do you know about trailers which mount at the bike's rear axle rather than the seat post?

...

One of my children attaches a tandem trailer trike with a wicker hamper to her tourer... would something like that be of interest?

Jonathan

[Bmblbzzz]

When you say "track ride" presumably this is an off-road trail rather than a velodrome track?

[PH]

If you can fit it in panniers, that'd always be my first choice. I've nothing against trailers when there's a need (I have two!) but they do add a level of complexity that I'd rather avoid.

[elmo]

I often do a 15 mile each way market shop for the weeks food plus other items using two super c panniers, super c tube bag and a ruck sac. I have never used a trailer but even loaded the bike retains the same cornering and general road characteristics (presuming a trailer would change things) and the baggage carries everything that I need.

Elmo

[Psamathe]

If you can fit it in panniers, that'd always be my first choice. I've nothing against trailers when there's a need (I have two!) but they do add a level of complexity that I'd rather avoid.

Likewise.

Panniers easy to remove (e.g. Ortlieb back rollers) and you can get an amazing amount in them. I used to fill mine such that I couldn't roll the tops closed and would still do the last 25 miles of the ride like that and din't lose anything. Maybe a couple of front panniers as well if you are really loading it. Camping touring occasionally have to do supermarket shopping before leaving everything at campsite and use a front pannier left open to get the shopping in.

Last summer in NL using banana panniers on the tadpole when needing to shop before campsite I'd just leave the panniers (with tent, stove, etc.) on the cycle whilst in the supermarket - though that depends on how confident you are about the area. You can get extra wire things for Ortliebs to lock them on to bike - they wont stop anybody with wire cutters but would discourage a casual their, particularly as they'd be empty.

3L of milk is only 3Kg - my camping touring load is everything 20 Kg.

Maybe think of a rack-top bag or a bar bag for more valuable stuff like phone, wallet, etc.

Ian

[TrevA]

When panniers are empty, you hardly notice they are there. The same can’t be said of a trailer. If you were going direct to the shop and back, then the trailer would probably be a good option, but if you are shopping on the way back from riding with friends, I think panniers are better - I have both, several sets of panniers and a dog trailer for towing our small dog.

[markjohnobrien]

I would go for panniers as well.

I regularly use them for shopping, carry an enormous weight, practical, and easy to get on and off the bike.

[yakdiver]

I have a trailer for shopping and it's great, I can buy what I like, I remember one time when I had only panniers and bought too much.....well they were on special Oh dear it was a wobbly ride home

[Gizzmo]

I use a towie for the 3 Yr old(20kg without his bike) it's a stretchy rope basically, and my other one in the child seat is 18 months (14kg) and she not quite tall enough for the balance bike we about 1-2cm and she will be albe to start riding that. But I don't take the kids on my track ride that's my day off from the kids and yes its off road, I would need to be able to easy remove the trailer to store the bike I have a cycle room in my block of flats and the bikes have to be vertical mounted but trailer would fit under my bikes we have four in the familydown there mostly kids. I did think of a tandem but there's to many hills for a single speed.

I had a good look at some panniers in decathlon today to look at sizes shapes I would want 2x20l, I can't really look at any trailers the shops only stock child seat trailers near me, I'm starting to think a good set of panniers might be better for now but I might have to look at a trailer too my partner said he wants to go on a bike holiday near his brothers, I told his he's training the kids first


Thanks for the help everyone

[Carlton green]

I believe that the ‘rule of thumb’ is to carry everything possible on the bike and to only resort to trailers - which are marvellous for many things - if what you want to carry won’t fit in the available panniers. A week’s shopping for a family can be very bulky; a large trailer does give flexibility on volume and a single wheel one might be OK for off of road riding. However, I think that the OP isn’t doing a weekly shop and will likely find any trailer a bit of a liability on parts of her particular round trip so large panniers over the back wheel and if necessary the front wheel too, plus using the tops of the racks if needed, seems better to me.

Ref.

I'm trying to work out if to get a trailer or panniers for my weekly ride, I ride a few miles mostly gravel and concrete to my local venue have a break and a coffee then a couple hours track ride on my bike (mostly a social meet) then I go shopping for dinner and ride home no kids on this journey. Shopping would include 3l milk, dinner for 4 big eaters, plus any other bits we need for the day would be limited when needed.

[Jdsk]

...
I did think of a tandem but there's to many hills for a single speed.
...

Does that mean too much for a single person pedalling?

Thanks

Jonathan

[Jdsk]

...
I would need to be able to easy remove the trailer to store the bike I have a cycle room in my block of flats and the bikes have to be vertical mounted but trailer would fit under my bikes we have four in the familydown there mostly kids.
...

Our Adventure AT2 two seat child trailer has detachable wheels and then folds flat.

Jonathan

[cycle tramp]

I like panniers, I do. This was a weekly shop from early last year... every space has been used and even my new bucket is carrying my lunch

[Jdsk]

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