Cycling UK Forum

Not sure if this counts for touring or not...

I am planning to attend a local festival next week by bicycle along with my camping equipment for 4 nights. I don't camp light ! My tent is a four-man tent (so can accommodate the cycle at the far end if it's rainy) and when packed down it measures over a metre, but it requires a tarpaulin of its own which has to travel too. I also insist on carrying a proper square camping stove, and something to sit on at the camp site, as well as the usual paraphernalia for a reasonably comfortable stay at a festival of folk music over an extended weekend.

The distance to travel is about 40 km each way, I did this particular trip four years ago on a different bicycle, a 1996 Carrera Banshee with just a rear pannier rack, so a fair few bits and bobs piled on top of handlebars. The bike coped perfectly, it was hard work and a bit wobbly, but we made it there and back total 80 km or so with much festival ale consumed between journey out and journey back. No climbs significant in terms of height (I daresay no total elevation of more than 30 m, but some quite steep over short distances):
This year, I intend to use, for the same trip to the same festival, my slightly older bike, a 1993 Falcon Mountain Peak, partly through laziness - it already has a single-track trailer (a cheap one from Vida-XL) attached for the past three years, and in addition it has the points of attachment on its rigid front forks for the attachment of a front pannier.
So I think that I can balance out the load more efficiently (though I have had to re-route the cable of the front brake to accommodate the rack over the front forks - it isn't a standard front touring rack, it is a rear rack with a spring clamp on top that I have repurposed... so I don't plan to load it with significant weight).

I would add that the trailer has already experienced a significant test, in that a key weld near the pivot point did fail in its first year whilst being pulled on uneven ground downhill with a load on it. It's been re-welded and has coped with loads of 10-15 kg on a weekly basis since the repair (I use the bike and trailer for shopping, things like bags of cat litter, bottled water, and crates of beer, on a weekly basis).

I still plan to load the tent, and camping stool, across the rear panniers as before, with rear panniers containing clothing. I plan to put kitchenware, teatowels etc in front panniers. I plan to put the stove in the trailer, along with the tarpaulin, and my bag of camping paraphernalia i.e mallet, stove lighter, tent pegs, roll mat, washing up bowl etc.

This would be my first "tour" involving a trailer, as well as being my first time towing a loaded trailer for more than 10 km, so advice, criticism and especially suggestions for improvement of plans, all welcome

I'm not sure if that's a tour, cos it's only one day of riding in each direction. I'm not sure that it's not a tour either, cos you are riding somewhere, then staying somewhere away from home, then riding back. Anyway, that's hardly important. It sounds like a challenge with all that gear! More relevantly, what's the festival?

I appreciate your appreciation of my uncertainty of the relevance of my post... anyway, the festival is Folkeast, at Great Glemham near Saxmundham !

Thanks, just looked it up. Not entirely my thing but it looks nicely varied. Enjoy!

Oh, and to your more important question on touring with a trailer, I'm afraid I've never used a trailer at all, so can't say anything beyond the obvious "think about nose weight!" If it were me, I'd be leaving half the stuff at home, but then I probably wouldn't be staying four days in one place. A bit of comfort is a good thing in those circumstances.

Sounds like a fun trip!

I notice you have a mirror on your handlebars. I need to pick one up as when riding with my trailer (Burley Flatbed) I find that after a while I lose confidence that my cargo is still attached and of course it’s not that easy to check whilst moving.

If the trailer does give out I recommend the Burley as a replacement. It can officially carry 45kg (unofficially even more) so you could probably throw everything on there and leave the panniers at home

Bmblbzzz wrote: ↑11 Aug 2023, 12:46am ...
Oh, and to your more important question on touring with a trailer, I'm afraid I've never used a trailer at all, so can't say anything beyond the obvious "think about nose weight!" If it were me, I'd be leaving half the stuff at home, but then I probably wouldn't be staying four days in one place.
...

Same thoughts x2.

But whatever you decide I recommend a shakedown ride with the full load before the real thing.

Have fun.

Jonathan

I'd definitely recommend a few shakedowns. The last thing you want is to be wasting festival time with hassle or breakdown. Full marks though on cycling it.

Have you been to FolkEast before? There are plenty of food stalls, etc so no need for full cooking unless on a tight budget.

I go to a few such events, including FE 3 times. I have a campervan so no problem for me, but I often give other people a lift. It never ceases to amaze me how much stuff they bring. Most of it is unused.

From memory, the punters campsite is on top of the hill at FolkEast.

Enjoy.

It might be tricky to ride the 80km wearing flowery wellies.

I agree with Simon that it'd be worth doing a shakedown ride or two. My experience with towing is that once you've added the trailer you may as well put all or most stuff in it. I've used a BOB Yak with camping gear for two, the only things carried on the bikes were the sleeping bags because of the bulk and stuff we may have wanted mid ride. I've also done a couple of shorter tours with a Radical Designs Chubby trailer loaded with base camp kit and towed behind an Airnimal Joey, with that I only had a bar bag and saddlebag on the bike.
From memory the weight, not including the trailers, was around 25 - 30kg in both cases. It does slow you down, not by much once up to speed on the flat, but by a huge amount uphill and you lose momentum very quickly. The upside is I find riding a bike with a trailer much more like riding it unloaded compared to having the same heavy luggage in panniers. Though for my usual lighter touring I still favour panniers. I'd be surprised if the trailer wasn't a big improvement on the bike as loaded in the first photo. I cut the mileage right back when towing, probably more so than necessary, but that also suited what I was doing. An issue that concerns me is the difficulty in using public transport as a back up, that's partly why I have the folder and Chubby, it converts to a big suitcase.
Looks like a great trip, have fun and please do report back afterwards, I'd be interested in both the ride and festival.