One Wheel Designs
“The weight of the trailer’s load is shared between its only wheel, and the rear wheel of the bicycle. Due to the weight being spread between the bike and the trailer, the rear driving wheel of the bike will be pushed into the ground aiding traction tremendously. When off-road touring or bike-camping, this is a great advantage. Also, the width is an obvious bonus in tight conditions. The compromise however, is that the handling of the bike changes in direct reflection to the weight of the load. With maximum payloads often being around 45kg, this can be a dramatic difference from the bike alone. Learning to predict the weight shift in tight terrain and quick manoeuvring is key as the bike will occasionally try to find its own direction.”
Two Wheel Designs
“The majority of the load rests between the trailer’s own two wheels. This leaves the rear wheel of the bike, and therefore the handling of the bike itself, relatively unaffected by the added weight. Actually, it’s only the weight being pulled that is felt, for the most part. Tire wear should not increase substantially and using a single kickstand is no problem as the bike remains independent of the trailer. The compromise of course, is the width of the two-wheel design. For any type of technical terrain, or extremely tight areas of operation, this can become overwhelming. Narrow sidewalks and gates can become a real obstacle.” z More On Trailers: www.travellingtwo.com/ resources/trailers-for-bike-touring e
TRAILERS? PANNIERS?
Popular Trailers
Radical Designs Cyclone III: Clever design that
Chariot Cougar: consistently gets great
allows the trailer to be folded inside the duffel
reviews from parents who bike tour with
bag for easy transport on trains and planes.
BOB Yak Plus: A long-time favourite among bike tourists. Solid, easy to assemble and can be flipped over to use as a table.
78 | Bike Touring Basics - 2015 Edition
young children.
Photo by Stijn de Klerk
It’s not a case of which is ‘best’ but rather which is right for you.
Exrawheel Voyager: Proven performance for off-road trips. Very light and can act as a spare front wheel.
Carry Freedom Y-Frame: Simple and versatile. Put nearly any type of container on the back, from a large plastic box to an Ortlieb bag.
Trailer Advantages
Pannier Advantages
- Ideal for carrying bulky, heavy items such as lots of water across deserts - Kids trailers give the children a place to rest, away from strong sun or bad weather - Handy for home use as well as touring (carrying groceries, collecting large purchases from shops) - Often built with a wide profile that encourages cars to leave more room when passing - Easily unhooked so you can ride a ‘naked’ bike without racks - Aggressive dogs tend to chase the trailer, keeping them away from your legs
- Easily carried one-by-one into your tent or hotel room and over obstacles like fences and streams (no single bag is very heavy) - Your luggage can be sorted into different parts and stored per bag, making things easier to find (in theory!) - Accessible while riding; you can reach things strapped on top of panniers or stored near the top, without getting off your bike - Simply designed, with few moving parts that can get lost or break - Versatile. Use all 4 for longer trips or take just one on a short day trip; carry a single pannier as a ‘day bag’ when visiting cities
Trailer Disadvantages
Pannier Disadvantages
- May be harder to pack for train, plane and bus journeys - More mechanical parts that could need repair or replacement (spokes, tire, skewers) - Can be tricky if you need to back up, park or navigate through narrow gaps
- Put strain on a bike, particularly the back wheel, possibly causing broken spokes - Increase tire wear and wind resistance - Need to be reasonably well balanced between the left and right sides or the bike will feel unstable Bike Touring Basics - 2015 Edition | 79 78