cycle trailers

Adam Lea said:

I am considering buying a cycle
trailer sometime in the future. I would need it to be compact so that I can
easily transport it on the train, good value for money and attachable to a
folding bike (Birdy). I don't need a large load capacity; just enough to
carry the equivalent of a suitcase, small bag and 6 bottles of wine. Does
anyone have any recommendations?

I've no personal experience of folding trailers, but there are a few
listed at http://www.atob.org.uk/trailer_price_tag.html

Jon

On Tue, 2 Jan 2007 23:49:00 -0000, "Adam Lea" <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

Having visited my parents in Manchester over Christmas (and having a bloody
awful journey back home) and having to leave the bike at home because I
couldn't get all my stuff into the panniers I am considering buying a cycle
trailer sometime in the future. I would need it to be compact so that I can
easily transport it on the train, good value for money and attachable to a
folding bike (Birdy). I don't need a large load capacity; just enough to
carry the equivalent of a suitcase, small bag and 6 bottles of wine. Does
anyone have any recommendations?

I've got a Bob Yak, which I love to bits. They are quite expensive
though, so depending on your "value for money" criteria it might not
fit the bill. However, I'm in Crawley. I believe you're just down the
road, so you're welcome to try mine before you spalsh out on a new
one.

Tim

Adam Lea said:

Having visited my parents in Manchester over Christmas (and having a bloody
awful journey back home) and having to leave the bike at home because I
couldn't get all my stuff into the panniers I am considering buying a cycle
trailer sometime in the future. I would need it to be compact so that I can
easily transport it on the train, good value for money and attachable to a
folding bike (Birdy). I don't need a large load capacity; just enough to
carry the equivalent of a suitcase, small bag and 6 bottles of wine. Does
anyone have any recommendations?

Not used one, but reports have been good AFAICT on the Carry Freedom
range. The City is specifically designed to fold flat for train use.
CF's publicity pic even features it being towed by a Birdy, so I think
you can safely assume it would work with one...

See http://www.carryfreedom.com/city.html

Pete.
--
Peter Clinch Medical Physics IT Officer
Tel 44 1382 660111 ext. 33637 Univ. of Dundee, Ninewells Hospital
Fax 44 1382 640177 Dundee DD1 9SY Scotland UK
net [email hidden] http://www.dundee.ac.uk/~pjclinch/

Response to Peter Clinch:

Quoted message said:

See http://www.carryfreedom.com/city.html

<grumpy sod with a filthy cold>

I've heard their trailers are good, but their English is painful:

"Your cycling again within seconds..."

"Schwalbe's advanced city jet tyre's role very well..."

etc.

[I know, I know - so how many decent bike trailers did Jane Austen
design, then? Eh? Eh?]

</>

--
Mark, UK
"Never believe anything until it has been officially denied"

Mark McNeill said:

[I know, I know - so how many decent bike trailers did Jane Austen
design, then? Eh? Eh?]

And hopefully their trailers don't reduce you to tears at times :-)

Peter Clinch said:

Not used one, but reports have been good AFAICT on the Carry Freedom range.

I just found their free design for a DIY bamboo trailer, which is pretty cool:

http://www.carryfreedom.com/bamboo.html

There are links to other DIY trailers at the bottom of the page.

--
Graham

in message <[email hidden]>, Adam Lea

(') said:

Having visited my parents in Manchester over Christmas (and having a
bloody awful journey back home) and having to leave the bike at home
because I couldn't get all my stuff into the panniers I am considering
buying a cycle trailer sometime in the future. I would need it to be
compact so that I can easily transport it on the train, good value for
money and attachable to a folding bike (Birdy). I don't need a large load
capacity; just enough to carry the equivalent of a suitcase, small bag
and 6 bottles of wine. Does anyone have any recommendations?

The one I want but am as yet too stingy to get myself is the Weber
Monoporter. But if you're a Birdy man the little Carry Freedom folding
trailer might be a better idea.

--
[email hidden] (Simon Brooke) http://www.jasmine.org.uk/~simon/
;; This email may contain confidential or otherwise privileged
;; information, though, quite frankly, if you're not the intended
;; recipient and you've got nothing better to do than read other
;; folks' emails then I'm glad to have brightened up your sad little
;; life a tiny bit.

"Simon Brooke" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

in message <[email hidden]>, Adam Lea

(') said:

Having visited my parents in Manchester over Christmas (and having a
bloody awful journey back home) and having to leave the bike at home
because I couldn't get all my stuff into the panniers I am considering
buying a cycle trailer sometime in the future. I would need it to be
compact so that I can easily transport it on the train, good value for
money and attachable to a folding bike (Birdy). I don't need a large load
capacity; just enough to carry the equivalent of a suitcase, small bag
and 6 bottles of wine. Does anyone have any recommendations?

The one I want but am as yet too stingy to get myself is the Weber
Monoporter. But if you're a Birdy man the little Carry Freedom folding
trailer might be a better idea.

That city model looks like just the thing I am after.

Adam Lea said:

couldn't get all my stuff into the panniers I am considering buying a cycle
trailer sometime in the future. I would need it to be compact so that I can

Quoted message said:

anyone have any recommendations?

I highly recommend the Carry Freedom City, as mentioned by somebody
else. It folds in 1-2 minutes. Spare tyres/wheels/tubes are available
from any branch of Mothercare. The other Carry Freedom trailers don't
*fold*: rather they dismantle.

I have towed mine using a 20" wheeled folder (Dahon) and a 700C roadie.

The trailer doesn't follow symmetrically behind the bike: it is offset
to the kerbside, apparently to reduce the risk of it being hit by
overtaking vehicles.

The bag fastens onto the frame in a simple manner. I'd likely reinforce
it with a couple of straps as a kind of hammock for carrying heavier loads.

Recommended max load for towing is 45kg, and max speed is 30km/h.

My grumble is that fixing a light to the rear isn't easy: placing the
light centrally (as I understand is the legal requirement) interferes
with the bag strap. The light is also vulnerable if the trailer is stood
on end to go through turnstiles (the frame has small castor wheels to
make sliding it sideways through small gaps easier).

When cycling through the tramlines around Bristol's waterside I
misjudged the trailer wheel position and fell off.

Avon Valley Cycles were extremely helpful to me.

Hope these points help.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

in message <[email hidden]>, Adam Lea

(') said:

Having visited my parents in Manchester over Christmas (and having a
bloody awful journey back home) and having to leave the bike at home
because I couldn't get all my stuff into the panniers I am considering
buying a cycle trailer sometime in the future. I would need it to be
compact so that I can easily transport it on the train, good value for
money and attachable to a folding bike (Birdy). I don't need a large
load
capacity; just enough to carry the equivalent of a suitcase, small bag
and 6 bottles of wine. Does anyone have any recommendations?

When I read the header I thought it was about trailers to tow behind
bicycles!

Alan