Best bike to use with trailer

[Walter Vundala]

I am new to touring and am planning a solo-unsupported tour around Lake Superior this summer. I will be using a B.O.B. trailer to haul my gear, and am wondering what the best bike to use for the trip. I have researched touring specific bikes, but since I won’t be using panniers these bikes may be over-kill for me. I have considered modifying a mountain bike, or cyclocross bike, but am unsure if this is the best route. Does anyone have input on what considerations should be made for bikes used with trailers. Any recommendations on specific bikes would be great. Steel or aluminum? Disc brakes? Straight handle bars or dropped (can mountain bikes be fixed with dropped handle bars?) These are all questions that I’ve been perusing. Any info is appreciated.

 

[islandboy]

Check out James and Rebecca's Pacific Coast Bike Trip They went all the way to Mexico. They did use a trailer though you may want to make sure you do not have the same experiance they did. He started out towing the trailer with a race bike, destroyed the frame and then continued with a surly cyclocross/touring bike.

 

[AlvChen]

I think trailers can be used on a wide variety of bikes. It seems like people opt for a trailer for the bike, as opposed to choosing a bike for their trailer. I hauled a Burley Nomad with an aluminum racing bike with no problems. Since the hitch attaches to the chain and seat stays, if I had carbon stays, I may not have gone for the Nomad.