Bicycle trailers:

"Mike Kruger" <[email hidden]> wrote

Quoted message said:

1. A milk crate costs about $3 at a hardware store, and most people already
have one. Panniers are more expensive.

I have a milk crate, my wife has a fold-out "grocery bag" pannier. Hers cost
$9, mine was free.

Quoted message said:

2. The dorky look of a milk crate serves as an effective anti-theft device
for the entire bike. It marks the rider as somebody not worth mugging,
because how much money could they possibly have? Certainly it's hard to
imagine stealing the milk crate itself. Panniers make a bike look more
attractive, and can be stolen easily if left on the bike.

Her pannier is much better looking, especially with its day-glo rain cover.

Quoted message said:

3. The milk crate doesn't need any extra attention in rain.

She needs to put her cover on, which she usually uses anyway.

Quoted message said:

4. You can stick a backpack in a milk crate more easily than in panniers,
which is an advantage for students.

I like this feature the most. When I ride my bike downtown for shopping or Dr.
visit, etc., I can throw my backpack into the crate, then grab it & put
helmet, etc. away for errands. The pannier easily detaches though, and has
handles, looks like a square, black, fabric shopping bag, not too bad either.

Quoted message said:

5. No heel strike problems with a milk crate.

Also a big issue for me with size 52 shoes.

Quoted message said:

6. The back of the milk crate makes a nice surface for bumper stickers
containing the irritating political slogan of your choice.

I've thought of that, but think a big reflector might be more pragmatic. The
pannier does have reflective material.

Quoted message said:

I've used both, and prefer panniers. The humble milk crate is not without
appeal, however.

I agree. Another drawback of the crate is that sitting directly on the rack as
it does, it subjects the contents to a harsher ride. I keep a bit of foam in
mine, helps when delivering things like a 12-pack of bottles.

In article <BmiDc.100294$Hg2.30504@attbi_s04>,

Peter Cole said:

Quoted message said:

4. You can stick a backpack in a milk crate more easily than in panniers,
which is an advantage for students.

I like this feature the most. When I ride my bike downtown for shopping or Dr.
visit, etc., I can throw my backpack into the crate, then grab it & put
helmet, etc. away for errands. The pannier easily detaches though, and has
handles, looks like a square, black, fabric shopping bag, not too bad either.

With my pack in the crate, I can stuff a water bottle or
two in the near right corner -- easily accessible, and
the bottles stay upright against the pack.

Milk crates are also better than panniers, I think, for
transporting certain delicate things, like foot-high
potted zinnias.

I've found small pizza boxes fit quite nicely right
inside the crate; large one fits over the top and
can be bungee'd on. But medium-sized pizza boxes
want to go in at an angle, causing a pie-valanche
inside the box. Take-out pizzas carried uninsulated
on a bike, and unprotected from the airflow, get cold
very fast.

The only 'stability' problem I've experienced has
been while transporting large sacks of flour. They
lean out over the back of the crate, and cause the
bike to tend to sponaneously wheelie. In fact there's
a bit of effort involved just in holding the front of
the bike down while mounting.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

I've used both, and prefer panniers. The humble milk crate is not without
appeal, however.

Quoted message said:

I agree. Another drawback of the crate is that sitting directly on the rack as
it does, it subjects the contents to a harsher ride. I keep a bit of foam in
mine, helps when delivering things like a 12-pack of bottles.

I haven't yet broken an egg coming home from the supermarket.
But I'll pick the line that traverses the best pavement. That
can be a little slower and somewhat squirrely. And I'll
gingerly negotiate the unavoidable bumps. It's been good
practice for me, for riding light on the saddle. /Be/ the
suspension :-) Actually, I don't really know for sure if
unweighting the saddle lessens any jolts inflicted on things
in the milk crate. But it doesn't hurt.

I haven't had the courage to pack bottled beer beyond
one or two bottles at a time. Cans are easier to take
back for the deposit, anyway (we get a 10-cents-per-can-
or-bottle deposit back here.)

cheers,
Tom

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Tom Keats said:

In article <BmiDc.100294$Hg2.30504@attbi_s04>,

Peter Cole said:

Quoted message said:

4. You can stick a backpack in a milk crate more easily than in panniers,
which is an advantage for students.

I like this feature the most. When I ride my bike downtown for shopping or Dr.
visit, etc., I can throw my backpack into the crate, then grab it & put
helmet, etc. away for errands. The pannier easily detaches though, and has
handles, looks like a square, black, fabric shopping bag, not too bad either.

With my pack in the crate, I can stuff a water bottle or
two in the near right corner -- easily accessible, and
the bottles stay upright against the pack.

Milk crates are also better than panniers, I think, for
transporting certain delicate things, like foot-high
potted zinnias.

I've found small pizza boxes fit quite nicely right
inside the crate; large one fits over the top and
can be bungee'd on. But medium-sized pizza boxes
want to go in at an angle, causing a pie-valanche
inside the box. Take-out pizzas carried uninsulated
on a bike, and unprotected from the airflow, get cold
very fast.

The only 'stability' problem I've experienced has
been while transporting large sacks of flour. They
lean out over the back of the crate, and cause the
bike to tend to sponaneously wheelie. In fact there's
a bit of effort involved just in holding the front of
the bike down while mounting.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

I've used both, and prefer panniers. The humble milk crate is not without
appeal, however.

Quoted message said:

I agree. Another drawback of the crate is that sitting directly on the rack as
it does, it subjects the contents to a harsher ride. I keep a bit of foam in
mine, helps when delivering things like a 12-pack of bottles.

I haven't yet broken an egg coming home from the supermarket.
But I'll pick the line that traverses the best pavement. That
can be a little slower and somewhat squirrely. And I'll
gingerly negotiate the unavoidable bumps. It's been good
practice for me, for riding light on the saddle. /Be/ the
suspension :-) Actually, I don't really know for sure if
unweighting the saddle lessens any jolts inflicted on things
in the milk crate. But it doesn't hurt.

I haven't had the courage to pack bottled beer beyond
one or two bottles at a time. Cans are easier to take
back for the deposit, anyway (we get a 10-cents-per-can-
or-bottle deposit back here.)

cheers,
Tom

Shopping bag type panniers excel for carrying bottles. Each holds two
sixpacks of bottles perfectly. I haven't bought cans for a while but you
should be able to stack them and carry twice as many. Sixpacks should be
the universal standard of carrying capacity.

Lorenzo L. Love
http://home.thegrid.net/~lllove

"Americans are broad-minded people. They'll accept the fact that a
person can be an alcoholic, a dope fiend, a wife beater, and even a
newspaperman, but if a man doesn't drive there's something wrong with him."
Art Buchwald

Tom Keats said:

Milk crates are also better than panniers, I think, for
transporting certain delicate things, like foot-high
potted zinnias.

I carried a 8 foot tall maple tree home from Kmart (10 miles)
in the shade of my own tree, shade most of the way, with its pot in the
milk crate.

Today it's much bigger. I was hoping to make a shady spot for my
Doberman Susie to lie under, but it was pretty slow-growing, and even
living to 13 and a half she never got a decent shady spot from it.
The successor Doberman Annie however has a nice shady spot today,
and it's turned into a very shapely Maple.

Every day I transport at least a gallon of water or milk, sometimes two;
weekly 20 pounds of snapple as well; and monthly 40 pounds of salt, if
I haven't trailered it home from the salt place 160 pounds at a time
in time, which I usually haven't.

It's impossible to overbuy for a milk crate. There's always some way
to pile it all in or on, though you may look like a bag lady in the end.
--
Ron Hardin
[email hidden]

On the internet, nobody knows you're a jerk.

"Ron Hardin" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

and monthly 40 pounds of salt, if

Quoted message said:

I haven't trailered it home from the salt place 160 pounds at a time
in time, which I usually haven't.

What do you do with that much salt?

Dave

In article <[email hidden]>,

Ron Hardin said:

I carried a 8 foot tall maple tree home from Kmart (10 miles)
in the shade of my own tree, shade most of the way, with its pot in the
milk crate.

That would've made a cool snapshot; especially with you,
your bike and the tree sillhouetted against a sunset.
Sort of haiku-inspiring.

cheers,
Tom

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Raoul Duke said:

and monthly 40 pounds of salt, if

Quoted message said:

I haven't trailered it home from the salt place 160 pounds at a time
in time, which I usually haven't.

What do you do with that much salt?

Salt runs water softeners.
--
Ron Hardin
[email hidden]

On the internet, nobody knows you're a jerk.

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

Quoted message said:

...The idea of a trailer has been going through my mind and am

wondering what sort, as in single rear wheel, or twin wheeled type.

Quoted message said:

---------------

there are pros/cons of single vs double-wheel, so you'll need to make
that decision first. Secondly, the attachment hardware of the *best*
ones is pretty sophisticated in both cases to allow secure attachment
and proper articulation... so you might want to just buy something
rather than attempt to fabricate.

the single wheel cons are:
- whatever weight you haul adds to the load on YOUR rear wheel
- when you hit a bump that weight pounds your wheel
- you have to "balance" the weight and will feel crosswinds
pros are:
- it tracks right with your tires... easier to avoid debris, etc.
- can be much smaller, lighter, and more aero

double-wheel (like Burley) cons are:
- size and shape tend to be BIG for kids
- added width can make it hard to avoid debris/holes
pros are:
- bigger payloads

d

dan baker said:

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

Quoted message said:

...The idea of a trailer has been going through my mind and am

wondering what sort, as in single rear wheel, or twin wheeled type.

Quoted message said:

---------------

there are pros/cons of single vs double-wheel, so you'll need to make
that decision first. Secondly, the attachment hardware of the *best*
ones is pretty sophisticated in both cases to allow secure attachment
and proper articulation... so you might want to just buy something
rather than attempt to fabricate.

I put a Burley hitch on my Tanjor trailer in fact (same tongue tube diamater);
it was about $25 special order at the LBS, for 2-wheel.
--
Ron Hardin
[email hidden]

On the internet, nobody knows you're a jerk.