CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Questions/Support/Help

Trailer recommendations

(29 posts)
  • Started 12 years ago by minimoth
  • Latest reply from Uberuce
  • This topic is not resolved

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  1. minimoth
    Member

    Hi, As some of you may know I work in Food and health community sector. I'm working with a group in North Edinburgh who have just won some funding to buy a couple of bike trailers to move produce and equipment around between community gardens, community retailers and community cafes etc.

    I'm looking for a bit of advice on what trailers are best for this (easy to connect/disconnect from a range of bikes, hard wearing, easy to repair, not too expensive etc, large enough to carry a crate?) and the second thing the best place to buy them from?

    Any comments appreciated!

    Posted 12 years ago #

  2. crowriver
    Member

    Carry Freedom Y-Frame (comes in small or large sizes)

    There may be local stockists, but haven't seen it if so.
    Chain Reaction appears to be cheapest online:
    http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=11357

    Posted 12 years ago #

  3. ruggtomcat
    Member

    Y-frame all the way.

    Posted 12 years ago #

  4. crowriver
    Member

    Or you can build your own:

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

    Greener Leith may have some left over from the workshop in 2010 where I built mine. I think they're for hire, you could try one out and see if it suits?

    Posted 12 years ago #

  5. Uberuce
    Member

    Managed to flip my Carry Freedom almost completely over by stowing my behemoth chain like an idiot - it was in a bag which was so loosely strapped on that it rolled off the front left side and basically did a Judo throw on the trailer. If you're not silly enough to have a large percentage of the load hanging off the platform, they're stable.

    Luckily the CRT monitor I was carrying was already broken and on its way to the dump, and impressively the polymer hitch is so flexible it didn't complain at all about the ~135 degree rotation.

    Posted 12 years ago #

  6. wee folding bike
    Member

    The old hitch would let a Brompton back wheel fold under. I don't think you can do that with the rubber lollipop. That would be a 180° twist. I have been overloading it for a year and a half with no ill effects.

    Posted 12 years ago #

  7. Darkerside
    Member

    Another vote for the y-frame. Locally designed (built?) as well!

    Posted 12 years ago #

  8. Uberuce
    Member

    I admire Ruggtomcat's box, although I think I can save myself a few pennies because I don't need to do this...

    ...so I can get away with something that has less robustness of lid.

    Posted 12 years ago #

  9. Dave
    Member

    This prompted me to complete my set of commentary on the Carry Freedom y-frame (click through the image):

    Highly recommended. Almost indestructable, considering that my wheels are just now starting to look a little shonky after riding it often with 50kg or more of stuff.

    I'd really like to try putting a tripod and extended towing bar on it, to use as a chase cam for gritty Edinburgh cycling action...

    Posted 12 years ago #

  10. crowriver
    Member

    You can see documentation of the Greener Leith bike trailer workshop (led by Nick Lobnitz, designer of the Carry Freedom Y-Frame) here:

    http://www.greenerleith.org/greener-leith-news/2010/6/11/fun-with-bike-trailers.html

    Scroll down to see video of a lady being carried on the back of one!

    I have a trailer that was made on the workshop (I helped make them all) and use it for big and/or heavy loads.

    Posted 12 years ago #

  11. kaputnik
    Moderator

    I've decided I want/need a trailer. Does anyone know if it's possible to buy locally?

    I don't see the point in buying a "local" product off a bulk-discounting Northern Irish company (i.e. Chain Reaction!). That's nothing against our fine Northern Irish forumites, it just doesn't seem to make sense in my mind.

    Specifically Dave, Uberuce and Ruggtomcat, where did you get yours?

    Posted 11 years ago #

  12. SRD
    Moderator

    Mr Laidback has one right around the corner from you

    Posted 11 years ago #

  13. Darkerside
    Member

    Adding myself into the list (Glasgow is kind of local); aforementioned Northern Irish chain...

    Posted 11 years ago #

  14. Dave
    Member

    Although I got mine via CRC, I would now buy from Laid Back Bikes, obviously! There might even be one in stock with your name on...

    Posted 11 years ago #

  15. crowriver
    Member

    I got my Y-Frame Small from Wiggle two years ago. If I had known Laid Back Bikes were selling them, I'd have bought it there.

    Posted 11 years ago #

  16. Uberuce
    Member

    Laidback's, mahuh.

    Posted 11 years ago #

  17. kaputnik
    Moderator

    That's pretty local for me!

    Posted 11 years ago #

  18. Kim
    Member


    Posted 11 years ago #

  19. Brown
    Member

    Bought our 3 trailers directly from carry freedom with spares coming through the Bike Station (we go through a lot of retention clips).

    Cannot fault the trailers in 3 years of heavy hauling although I have just had our first lollipop fail - this was promptly replaced under the garauntee - good company to deal with.

    Posted 11 years ago #

  20. lionfish
    Member

    minimoth and I had a chance to try the carry freedom out a couple of weekends ago [edit: again* see post below] (borrowed Laidback's). The trailer was really amazing - it didn't mind what terrain we were using it on! Completely quiet too - no rattling or anything. Perfect :D

    http://lionfishy.wordpress.com/2013/05/28/borders-bike-ride/

    @minimoth - regarding the first post: did they buy the carry freedom in the end?

    Posted 11 years ago #

  21. Uberuce
    Member

    You borrowed mine for the Sky ride last year, silly rabbit.

    Posted 11 years ago #

  22. lionfish
    Member

    :P True :D Thanks for that again Uberuce! :)

    But we really tested it this time! (see photo in blog - and don't tell LaidBack we basically took the Helios off-road :) ...The green under the bike in the photo is just uh, green paint...)

    Re the event last year: Sadly although it did sterling work getting the gazebo to the finish line, the wind picked up and there was a risk the gazebo would blow away so had to be taken down :/ Still, it also helped get the table etc to the place too.

    Posted 11 years ago #

  23. kaputnik
    Moderator

    I have a mattress to dispose of and resent paying council £20 to take it off my hands. My plan is to cut it into sections, strap onto back of trailer and take it to the dump. That £20 is 10% of trailer investment costs recouped in its first use.

    Posted 11 years ago #

  24. Dave
    Member

    Mine has more than repaid for itself - I stopped counting after I got to about 1.5x the purchase cost in avoided motoring costs, and that was over a year ago.

    You can pretty much carry anything on it. For old times' sake: http://mccraw.co.uk/biking-washing-machine/

    Posted 11 years ago #

  25. kaputnik
    Moderator

    @Dave.

    I read with interest your dream of carrying a car using bike power. I think a trailer capable of carrying a Mini would add just too much weight. But why not get a tow rope and devise some sort of draw-bar that a couple of hitch-fitted bikes could be attached to. The car could then be tugged along horse-and-carriage style?

    Sounds like a challenge to me!

    Now, who has a small, light-weight car we could experiment on? (Anth's modern MINI I suspect is too heavy for a starting point)

    Posted 11 years ago #

  26. wingpig
    Member

    "My plan is to cut it into sections..."

    Are you talking a proper spring-filled mattress or just a foam/wadding-filled futon-mattress sort of thing? Cutting the former would be a nightmare and cutting the latter would be a messy nightmare, albeit of lesser severity. A sufficiently robust ratchet webbing strap and some determination might be able to fold a springy mattress into thirds lengthwise, whereupon it might be trailerable.

    Posted 11 years ago #

  27. Instography
    Member

    How about joining two trailers into a four-wheel machine.

    Posted 11 years ago #

  28. kaputnik
    Moderator

    Cutting the former would be a nightmare

    It's an improper sprung mattress (big, bouncy springs, few and far between. I figured a loan of Uberuce's bolt croppers would make short work of it...

    How about joining two trailers into a four-wheel machine.

    Centitraileripede

    Posted 11 years ago #

  29. Uberuce
    Member

    If you'd rather take the job on mano a mattresso, I'll understand, but if not I'll bring the croppers round in the trailer in case it looks like needing two trips.

    Posted 11 years ago #

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