Damaged by Trailer?

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DaveP
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Damaged by Trailer?

Post by DaveP »

It has been dawning upon me that my Carry Freedom might not be the most rational choice for our next trip, because of its track width. I've been rereading reviews of other trailers, particularly the Bob Yak. One of the things that has caught my attention is the regular comment about single wheel trailers putting more strain on the rear triangle of the bike. I can see where the argument is coming from, but I started to wonder whether more ever amounted to too much.
It isn't hard to find reports of a variety of trailer problems, of greater or lesser severity, but I've never come across one where the trailer has been blamed for damaging the bike.
Has anyone seen this happen?
Trying to retain enough fitness to grow old disgracefully... That hasn't changed!
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[XAP]Bob
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Re: Damaged by Trailer?

Post by [XAP]Bob »

I've snapped a Ar skewer because of a trailer.

Well, because of an anti cycle barrier
A shortcut has to be a challenge, otherwise it would just be the way. No situation is so dire that panic cannot make it worse.
There are two kinds of people in this world: those can extrapolate from incomplete data.
mercalia
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Re: Damaged by Trailer?

Post by mercalia »

The bobyak type of trailer shares the weight between the trailer axle and the rear wheel axle? The closer the weight is to the rear wheel the more weight it takes, the closer the weight is to the trailer wheel the more the weight is there. Thats why you have to be very careful in packing gear on them. In a way the bobyak trailer is half way house between all the load in panniers and on the carrier on your bike, and a real trailer like yours? If I could afford one I would probably get one like yours, but I have the cheapo yakalike ( that I got for free so cant complain). The only virtue of the yakalike design is they wont tip over in the way that 2 wheelers can and are more stable as a result. I have been debating for some time now whether to get a bullet proof rear wheel and pack all on the rear carrier or continue with my yakalike.
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Tigerbiten
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Re: Damaged by Trailer?

Post by Tigerbiten »

The worst one accident I've had with a trailer was when I've flipped my large Carry Freedom trailer onto it's side due to ridges across the road going downhill at speed.
It then jackknifed under brakes with caused my bent trike to roll.
Scratched my Streamer fairing and both front mudguards, also snapped two flag poles.
I lost about an inch of skin in total after sliding down the tarmac for around ten yards due to the streamer fairing and my seat back making a fairly good roll cage.
I was only in shorts at the time.

Another time the weight of the fully loaded trailer probably helped to banana the frame a little after I lost control on a muddy road and I hit a glancing blow to a stone bank at speed.

Apart from that it's just a quick release skewer the only other time I flipped the trike.

Not bad for around 6 years use.
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foxyrider
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Re: Damaged by Trailer?

Post by foxyrider »

Tigerbiten wrote:The worst one accident I've had with a trailer was when I've flipped my large Carry Freedom trailer onto it's side due to ridges across the road going downhill at speed.
It then jackknifed under brakes with caused my bent trike to roll.
Scratched my Streamer fairing and both front mudguards, also snapped two flag poles.
I lost about an inch of skin in total after sliding down the tarmac for around ten yards due to the streamer fairing and my seat back making a fairly good roll cage.
I was only in shorts at the time.

Another time the weight of the fully loaded trailer probably helped to banana the frame a little after I lost control on a muddy road and I hit a glancing blow to a stone bank at speed.

Apart from that it's just a quick release skewer the only other time I flipped the trike.

Not bad for around 6 years use.


Not bad? define bad then!
Convention? what's that then?
Airnimal Chameleon touring, Orbit Pro hack, Orbit Photon audax, Focus Mares AX tour, Peugeot Carbon sportive, Owen Blower vintage race - all running Tulio's finest!
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[XAP]Bob
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Re: Damaged by Trailer?

Post by [XAP]Bob »

6 years is a huge mileage for tiger, and both "incidents" were high speed loss of control, resulting in no serious injury.

Additionally the trailer is large, and often heavily loaded
A shortcut has to be a challenge, otherwise it would just be the way. No situation is so dire that panic cannot make it worse.
There are two kinds of people in this world: those can extrapolate from incomplete data.
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DaveP
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Location: W Mids

Re: Damaged by Trailer?

Post by DaveP »

Thanks for those contributions, but that's not quite the sort of damage I wanted to know about - I should have expressed myself more clearly :oops:
It's reassuring to hear that such catastrophic incidents are survivable, both for the kit and, of course, for the riders, but I'm more interested just now in the possibility of abnormal wear and tear that could be blamed on the use of a trailer. Cracked or distorted drop outs maybe?

TBH I'm beginning to suspect that the cautionary notes I have read might be, Errrm, pessimistic. I do hope so!
Trying to retain enough fitness to grow old disgracefully... That hasn't changed!
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Tigerbiten
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Re: Damaged by Trailer?

Post by Tigerbiten »

I would think that normally the hitch and/or QR skewer would go before the dropout.
Thats why a lot of 2 wheel trailers have a safety strap, just in case the trailer comes loose.

As for a front on crash, the extra weight of the trailer won't help.
Thats what happened when I crashed into the bank at an angle.

I heard that some Bob-Yaks/Bob Yak lookalikes can induce a speed shimmy at speed when loaded.
Never heard that about a Carry Freedom.

Not bad? define bad then!

Bad is something you don't cycle away from, either the bikes to damaged or you are or both are.

In just over 5 years and just under 40,000 miles on all roads and in all conditions, I've only really crashed twice at speed with the trailer.
Both times at the start of crashes I was doing +20 mph downhill.
Both times I cycled away with no/minimal injuries to myself and only minor damage to trike-trailer ...... :D
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