Panniers v Trailers

[Mick F]

I'm sure you've all read me going on about my Carry Freedom Y Frame trailer.

Today we went shopping ......

I took a great load of empties to make a deposit at the village bottle bank, then cycled up the hill out of the valley to our favorite Farm Shop.

I brought back:
5kg of spuds
a small bag of carrots
a swede
6 onions
a cucumber
a hand of bananas
a melon
4 large oranges
a bunch of grapes
a punnet of raspberries
a tub of clotted cream
2 packets of bacon
2 pork chops
4 pints of milk
a tray of eggs

Fit that lot in your panniers!

Mick F. Cornwall

[reohn2]

would there be a little bias creeping in there? Mick

[Mick F]

You bet!

Good though, innit?!!

Mick F. Cornwall

[Mrs Tortoise]

I've had similar amounts on the bike, including a pack of 12 tins of cat food, but it was heavy at the back. I've also carried more when on holiday with the bike. However, I won't disagree that trailers would be useful except I don't have one yet.

I was impressed with the all the healthy eating (except the clotted cream - cholesterol in a tub!).

[Bruce]

I have a BoB trailer which is good with my mountain bike but not so good with my old Dawes Lightning. Has anyone used one with a folder like a Brompton? I have seen this combination but was not able to speak to the riders.Does it handle OK?

[Mick F]

I have a terrible problem with cholesterol. It's Familial.

I could eat nothing but carrots, and I'd still be sky-high. My mega-statins take care of it all!

But of course, this is a cycling forum .....

Mick F. Cornwall

[reohn2]

Thinks.........what if you used panniers AND trailer !

[reohn2]

not for your cholesterol that would silly

[Mick F]

I'd need a Rohloff.

Mick F. Cornwall

[thirdcrank]

r2 a little etymological note here for you. Note that he has no bread in his shopping so he does not need panniers. (Originally, panniers were bread baskets. A few weeks ago some politician / royal knocked a cyclist off his bike and by the time the news had been mangled by the papers the casualty was riding a bike fitted with baskets.)

[Mrs Tortoise]

So if one is into panniers, would that make them basket case?

[horizon]

reohn2: I am hoping your question about using both panniers and trailer will get answered! There is a post somewhere else that says this can be problematic. What was the final verdict on this? I am thinking about getting a trailer (bob yak I expect) for the tandem to go camping with, but don't want to get rid of the panniers at the back (or is the trailer meant to replace them?

[Mick F]

The problem with the Bob Yak, is that it only has one wheel.

One wheel isn't a problem in general, but as it only has one, it has to be at the back. Therefore 50% of the cargo weight is born on the bike's rear end.

If you load up with rear panniers too, that could be a problem.

My trailer has two wheels, so the centre of gravity of the cargo can be placed between the wheels, there-by the trailer has a neutral nose weight.

Less strain on the bike frame, less strain on the rear wheel too. Simple.

The down-side is that two wheels make it wide. Not the best set-up for off-road and negotiating narrow paths and gates.

Mick F. Cornwall

[reohn2]

Horizon, the only problem with using panniers and a trailer is that you need front panniers for the extra glucosamine(for the knees because of the extra strain)

T/C trust you to pull me on a technicality

Mrs T if one can get into panniers I see no problem with a basket in any case

[knuckingfackered]

I'll second the need for front panniers

I use my Yak Bob with rear panniers and find that the front wheel can get very light especially on sharp downhills so take care !!. You need a couple of bricks in the front panniers to stop the wheel skating away.

I used my YAK to give my youngest son a guided tour of Eindhoven, he loved it I have also used it to to ferry cement, bicycles and of course 'gear' for a six month stay abroad.

Yaks rock

Now off for a ride TTFN