motorized bicycling with trailers

Having a motor gives you a lot more range on a bicycle, as well as more power to haul cargo. I remember seeing bicyclists crossing the deserts in Arizona and New Mexico, hauling large bulky trailers sometimes, or with lots of bags/packs on their bikes. A couple had small motors.

I don't plan to drive across the country on a motorized bicycle, but I like going to the store on mine, or taking a Sunday drive. I don't really want to put a lot of racks and bags on my bike, so a trailer makes it very easy to tow something and then go back to my regular configuration.

Please share trailers to purchase or build, that you have used with your bike.

I like converting kid carriages to cargo trailers.
Here is one I got from a yard sale, a Toys R Us model, kind of old, with a steel frame. It is heavy, but strong. The Nylon fabric was hard to paint. If you plan to paint yours, I recommend using up a couple cans of the cheapest paint/leftover paint you have first. The fabric was very strong, with a rubberized foot panel. It got moldy in storage though, and the top got chewed by a dog, so I made something else out of the frame.





Here is another one I got, from the trash. There is a picture of a "new" one to show what the model looks like. You can find these cheap! (Safety 1st brand walmart trailer)

If the fabric is good, this one can carry an 18gal bin in front of the seat, or a 24 gallon bin with the seat folded flat.

Here is my favorite. This one is very light, and came with the best quality wheels! (Instep Turbo trailer) It is taller than many kid trailers, but the wind resistance isn't as much a problem for putting around with a kid, or towing some food in a basket. Laundry baskets fit in the front of this one, and a fabric grocery bag can fit behind the seat.

Great looking bike and trailer combo. Can you tell us more about the trailer? Was it sold that way? (looks to be a fabric-over-frame cargo trailer). Did your bike already have cantilever axles?

Hello, Born to Fli . That isn't "low class", really. It looks nice and if you are using it for work, that's even better! Did you build it from another cart or trailer? I like the long boom. I think the ones on my kid trailer are almost too short. I may build some longer trailer tongues from square tubing, especially for the lawn mower trailer. The long tongue is good if you have items with poles or long handles like brooms, mops, or brushes.

Chainmaker, I like the cargo trailer. It says it has a solid bottom. Is it made of metal or wood?
The Ebay seller i10direct also sells a 16" wheel canti axle trailer with a folding plastic box, about the same price ($150 shipped) http://www.ebay.com/itm/Cargo-Bicyc...758?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item4abbc8242e


http://i.ebayimg.com/t/Cargo-Bicycle-Trailer-with-removable-Gray-Plastic-Bin-/00/s/MzEyWDQwMA==/$(KGrHqF,!ocF!J-qugcDBQSNyheGzQ~~60_12.JPG


http://www.i10direct.com/product_im...Bicycle-Trailer-Red-and-Black__71789_zoom.jpg

http://www.wilsonmfgco.com/hitchpins/images/WL2600.jpg

Replace this with a standard bolt and hardware for more strength.

If you are not going to fold the trailer up, or are carrying heavy loads, I highly recommend replacing the trailer hitch pin on the neck joint, with a steel allen head bolt, washers, and nylock nut. You can even keep the hitch pin tied to the neck for later, but the bolt will make the connection much more solid, and prevent wear or trailer bucking, and decrease noise.

I have one trailer with an aluminum bracket for the trailer tongue, and it has a little wear from the hitch pin elongating the hole. It still works, but sometimes it's annoying.

Cool. I've never seen one like that before (the hitch with padlock).

I don't know if there are a lot of trailer thieves, but I am sure that having a bike locked to a trailer makes it less interesting to bike thieves if they weren't looking for a trailer. Either way, it looks like a solid connection. Padlock shackles are pretty strong metal.

Here is a trailer I made from a junked kid trailer. It has a wire grid floor and can hold 2 laundry baskets, 1 picnic cooler, 4 milk crates, or a couple Rubbermaid totes. A lot of Walmart bags can go in there.

here's the one I made. It was a "Safety 1st" Walmart kid trailer I got from the trash. It has push-button-removal wheels which might not be the best thing for theft-prevention, but they do work great for tire changes or storage. Trailer is a bit heavy (all steel), but solid! I could pull a weeks worth of groceries on it at 20mph and feel ok.

http://www.instructables.com/id/low-offroadcargo-bicycle-trailer-conversion-fro/

http://www.instructables.com/files/deriv/FGF/2K8V/H9G0LHUZ/FGF2K8VH9G0LHUZ.LARGE.jpg

I haven't gotten to do much biking so far this year, but last year I did a lot of bicycling with my kid, in her carriage (the yellow one usually). I usually used the motorized bicycle since we could go farther and I'd have the power to motor back to the car faster if we played too long at the parks. Sometimes I'd just pedal, but I liked having the option to motor for more speed or when we needed to cover some ground in a hurry. I could carry more toys, more food, and a radio, with the engine-assisted bike, than any of my conventional bikes. The modified Tanaka is so quiet, too, that no one seemed to mind at all if we puttered along on local paths and residential streets to go to local businesses and restaurants. A lot of people waved or made positive gestures or showed their friends as we passed, and a few said positive comments if we stopped to chat.

Unconverted kid trailer with duct-taped cardboard box inside, for carrying food.