Originally I got a bike trailer so that my dog could go for rides with me. She's a good little friend and dogs like to ride. It occurred to me later that a bonus was in how much more visible I was to drivers. Coming up from behind me they give me wider berth, in part because I look bigger and stand out more, but also I think they may figure a darling little kiddie could be in there and although they may not give a damn about grandpa on the bicycle, the precious little grandchild (in this case, Aaniimoosh The Wonder Dog) is tucked inside. Another little thing I did was remove the cheesy orange plastic flag that came with the trailer and added an American flag. Can't hurt, you know. It would be unpatriotic to run that old Indian off the road into the ditch. Along with running lights, head light and brake light, I try to be visible. I also use a truck mirror attached to the bicycle mirror arm so that I have a good view of what's coming up behind me. A trailer like mine weighs very little and doesn't make much difference in how fast I can go. I go faster than I probably should anyway. It is rated to hold a hundred pounds, so is good for gear or groceries. I gave so many rides to Ojibwe Indian kids I had to replace the trailer lately with a new one, the sun plus "wild Indians" took it's toll on the fabric. The dog will go sit by "her" trailer and bark for a ride. Lots of good things about a trailer for me, but the main one I think is the safety factor... lots more visible. I've had a couple different kinds of trailers and this instep "lightning" model is my favorite. The dog won't ride in the hard molded plastic kind. Dogs know best. The bike in the pictures is one of my American Flyers, modified 1963 Schwinn American Deluxe models with heavy duty wheels and balloon tires. Nice ride. The fender light is from a Kawasaki Vulcan motorcycle and the eyes light up when the engine is running. Ha! I'm ordering a fender light for the other one just as cool... a reproduction of an Indian motorcycle running light from the fifties. These bikes are a lot of fun and more fun yet when we can ride safely knowing the wheels are good, tires are good, all nuts and bolts are secure, front and rear brake are in good working order and we are visible to others on the road. Stay safe and have fun...
Silverbear