Tuesday, October 13, 2009

Volae bikes and trailers: two-wheels better than one.




A quick note. Was talking with folks at Volae about trailers.

Volae is discouraging Volae owners from touring with BOB single wheel trailers.  Now, I own and love my BOB, but apparently, at high speeds -- e.g., downhill -- a heavy BOB can cause steering problems on a Volae.  This might be due to the fact that Volaes are designed with about 60% of rider weight towards the rear wheel.  Instead, Volae recommends two-wheel trailers, e.g. the Burley or Croozer, or loading the bike with panniers.

The Croozer Cargo Trailer (manufacturer's information):



The Burley Flat Bed (manufacturer's information):


The Burley Nomad (manuf.'s information):



I personally own both a BOB and a 2-wheel Burley flatbed. I've used the Burley trailer regularly for hauling things to storage, back from the grocery, and once with a heavy load for a video shoot in car-free Prospect Park. It's been a reliable design for me, so far, and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it. Moreover, it should be easier to adapt to most SWB 'bents, given that you need not use the special quick release skewer as one must with a BOB. Even better, you don't have to sacrifice your Pitlock skewers to use it.

The "Croozer" brand also looks good. I've seen it in person and spoke with an owner but haven't ridden with it as of my writing this today.

Best,
Robert
------------
Robert Matson
New York City Recumbent Supply (TM)
The Innovation Works, Inc.
copyright 2009 Robert Matson

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