Yeah, the lowest gear ratios of mountain and touring bikes give you enough torque to haul several hundred pounds.
I had a similar trailer. I ended up ripping off all the canvas and screwing a plywood deck to the frame. I had 400 pounds of water softener salt on it with no problems.
Extending the towbar about 8 feet, I used to tow a canoe.
I ended up ripping off all the canvas and screwing a plywood deck to the frame. I had 400 pounds of water softener salt on it with no problems.
Yeah, the soft plastic they use has got to go. Plywood sounds like a nice upgrade!
Did you ever need to upgrade the tires/tubes to hold 400 lbs??? I think I may pick up some Schwalbe Marathons, for their puncture resistance and weight carrying capacity. They’ve got them in 16" sizes :)
Did you ever need to upgrade the tires/tubes to hold 400 lbs??
Not the tires and tubes, no. Just overinflated them a little. I was concerned about the rims and spokes, but they seemed like they were reasonably beefy. I didn’t plan on doing any jumps or stunts with the trailer, so I was reasonably confident at low speeds.
If I were to do it again, I would have started with a trailer with forked wheel mounts. On mine, the axle inserted into a quick release bracket from the side. I think yours do the same thing. They flexed a little more than I liked; they would have been the weak point if I loaded mine any heavier. Something like this would be inherently stronger:
The axle is attached on both sides of the wheel, just like the axles on your bike. A little more difficult to install and remove, but not too bad.
Mine are also quick release, so I can understand how they aren’t the most robust. But smaller wheels = better strength and less of a chance of spokes busting under load. The tires that came on my trailer are cheap, so I might not wait until they go before replacing them. Not sure what kind of tubes they have, but I don’t mind replacing those with the tires. LOL The last thing I want is to carry 100lbs with a flat on the trailer.
Yeah, the lowest gear ratios of mountain and touring bikes give you enough torque to haul several hundred pounds.
I had a similar trailer. I ended up ripping off all the canvas and screwing a plywood deck to the frame. I had 400 pounds of water softener salt on it with no problems.
Extending the towbar about 8 feet, I used to tow a canoe.
Yeah, the soft plastic they use has got to go. Plywood sounds like a nice upgrade!
Did you ever need to upgrade the tires/tubes to hold 400 lbs??? I think I may pick up some Schwalbe Marathons, for their puncture resistance and weight carrying capacity. They’ve got them in 16" sizes :)
Not the tires and tubes, no. Just overinflated them a little. I was concerned about the rims and spokes, but they seemed like they were reasonably beefy. I didn’t plan on doing any jumps or stunts with the trailer, so I was reasonably confident at low speeds.
If I were to do it again, I would have started with a trailer with forked wheel mounts. On mine, the axle inserted into a quick release bracket from the side. I think yours do the same thing. They flexed a little more than I liked; they would have been the weak point if I loaded mine any heavier. Something like this would be inherently stronger:
The axle is attached on both sides of the wheel, just like the axles on your bike. A little more difficult to install and remove, but not too bad.
Mine are also quick release, so I can understand how they aren’t the most robust. But smaller wheels = better strength and less of a chance of spokes busting under load. The tires that came on my trailer are cheap, so I might not wait until they go before replacing them. Not sure what kind of tubes they have, but I don’t mind replacing those with the tires. LOL The last thing I want is to carry 100lbs with a flat on the trailer.