Bike Trailer
I had Colin Stevens of Haulin’ Colin fame make me a bike trailer for Christmas.
The trailer is beautiful; it’s got a welded steel frame, 20-inch wheels, an ingenious hitch system, and is painted a bright fire-engine red. Colin added a few lovely touches as well: plastic fenders to protect the payload from spray, an exterior-grade plywood carrying platform, a special tube for inserting a trailer flag, rear reflectors, and a handmade drilled aluminum nameplate, reading “HC3,” to indicate that this it Haulin’ Colin trailer number three.
I’ve used it a couple times already, most recently carrying a collection of large boxes to the post office, and so far, I’m absolutely delighted with how it rides. Handling of my bike is hardly affected at all; the one thing I notice most is needed to brake more forcefully going downhill.
When we were originally talking about the design, my requirements were that the trailer could carry a keg and a bike. I’m not entirely sure of the scenario entailed by that—I haul a keg to the park, somebody gets too drunk to ride home; I carry their bike with the empty barrel back to my house—but it’s clear that the trailer is easily capable of including the keg, a bike, AND a passed-out rider, so maybe that’s what I had in mind all along.
It’s fun riding around with the trailer in tow; I’ve gotten lots of smiles and already a couple of interested inquiries about where I got it.
Plus, the cycle commuter smug factor gets to go through the roof and that’s always a plus.
I don’t want to totally turn into the “bike trailer guy;” I’m not going to grow a beard or anything, but I am, at least now, looking for opportunities to use it.
I’m especially looking forward to a trip to the dump in Fremont; then maybe I can pick up a keg of Hales’ Ale on the way back.
The trailer is beautiful; it’s got a welded steel frame, 20-inch wheels, an ingenious hitch system, and is painted a bright fire-engine red. Colin added a few lovely touches as well: plastic fenders to protect the payload from spray, an exterior-grade plywood carrying platform, a special tube for inserting a trailer flag, rear reflectors, and a handmade drilled aluminum nameplate, reading “HC3,” to indicate that this it Haulin’ Colin trailer number three.
I’ve used it a couple times already, most recently carrying a collection of large boxes to the post office, and so far, I’m absolutely delighted with how it rides. Handling of my bike is hardly affected at all; the one thing I notice most is needed to brake more forcefully going downhill.
When we were originally talking about the design, my requirements were that the trailer could carry a keg and a bike. I’m not entirely sure of the scenario entailed by that—I haul a keg to the park, somebody gets too drunk to ride home; I carry their bike with the empty barrel back to my house—but it’s clear that the trailer is easily capable of including the keg, a bike, AND a passed-out rider, so maybe that’s what I had in mind all along.
It’s fun riding around with the trailer in tow; I’ve gotten lots of smiles and already a couple of interested inquiries about where I got it.
Plus, the cycle commuter smug factor gets to go through the roof and that’s always a plus.
I don’t want to totally turn into the “bike trailer guy;” I’m not going to grow a beard or anything, but I am, at least now, looking for opportunities to use it.
I’m especially looking forward to a trip to the dump in Fremont; then maybe I can pick up a keg of Hales’ Ale on the way back.
posted by Professor Dave at 1:51 PM
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Photo?
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