Bike trailer advice

[Chairmanmo]

Morning all.

Wondered if anyone uses a bike trailer (for the kids, like) and can offer any advice? I have the Halfords own-brand one and the Bellelli one (don't ask how I've ended up with two...) and I take my three-year old to nursery in one or the other three times a week. About 5k round trip and he weighs about 17kg.

The issue is this: I've been using my modern-ish (200 Rockhopper to do this donkey work but I'm not sure it's doing it any good – three broken spokes in six months (butter-soft alloy nipples to blame, I reckon!) and now the BB has developed a lot of play. So I'd rather not use that for it if possible.

So, I've been debating using my 1995 Orange P7 to do the towing as it's famously a pretty bulletproof steel frame and it's going to be a lot cheaper to replace an older non-disk wheel if I need to. However, firstly it just feels a bit like sacrilege to use the P7 for such menial chores and, secondly, I really, really don't want to put undue stress on the frame and damage it.

Anyone got any experience of trailers screwing up frames/wheels? And does anyone know of any way of bolstering the connection? Like swapping the QR for a bolt-on axle for example?

Any advice greatly appreciated!

Thanks

 

[hamster]

I have run trailers with MTBs and touring tandems for 6 years while my kids were small. The load on the wheels is minimal. I think you just have an unfortunate coincidence.
We ended up touring on a loaded tandem with child trailer and never had any problems with QRs or wheels. The worst thing you can do is fit a nutted axle as the axle will be in tension rather than compression. The compression from the QR stops cracking.

 

[Chairmanmo]

Ah, right. That kind of makes sense to my not-very-mechanical mind. Thanks for the advice – much appreciated.

 

[hamster]

Think of the extra weight on the wheel - it's that you feel when lifting the hitch with the kids in it...maybe 2-5kg?
Also, the twist load on the bike is all taken up by the universal joint on the hitch - again it's minimal.

Standard manufacturers' wheels are machine-built and don't seem to last well - get them rebuilt by your bike shop and you will probably have no further problems.

 

[Chairmanmo]

Yeh, that makes sense. More than likely just a sh*t machine-built wheel.

 

[dirttorpedo]

Another vote for crappy machine built wheel here. I've pulled my kids bike trailers (Burley De'lite and a Chariot Cougar) and had no problem with frames, wheels or seat posts. I've also towed trail-a-bikes too. I found the spokes they used in the OE wheels on my Kona Dew were atrocious. I was snapping a spoke 3 - 4 times per year. I put on some better quality wheels - still probably machine built - from my LBS and haven't popped a spoke in two years of riding on them.

 

[Chairmanmo]

I always knew that wheel was crap. Some lunatic on an electric bike ploughed into the back of me (I was stationary) at some traffic lights a couple of years ago so I marched her to the nearest bike shop and made her buy me a new wheel there and then. It wasn't what I would have chosen at all but never had any problems until I started pulling the trailer. TIme for a new rear wheel now methinks. Something a bit better!!

Thanks for all the advice.

 

[MADJEZ]

I have a Bumper Explorer trailer which while not being the lightest is totally bullet proof.
Have towed it for about 3 years behind mostly elderly GTs and occasionally a Carrera hybrid with no probs.
It might be that I've spread the wear between bikes but I have done quite a bit of mileage and my 16plus stone and daughter, trailer, junk, shopping etc hasn't done anything to the wheel.

 

[dirttorpedo]

I always knew that wheel was crap. Some lunatic on an electric bike ploughed into the back of me (I was stationary) at some traffic lights a couple of years ago so I marched her to the nearest bike shop and made her buy me a new wheel there and then. It wasn't what I would have chosen at all but never had any problems until I started pulling the trailer. TIme for a new rear wheel now methinks. Something a bit better!!

Thanks for all the advice.

Is it worthwhile to rebuild the wheel with good quality spokes and nipples?

 

[jaypee]

The worst thing you can do is fit a nutted axle as the axle will be in tension rather than compression. The compression from the QR stops cracking.

This is interesting. I use a very heavily laden trailer for camping. It uses a hitch like the one below.

With a nutted axle I can get it tight enough so the hitch stays in Line with the trailer (3 o'clock). With a quick release gravity pulls the hitch down to '6 o'clock'. That is a particular problem as there is a pin that goes through the hitch and so when at 6 o'clock the trailer arm (which has a sort of sprung hinge) is bent like an elbow. I'm sure this puts the hinge under too much strain.

I asked at my LBS and they said they advise against quick release wheels with trailers.

But it sounds like I might be risking the frame (or wheel?) using a nutted axle?

It's always a worry being 20 miles into the French countryside and knowing that if the trailer goes we're going to have to find a taxi! So any advice will be much appreciated!