| A bicycle trailer is a motorless wheeled frame with a | | | | Disabled passenger: made for safely towing |
| hitch system designed for transporting cargo by | | | | wheelchairs with persons in them. |
| bicycle. A bicycle trailer expands the cargo-carrying | | | | Pets: for carrying small domestic animals that weigh |
| capacity of a bicycle greatly, allowing point-to-point | | | | less than 30 lb (14 kg). Pet trailer. |
| transport of objects up to 4 cubic yards (3 cubic | | | | Components |
| meters) in volume and weighing as much as half a ton | | | | Frame |
| 1. | | | | Metal: usually steel alloy or aluminum tubing, assembled |
| Types | | | | by brazing, welding, or nuts and bolts. |
| Different types of trailers are adapted to different | | | | Wood: seldom seen but sometimes used in make-shift |
| purposes, cargo requirements, and riding conditions. | | | | and home-built trailers, fastened with glue, nails, screws, |
| By number of wheels | | | | bolts, or a combination thereof. An example is here. |
| Single-wheel: a single rear-mounted wheel. Though of | | | | Axle |
| limited towing capacity, this design tends to be more | | | | Solid metal bar or hollow tube, to which wheels may |
| stable than trailers with two or more wheels. The | | | | be affixed by press fit, threaded nuts, or quick-release |
| single wheel can tilt from side to side when cornering | | | | mechanism. |
| (as the bicycle itself does,) allowing for coordinated | | | | Wheel |
| turns at relatively high speed. (Up to 25 mi (40 km) per | | | | Traditional spoked bicycle wheel in various sizes. Has |
| hour.) | | | | the advantage of being light, strong, readily available. |
| Two-wheel: A two-wheel design makes possible much | | | | Pneumatic tires provide some suspension for the load, |
| greater load carrying capacity and a wider cargo bed, | | | | larger diameters ride smoothly and have much less |
| but has a tendency to tip over when making very | | | | drag than many other types of wheels. |
| sharp or high-speed turns. Also, two-wheel trailers tend | | | | Solid metal wheels with solid treads, such as dolly |
| to be as wide or wider than the handlebars of the | | | | wheels. Extremely durable but rough riding and usually |
| bicycle, increasing the risk of hitting objects (or getting | | | | slow due to small diameter. |
| stuck) when riding through narrow spaces. | | | | Fender |
| By intended cargo | | | | If included, the fender helps to protect the cargo and |
| General Cargo: for transporting cargo of all kinds. The | | | | the towing bicycle from road spray and dirt. On |
| load capacity of commercially-available cargo trailers | | | | heavy-duty trailers, the fender may be designed to be |
| ranges from 30 to 300 pounds (14 to 140 kg), but | | | | capable of bearing heavy loads. |
| much larger loads have been transported with by | | | | Hitch |
| custom-built trailers and by multi-trailer "trains" attached | | | | Seat-post: Temporary or permanent clamp assembly |
| to a single bicycle. | | | | attaching trailer hitch to the seat post. |
| Child passenger (as cargo): constructed to enhance | | | | Rear axle: Special attachment points, integral to the |
| the comfort and safety of one or more small human | | | | rear quick release skewer or bolted on to solid axles, |
| passengers. These usually have an especially low | | | | hold dropouts cut into the trailer hitch. (Under patent by |
| center of gravity and widely-spaced wheels to reduce | | | | the BOB trailer company?) |
| likelihood of roll-overs when cornerning, and often have | | | | Chainstay: Two-piece sandwiching clamp screws tight |
| integrated rain-proof covers, seat padding, and safety | | | | over left rear triangle, with protruding socket-and-pin |
| belts. | | | | receiver. |
| Child passenger (as rider): Trailer cycles, one-wheel | | | | Rear cargo or pannier rack: Some improvised hitches |
| trailers with integrated seat, handle bars, and drive train. | | | | attach to the rear cargo rack or pannier frame. Since |
| These allow small children who can't yet ride a bicycle | | | | rear racks are not structural parts of the bicycle they |
| alone to accompany adult riders as participants and | | | | cannot handle much weight or torque loading. |
| motive-power producers. | | | | Improvised: Ropes, bungee cord, chain, cable, etc. |
| Canoe and Kayak: designed for towing long, thin, | | | | Usually not dependable, often dangerous to rider and |
| relatively light-weight loads such as canoes, kayaks, | | | | cargo. |
| wind surfing rigs. For example, see: Kayak trailer. | | | | |