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