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