I'm testing out my newly acquired Yakima trailer the other day, and a guy on a singlespeed comes up alongside and shouts, “Nice rig!”
It didn't occur to me then, but I realized later that I've stepped up from riding a bike to piloting a rig.
I'm planning (probably not too carefully) a few days off for a bike tour in a couple of weeks, and my LeMond Tourmalet isn't really designed for carrying much gear. A guy at a bike shop suggested I try a BOB trailer. I checked craigslist.org and found this two-year-old, “like new” Yakima trailer for quite a bit less cash (Yakima no longer makes trailers).
I'm impressed with it after my first ride. Whoever designed it has solved most of the problems I'd expect from a bike trailer, except for that nagging problem of overcoming gravity on hills.
The trailer connects to the bike at the real-wheel's quick-release, not onto the frame like the old Burley d'Lites. I loaded the waterproof bag with a tent, sleeping bag and some other stuff for weight and it rode smoothly with very little tugging on bumps.
The manufacturers recommend a maxiumum of 18 mph. I quickly surpassed that heading down to Lake Washington and didn't notice any shimmy, but it does take quite a bit longer to stop because of the weight. And the whole “rig” teeters back and forth a bit when I climb out of the saddle.
I'm hoping this rig will take me right down the driveway and across the Puget Sound on a ferry for a few days of bike touring around the Olympic Peninsula.
If anyone has experience bicycle touring over there, I'd sure like to hear about it. Please leave a comment or email me at ebis50@yahoo.com .
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