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Building a Bicycle Trailer

Stu what tire are you gonna use? Road or street. I just had a thought that it would be handy to have the same tire wheel as the bike. That way you would only have to have one size spare tube on hand.
 
Chuck, the MTB will have slicks on it, no use pushing an offroad tread down the asphalt :rolleyes:

The trailer with have just a regular tread on it, street tires, the tubes etc will be different sizes as well as the tires and rims, can't be helped, the wheels I'm getting for free are from the Japanese shopping bikes, also called "Mama-Chari" meaning "Mama's Bicycle.........

mama_chari_t.jpg
Typical Mama-Chari, but this one does not have the usual kid carrier attached.

They have 26" wheels and the tires are 1 3/8", IIRC. My MTB has 26" wheels and 2.0" tires.

:wave:
 
Stuart Ablett said:
Chuck, the MTB will have slicks on it, no use pushing an offroad tread down the asphalt :rolleyes:

The trailer with have just a regular tread on it, street tires, the tubes etc will be different sizes as well as the tires and rims, can't be helped, the wheels I'm getting for free are from the Japanese shopping bikes, also called "Mama-Chari" meaning "Mama's Bicycle.........

View attachment 43796
Typical Mama-Chari, but this one does not have the usual kid carrier attached.

They have 26" wheels and the tires are 1 3/8", IIRC. My MTB has 26" wheels and 2.0" tires.

:wave:
Click to expand...

That's so close to taking the same tube. if memory serves a 1.5" tube will fit a 2" tire.
 
Slicks work great on pavement! On a street bicycle tire the contact patch is so small and the velocity so low the water pushes out very easily. The tire pressure is usually over 55 PSI and goes up to 120 PSI so they don't squish when ridden. Treaded bicycle tires are more for traction on loose surfaces: dirt, sand, gravel. On really smooth wet cement or tile you're going to loose it with either tire type anyway :rolleyes:

I have been using slicks for close to twenty years now. They're great.
 
Yep, what Dan said :thumb:

A bicycle tire grips the road much differently than a car tire, and I'll not be riding in the rain any way, the customers don't like the product to get wet, I have a van for rain days!
 
Thanks Rod, yes, I have been all over that site, some great ideas there.

The biggest thing I do not like about most trailers I see is the hitch attachment at the axle of the rear wheel, this just seems wrong to me, and not very stout. Maybe it is OK for carrying light loads, but for anything that is heavy at all, it would seem to me that you are not pulling the load straight behind you, but offset to one side :dunno:

What do I know, this is the first trailer I've ever built, so I certainly could be very wrong, but, I have done a lot of online research, and also I've looked at a lot of pictures on the web of third world countries that use bike trailers all the time, and I've never seen any of them use the rear wheel axle hitch, the all go off the back of the bike, either on the seat tube, or some kind of heavy duty rack over the back wheel.

I got some actual building done on the trailer today :thumb:

build_2_wheels1.jpg build_2_wheels2.jpg
Here it the start of the trailer up on two wheels!
The one wheel is a keeper, good shape, true and a good tire on it, the other wheel is a junker, slightly bent axle, busted spoke and a bit of a wobble, but it was all I could get right now, and I'll replace it when my buddy has another decent bike to throw away, I'll get the good front wheel.

build_2_wheels_cargo_mock_1.jpg
I also mocked up the cargo area with some sticks, before I start cutting steel, I figured a bit of wood, some brads, glue and clamps, and I'll have a much better idea. I've left about 3 1/2" of ground clearance, should be more than enough, as the back wheel of the bike will just about touch the front of the trailer, so the distance between the contact point of the back wheel and the contact point of the trailer wheels will only be about 30". I'd have to be curb hopping to bottom out the trailer, and I won't be doing any of that so I think this will be fine.

build_2_wheels_cargo_mock_2.jpg
With the 3 1/2" of ground clearance, here is the how much the trailer will tilt when it is unhitched from the bike, not much at all. The trailer is now very well balance, I can fool with it for a minute of two and get it to stand there balanced for picture taking, kind of like standing up an egg, takes a few tries, but I think this is going to be good.

I have to check a few more things before I start welding the cargo area, I will bring over some empty beer and sake cases to make sure that the do fit and that I did not mess up any measurements :rolleyes: but things look good now.

Not that much to do, the cargo area is just a mater of making another rectangle and then some struts down from the main frame, no big deal. I would then bend the arms to reach up to the back of the bike and make the hitch, that might actually be the most amount of work, making a hitch.

I also want to get the bike together before I actually set the tow bar height, as I really want the trailer to be neutral or slightly biased towards the bike, a little weight on the hitch I guess. I also have to figure out some brakes for the trailer, I'm thinking a simple mechanical brake that pushes against the trailer wheels, kind of like an old wagon brake, simple. It would only be for keeping the trailer stopped while loading or unloading.

I think I'll paint it red, to match the bike, and I'll call it my "Little Red Trailer" :D
 
I haven't looked in on this thread in a week or so, but I think you are right on with your design. Will the trailer be narrow enough to pull through the front door and into the shop at night? or do you have another place to store it when not in use? Jim.
 
Actually Jim, where to park it is a bit of a concern, I think it will live outside and park near the scooter, I'll have to rearrange some of the empty cases and stuff we have beside the shop:huh:
 
Nice to hear that you made it back in one piece Peter, I know you had a hectic schedule planned.

About the rain.....

rain2.jpg


rain4.jpg


Yep, it rains a bit here from time to time :rolleyes:

I got the main part of the trailer welded up.....

main_body_done1.jpg main_body_done2.jpg
I think it looks good, the welding is not perfect, I'm using fairly thick wire at a slow speed on thin tubing, so it is a bit messy.... Thanks goodness for the angle grinder :thumb:

Once my headset arrives and I can put m bike together, I'll be able to figure out the exact height the tow arms need to be.

On to the brakes....

brake_idea1.jpg
I think this is the area that I'll be putting the brakes, the front part of the wheels.

I'm thinking something like you would see on an old wagon, it is not to stop the trailer while in motion, but to keep it still while loading and unloading.

brake_idea2.jpg
Something like this with a crescent shaped shoe actually contacting the tire might just be all I need. It would be nice to link them together, but maybe that is going way over kill :rolleyes: :D

Cheers!
 
I should really take a welding class. It'd be nice to be able to make smooth welds like yours. Mine usually end up looking like big blobs covering up holes where I burnt through the metal! :rofl:

I think those brakes will work great. Good position and for it for sure.

I'm assuming you are going to work up some sort of pad to fit on the end of the push clamp?
 
Brent Dowell said:
I should really take a welding class. It'd be nice to be able to make smooth welds like yours. Mine usually end up looking like big blobs covering up holes where I burnt through the metal! :rofl:
Click to expand...

Trust me there are a few of those in there too, but welded over, and then ground smooth, hides them holes :eek: :thumb:

Brent Dowell said:
I think those brakes will work great. Good position and for it for sure.

I'm assuming you are going to work up some sort of pad to fit on the end of the push clamp?
Click to expand...

Yeah, that is the "Crescent shaped shoes" I mentioned, should be fine :dunno:

Take a welding course, you will learn a lot and it will pay itself back in spades :wave:
 
Looking great Stu :thumb:
Flatwork, spinny stuff and now metal work. :eek: You take it all on :thumb:
Welding is something I've always wanted to do but never tried. Been thinking about getting a MIG welder someday. I love watching folks weld.
 
Bob Gibson said:
Looking great Stu :thumb:
Flatwork, spinny stuff and now metal work. :eek: You take it all on :thumb:
Welding is something I've always wanted to do but never tried. Been thinking about getting a MIG welder someday. I love watching folks weld.
Click to expand...

MIG welders are great Bob, it does not take much practice at all and you can be making decent welds.

I got my expanded mesh for the sides of the trailer....


mesh_sides1.jpg mesh_sides2.jpg

I think it looks not bad at all :dunno:

I also wanted to show how I put the tabs on for the axles.....

axle_tabs_1.jpg axle_tabs_2.jpg

Nothing complex, but it works fine!

I also got some "U" bolts to make the hitch mount, that will attach to the seat post.......

hitch_mount_1.jpg hitch_mount_2.jpg

I'll most likely us a bit heavier gauge square tubing, as this will be a weak point, in fact, I might make the mounting plate a little bigger to give me more space to put down some mondo welds :rolleyes: :D

Next up is some paint, and then the wooden floor.

I'm still waiting on the headset for the bike to arrive, so I can put that together, then I can figure out the final height and length of the draw bars.

Cheers!
 
Wood Floor? I'd thought a mesh as are the sides.

Or your nod at being a woodworker?

The signs on the side will say, "Stu's Sake & Woodworking." :rofl::rofl:
 
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