Building a Bicycle Trailer

Nope, the wood is going in there for a good reason, it is durable and lightweight. The problem with that mesh is that if you are constantly putting weight on it, eventually it stretches out or looks like it is drooping, and I very much dislike that look. The wood should looks spiffy cool, as it will be a lighter colored wood and attached with nice shinny stainless steel screws. With a nice red paint job, I'm hoping it will look well made, not junky :dunno:

Should be good and sturdy, that is for sure! :thumb:
 
I would have to agree with you the trailer looks darn good.:thumb: That is steel you are welding right. Almost looks like aluminum. I aint never seen steel that aint either black or painted with a primer. Is that how you buy it in Japan?

looking forward to seeing it finished. I am another one for the welding course. Can you imagine the NN if i started welding on the front drive.:eek: But some day its gonna happen.:D
 
Looking good, Stu.

Is there any room for adjustment with those axle-mount-tabs ??
I'm just wondering how crucial it will be that the trailer wheels are (a) parallel to each other and (b) track straight with the bike. Hmm, I used to have a Winchester trailer when the kids were younger and the bike attachment had a fair bit of slop to it, so I bet that the parallel is more important than the tracking.

Well the nice thing about DIY is that you know how it all went together in case changes are needed!
 
I would have to agree with you the trailer looks darn good.:thumb: That is steel you are welding right. Almost looks like aluminum. I aint never seen steel that aint either black or painted with a primer. Is that how you buy it in Japan?

looking forward to seeing it finished. I am another one for the welding course. Can you imagine the NN if i started welding on the front drive.:eek: But some day its gonna happen.:D

No, the expanded mesh is....... ahem...... Galvanized.... :eek: The rest of the steel is just steel.

I know you should not weld galvanized steel, the smoke that comes off of it is really nasty, that is why I did it with the hatch open, the exhaust at full chat and my paint fume respirator on. I did not weld a lot of it, just on the tips, and I did grind the tips to take as much of the galvanized stuff off, but it is still nasty. The reason I went with the galvanized is that every time I've every used this expanded mesh stuff, no matter how many coats of rust resistant paint I put on it, it rusts....... :doh: I'm hoping the galvanized stuff won't rust, I have some special primer for it, then regular primer and then paint. Going to turn my little Dungeon into a paint booth :rolleyes:

Rob, welding is a skill worth learning, even if you just learn how to run a 100V no gas MIG it is a worthwhile skill.

Art, I don't know about all of that, the trailers that I've built in the past (I used to work at a shop that build custom hitches and custom trailers) we just put the axles on straight and never worried about it, I guess I'll find out :dunno:

Cheers!
 
Stu, I know the feeling about welding galvanized, be aware, it is POISONOUS!!! Knew a guy that welded galvanized, eventually went to the hospital with flu like symptoms, they diagnosed him right before he died. Concerning the paint, another forum I visit, a guy just finished fabrication on a front bumper for his Dodge pickup, this was suggested, never had heard of it before.

http://www.por15.com/POR-15-Rust-Preventive-Paint/products/1/

Just paint for thought.
 
Jonathan, I have some stuff here, you paint it on to rust, it starts out white, then turns blue and finally black, it converts the rust somehow and makes a very hard, very durable coating on steel.

Having a good day today!

My headset arrived, and the bipod bike stand also arrived, add to that I got the tow bar done on the trailer, so yeah, I'm having a good day! :thumb:

Using a piece of tubing that I bent as practice, and centering it on the trailer, I wanted to see how long the tow bars would have to be.......

tow_bar_plan1.jpg tow_bar_plan2.jpg

I would like to keep the trailer fairly close to the back wheel of the bike, but I do need some space, so there is some clearance.

pivot_point.jpg
I also wanted to put the pivot point fairly close to being over the rear axle, I figure this would be the best spot for it, if you look at the bolt I put on top of the tube.

To bend the tubes I made a very simple, but effective bending jig.....

bending_jig_1.jpg
Yes it is dog simple :D

bending_jig_5.jpg
I make sure that the seam in the tube in against the jig, I got this info from the site that I found this jig on.

bending_jig_2.jpg
I marked both tubes at the 40cm mark, so I could start from the same point.

bending_jig_3.jpg
Then I just grab the tube and bend it, it really is easy to do, but I guess the length of the tube helps, as it acts like a lever.
You can see the two black lines on the jig, this is the point that I bent the tube until, there is always some spring back.

bending_jig_4.jpg
I just used the corner of the jig to check for a nice 90 degree bend, works well.

bending_jig_6.jpg
Here are the two bent tubes on top of each other, it is important to be able to bend them the same.

laser_alignment_1.jpg
I cut the tubes and then I tacked them onto the trailer. Once I had them lined up, but best I could, I broke out my laser level and had a look, the laser level was lined up with the very center of the trailer and the laser hits the very center of the tow bar, good enough for me!

Cont................
 
..... once I had the tow bars tacked in place, I went to town welding it up.

tow_bar_done_1.jpg tow_bar_done_2.jpg

I think that looks good, it is very solid, I was a bit concerned that it would be a bit flimsy, but it is not, it is really skookum :thumb:

At the connection point of the two tow bars, I will add a plate, and maybe a cross piece as well....

tow_bar_cross_brace.jpg

That is just laying on top, I would cut it and weld it up so that it sits flush.

Next will be the hitch and then the brakes, after that, paint.

I'm really looking forward to the maiden ride, of both the bike and the trailer.

Oh yeah, I weighed the trailer and as it sits now, it is just a tick under 17Kg, or 37.5 lbs, should come in around 40 lbs all done, not the lightest, but it should hold up to some use.

Cheers!
 
I got the bi-pod stand on the bike as well as the fork, finally, as I got the headset :thumb:

bipod_stand_install.jpg
There is the bi-pod stand installed, it sure is slick and looks to be very stable!

bipod_stand_spacer.jpg
I did have to make a spacer for it, the legs of the stand were just a bit too short, but more importantly, the area on the bottom of my Canondale that the stand mounts to was not flat, one of the chainstays was a bit taller, or thicker, this made the stand sit cocked to one side. The spacer has a groove cut in it to make the stand sit flat.

brakes_done.jpg
I got the brakes done, and then realized that I did not get black cable guides, these ones look kind of odd, to me, but I also screwed up, and cut the short cable for the front brakes, which left too little cable for doing the one gear shifter :madman: Yes my bonehead card has been renewed :doh::D

Also, the knob things on the ends of the cables are too small (not meaning to sound too technical ;) ) the holes in my brake levers are larger, I guess I need some sort of adapter or some cables with a bit bigger knob things :huh:

The bike is really starting to look like a bike again......

fat_pepperoni_fork.jpg

..... I just LOVE that big fat Pepperoni fork, looks much better, as the rest of the bike is really oversized tubes, the fork now looks right, the old steel one always looked too skinny.

Cheers!
 
Looking good Stu!! I know you said you want the mounting point to be directly above the rear axle, but watching a news piece on pedal powered people movers that are starting to be used here, the "trailer" looks to be hooked to the seat pedestal. May be for the extra weight two people in a carriage would exert on the bike, and would distribute the weight better between the front and rear tires. You shouldn't have that problem with your load.
Keep it up! Anxious to see the final product. Maybe get the wife to take a video you can upload of your maiden voyage!! :thumb: Jim.
 
Looking good Stu!! I know you said you want the mounting point to be directly above the rear axle, but watching a news piece on pedal powered people movers that are starting to be used here, the "trailer" looks to be hooked to the seat pedestal. May be for the extra weight two people in a carriage would exert on the bike, and would distribute the weight better between the front and rear tires. You shouldn't have that problem with your load.
Keep it up! Anxious to see the final product. Maybe get the wife to take a video you can upload of your maiden voyage!! :thumb: Jim.

Yeah Jim, all the trailers I see here are attached to the seat post and they carry a LOT heavier load than I am planning on.

Any video would be of my wife riding it, I really doubt any of you what to see my big fat self on a bicycle :eek:

Thanks Chuck, glad you like it! :wave:
 
Looking good Stu!! I know you said you want the mounting point to be directly above the rear axle, but watching a news piece on pedal powered people movers that are starting to be used here, the "trailer" looks to be hooked to the seat pedestal. May be for the extra weight two people in a carriage would exert on the bike, and would distribute the weight better between the front and rear tires. You shouldn't have that problem with your load.
Keep it up! Anxious to see the final product. Maybe get the wife to take a video you can upload of your maiden voyage!! :thumb: Jim.

Jim brings up a good point. Regardless of where your pivot point is, the tongue weight from the trailer is going to be transferred downward at the seat post, so moving the pivot point over the rear tire won't help the weight distribution, and I'd think it will only lengthen your turning radius.

The trailer's looking slick, though. :thumb:
 
looking real good Stu. I just cant get used to seeing those slicks. First time for me. I aint ever seen them before on a bike.:eek:

You happy that the breaks as they are have enough brake horsepower to stop you with a load plus your weight once you get going?

Let see you have 40lbs just for the trailer, add a couple of 24's and crates all pushing from behind when you wish to stop.

Thought of those disc brakes as a retrofit? Just thinking aloud here momentum is a strange thing.:dunno: Just think of all those days you had no control on the snow back in BC.:)

I know with my little luggage trailer that i have when we loaded it up heavy to go camping and used to tow it with our Dodge i could feel it pushing at times. Of course now my jeep just laughs at it.


Oh Stu I had to look it up .......skookum that is a uniquely Canadian special......http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skookum :D:thumb:;)
 
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looking real good Stu. I just cant get used to seeing those slicks. First time for me. I aint ever seen them before on a bike.:eek:

You happy that the breaks as they are have enough brake horsepower to stop you with a load plus your weight once you get going?

Let see you have 40lbs just for the trailer, add a couple of 24's and crates all pushing from behind when you wish to stop.

Thought of those disc brakes as a retrofit? Just thinking aloud here momentum is a strange thing.:dunno: Just think of all those days you had no control on the snow back in BC.:)

I know with my little luggage trailer that i have when we loaded it up heavy to go camping and used to tow it with our Dodge i could feel it pushing at times. Of course now my jeep just laughs at it.


Oh Stu I had to look it up .......skookum that is a uniquely Canadian special......http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skookum :D:thumb:;)

Born and raised in BC, so Skookum has always just been a word to me :D

I'm not really concerned about the weight, the brakes work well, I took a spin today, as the bike is DONE!! (pics later, got to run right now) and I will not be blasting along at high speeds, with or without the trailer :D

Oh heck, here are some pics....

SN3D0912.JPG SN3D0911.JPG

.... Totally Old Skool :headbang:

Weighs in at 12.2 Kg or 26.8lbs Not bad for a 22 year old bike :thumb:
 
Jim brings up a good point. Regardless of where your pivot point is, the tongue weight from the trailer is going to be transferred downward at the seat post, so moving the pivot point over the rear tire won't help the weight distribution, and I'd think it will only lengthen your turning radius.

The trailer's looking slick, though. :thumb:

Now that I think about this, I do see what you mean, the length of the arm that attaches to the seat post, should be shorter, not longer. I'll have to look at it again.

Thanks to Jim for bringing it up to start with and for Vaughn in reiterating it so I could "get it" :eek:

Cheers!
 
Now build that hitch with a gimble mount to accommodate the high speed turns so the bike will bank and the trailer won't!!!! :rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl: Jim.

Bike banks, trailer does not... check :thumb:

High speed turns with trailer in tow....:eek: not likely! :wave:

I got the hitch member that attaches to the seat post mostly done today, I also put my Blackburn rack on the bike. I looks like the tow bars will clear the rack just fine, unless I try any curb hoping, and then only if the bike is way off track to the trailer, not likely to happen, so I think it will be OK.

hitch_work_2.jpg hitch_work_1.jpg
Here is where the trailer will sit in relation to the hitch gimble, so I have to add to the trailer to make up the difference, and something for the round bar on the gimble to go into, to make the connection between the two.

hitch_unused_position.jpg
This will be the position the hitch sits in when not in use, I will weld two flat pieces on either side of the tube, so the hitch will sit between them.

Should work out fine.

Tomorrow is Sunday, and I hope to take a trial run with the trailer in tow, then the brakes, paint and a wooden floor. Dunno if I'll get all of that done on Sunday or not, but I'll give it a good try :thumb:
 
You happy that the breaks as they are have enough brake horsepower to stop you with a load plus your weight once you get going?

Let see you have 40lbs just for the trailer, add a couple of 24's and crates all pushing from behind when you wish to stop.

Thought of those disc brakes as a retrofit? Just thinking aloud here momentum is a strange thing.:dunno: Just think of all those days you had no control on the snow back in BC.:)

Those breaks will stop the wheel from turning just fine.:thumb:
The problem is that he as with most bikes has no stopping traction.:thumb:
The extra weight is just going to increase the length of the skid :thumb:
Looking good Stu:thumb:
 
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