Build A Bicycle Trailer - DIY. On a typical busy summer day I might go shopping with my daughter and bring back a full month's supply of groceries.
Then, after unloading, I might take my kayak in for repairs and return home with, say, 100 pounds of lumber. Now there's nothing very earthshaking about these chores, but most folks are surprised to learn that I handle the bulk of such household hauling tasks with my bicycle! The fact is, with a good cart in tow, a bike can be every bit as useful as a car is.
Furthermore, a well-designed bicycle trailer is neither difficult to pull nor awkward to maneuver. I've found I can cruise level roads in high gear, even while pulling a full load. Unfortunately, most ready-made bicycle carts sell for upward of $200. The Wheel Things The most potentially expensive—and often the weakest—components of any bicycle trailer are the wheels. The carrier I designed uses 26-inch wheels, which are slightly stronger than 27inch units would have been. Framing the Trailer Box It In A Slice of Tongue. Bicycle Trailer From An Old Walker. Mark Rehder - Bicycle Utility Trailer. July 2007 Update: I've been getting emails and pics from folks that have seen this page and built their own trailers.
These have been posted to my blog here and here. October 2005 Update: I have just completed building a larger trailer using the same techniques described below. But this time I took photos as I went along, so you can see those at my Big Trailer page. August 2003 Update: Over the past few years since I first put this page up I've received many emails asking for more specific info on how to build this thing. So I have added as much detail as I can along with a few primitive diagrams. I'd always wanted some sort of utility trailer for my bike, but it took getting rid of my car to really get the project in gear.
OK, so here's the more or less complete scoop on how to build one. It is not recommended that you weld your EMT frame, as this stuff has a zinc coating, and gives off highly noxious/toxic fumes when heated. What the two main pipes should look like after bending. Bicycle Trailer - World Sweet World Blog. This project by Steven Muir appeared in our last issue of World Sweet World: Issue #9.
Photos by Kate McPherson. While around a quarter of all the energy we use in New Zealand is for transport, two thirds of the trips we actually make are less than six kilometres. If you calculate the embedded energy used to get your food on your table (how much energy is used for the farmer to fertilise the field, to run the tractor, package it, transport it to market, etc.), you are likely to double that amount by driving to the supermarket to do the shopping.
It’s relatively easy to make big energy savings here and you’ll be better off health- and wallet-wise in the process. I got into making bike trailers a few years ago after I realised that most of my car use around town was for carrying stuff. Bins: Two bins are very convenient for shopping as they fit in the shopping trolley for direct loading at the checkout. 1. 4. 7. 8. 9. Carryfreedom.com: I’m not the first to try a wooden bike trailer. The Bicycle Cargo Trailers Pool.