Using Your Bicycle to Carry Cargo

Of course there's nothing wrong with four wheels. Companies like Burley and Bikes at Work have a long history of producing quality bicycle trailers. This is a virtually foolproof way of carrying cargo with your bike.

A few tips here on using trailers. The key is momentum. Just as a commercial truck takes longer to accelerate and stop, so does a heavily loaded bicycle. Prepare to stop ahead of time and make sure to shift gears before stopping. Take turns wider and be sure to put more of your load between the trailer wheels and the bike wheel. Learn more

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The schlepper was born at a time when I was just learning about carrying very large loads by bike. I had for a time borrowed a friend's Bikes at Work truss trailer. This was an incredibly well designed hauling tool. So to enjoy the same freedom, I spent a few hours on Autocad developing a design which would be equally strong and lightweight.

I started with a wooden truss frame which had an aluminum central tube that telescoped into the 'neck.' The design was good, but it didn't weather too well. So a steel model was designed off of the same layout. The resulting trailer is very lightweight, and highly menueverable. The trailer has carried beds, couches, and 300 lbs of firewood.

To learn more about using and building bicycle trailers, visit my article on 'getting hitched.'

Portland is an amazing city, with a wonderful culture of cyclists and casual recreationalists. Some people are very experienced and know exactly how to get themselves and their things to any destination whether by bike or by bus. However the majority of folks are less familiar with a number of easy concepts which are essential for car-free living. For cyclists, the most important of these is the bicycle trailer.
It's a necesity of life that we have to carry items that are impractical to carry on foot. Whether it's a piece of furniture, your dog, a haybale, or your child, it's necessary to use some type of vehicle to carry larger items. While many people will opt for an automobile in such instances, the bicycle trailer is a much more practical solution. To that end, I am coordinating with Meticon and Exchange Cycle Tours to create Portland's first 'Bike Trailer Library.'
As a longtime cyclist and mechanical designer, I have already developed a number of bike trailer options which are useful for different weights, experience levels, and terrain. More on that here.
The storage and fabrication area is available, and a prototype has been developed out of aluminum and two bike frames. At this point I am in talks with a couple of metal fabricators to create a universal hitchOver the coming months, I will be building up a collection of recycled aluminum extrusions with which to build the trailers. Aluminum is useful for it's lightweight and weather resistance - two very important qualities for cyclists in Portland. Once there are enough materials and wheels for 3-4 trailers, we'll begin constructing the trailers and seek a few folks who are willing to store them in different sections of the city.
Now if you want to participate in a bike move, go garage sale shopping, or pick up some plywood you have options.

If you thought that was impressive,
you aint seen nothin yet.

The Transformation Trike is a convertable HPV (human powered vehicle) which actually transforms from a single trike, to a tandem, to a cargo trike.

For more information and to view the video visit the Transformation Trike page.

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