Cheap shopping trailer

I'm trying to stop using the car in favour of electric or human powered transport for everything. Part of that is the weekly shop. We probably buy anywhere between 10 - 40kgs food each week, dependent on pricing etc.

The supermarket, and weekly farmers market are within 6km from home. I want to be shopping more and more at the market for fresh, local fruit and vege but I'm limited as to what I can take on the bike.

I don't currently own a bike really capable of any form of load or weight, other than me. I don't really want to overload or abuse the bikes I currently have as they are required for the daily commute and must remain reliable to get to work.

Options:
1. Use beater bike with a rack and paniers and ride till it breaks
2. Get a cargo bike
3. Make an electric go kart with luggage/flatbed
4. Trailer for any currently owned bike or the above

Alternative review:
1. I've already done this and successfully busted a rear hub due to the weight. The beater is out of commission. I will be getting it back up to speed but that and other work on it means it will take time, including reframing.

2. Good solution, but most of the weight will be over the back wheel and I don't really have any more room to keep it. Could sacrifice beater to build a cargo bike, but I'm concerned how long it would take me to design what I want and what it would end up costing.

3. This is the ideal long term solution, but it would need to fit on the footpath, take two people.. but it would be evidently illegal and would likely get caught with it. Not interested in using it on the road, too dangerous here.

4. At this stage, I think the trailer is probably the most viable option. Probably go for a two wheeled design to laterally manage weight. The only question remaining is whether to get one with a hitch that clips to the seatpost or a hitch that fastens to the rear swingarm. I will be building up a Q76R frame in January/February and would probably like to use that as it should have enough power to bring me and the food home.

I'm concerned that whilst the seatpost on ordinary bikes is pretty strong, the Q76R may be stronger in the swingarm.

The two trailers I'm considering are:

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/like/381351069622?limghlpsr=true&hlpht=true&ul_noapp=true&hlpv=2&chn=ps&lpid=107&ops=true&viphx=1

https://www.vidaxl.com.au/p/90022/bike-trailer-with-plastic-cart-90-litre?gclid=CKbdtvH_18kCFQGbvAodmpQNRQ

What do you think?
Is there a better solution I haven't thought of?

If both of those have 16" wheels, which it appears is true, then you'd be better off with a trailer that uses 20" wheels. That's much more roadworthy and gentler on your groceries, and there are many times more tire options.

Remember that tire pressure should be somewhat proportional to applied load; a trailer that carries 100 pounds maximum doesn't need the same pressure that you'd use for an adult's bike. The softer the tires, the smoother everything gets along.

Lurkin said:

Is there a better solution I haven't thought of?

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Have you ever looked at any of my builds, including my trailers?

Remember I haul relatively heavy and/or bulky stuff frequently, including a pair of St Bernards.

I'm not sure what your meaning there Amberwolf. I have read your threads before, but I'm not sure what your proposing. A trike would be very cool, but would have to go on the road to get to where I need it to and would require either purchasing a finished product or welding. I don't have the space for a trike nor the ability to weld......

Well, I was really talking about the trailers; I probably didn't say it right but I was dozing off and just clicked submit so I wouldn't lose the post or forget to post at all.

I think all my trailer builds are in threads titled "Flatbed Kennel Trailer" with a MkI, MkII, or MkIII or similar in there, if you'd like references for doing something similar.

I've used several variations, only one of them welded up for the purpose--the others were converted from other materials, including one you could easily copy if you like, based on a 2-kid Bell trailer whose hitch clamps ot the chainstay on the left side of a normal bike. I think I got the trailer via Freecycle, though it's coverings weren't in great shape it didn't matter, cuz i turned it into a flatbed I could bolt a plastic dog kennel to. That was partly to haul Hachi (or the others) around and partly to haul cargo in, as a lockable "cargo pod".

But for any kind of heavy cargo hauling I don't recommend the spring-and-elastomer connection that Bell trailer used for it's pivot connection to the bike-end clamp. It wiggles and sags too much, and mine eventually broke the elastomer and bent the spring, leading me to build the one I use now that has an actual automotive ball-hitch on the bike and the ball-type tongue on the trailer.

I'd planned to just put that tongue on the bell trailer at one point, but never did, just went right to the "scratch" built one I welded up from square tubing, BMX forks, and other stuff--I know you can't build that one the same way, but you could bolt one together if you had the materials, a hacksaw and a drill and a pile of 1/4"-20 hardware. Mine is too wide for some doorways and such but it does fit on most sidewalks and between most bollards on paths.


THere's also an earlier one I built from a flat aluminum faceplate from an old "mainframe" computer system switch panel, with some square tubing bolted underneath (after some failures of the panel under heavy loads), and wheelchair wheels with their QR axle mounting plates bolted to the panel sides.

The original version of the newest trailer was going to use that kind of QR axle mount but off the Bell trailer, until I went with the BMX forks instead, and you could do that, too.


But probably your simplest and quickest trailer, other than buying one outright as a premade cargo trailer, is to find a used kids' trailer like the one I used, take all the cloth stuff off, bolt some plywood to it, and/or bolt a cargo box of your desired size and lockablity level to that. If you put the cargo box down inside the frame rather than up on top of it you get a lower COG (I did this with that newest version), but you may have to add more supports under the box to ensure it doesn't sag down and hti stuff on the road or sidewalk or curbs in transition. Bolting a flat plywood section to the top and *then* bolting hte cargo pod to that means you can unbolt the pod / box to carry large stuff that cant' fit in it, if necessary.


Using QR wheels can present a security issue; sometimes when I used those I took them off and stuffed them inside the locked cargo area while I was inside, with a cable lock thru the frame of the trailer and the bike itself, just as a deterrent to increase time it would take to nab it. Never had a problem, even without doing that, but not having to worry about that was one reason I went with the bolt-on BMX wheels / forks instead.

But QR wheels also mean you can quickly store the whole thing away, too, in a much smaller space than the trailer would normally take up assembled.


Anyway, there's a whole bunch of ways to make a trailer, and several good proven ways to make a hitch to a "typical" bike frame, depending on your skills, tools, and patience, as well as cargo carrying requirements.

cargo bike is a better solution as easier to take in an out

Just build a trailer out of HomeDepot pipe, heck even wood would work great.
You could find wood for free, any construction site has garbage bins, even check back alleys.
Find some junk rims and you are good, for much less then $100Aus.DogHairs!
I am building a single wheel trailer out of the back end of a full suspension bike, with the spring gone. I will just bolt it solid.
I have seen those store bought personal grocery carts used, put on a rear rack, and do up a nice hitch system (twist ties), DONE!
Heck, people even throw out those bike trailers when they get flat tires.
Just roam the alley-ways, in the richer parts of town.

I've been pretty happy with my bob style trailer, a cheapo knock off of the real bob trailer. The amount of cargo it can carry is limited, but It easily carries about a half cart full. Got it cheap at amazon.

It can get loaded heavy enough to tip a bike off it's stand though. So two kickstands, or a center stand is needed.

I haven't tried the two wheel type trailers. But since I weld, I could see making one someday. Or maybe stick with a bod trailer design, but make one with a taller cargo area for carrying bulky but light stuff, like toilet paper on top of the grub.

One idea I have thought might be cool is a trailer made from an old aluminum stepladder. I have several in the backyard. The idea is a trailer able to carry long stuff, 8 or 10 feet long. Lumber, pipe, etc.

The cheapest trailer I ever made was a pair of Harbor Freight dolly wheels stuck on a 5/8" aluminum rod, passed through a pair of 2x4s glued to the bottom of a big double walled cardboard box, with a pair of 6 x 5/8" fence boards glued and screwed at right angles on the inside of the box. I painted the box inside and out with house paint, applied some reflective tape, and welded up a trailer tongue from square steel tubing. The Burley trailer hitch I added probably cost more than the rest of the trailer combined.

Anyway, all the trailer parts stowed inside the box with room for lots more luggage, and that was my solution for riding on a train line that wouldn't accept a bicycle trailer as luggage unless it was in a box.

I like the ladder idea better than what I wanted to make one out of: old aluminum crutches, canes, and wheels cluttering up my garage. :wink:

We discussed it further last night and a trailer is definitely the go. I would rather a cargo bike or go kart, but both are more difficult to get to work for other reasons.

Unfortunately supermarkets here, particularly those around malls, seem to attract deros who just hang about. This increases the chance of theft of anything left outside considerably. A cargo bike or go kart unattended would probably disappear by the time we finish shopping.

I think we will obtain some beater, nature strip bikes to use with the trailer, and unhitch the trailer and use it as a shopping trolley whilst we are in the supermarket/market. This way, if the bikes/bike parts on offer to get stolen outside the store are crappy and replaceable. This means the theft is more annoying than monetary.

Tbh, we will probably go down the premade trailer route given that will be carrying food and must be reliable. I will probably buy one of the earlier posted trailers with a view to upgrading the wheels when I can get round to it... I do have a few 700c road wheels sets going unused, pretty unsuitable tyre width wise but would definitely be more efficient.

The real question is: Hitch to seatpost or rear swingarm?

If you want to use the thing as a handcart, definitely get one with a seatpost hitch. That's a natural handle. You can modify a kickstand to serve as a retractable leg.

I can find these old double kid trailers around here cheap pretty regularly. Old skis seem to be pretty easy to find too. I have this trailer finished now, but I just haveen't taken any pics of it completed, but it turned out great.

https://endless-sphere.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=72252

Old kid trailer from Craigslist is the way to go, I stripped all the canvas outer off mine recently, screwed wooden slats on the frame and a largish plastic storage trunk on the slats. I think I gave $20 on CL for the trailer and the storage trunk came from a yard sale for $5. My inner Scrooge once again prevails in the never ending battle against style, fashion and flair.

Keep tire pressures low unless your load is up around a humans weight, I use maybe ten to fifteen pounds in the pair of 20" tires on my trailer, pump them too hard and your trailer will bounce down the road like dribbling a basketball, catch a pothole and launch your load into orbit.

Should be a whole slew of bike stuff up on Craigslist after Christmas.

Hmmm. StudEbiker flatbed concept could actually work really, really well. Was thinking if it had walls as well it could have baskets in it for wandering around the market to put stuff in the basket, then directly onto the trailer.. could be really handy for shopping...

Look at thrift stores for a Bag Boy golf bag walking dolly. Similar to what some people use to take their luggage trailer on the bus that I've seen. As long as you keep a reasonable speed for the size of the wheels it might work ok. :wink:

The DIY trailers on here are awesome and I've been keeping an eye out, but nothing free recently..

So... bought a trailer off ebay. Pretty sweet frame except the welds are definitely just tack welded at best and I cannot figure out how the hitch works? (photo below)

Do you think I'm missing a bit to be able to attach it to the seatpost?

To be quite honest and forthright, if you hang around, or just check out any low-income neighborhood, or shelter type places and you can easily pick up a bicycle trailer. Now it might have a flat tire, maybe it might not run straight. These guys just dump them. I have ran into countless crappy bikes and a few nice ones that are just dumped, broken hangars, flat tires, bent rims. Its good to drive the back alleys as well, but that is quite a long shot sometimes. Its quick and easy, rather then hanging around sketchy, head swiveling bums at the local shelters bike rack. I'm a big tall dude, plus I volunteer there handing out meals.

markz said:

To be quite honest and forthright, if you hang around, or just check out any low-income neighborhood, or shelter type places and you can easily pick up a bicycle trailer. Now it might have a flat tire, maybe it might not run straight. These guys just dump them. I have ran into countless crappy bikes and a few nice ones that are just dumped, broken hangars, flat tires, bent rims. Its good to drive the back alleys as well, but that is quite a long shot sometimes. Its quick and easy, rather then hanging around sketchy, head swiveling bums at the local shelters bike rack. I'm a big tall dude, plus I volunteer there handing out meals.

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Or their stolen and dumped, which I cannot risk getting involved with. Besides, I've already bought one, just need to work out whether the hitch is missing a bit (I think it is, there's nothing seatpost shaped there, whereas I'm pretty sure there should be). If somethings missing, will request the vendor to send me one. Apparantly its not uncommon for these cheapo chinese trailers to be missing bits on arrival, they have a procedure for dealing with it, just wanted to confirm first before requesting them to do so.

Lurkin said:

Do you think I'm missing a bit to be able to attach it to the seatpost?

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It looks more like it's meant to mount at the dropout, and have the axle go thru that hole, for QR-type axles. But without seeing the whole trailer and how the hitch arm is made on it (goes up over the wheel, or sideways around it), I can't say which type it might be for sure.

What does the whole trailer look like?


If it's meant to attach to the seatpost, then the seatpost clamping bolt might go thru that hole, but it doesn't seem like that would hold up very well over time with start/stop forces on it (the clamping bolt isn't meant to withstand that flexing).

Its meant to attach to the seatpost.

More photos of the auction item: http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/New-90L-Handy-Bike-Trailer-Bicycle-Carrier-Pet-Stroller-Cart-Luggage-Transport-/231807106146?hash=item35f8c7bc62:g:86AAAOSwa-dWj0iN

Just can't understand how it can be used to connect to the seatpost - I think your right, it's probably the wrong hitch.

I am hooked on the burley travoy shopping trailer. But I think price is too high. If I can't find one second hand for cheap I will make a DIY version based on Chinese hand trucks or something similar that cost next to nothing to buy second hand. A great big hockey bag hooked on the hand truck would take care of groceries, even in wet weather and rain coming sideways.

Burley - too expensive




Hand truck, replace original wheel with pneumatic wheels, picture this with your old hockey bag strapped onto it. These comes in all kinds of shapes and sizes. Some are foldable, some are though and durable for heavy loads, other light weight aluminum. A ghetto style mod to get some good wheels on and I am sure you will get your moneys worth. Ohh and treat yourself to one of the original Burley seat hitches.

Yeah, thought of doing this, there are a few on google images of people having the same idea.

It's a cool idea but hand trucks (including the one you have referenced) are a bit toyish compared to a proper trailer, I really wanted to avoid plastic where possible, especially in the wheel area. It also becomes are real debate as to whether you want a decent trailer or a decent shopping trolley. It seems like anything (like the burley) is an expensive attempt to try and do both well. I was more interested in a decent trailer foremost, with the added benefit of being a shopping trolley if it could happen to do it as well (which it does for a fraction of the price). Further, you'll need to stack stuff in the bag, which is something I wanted to move away from if possible - so the vege doesn't get squashed on the way. The other cool benefit of the burley is the ability to fold down and put away - this one completely lacks that functionality, but makes it up in strength instead.

In other news, the hitch is definitely incorrect. It should be something more along the lines of this http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Bicycle-Trailer-Hitch-For-Seatpost-Cargo-trailer-Coupling-Nr-28001-/381497326796?hash=item58d3033ccc:g:QYEAAOSwc3ZUovjG&rmvSB=true

Just missing the actual piece that clamps to the frame and attaches to the rest of the hitch. I've contacted the vendor, will see if they can just send me one to fix the situation and deal with a few other gripes we have had with it on arrival.

We took the trailer to the market today on its maiden voyage (just walked it). Chalo was definitely on the money recommending a seatpost hitch, the hitch comes to the perfect height for walking with and the trailer is considerably easier to use than the crappy shopping trolleys we have used previously. Had capacity for everything we needed with room to spare. Need to experiment with tyre pressures and using bubble wrap or foam or air packet packaging beneath the fruit/veges as it really needs some really soft suspension to ensure they don't bruise on the way home (maybe a suspension set up in the future 8) ). Also need to make a cover to prevent curious fingers at the market

Its actually more convenient than using a car for us really, no need to struggle though busy carparks and transferring goods to bags to cars, driving home and lugging them through the hose - the trailer fits through doorways! From pickup at the market, direct to the kitchen. More efficient transaction and no longer requires single use plastic bags! Awesome.

Hehe veges don't get squash(ed) as long as they are on top.

depends on the amount/ whether you buy anything else :lol: