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The Bike Friday trailer is a stable two-wheeled design that works with all Bike Friday models including the Sat R Day and Air models.
THERE are a number of bike add-ons in the market that you might be thinking of using with your Bike Friday. Some work well, others should be used with caution or not at all, based on testing, customer feedback, and plain old physics.
Here is a list of information on some popular accessories Friday owners use. ALWAYS CONSULT THE MANUFACTURER OF THE ACCESSORY REGARDING SUITABILITY OF THEIR PRODUCT WITH A BIKE FRIDAY. Watch this space for more - and if you have some information of your own, please let us know!
Bike Friday Online Accessories Store
CHILD ATTACHMENT BIKES
Most of these attach to the seatpost of the 'leader' bike. BF Club of Inland Empire, CA Leader Brian Zupke uses the Burley Piccolo with his Traveler Q tandem, as well as the Burley Child Trailer. The Piccolo attaches at a lower point using its own low mounted rack, which has to be modified slightly to work with a Bike Friday. This is something that Bike Friday can do. Read his take below
The components of my "freight train" are a Bike Friday Project Q tandem, connected to a Burley Piccolo trailer cycle which is connected to a Burley D'lite child trailer. Unlike many of the tailer cycles, the Burley Piccolo connects to a heavy duty bike rack, called the Moose Rack which is also made by Burley. The connection is very solid, has a safety catch, and can be added/removed in less than a minute. The majority of the trailer cycles I've seen attach to the seat post. The connections for many of these don't appear to be very strong and there appears to be quite a lot of lateral play (the trailer cycles tend to flop to the left and right). Connecting to the seatpost also means that the tow bar has to be significantly longer, resulting in greater stresses on both the connector and the bicycle itself. I wouldn't even think of using anything else - especially with the added tow weight of the trailer behind the trailer cycle. In order for the rack to be of the correct height, Green Gear provided some extenders. The final setup is very solid.
The main impact to handling is from the Piccolo. At a standstill, more effort must be exerted to keep the bike upright. While riding, the challenge is mostly from movements from the riders. The faster the speed, the easier it is to adjust to those movements. Riders who don't lean from side to side excessively helps a lot as well. The only impact the trailer has is the additional wieght and wider clearance needed on the road or path. For example, a local bike path has narrowly spaced posts - I can get through them (carefully) with just the Piccolo, but not at all with the trailer.
When my train is fully loaded, the total weight is over 500 lbs. This means that going even mild grades takes a significant amount of muscle. My riding range is probably 1/3 the distance it would be without either trailer being attached. For example, a train ride of 20 miles feels more like a regular ride of 60 miles. Of course, my average speed is signifcantly slower as well. The heavier weight also means that higher speeds are possible when going downhill. Even though the setup is very stable, I limit my downhill speed to 15 mph. I strongly recommend a drag brake be used to help control the speed.
The main thing to keep in mind is that riding with so much weight means that everything takes longer: speeding up, slowing down, stopping and avoiding obstacles. Large safety margins should always be maintained. For example, I would never ride in a paceline with the train, and I try to avoid potential hazzards, like riding too close to parked cars.
Brian Zupke, bzupke@earthlink.net
SINGLE-WHEELED TRAILERS
There are many excellent single wheeled trailers on the market, but they should NOT be combined with the particular Bike Friday models which have a 'mono stay' rear end - that is, the Air bikes or the Sat R Day.Tim Link of Sales who owns a single-wheeled trailer and a Pocket Llama, says: "My personal experience is this: on the regular Pocket bikes the trailer works well, but the rider should still be careful not to load it up to more than 40 lbs (even though mine is rated at 70 lbs), and keep the load low to the ground to minimize twisting forces."
BAGS
* The Bike Friday Travel System
* Here's a link to some Carradice bags shown on some Bike Fridays.
* The ever popular DETOUR (formerly Vaude Hi-Tail) seat post bag is perfect for a day trip and you can buy it from Bike Friday. We carry a wide range in our online store.
LIGHTS
* Review of Light & Motion Vega 3W LED lamp
* Dinotte Light System for Bike Fridays | DiNotte meets Bike Friday in Rye '07
RACKS
* Bike Friday Folding Rear Rack - made in-house at Bike Friday. Will fit a standard bicycle with minor modification.
TIRES
* Review of the folding Stelvio 406 Raceguard tire
OTHER
* Bike Friday Headbadge - included on all new bikes after 2004. Buy yours from our online store.
SOME CUSTOMER COMMENTS ON ACCESSORIZING
From Amy S, CA:
I just returned from a 2 week bike touring trip to Italy so I can report on what I did and how the changes worked. Last year we rode in New Zealand and I took the bike without any modifications. The difference insofar as comfort for me (back and arms and hands) could not have been greater. This is what I did to my bike to fix the problems, which I attributed to a short wheel base and small wheels that tended to hit bumps rather than roll over them:
First I got rid of the panniers (far too jarring of a ride and difficulty controlling the bike on downhills). The trailer was far better. I just pulled the Carlton case and used a handlebar bag.
Second, I added a Thudbuster seat post; completely worth the money.
Third, I added a Pantour suspension hub to the front wheel (very expensive but well worth it) and I also got a wider rim in case that would also help displace some of the jolting from the road.
And fourth, I added stoker towers on my H-Bars to give my hands and wrists a break and another alternative hand position.
All of these changes, which did not include riding on slightly less inflated tires added up to a completely comfortable experience. I couldn't tell you which one was the most important; they all added up to no back pain no hand pain no shoulder pain no instability. You might want to pass on some of this advice to others who might complain about the stiff jarring ride.
Some people may find the ride of Bike Friday harsh due to the smaller wheels, depending on their experience, expectations and ability or desire to adapt. The above suggestions can work, but do add weight to the bicycle. Double wrapping the handlebars also helps. All the above accessories are available from the Bike Friday store. - LC
Emailable link to this article: http://www.bikefriday.com/bf/accessories
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