Chaps, I need a bit of advice. I have a bit of a problem. I want to start using a trailer (pick nicks, small shopping trips etc).

The problem is I’ve got a 07 Felt Virtue (which I love riding – still) which is unsuitable for towing.

I got Genesis Core 40 last year with the intention of using it for towing but to be honest we’ve never really gelled.
So the plan is that I’ll sell it to help fund the trailer and a bit towards a full sus to tow it with, but what full sus would be best for towing a trailer? Single pivot? Any experiences?

Your help please…..

Get a trailer that attaches to the rear axle. That way it’ll fit (except in the rarest of circumstances) and you’ll not risk any strain.

Carbon Stumpy FSR + Croozer here 😀

edingburgh cycle trailer with longer qr on ellswirth moment and later a maverick ml8 no issues at all

For versatility then I would suggest a single wheel trailer such as the Bob or the EBC version of it. These can quite literally go any where. I have used a Bob copy to take trail building tools etc out for some trail building days. You almost forget it is there.

If you need large capacity and heavy loads and will only use it on tarmac etc then look at the 2 wheel trailers. From your description a single wheel will do you fine. I tow mine on the back of a hard tail. Not tried it on a bouncer but can not see why it won’t work just as well.

Thanks for the replies, It is a single wheeled trailer that I want to use. The Bob trailers are a bit pricy. I guess they’re better built than the Edinburgh cargo?

The problem with the felt is it’s got the equilink and a dog bone type arrangement between the chain stays and the frame. The lower part of the equilink bolts to it. Which looks like if a trailer was attached the whole lower assembly would be pulled back?

Also I was worried about the loading on the carbon in the rear triangle, it can’t be designed to get a load that way – possible failure?

IMO I wouldn’t attach a trailer that fixes/clamps to any part of a carbon frame unless the load was absolutely minimal.

I got Genesis Core 40 last year with the intention of using it for towing but to be honest we’ve never really gelled.
So the plan is that I’ll sell it to help fund the trailer and a bit towards a full sus to tow it with,

I assume you mean the core 40 when you say ‘sell it’ ??

If so, why the hell would you buy a full sus JUST to tow a trailer?

Don’t the single wheel trailers you’re looking at all attach to the rear axle? In which case, what on earth do you think the problem is attaching it to your Felt? When you’re suggesting the trailer will pull the lower assembly back, what do you think is pulling the rest of your bike forwards against it? Is it front wheel drive or something?

Unless you’re looking for an excuse for a new bike, just use your Felt – you can afford the more expensive trailer and lots of beer to fill it with then.

Nicolai Helius CC and Bob Ibex here, never had a problem except in snow when the trailer bed drags something awful. Very strong though. I have seen EBC trailers with bent/ damaged dropout hook fittings where they attatch to the bikes rear QR.

Sorry it wasn’t clear, yes the Core would go. I wouldn’t be getting it just to tow the trailer. It would have to do ‘normal’ riding as well. I couldn’t justify another bike, I’d retire the felt till my oldest son was big enough to use it(not that far away). Plus I’ve just got an ace BMX for a Wedding present!

aracer, perhaps I’ve got it wrong, but when the back end moves due bumps etc the force is up and slightly to the rear? With a trailer on there would be a tug/force/drag backwards as well? Not as the manufacturer intended.
The drop outs are alu bonded to carbon stays. I’ve suffered de-bonding in the joint area before (warranty claim). Have I got that all wrong? probably have.

that makes more sense, thought you were buying another full sus just for trailer duties.

Most suspension designs move backwards a little during their travel, nothing new there, doubt youd notice the effects due to trailer. Dropouts pulling off is a different matter, there would be some ‘tugging’ when the trailer wheel hooked up on stuff, as your unlikley to be pedalling all the time. It shouldnt be a problem tho, normal riding forces pull on the back end much the same, might not be ideal tho.

ebc we have is a few years old and survived two major pyrennes trip with us and a alps tour on my nephews dialled alpine price wise outstanding value

What do you recon the forces are like on your dropouts when braking down steep stuff? How do you think that compares to the trailer pulling back on them when not pedalling? Does your suspension stop working when there’s a backwards force on the dropouts due to braking?

I towed the kids trailer with an old SWorks Enduro.
Suspension worked ok, or seemed to.

Best trailer towing combo was an old road bike. Was very easy. Used to do a three stop, 4 mile nursey/school/work commute on it.

I spoken to people who have had/have the ebc one and they rave about them. I’m not looking to use it every day but to just brake the dependency on using the car for every trip into town, plus hooning it about across the SDW carrying the family pick nick seems like it could be fun.

I don’t want to use the felt so before I go out….

What full type/set up of full bouncers would be best? I’m being drawn towards Orange at the moment…

I wrecked a carbon rear triangle on my Top Fuel… The carbon stay separated from the aluminium lug at the BB end. I’m fairly sure it was because I used a kids trailer attached at the rear axle on that side. It cost me about £400 fora new rear triangle – oops!
I now use tag-a-longs on my Fuel Ex, but they attach on the seat tube, (aluminium replacement rather than the standard carbon) and I’ve had no problems…

I don’t want to use the felt

Well you could have said that at the start rather than describing it as unsuitable – I could have saved my breath. Not that I’ve worked out why you dislike the idea apart from having an excuse for a new bike.

FWIW I’ve towed a trailer behind a lightweight carbon road bike, a 4 bar full-sus, a tandem, oh and also this

aracer, sorry I still don’t get it? Braking down hill would send the forces through the caliper into the drop out which would transmit into a twisting force up the seat stay and pull backwards on the chain stay? That’s what your saying yea?

Now add a trailer into that and the force/pull backwards is greater? Would this not affect the ‘normal’ behaviour of the suspension and increase the load where is not expected and cause a failure?

Perhaps I’m having a mental block or something. It’s been a very long day!

Halfords special and Nukeproof Mega here, bolt thru axle – no issues( had to enlarge the hole a bit on the attachment so the bolt thru axle fitted though)

Now add a trailer into that and the force/pull backwards is greater? Would this not affect the ‘normal’ behaviour of the suspension and increase the load where is not expected and cause a failure?

Not if you’re going downhill it wouldn’t – maybe if you were braking hard going uphill!

In normal pedalling along, an axle mount trailer puts no load on the stays at all. When coasting, braking or going downhill (when the trailer is pushing forwards) there is a load there which wasn’t before, but you’ve got to think about the magnitude of such a force. You weigh say 70kg and all your force is going through those stays in various directions in normal use, pedalling along, climbing, descending, jumping off things etc. I’m assuming you’re not planning on putting anywhere near 70kg in your trailer, so the forces involved due to that are a lot lower, and in general they don’t add up to the existing forces you’re generating as they happen at different times and in different directions. In any case, even if they did you’d have to put a lot of load in the trailer or be a real fatty to exceed the design loads of your bike.

aracer, really sorry you wasted your breath. The Felt is unsuitable because I don’t want to rip a drop out off. As I said I’ve already had a problem with debonding and it being an 07 the warranty is well and truly void.
Also…

A/ what load were you carrying behind the carbon road bike? Was it a one piece frame or bonded to aluminium somewhere?

B/ A four bar sus is ok surly? (Does it depend if the rear pivot is in the chain or seat stays?) The Felt is not a true four bar. It has an extra link as I’ve stated though probably not clearly.

C/ A Tandem? cool.

D/ What on earth is that?

Hang on, we’re out of sync here. I’m a post behind?

seal, if your considering the EBC one have a look at the ones on ebay.

I picked up something very similar to this a few years back. Its basically the EBC one but with a few changes, the main one being use of bolts to hold it together rather than a QR, still packed down as flat but meant you needed a spanner to do it. The price is much easier to stomach tho and you could even get them for £50 at one point (might be worth doing a better check).

The carbon road bike has bonded alu dropouts. I don’t really see what difference your extra link makes at all to the performance of the suspension – the axle path and the forces in the suspension aren’t really all that different, no matter what the marketing says. The other bike is a carbon monocoque time trial bike.

Oh and mostly towing a kid in the trailer – using a single sided dropout hitch.

Ok I see what you’re saying and it kind of makes sense. Thanks. I’m not fat, growing outwards but not fat (yet). I have no idea what an average load would be? And I still can’t see that there would be no load on the stays at all under normal pedalling?

The low down is I don’t want to break the Felt. We’ve been though stuff together man.

That was cheesy- sorry (and I still feel it’s not suitable).
So I’ll try another way. What would be a good full sus to do all round duties as well as towing a single wheeled trailer?

STATO, I been looking at them but was a bit wary because of the price/quality but if that’s the only real difference could be worth a closer look tomorrow. Thanks.

Also thanks aracer for trying to explain the tech stuff.

Right, I’d better get to the pub before it’s too late. Not even STW will stop my too-infrequent trips to the local!

And I still can’t see that there would be no load on the stays at all under normal pedalling?

OK – lets get that one sorted and it might help. Under normal pedalling the rear wheel axle gives a forwards force on the chainstays. The trailer gives a backwards force on the axle, but that simply results in a decrease in the force the axle gives to the chainstays. So no load is maybe not strictly true, as there is always a load on the chainstays due to pedalling, but the trailer simply acts to decrease the load, it won’t of itself give a backwards load on the chainstays so long as you’re pedalling hard enough to actually pull the trailer along. It’s all because the point of load of the trailer is the same point you also have all the propulsive force going through.