Trailers for use with recumbents (two wheeled)

[Time Waster]

What's your experience of towing trailers? Single wheel, two wheel? What brands? What hitches? Changing hitches? Any advice really?

Anyone heard of Vitelli touring trailers? Kevin at D-TEK-HPVS mentioned them as being highly rated. I've not seen much about them online. I think they're a Swiss brand since the sites are in German but I don't think they are German. I've not seen any reviews but I've not really looked far (usual first/second page on Google level of searching).

Apparently they use 20" wheels (406) just like my front wheel. I'm thinking practically. My rear wheel is 26" like my partner's bike. If I get a trailer matching the wheel size to front wheel on my bike makes sense. Any advantage to a larger trailer wheel than the usual 16" ones?

 

[MichaelW2]

I use a 20" Carry Freedom Y-frame. The wheel size is good for trailers and for you would reduce your spares count. I use a 2 wheel trailer for utility because they carry heavy loads and longer ones such as planks and logs but for touring I think a single wheel is better; they track better, are less affected by ruts and are less tippy on rough ground.

 

[Time Waster]

But for European, road touring I doubt the number of wheels is much of an issue. Our child trailer was pretty good.

 

[voyager]

two wheel trailers should be used with trikes as the forces of a single wheel will destroy the rear end of the trike .

We have successfully towed a 42x 24x 12" trailer , this homebuilt trailer has been used for logs , camping and model flying , tows happily using a Mondeo drop link as a tow hitch .
It uses qr wheelchair wheels with solid tyres so no problems with punctures. These 22" wheels ride over rough tracks when we go to the flying field.

 

[MichaelW2]

Doesn't it depend on the mounting system? My Freedom carry polymer lollipop trailer mount can bend and flex on the bike-mounted pin.

 

[Time Waster]

The Burley hitch is similarly flexible. I can lay my bike flat without tipping the trailer. It's towing arm is designed to allow the trailer to track evenly behind the bike. It's a good design.

My single wheel trailer is OK but it does want to twist when it's loaded. That's on an upright. It took some getting used to as well. I am learning about recumbents being new to them. I'm not sure my single wheel trailer will be any good for recumbent touring. I think it'll just throw me off or I won't get going with it.

 

[byegad]

Having seen a loaded single wheel trailer on a trike, I had to go and lay down for a while.
I really would avoid them for a trike. The rear end of the aluminium trike was flexing spectacularly!

 

[Tigerbiten]

I've now done over 40,000 miles with a large Carry Freedom trailer behind my ICE trike, so I'm used to it now.
With 20" wheels all around, if I damage a trike tyre on tour then I can always swop it onto the trailer and run it at around 20 psi until I find a bike shop for a replacement tyre.
My only advice is if you're doing any distance with it loaded is to upgrade the quality of the wheel bearings. I found the original ones tend to disintegrate around the 5k mile mark.

 

[Time Waster]

I've only got a two wheeled recumbent so there's less of an issue with single wheel trailers for the bike. However the issue is my inexperience with the recumbent. Despite my experience with an upright I found it was difficult for at least half an hour. Even after today start up and stop were both a bit dodgy at times.

 

[byegad]

I've only got a two wheeled recumbent so there's less of an issue with single wheel trailers for the bike. However the issue is my inexperience with the recumbent. Despite my experience with an upright I found it was difficult for at least half an hour. Even after today start up and stop were both a bit dodgy at times.

It took me a couple of months to be 99.999% secure on my 2 wheel recumbent, my problems weren't helped by an age related balance issue. Which is why I ride 3 wheels these days.

 

[Time Waster]

I took to it ok but I don't ride it much. Mostly just every other weekend for a family ride along the canal near home. So for a while it was like I kept regressing each gap between rides. That regression became smaller each time.

Now I take a minute or two to get back to to full confidence. I can now relax one arm from the steering to do stuff like adjust clothing or just to swing by the side if the seat. I can't touch the ground on my recumbent.

It's becoming more and more natural to ride recumbents. Also I can switch from upright to recumbent and back again very naturally.

I still think I need to get a grip on the gearing. I'm not sure it's right for me. I think I'll drop it in with the mobile mechanic with a new cassette and chains. Probably lengthen the boom too. Right now I feel the gearing is too high some rides and too low others. What's confusing me is that's on the same , flat but bumpy canal towpath!