# can a trailer cause frame damage?



## 2cflyr (Apr 9, 2002)

For x-mas we got a burley-esque two kid trailer. it weighs about 30 lbs. the kiddo currently weighs about the same. so, 60-65 lbs or so total.

the way it attaches to the frame is by a plate that clamps on the non-drive side, sandwiched between the skewer and the frame. the bike is a older litespeed- around 2000.

a friend mentioned that i should basically be pulling it with a steel frame as it's more forgiving. any truth to this? i sure as heck don't want to damage my bike.


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## Argentius (Aug 26, 2004)

Yeah, for sure trailers wear on frames -- the same way that towing wears on pickup trucks. It's a third of what the rider weighs, pulling right on the rear axle and chainstays. 

It probably voids any warranty you may have.

I have seen bikes towing pop welds, but, more often I have seen them snap axles and crakc rims.

It's not so bad, really, and kudos on the youth-towing, but I would definitely not use the light / fast bike to do it.



2cflyr said:


> For x-mas we got a burley-esque two kid trailer. it weighs about 30 lbs. the kiddo currently weighs about the same. so, 60-65 lbs or so total.
> 
> the way it attaches to the frame is by a plate that clamps on the non-drive side, sandwiched between the skewer and the frame. the bike is a older litespeed- around 2000.
> 
> a friend mentioned that i should basically be pulling it with a steel frame as it's more forgiving. any truth to this? i sure as heck don't want to damage my bike.


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## 2cflyr (Apr 9, 2002)

Argentius said:


> Yeah, for sure trailers wear on frames -- the same way that towing wears on pickup trucks. It's a third of what the rider weighs, pulling right on the rear axle and chainstays.
> 
> It probably voids any warranty you may have.
> 
> ...



oh darn- time for a new bike!  

the funny one was reading the destructions and it said not to go over 10 mph. oops. 20 was nice! on the flats, my out-of-shape ass can average about 15.


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## Argentius (Aug 26, 2004)

Yeah, having a "trailer bike" ain't a bad plan. A lotta folks just use their grocery getters. I remember a closed loop I used to train on when I was just getting started... 

I think I was going 15 or so, and this dude on a road bike, pulling a kid in a trailer, was ahead of me... I caught up to him, but didn't pass him. He must have done five, maybe 10 laps, of the 1.3 mile park at that speed.

Whew! I was impressed.



2cflyr said:


> oh darn- time for a new bike!
> 
> the funny one was reading the destructions and it said not to go over 10 mph. oops. 20 was nice! on the flats, my out-of-shape ass can average about 15.


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## hepcatbent (Aug 19, 2009)

It's like anything else... it'll probably cause more wear on the bike than not towing; but how often are you going to tow with it compared to how many miles you ride, and at what speeds?

As a practical matter, most folks will never damage their bikes with a child trailer. They're just not that hard on them. As a matter of fact, how many people ever even wear out a bike, period? However, as with any bike, the lighter they are, the less robust they are, so it's probably good counsel to tow with a less expensive, heavier bike... a hybrid or something.


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## 2cflyr (Apr 9, 2002)

hepcatbent said:


> It's like anything else... it'll probably cause more wear on the bike than not towing; but how often are you going to tow with it compared to how many miles you ride, and at what speeds?
> 
> As a practical matter, most folks will never damage their bikes with a child trailer. They're just not that hard on them. As a matter of fact, how many people ever even wear out a bike, period? However, as with any bike, the lighter they are, the less robust they are, so it's probably good counsel to tow with a less expensive, heavier bike... a hybrid or something.


while the litespeed isnt considered wicked light these days (19 lbs) I think the idea of a tow rig/grocery getter makes sense. a surly LHT or something with 700c wheels and still has drop bars would be nice.


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## wvucyclist (Sep 6, 2007)

http://joinomba.org/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=14311

This guy broke his bike towing a BOB trailer. I found a 1993 specialized crossroads on craigslist that I'm going to use to tow my trailer. It's steel, heavy duty, and cheap! I also got the frame mount from burley to replace the axle mount, seems like a PITA to pull the skewer off each time, though the frame mount isn't super quick.


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