Burley Solo tow bar

Hi, I've just bought an Burley Solo bike trailer. The tow bar places the
bike almost in line with the right hand side of the trailer (photo he
http://people.pwf.cam.ac.uk/pct13/solo.jpeg ) Can someone tell me if
this is normal, or has it been supplied if a tow bar for a double trailer?

Thanks
Paul T-C

The Burley trailers are made so that the right side of the trailer is
much closer to tbe center-line of the bike than the left side. I don't
remember if our Solo was quite this far to the right, but it was
definitely nowhere near center.

They do this so that curb-hugging Americans can continue to hug the
curbs after they get their trailers. I found that it didn't change my
road position at all.

-Myra

"Paul Taylor-Crush" wrote in message
...

Hi, I've just bought an Burley Solo bike trailer. The tow bar places the
bike almost in line with the right hand side of the trailer (photo he
http://people.pwf.cam.ac.uk/pct13/solo.jpeg ) Can someone tell me if this
is normal, or has it been supplied if a tow bar for a double trailer?

I don't know if it is correct or not, but it will certainly give you a very
tight turning circle for a right hand U turn. My Mule towbar hits the back
wheel (or is that the other way round!) if I try and turn too sharply.

Bill

On Wed, 11 Mar 2009 10:40:42 +0000, Paul Taylor-Crush
wrote:


Hi, I've just bought an Burley Solo bike trailer. The tow bar places the
bike almost in line with the right hand side of the trailer (photo he
http://people.pwf.cam.ac.uk/pct13/solo.jpeg ) Can someone tell me if
this is normal, or has it been supplied if a tow bar for a double trailer?

Thanks
Paul T-C


I am not familiar with that trailer - are you really going to put a
child in it and travel on the public highway?


--




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Helmets are not beneficial to cyclists - unless the evidence forces them to a dramatically different conclusion.

On Mar 11, 4:32 pm, "Bill" wrote:
I don't know if it is correct or not, but it will certainly give you a very
tight turning circle for a right hand U turn. My Mule towbar hits the back
wheel (or is that the other way round!) if I try and turn too sharply.

Actually, it doesn't. You can still make much tighter U-turns to the
left than to the right. I don't remember offhand what goes wrong (what
hits what) but I do recall than in driveway maneuvers, it's always
best to turn left.

The wide turning radius for right turns doesn't make any difference on
the road, I find. Roads that have enough space for cars generally have
plenty enough space for a bike with trailer to make a U-turn. (Even a
tandem with a trailer, which is what I usually ride.) It prevents me
from making U-turns on the little cycle paths that connect up dead-end
roads, however!

-Myra

Myra in Cambridge wrote:
On Mar 11, 4:32 pm, "Bill" wrote:
I don't know if it is correct or not, but it will certainly give you a very
tight turning circle for a right hand U turn. My Mule towbar hits the back
wheel (or is that the other way round!) if I try and turn too sharply.

Actually, it doesn't. You can still make much tighter U-turns to the
left than to the right. I don't remember offhand what goes wrong (what
hits what) but I do recall than in driveway maneuvers, it's always
best to turn left.

The wide turning radius for right turns doesn't make any difference on
the road, I find. Roads that have enough space for cars generally have
plenty enough space for a bike with trailer to make a U-turn. (Even a
tandem with a trailer, which is what I usually ride.) It prevents me
from making U-turns on the little cycle paths that connect up dead-end
roads, however!

-Myra

Thanks for the replies Myra and Bill.
I did wonder if they had intentionally made it off to the right to
prevent the wheel hitting it on tight right hand turns but I don't think
so as I found this on Burleys FAQ page

"Q. Why does my trailer tow off to the side of my bicycle?

A. Burley has aligned the hitch along the centerline of the trailer and
not along the centerline of the bike. This allows the trailer to track
straight and makes towing a Burley trailer easier. If the trailer was
designed to pull directly behind the bike with the centerline of the
trailer aligned with the centerline of the bike, the hitch would have to
angle to left side of the trailer to hook to the bike. This would make
the trailer want to constantly drift out and the trailer would not track
in a straight line."

The hitch is nowhere near the centreline so it must be the wrong tow arm.


BTW Myra I occasionally pass you on Huntingdon Rd. Well I think it's
you, there can't be that many tandem+trailers around.

Paul T-C

On Mar 12, 10:20 am, Paul Taylor-Crush wrote:
BTW Myra I occasionally pass you on Huntingdon Rd. Well I think it's
you, there can't be that many tandem+trailers around.

Yup, we ride along Huntingdon Rd every day. Mom on front of tandem,
daughter on back of tandem, son in trailer. I should get a "long
vehicle" sign to put on the back of the trailer!

-Myra

In article , Myra in Cambridge wrote:
Yup, we ride along Huntingdon Rd every day. Mom on front of tandem,
daughter on back of tandem, son in trailer. I should get a "long
vehicle" sign to put on the back of the trailer!

I had a "LONG BIKE" one for the back of our tandem-trailer:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/armb/99...7602304880563/

I was puzzled by the why my trailer didn't tow directly behind my bike
at first also. I thought the same thing, that it was to keep it off the
curb. I've since learned that the technical reason that it's not
centered on the bike is because the hitch point is not centered on the
bike. The trailer is actually centered on the hitch pivot point, which
allows the trailer to tow straight behind you with no side forces. This
isn't unique to the Burley Solo. Most trailers with a single sided tow
bar that I've seen are offset in a similar way.


--
saddletime
Message Origin: TRAVEL.com

In message , Alan Braggins
writes
In article
,
Myra in Cambridge wrote:
Yup, we ride along Huntingdon Rd every day. Mom on front of tandem,
daughter on back of tandem, son in trailer. I should get a "long
vehicle" sign to put on the back of the trailer!

I had a "LONG BIKE" one for the back of our tandem-trailer:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/armb/99...7602304880563/

I kept on meaning to make up something to go on the back of our kiddie
trailer when we got the kiddie tandem as well. But never got around to
it, so probably never will as not sure it will really get used much
anymore.

Since DD1 (8) doesn't really want to on the back of the tandem anymore
as 1) she prefers going solo, and 2) she chewed her foot up rather
nastily last year when it got caught in the back wheel and this rather
put her off.

DD2 (4, but short) can just about now reach the pedals on the tandem
(with SJSC crank shorteners) and has loved her first couple of rides.
Don't think she'll want to go back in the trailer much. Though if we go
out when it's cold and wet....

Feels a bit sad really to contemplate saying good bye to the trailer
:-(
--
Chris French