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I needed to pick up an auto battery (& return the core) at a shop
that happens to be at the turn-around point of my typical exercise
ride route.
Just to see how it would go (and save $10 in gas) I decided to use
my bike cargo trailer, an old and nice CycleTote. The battery weight
was about 43 pounds, the trailer and liner about 23. I've used the
trailer to move much more weight, nearly 200 pounds, for distances
of a couple miles, but never tried anything longer. This ride was
roughly 30 miles. Basically flat, with a couple of manmade dips,
one under a freeway and two much smaller grades with no obvious
purpose. Usually the hardest obstacle is wind and rough pavement.
The total elevation change is only about 80 feet, with the high
point in Winters CA and the low point in Davis CA.
To smooth the ride I set fairly low pressure in the trailer tires,
maybe 30 psi, with maybe 60-70 in the 27 by 1-1/4 bike tires. None
of the tires are anything special, and going much higher in pressure
makes the trailer violently bouncy for this scale of load.
For the first ten miles or so it seemed the ride was going rather
well, and I thought I'd be done in something close to my normal
2:40 time. At about that point I started to _really_ feel the
added drag of the trailer, and every invisible change of grade.
The actual elapsed time was a little over three hours, not counting
the purchase stop.
The bike with me on it weighs 181 pounds, does an extra 66 pounds
of trailer adding ~30 minutes to the ride sounds plausible in
light of collective experience? I was certainly working much
harder with the trailer, to very little reward. Adding one-third
to the total weight seems to have added about one-sixth to the time.
At constant effort, I think the time would have gone up about one-third
along with the total weight.
I've new respect for folks who can tour using a trailer. I won't
soon have occasion to repeat the experiment, but any suggestions
would be helpful to have in that event. Raising the tire pressues
is the only thing that comes to my mind.
Thanks for reading,
bob prohaska
I needed to pick up an auto battery (& return the core) at a shopHi Bob.
that happens to be at the turn-around point of my typical exercise
ride route.
Just to see how it would go (and save $10 in gas) I decided to use
my bike cargo trailer, an old and nice CycleTote. The battery weight
was about 43 pounds, the trailer and liner about 23. I've used the
trailer to move much more weight, nearly 200 pounds, for distances
of a couple miles, but never tried anything longer. This ride was
roughly 30 miles. Basically flat, with a couple of manmade dips,
one under a freeway and two much smaller grades with no obvious
purpose. Usually the hardest obstacle is wind and rough pavement.
The total elevation change is only about 80 feet, with the high
point in Winters CA and the low point in Davis CA.
To smooth the ride I set fairly low pressure in the trailer tires,
maybe 30 psi, with maybe 60-70 in the 27 by 1-1/4 bike tires. None
of the tires are anything special, and going much higher in pressure
makes the trailer violently bouncy for this scale of load.
For the first ten miles or so it seemed the ride was going rather
well, and I thought I'd be done in something close to my normal
2:40 time. At about that point I started to _really_ feel the
added drag of the trailer, and every invisible change of grade.
The actual elapsed time was a little over three hours, not counting
the purchase stop.
The bike with me on it weighs 181 pounds, does an extra 66 pounds
of trailer adding ~30 minutes to the ride sounds plausible in
light of collective experience? I was certainly working much
harder with the trailer, to very little reward. Adding one-third
to the total weight seems to have added about one-sixth to the time.
At constant effort, I think the time would have gone up about one-third
along with the total weight.
I've new respect for folks who can tour using a trailer. I won't
soon have occasion to repeat the experiment, but any suggestions
would be helpful to have in that event. Raising the tire pressues
is the only thing that comes to my mind.
Thanks for reading,
bob prohaska
On 9/17/2025 8:20 PM, bp@www.zefox.net wrote:
To smooth the ride I set fairly low pressure in the trailer tires,
maybe 30 psi, with maybe 60-70 in the 27 by 1-1/4 bike tires. None
of the tires are anything special, and going much higher in pressure
makes the trailer violently bouncy for this scale of load.
Both pressures seem low to me so yes that seems the largest
impediment. Typical trailer tire of 20x1.75 runs 60psi
usually, although the 100psi tire models are also popular.
Most 27 inch systems run 85~100psi recommended pressure
(look on your sidewall).
Securing the load in the trailer might be better than such
low pressures. Or maybe not, but that's my intuitive approach.
AMuzi <am@yellowjersey.org> wrote:
On 9/17/2025 8:20 PM, bp@www.zefox.net wrote:
To smooth the ride I set fairly low pressure in the trailer tires,
maybe 30 psi, with maybe 60-70 in the 27 by 1-1/4 bike tires. None
of the tires are anything special, and going much higher in pressure
makes the trailer violently bouncy for this scale of load.
Both pressures seem low to me so yes that seems the largest
impediment. Typical trailer tire of 20x1.75 runs 60psi
usually, although the 100psi tire models are also popular.
Most 27 inch systems run 85~100psi recommended pressure
(look on your sidewall).
Securing the load in the trailer might be better than such
low pressures. Or maybe not, but that's my intuitive approach.
The problem with higher tire pressures isn't so much the shock
of impacts delivered to the load, but rather the trailer's
rebound. Hitting a bump with one wheel is quite enough to
flip the trailer at surprisingly low speed. Such bumps are
not unavoidable, but missing them takes vigilance that I
sometimes lack.
The trailer tires are Cheng Shin 26 x 1.5, rated inflation
is 40-65 psi. They're getting old, so replacement is not
out of the question. If there's something notably more
compliant it's worth looking into. Tread life is absolutely
not an issue; the 30 mile ride represents about a year's normal
use.
Thanks for writing!
bob prohaska
<bp@www.zefox.net> wrote:
AMuzi <am@yellowjersey.org> wrote:
On 9/17/2025 8:20 PM, bp@www.zefox.net wrote:
To smooth the ride I set fairly low pressure in the trailer tires,
maybe 30 psi, with maybe 60-70 in the 27 by 1-1/4 bike tires. None
of the tires are anything special, and going much higher in pressure
makes the trailer violently bouncy for this scale of load.
Both pressures seem low to me so yes that seems the largest
impediment. Typical trailer tire of 20x1.75 runs 60psi
usually, although the 100psi tire models are also popular.
Most 27 inch systems run 85~100psi recommended pressure
(look on your sidewall).
Securing the load in the trailer might be better than such
low pressures. Or maybe not, but that's my intuitive approach.
The problem with higher tire pressures isn't so much the shock
of impacts delivered to the load, but rather the trailer's
rebound. Hitting a bump with one wheel is quite enough to
flip the trailer at surprisingly low speed. Such bumps are
not unavoidable, but missing them takes vigilance that I
sometimes lack.
The trailer tires are Cheng Shin 26 x 1.5, rated inflation
is 40-65 psi. They're getting old, so replacement is not
out of the question. If there's something notably more
compliant it's worth looking into. Tread life is absolutely
not an issue; the 30 mile ride represents about a year's normal
use.
Thanks for writing!
bob prohaska
I believe that the ride quality and drag hugely differs between trailers, watching two guys cycle across America and change trailers due to that.
Roger Merriman <roger@sarlet.com> wrote:
<bp@www.zefox.net> wrote:
AMuzi <am@yellowjersey.org> wrote:
On 9/17/2025 8:20 PM, bp@www.zefox.net wrote:
To smooth the ride I set fairly low pressure in the trailer tires,
maybe 30 psi, with maybe 60-70 in the 27 by 1-1/4 bike tires. None
of the tires are anything special, and going much higher in pressure >>>>> makes the trailer violently bouncy for this scale of load.
Both pressures seem low to me so yes that seems the largest
impediment. Typical trailer tire of 20x1.75 runs 60psi
usually, although the 100psi tire models are also popular.
Most 27 inch systems run 85~100psi recommended pressure
(look on your sidewall).
Securing the load in the trailer might be better than such
low pressures. Or maybe not, but that's my intuitive approach.
The problem with higher tire pressures isn't so much the shock
of impacts delivered to the load, but rather the trailer's
rebound. Hitting a bump with one wheel is quite enough to
flip the trailer at surprisingly low speed. Such bumps are
not unavoidable, but missing them takes vigilance that I
sometimes lack.
The trailer tires are Cheng Shin 26 x 1.5, rated inflation
is 40-65 psi. They're getting old, so replacement is not
out of the question. If there's something notably more
compliant it's worth looking into. Tread life is absolutely
not an issue; the 30 mile ride represents about a year's normal
use.
Thanks for writing!
bob prohaska
I believe that the ride quality and drag hugely differs between trailers,
watching two guys cycle across America and change trailers due to that.
If you can post a link to more detail please do.
In my case the trailer has lots of aerodynamic drag, but that's an
issue for fast riders, which I most emphatically am not 8-)
I'd expect small wheels to have more drag than large, but mine are
ISO 559 and the problem isn't worth a pair of wheels. It might be
worth a pair of tires if low rolling resistance types can be found.
I've noticed some reference to "gravel" bikes and tires in the sporting context. Might those offer less rolling resistance than commuter tires?
Thanks for writing,
bob prohaska
The truth is, there is no short answer.
As gravel racing has become a specific UCI sanctioned sport, development
of 700C tires designed for racing in various off-road conditions that qualify as "gravel" have developed as well. A smooth tread designed for hard-pack conditions may have better rolling resistance than a basic commuter tire since commuter tires aren't designed for speed (or low
rolling resistance). But gravel racing tires aren't commuter tires, and
a high-performance hard-pack racing gravel tire would likely counterintuitively be more susceptible to flats, especially sidewall
damage since it's designed for performance/speed rather than durability.
If you're a commuter looking for a decent performance out of a tire, I'm
not sure gravel tires are the way to go.
zen cycle <funkmasterxx@hotmail.com> wrote:
The truth is, there is no short answer.
As gravel racing has become a specific UCI sanctioned sport, development
of 700C tires designed for racing in various off-road conditions that
qualify as "gravel" have developed as well. A smooth tread designed for
hard-pack conditions may have better rolling resistance than a basic
commuter tire since commuter tires aren't designed for speed (or low
rolling resistance). But gravel racing tires aren't commuter tires, and
a high-performance hard-pack racing gravel tire would likely
counterintuitively be more susceptible to flats, especially sidewall
damage since it's designed for performance/speed rather than durability.
If you're a commuter looking for a decent performance out of a tire, I'm
not sure gravel tires are the way to go.
The only scrap of relevant information I found so far is this: https://www.bicyclerollingresistance.com/
A very crude summary suggests road tires have the lowest rolling
resistance, 6-12W, mountain bike tires are 12-25W, gravel tires
are 12-17W and touring tires 15-30W.
I'm guessing road and gravel tires will be ISO 622, MTB tires
might be ISO 559, but probably not the higher quality models.
For my purposes new wheels make little sense, so I'll see what
my LBS has in ISO 559.
Thanks for the cautionary tale,
bob prohaska
WhatrCOs the tyres on at the moment? Could try something like Big Apples which are rCLballon tyresrCY lightweight sidewalls so if your hauling heavy loads might not be wise!
They do roll better than the more normal Marathons and so on, and due to
that sidewall ride nicer, clearly are older XC tyres out if you can find
them such as Racing Ralph and thunder Burt which are going to be quicker again as thatrCOs their design but to reference Zen warning, they would puncture easily.
My gravel bike has 2in/50mm tyres which are the same weight as XC tyres in the 2.1/2.2 range, aka taking a risk and to be honest such tyres are generally only about dry gravelly conditions. Wet rooty loamy conditions would and is um interesting on such tyres!
But if your not doing many miles kinda doesnrCOt seem worth it, IrCOd play with
pressures and maybe how the trailer is loaded? Before new kit.
Roger Merriman <roger@sarlet.com> wrote:
But if your not doing many miles kinda doesnAt seem worth it, IAd play with >> pressures and maybe how the trailer is loaded? Before new kit.
Very much agreed. $100 to fix an occasional problem seems kinda silly. It's >possible I could have run much higher tire pressures and not had trouble with >the trailer bouncing excessively. It'll take some experimenting.
Roger Merriman <roger@sarlet.com> wrote:
That sounds promising, I'll check specifically for it. A quick check
WhatrCOs the tyres on at the moment? Could try something like Big Apples
which are rCLballon tyresrCY lightweight sidewalls so if your hauling heavy >> loads might not be wise!
this morning left me quite lost; the LBS had them sorted by type,
not size. A name I can ask the staff about. It looked like most of
the tires were around $50, which shocked me a little.
The existing tires are Cheng Shin tires, no model name, maybe the
number is c783p-2 size 26x1.5. They're in extremely good condition,
no cracking and nearly no wear. But, I'd guess they're 20 years old
at least, and unlike wine, tires don't improve with age 8-)
They do roll better than the more normal Marathons and so on, and due to
that sidewall ride nicer, clearly are older XC tyres out if you can find
them such as Racing Ralph and thunder Burt which are going to be quicker
again as thatrCOs their design but to reference Zen warning, they would
puncture easily.
My gravel bike has 2in/50mm tyres which are the same weight as XC tyres in >> the 2.1/2.2 range, aka taking a risk and to be honest such tyres are
generally only about dry gravelly conditions. Wet rooty loamy conditions
would and is um interesting on such tyres!
But if your not doing many miles kinda doesnrCOt seem worth it, IrCOd play with
pressures and maybe how the trailer is loaded? Before new kit.
Very much agreed. $100 to fix an occasional problem seems kinda silly. It's possible I could have run much higher tire pressures and not had trouble with
the trailer bouncing excessively. It'll take some experimenting.
Thanks for writing!
bob prohaska
On Sun, 21 Sep 2025 01:37:12 -0000 (UTC), bp@www.zefox.net wrote:
Roger Merriman <roger@sarlet.com> wrote:
But if your not doing many miles kinda doesnrCOt seem worth it, IrCOd play with
pressures and maybe how the trailer is loaded? Before new kit.
Very much agreed. $100 to fix an occasional problem seems kinda silly. It's >> possible I could have run much higher tire pressures and not had trouble with
the trailer bouncing excessively. It'll take some experimenting.
Allow me to suggest a different approach to the tire bounce problem.
What you're doing is much the same as what happens in an automobile suspension when the shock absorbers or struts are removed (or fail).
Without the shock absorbers, an automobile or bicycle will bounce over
every bump in the road. Adding a shock absorber will keep the tires
on the ground. If properly tuned (resonated) to the natural frequency
of the spring and damper, it's possible to ride without feeling any
bumps.
This is what the frame shock absorber does on off road mtn bicycles. <https://www.google.com/search?udm=2&q=bicycle%20shock%20absorber>
I don't know how the cargo trailer is built, but it should be possible
to attach a common mtn bike air or coil shock absorber to the cargo
container axle, strut or wheels. I think air shocks would be cheaper
and easier. <https://bebikes.com/the-hub/coil-vs-air-shocks-mtb-suspension-explained/>
On Sun, 21 Sep 2025 01:37:12 -0000 (UTC), bp@www.zefox.net wrote:
Roger Merriman <roger@sarlet.com> wrote:
But if your not doing many miles kinda doesn?t seem worth it, I?d play with >>> pressures and maybe how the trailer is loaded? Before new kit.
Very much agreed. $100 to fix an occasional problem seems kinda silly. It's >>possible I could have run much higher tire pressures and not had trouble with
the trailer bouncing excessively. It'll take some experimenting.
Allow me to suggest a different approach to the tire bounce problem.
What you're doing is much the same as what happens in an automobile suspension when the shock absorbers or struts are removed (or fail).
Without the shock absorbers, an automobile or bicycle will bounce over
every bump in the road. Adding a shock absorber will keep the tires
on the ground. If properly tuned (resonated) to the natural frequency
of the spring and damper, it's possible to ride without feeling any
bumps.
This is what the frame shock absorber does on off road mtn bicycles. <https://www.google.com/search?udm=2&q=bicycle%20shock%20absorber>
I don't know how the cargo trailer is built, but it should be possible
to attach a common mtn bike air or coil shock absorber to the cargo
container axle, strut or wheels. I think air shocks would be cheaper
and easier. <https://bebikes.com/the-hub/coil-vs-air-shocks-mtb-suspension-explained/>
On 9/20/2025 10:22 PM, Jeff Liebermann wrote:
On Sun, 21 Sep 2025 01:37:12 -0000 (UTC), bp@www.zefox.net wrote:
Roger Merriman <roger@sarlet.com> wrote:
But if your not doing many miles kinda doesnrCOt seem worth it, IrCOd play with
pressures and maybe how the trailer is loaded? Before new kit.
Very much agreed. $100 to fix an occasional problem seems kinda silly. It's >>> possible I could have run much higher tire pressures and not had trouble with
the trailer bouncing excessively. It'll take some experimenting.
Allow me to suggest a different approach to the tire bounce problem.
What you're doing is much the same as what happens in an automobile
suspension when the shock absorbers or struts are removed (or fail).
Without the shock absorbers, an automobile or bicycle will bounce over
every bump in the road. Adding a shock absorber will keep the tires
on the ground. If properly tuned (resonated) to the natural frequency
of the spring and damper, it's possible to ride without feeling any
bumps.
This is what the frame shock absorber does on off road mtn bicycles.
<https://www.google.com/search?udm=2&q=bicycle%20shock%20absorber>
I don't know how the cargo trailer is built, but it should be possible
to attach a common mtn bike air or coil shock absorber to the cargo
container axle, strut or wheels. I think air shocks would be cheaper
and easier.
<https://bebikes.com/the-hub/coil-vs-air-shocks-mtb-suspension-explained/> >>
Yes, in principle you are exactly right.
But a cargo trailer is already heavy, plus the car battery.
Adding some suspension structure plus a shock or two adds
more weight.
OP mentioned that $100 for tires is already a stretch for
the application.
<bp@www.zefox.net> wrote:
Roger Merriman <roger@sarlet.com> wrote:
That sounds promising, I'll check specifically for it. A quick check
WhatrCOs the tyres on at the moment? Could try something like Big Apples >>> which are rCLballon tyresrCY lightweight sidewalls so if your hauling heavy >>> loads might not be wise!
this morning left me quite lost; the LBS had them sorted by type,
not size. A name I can ask the staff about. It looked like most of
the tires were around $50, which shocked me a little.
The existing tires are Cheng Shin tires, no model name, maybe the
number is c783p-2 size 26x1.5. They're in extremely good condition,
no cracking and nearly no wear. But, I'd guess they're 20 years old
at least, and unlike wine, tires don't improve with age 8-)
They should be a fair bit cheaper itrCOs quite an old design, my bike shop tends to need to order them in. IrCOd check the clearance as Big Apples while they do smaller wheel sizes range from 2 to 2.35 inch in width as thatrCOs their design ie big volume utility tyres.
AMuzi <am@yellowjersey.org> wrote:
On 9/20/2025 10:22 PM, Jeff Liebermann wrote:
On Sun, 21 Sep 2025 01:37:12 -0000 (UTC), bp@www.zefox.net wrote:
Roger Merriman <roger@sarlet.com> wrote:
But if your not doing many miles kinda doesnrCOt seem worth it, IrCOd play with
pressures and maybe how the trailer is loaded? Before new kit.
Very much agreed. $100 to fix an occasional problem seems kinda silly. It's
possible I could have run much higher tire pressures and not had trouble with
the trailer bouncing excessively. It'll take some experimenting.
Allow me to suggest a different approach to the tire bounce problem.
What you're doing is much the same as what happens in an automobile
suspension when the shock absorbers or struts are removed (or fail).
Without the shock absorbers, an automobile or bicycle will bounce over
every bump in the road. Adding a shock absorber will keep the tires
on the ground. If properly tuned (resonated) to the natural frequency
of the spring and damper, it's possible to ride without feeling any
bumps.
This is what the frame shock absorber does on off road mtn bicycles.
<https://www.google.com/search?udm=2&q=bicycle%20shock%20absorber>
I don't know how the cargo trailer is built, but it should be possible
to attach a common mtn bike air or coil shock absorber to the cargo
container axle, strut or wheels. I think air shocks would be cheaper
and easier.
<https://bebikes.com/the-hub/coil-vs-air-shocks-mtb-suspension-explained/> >>>
Yes, in principle you are exactly right.
But a cargo trailer is already heavy, plus the car battery.
Adding some suspension structure plus a shock or two adds
more weight.
OP mentioned that $100 for tires is already a stretch for
the application.
I've thought about some kind of Earle's fork arrangment, with the
links pivoting at the frame dropouts and the wheel hub floating
from them. There's not much room, in front or back. Maybe 2".
Thanks for writing,
bob prohaska
The classic Jack Taylor one-wheel trailers are more elegant,
lighter and very functional.
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/142918988152243365/
The modern Bob design has a much better coupling system.
AMuzi <am@yellowjersey.org> wrote:
The classic Jack Taylor one-wheel trailers are more elegant,
lighter and very functional.
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/142918988152243365/
That is a magnificent piece of machinery!
Still, having the fifth wheel that far aft of the tractor's
center of lateral resistance looks dodgy to me. I'd expect
it to become laterally unstable at much smaller loads than
a more-forward pivot hitch. Ok for bulky loads, though.
Thanks for posting the link!
bob prohaska
The modern Bob design has a much better coupling system.
On 9/18/2025 2:33 PM, bp@www.zefox.net wrote:I am probably losing track of the conversation but I think that Bob was talking about carrying a lot of weight on bike and trailer for 30 miles which is generally speaking a long distance for a one time effort. Lower rolling resistance tires are not going improve on that enough to care don't you think? And fatter tires on the bike are not going to change the loading on the trailer are they?
Roger Merriman <roger@sarlet.com> wrote:
<bp@www.zefox.net> wrote:
AMuzi <am@yellowjersey.org> wrote:
On 9/17/2025 8:20 PM, bp@www.zefox.net wrote:
To smooth the ride I set fairly low pressure in the trailer tires, >>>>> maybe 30 psi, with maybe 60-70 in the 27 by 1-1/4 bike tires. None >>>>> of the tires are anything special, and going much higher in pressure >>>>> makes the trailer violently bouncy for this scale of load.
Both pressures seem low to me so yes that seems the largest
impediment. Typical trailer tire of 20x1.75 runs 60psi
usually, although the 100psi tire models are also popular.
Most 27 inch systems run 85~100psi recommended pressure
(look on your sidewall).
Securing the load in the trailer might be better than such
low pressures. Or maybe not, but that's my intuitive approach.
The problem with higher tire pressures isn't so much the shock
of impacts delivered to the load, but rather the trailer's
rebound. Hitting a bump with one wheel is quite enough to
flip the trailer at surprisingly low speed. Such bumps are
not unavoidable, but missing them takes vigilance that I
sometimes lack.
The trailer tires are Cheng Shin 26 x 1.5, rated inflation
is 40-65 psi. They're getting old, so replacement is not
out of the question. If there's something notably more
compliant it's worth looking into. Tread life is absolutely
not an issue; the 30 mile ride represents about a year's normal
use.
Thanks for writing!
bob prohaska
I believe that the ride quality and drag hugely differs between trailers, >> watching two guys cycle across America and change trailers due to that.
If you can post a link to more detail please do.
In my case the trailer has lots of aerodynamic drag, but that's an
issue for fast riders, which I most emphatically am not 8-)
I'd expect small wheels to have more drag than large, but mine are
ISO 559 and the problem isn't worth a pair of wheels. It might be
worth a pair of tires if low rolling resistance types can be found.
I've noticed some reference to "gravel" bikes and tires in the sporting context. Might those offer less rolling resistance than commuter tires?
Short answer - yes
The truth is, there is no short answer.
As gravel racing has become a specific UCI sanctioned sport, development
of 700C tires designed for racing in various off-road conditions that
qualify as "gravel" have developed as well. A smooth tread designed for hard-pack conditions may have better rolling resistance than a basic
commuter tire since commuter tires aren't designed for speed (or low
rolling resistance). But gravel racing tires aren't commuter tires, and
a high-performance hard-pack racing gravel tire would likely counterintuitively be more susceptible to flats, especially sidewall
damage since it's designed for performance/speed rather than durability.
If you're a commuter looking for a decent performance out of a tire, I'm
not sure gravel tires are the way to go.
AMuzi <am@yellowjersey.org> wrote:
On 9/20/2025 10:22 PM, Jeff Liebermann wrote:
On Sun, 21 Sep 2025 01:37:12 -0000 (UTC), bp@www.zefox.net wrote:
Roger Merriman <roger@sarlet.com> wrote:
But if your not doing many miles kinda doesn?t seem worth it, I?d play with
pressures and maybe how the trailer is loaded? Before new kit.
Very much agreed. $100 to fix an occasional problem seems kinda silly. It's
possible I could have run much higher tire pressures and not had trouble with
the trailer bouncing excessively. It'll take some experimenting.
Allow me to suggest a different approach to the tire bounce problem.
What you're doing is much the same as what happens in an automobile
suspension when the shock absorbers or struts are removed (or fail).
Without the shock absorbers, an automobile or bicycle will bounce over
every bump in the road. Adding a shock absorber will keep the tires
on the ground. If properly tuned (resonated) to the natural frequency
of the spring and damper, it's possible to ride without feeling any
bumps.
This is what the frame shock absorber does on off road mtn bicycles.
<https://www.google.com/search?udm=3d2&q=3dbicycle%20shock%20absorber>
I don't know how the cargo trailer is built, but it should be possible
to attach a common mtn bike air or coil shock absorber to the cargo
container axle, strut or wheels. I think air shocks would be cheaper
and easier.
<https://bebikes.com/the-hub/coil-vs-air-shocks-mtb-suspension-explained/> >>
Yes, in principle you are exactly right.
But a cargo trailer is already heavy, plus the car battery.
Adding some suspension structure plus a shock or two adds
more weight.
OP mentioned that $100 for tires is already a stretch for
the application.
I've thought about some kind of Earle's fork arrangment, with theBob, do you intend to start deliveries or something or is this a one time problem? Without the trailer, fatter tires and lower pressure reduce the bouncing problem.
links pivoting at the frame dropouts and the wheel hub floating
from them. There's not much room, in front or back. Maybe 2".
I am probably losing track of the conversation but I think that Bob was talking about carrying a lot of weight on bike and trailer for 30 miles which is generally speaking a long distance for a one time effort. Lower rolling resistance tires are not going improve on that enough to care don't you think? And fatter tires on the bike are not going to change the loading on the trailer are they?
The anecdotal suggestion of looking at Schwalbe Big Apple tires is
a lead worth following up at the LBS now that I know they exist.
bp@www.zefox.net wrote:
The anecdotal suggestion of looking at Schwalbe Big Apple tires is
a lead worth following up at the LBS now that I know they exist.
A trip to the LBS found one Schwalbe Big Apple in the wrong width
(2.3") but its suppleness in the hand was quite obvious.
I've ordered two in the correct size to fit my grocery-getter
(Breezer Uptown 8) just because it gets used more than the
trailer. At $50 each I'll let the tires prove themselves before
going any further.
Thanks for everyone's guidance,
bob prohaska
ThatrCOs definitely on the upper end, which works out about -u35 IrCOd expect 25/29 be that via my local bike shop or ordered off Amazon, I have in the past ripped the sidewall due to a glass strike so needed replacement
quicker than the bike shop could order in.
I generally get 5/8K (miles) out of them before they look a bit cut up, and
I eventually loose faith in them, the front on the commute bike is approaching that point though has hit 9K so kinda expected!
Roger Merriman <roger@sarlet.com> wrote:
ThatrCOs definitely on the upper end, which works out about -u35 IrCOd expect
25/29 be that via my local bike shop or ordered off Amazon, I have in the
past ripped the sidewall due to a glass strike so needed replacement
quicker than the bike shop could order in.
I generally get 5/8K (miles) out of them before they look a bit cut up, and >> I eventually loose faith in them, the front on the commute bike is
approaching that point though has hit 9K so kinda expected!
8K miles is a lot for me. My exercise bike gets less than 4k/year,
the grocery chaser much less.
Do the Big Apples age gracefully? Some rubber compounds lose
plasticizer over time and get stiff, others crack and fall apart.
That seems like a more plausible end-of-life scenario for my use.
Thanks for writing!
bob prohaska
On 2025-09-18, bp@www.zefox.net <bp@www.zefox.net> wrote:
I needed to pick up an auto battery (& return the core) at a shop
that happens to be at the turn-around point of my typical exercise
ride route.
Hi Bob.
Thanks for this report.
I'm a former Daviste that the Davis to Winters ride is a fond remembrance.
I've also taken the train to Davis, ridden and bike-camped in Solano County Park a time or three as well.
pH in Aptos