The bicycle is a long-standing invention of mankind, in itself is a unique device. In order to expand its functionality, people began to use additional designs, and bicycle trailers belong to them. A bicycle trailer helps to solve some problems during transportation.

What are the benefits of a bike trailer?

• The trailer allows you to significantly increase the amount and weight of the transported cargo, while the bike does not cause any damage during movement, because all the weight is redistributed to the trailer itself.
• Trailers for transporting children are very convenient, the journey will seem comfortable and easy.
• Overall loads can also be easily moved if the bike is equipped with a trailer.

Tourist unicycle bicycle trailer easily allows you to transport cargo when traveling even along narrow paths, it is easy and simple to move over rough terrain with it.

A bicycle trailer for a child has more rigid design requirements than just for transporting any cargo. Such trailers must be equipped with seat belts, shock absorbers. Anyone who builds a structure on their own should remember this. An industrial children's bike trailer must pass a rigorous test that is not inferior in importance to car trailers.

Kinds

The most commonly used two-wheeled trailers are usually structures for transporting children or trucks.

One-wheeled models are a flexible tandem, so to speak, an additional place that has an independent drive, a chain drive to an attached wheel. Such a trailer moves quite obediently along a straight section of the road, but when cornering, difficulties arise: the rear wheel starts to drag, and not roll.

Another model, which is much less common, is when the trailer is attached to the front. The bike does not drag the trailer behind it, but rather pushes it. This design is the most complicated, and it is not easy to manage it.

How to make a bike trailer

AT summer time many people replace stuffy, uncomfortable transport with a light and easy-to-handle bike. To make traveling exciting not only for adults, but also for children, many people use a trailer for transportation. Buying a design costs money, so many craftsmen invent it in their own way. So how can you assemble a bike trailer with your own hands? Let's describe the simplest way.

What basic materials will be required for work?

• Three tubes 2 cm in diameter, each 3 meters long.
• Bushings.
• Copper basket or MDF sheet (from which you can build a basket).
• Two locknuts.
• Thread cutter.
• Wheels.
• shock absorbers.
• Seat belts.

Sequencing

When the material is prepared, you can safely, without doubting success, get to work. The frame will serve as the basis of the trailer. To create it, you just need to prepare a drawing in advance. A pipe will bend along it. Take a large sheet, draw on it the shape of the future frame, it is better if it is an oval. Bend the pipe along the drawn lines.

One such curved tube will serve as the bottom for the trailer, from the other bend the back like a sled. These two elements need to be soldered together. Solder bushings along the edges of the frame where the wheels will be attached. Install the wheels yourself.

The next step is to install the bottom. Now you need a copper basket. Instead, you can take a thick sheet of MDF, but the disadvantage of this material is that it gets wet quickly. For the bottom, it is better to use moisture-resistant materials, suitable, for example, Side walls can be made from thick canvas or thin wood panels.

If the trailer will be used to transport children, install shock absorbers. Equip comfortable seats with

Bicycle connection

Solder a metal tube to the trailer, with which the structure will be fastened to the bike. In addition to the trailer structure itself, it is necessary to make a node connecting the trailer to the bicycle, the so-called drawbar. You can make it from an inch pipe and metal plates. Bend the pipe into an L-shape. Solder metal plates in place of the corner, insert a bolt between them, which will play the role of a clamp. Install the lower bolt perpendicular to the upper one, it must cross the hole in the pipe and join the lower clamp.

Don't forget the hitch. The bike must have a luggage carrier. Install one hinged part on the drawbar, and the second on the trunk.

In such a simple way, a trailer for a bicycle is built with your own hands. It can serve you on family trips for transporting children or for moving small loads.

Exploitation

A bicycle trailer is not at all difficult to operate. Anyone who has tried it can attest to this. When riding on a horizontal surface, a trailer full of children is not felt at all. It does not constrain movements, does not interfere with control, maneuverability.

Just remember that the trailer itself wider than a bicycle, so do not forget to leave more space when turning or when driving in narrow places (between trees, along paths). Please note that when turning around, the bicycle trailer moves along the inner arc. When going down a hill, it is the trailer that accelerates the bike, but this problem is easily solved by proper braking.

There are problems when driving on loose ground or uphill. Of course, this is due to the weight of the trailer, because it weighs together with the load, whatever one may say, at least 50 kg. And yet with a trailer to go a little easier than if you carry the same weight on the trunk.

Of course, moving on asphalt with a trailer is much easier, but we can safely say that a bicycle trailer is also convenient for driving on dense dirt roads, paving stones, and grass. With such a design, you can even overcome shallow ruts, because the gap between the bottom and the road is not so small. There is no risk of rollover, even if one wheel is higher than the other in some places on rough roads.

Loose slopes create a problem for movement. The bike, along with the trailer, digs into them too quickly. It is difficult to overcome some obstacles with a trailer, be it logs, ditches. Riding along narrow paths is also extremely inconvenient, the bike hardly fits into turns and touches everything that sticks out around.

In general, a bike trailer is a great help. Having thought over the route in advance, you can have fun and easily go on an interesting journey with the whole family.

You can’t take much on a bicycle, but sometimes there are moments when you need to carry a fairly large load. It is not always possible to use a car for these purposes. You can get out of this situation at the expense of a bicycle trailer, which is able to turn ordinary bicycle transport into. But bike trailers cost a lot of money, which is especially a pity to give away if the need to use them rarely arises. It remains only to make such a design yourself. Let's learn this together.

Since bike trailers are not cheap, you can try to make this product yourself

Preparatory work and clarification of nuances

To create a bicycle trailer, you need to carefully prepare and not only mentally. Nothing should distract you from the work process, so all tools and materials should be at hand. And also in advance you will need to clarify some issues and understand the intricacies of the work ahead.

Tool preparation

The creation of a bike rack can be carried out different ways, but they all share the same schema and require a basic tool. So, to make a bike trailer, you need to prepare next set tools:

• grinder with cutting and grinding discs;
• electric drill with a set of nozzles;
• apparatus for welding;
• ruler and marking tool (pencil, pen, chalk or felt-tip pen);
• steel pipes or aluminum profile;
• a hammer;
• bolts with a diameter corresponding to the size of the drills;
• ball joint;
• one or two wheels, depending on the design of the future trailer;
• threaded studs;
• ready platform or metal bars for its construction.

And you may also need a lathe and a pipe bender.

Making a frame

A bike trailer frame doesn't have to be very complicated. You can take the simplest design, in which there will be oblique mounting plumb lines and an axle for wheels with an aligned shape. The necessary drawings are freely available in large numbers, so there will be no problems finding them. Even creating a drawing on your own will not be difficult at all. It is important here to take accurate measurements and not cut the material without repeated checks. Only in this way you can not spoil the material and reduce the time of work.

Not less than important element of the whole structure is a scheme for securing the trailer to vehicle. This element is often called a drawbar, but this is the popular name for the attachment system. The drawbar can be made from a two-inch square tube. It will take some time to create this element, create several drawings, make changes and get the perfect design as a result, which will fit the model of your bike and match the design of the future trailer.

Making a platform

The creation of the platform will also require a lot of time. For its manufacture, it is necessary to take a durable, but fairly light material that will not make the entire structure particularly heavy, but will also be able to withstand a considerable weight of the cargo being transported. Under such requirements, MDF is suitable, which is better to take with water-repellent properties. And you can also take metal rods, weld them together to obtain the necessary design. This option will be more reliable than using MDF, but the weight of the trailer with such a platform will increase.

Approximate scheme of work

To create a trailer, you can use a not very thick pipe, the length of which will depend on the desired dimensions. An M20 bolt must pass inside this pipe. Using a welding machine, M20 nuts must be fixed to the ends of the existing pipe. As mentioned earlier, there can be two or one wheels. When solving this issue, it is necessary to carefully consider the area of ​​\u200b\u200buse of the future trailer, which roads it will have to drive on, in what conditions (city, suburb, village,) and how maneuverable it should be. Wheels can be taken from an old teenage / children's bike or buy new ones.

The axle that is in the design of most bicycles does not have sufficient strength, and therefore needs to be strengthened. You can install two supports for it, but it is time consuming and looks unaesthetic. It is better to increase the diameter of the existing axle due to the M20 bolt. It may be necessary to turn the head on the bolt and the nut in contact with the bearings on the lathe. After completing the installation of axle bolts on the wheels, you can proceed to install the wheels or wheels on the main axle, which was made from a pipe.

The platform, as already mentioned, can be made of various materials. If you settled on MDF, then the sheet must be given the desired shape and size. For the workpiece made, you will need to build a frame from a corner. There are no problems with this process. If MDF does not suit you, then we take the rods and weld them, forming the necessary structure.

From a half-inch pipe, you will need to create a guide with which you can connect your bike to the trailer. A good solution would be to place the swivel on the axle of the bike saddle. But you can consider other options that are not without meaning. The guide rail must be bent appropriately to keep the trailer in a vertical position.

The hinge on the mount must be designed so that the trailer does not interfere with the cyclist during the turn, is able to gently overcome road irregularities and remains in place when parked.

Still, homemade bicycle trailers have a number of advantages, among which it is worth highlighting the low cost, versatility and originality of the design. such an addition to the bike, you can take into account your needs, make changes in size and shape. And not a single factory-made bicycle trailer can boast of such advantages.

This project was made for $30 using mostly salvaged parts. If I had to buy everything I used it would cost around 60.

Step 1: Wheelbase

The hardest part of creating homemade bike trailer is to make the wheelbase. This is the part that holds the two wheels together, on which you can build the rest of the trailer.
I must confess I didn't build this assembly, I got it from a half-decomposed, wrecked trailer.

Step 2: Building the Platform Part 1

Once you have chosen the wheelbase for your homemade bike trailer, you will need:
- 3 pieces of boards 30" x 2"
- 6 long screws
- Drill
- Drills for metal.
Once you have everything assembled, drill holes in the wheelbase - 6 holes for mounting boards.

Step 3: Building the Platform Part 2

Once you have the holes drilled, mount the boards to the wheelbase.

Step 4: Trailer Hitch Part 1

Once you have your platform, it's time to make a bike trailer hitch. I made a variation on this idea and used a coupler with an air hose fitting. I already had the attachment attached to my bike, so that made my job easier. As a pull on the trailer, I used a tube for wiring.
To make this part that attaches to your bike, take a look at this Instructable:

For this step I used:
- 10 feet 1/2" aluminum pipe
- Air hose coupling with fitting
- 6 inches reinforced PVC tubing.
- 2 clamps

Step 5: Trailer Hitch Part 2

First, I cut the hose to size and inserted an air fitting into the hose at one end. I put the other end of the PVC tube on the bike trailer traction tube.
This is quite difficult to do, try lubricating the tube with something.
After I put everything together, I heated the coupler with a heat gun to seal the tube.
See the last shot of the hitch for the homemade bike trailer.

Step 6: Trailer Hitch Part 3

Once you have made the hitch for the trailer, you can bend the pipe. There are special tools for this, but they cost about 30 bucks and I don't want to buy them to use only once.
That's why I used a barrel! You need to give some sort of S shape to the pipe from the trailer bed to the hitch.
But if you have the money or can rent it, I highly recommend using a pipe bender.

Step 7: Installing the hitch tube on the platform of a homemade bike trailer

After the hitch tube is bent, you need to attach it to the base of the homemade bike trailer. I used some U brackets and some screws to attach it to the bottom of the trailer.
The pipe was a little long, I cut off the extra Dremel.

Step 8: Mounting the platform on a homemade bike trailer

At this point, the main part of the bike trailer is ready. Now you can decide for yourself what to do - a basket or a flat platform.
I decided to make a flat one, from scrap wood, and made it 30 x 18 inches.

Step 9: Painting

You could stop there, but how boring would your brown homemade bike trailer be. I painted the platform with orange and silver paint in an abstract style.

Step 10: DIY Bike Trailer Test

It's time to check out the homemade bike trailer!
Right, when I heard someone shout after me "I want one too!" – it was the best assessment of the new project!
To test the strength of a homemade bike trailer, I put a man on the platform and drove a circle to test him. And I realized that my device is not a sufficiently rigid structure.
If you have ideas for improvement, please comment! I hope your homemade bike trailer will be better than mine! Show off your projects!

And I'll show you another project of mine -

I was thinking about buying a BOB Ibex bike trailer to haul my . But in the end, I decided to make a bike trailer with my own hands.

The BOB Ibex trailer has a very good design, in particular, a patented mounting method, so we will assemble a home-made trailer based on it.

Step 1: Details and materials.

Let's start assembling a homemade bike trailer by looking for the main components. And based on the details found, then we will develop a plan for further actions.

Wheels: At first I thought about fitting a 20" BMX wheel, but ended up using 16" wheels like the original BOB trailers. I had a few old ones with 16" wheels, but decided to buy a new wheel anyway.

Shock Absorber: I got a mechanical bike rear shock on ebay for $13 (including shipping). The pneumatic shock absorber is much better, but it is significantly more expensive. Bought 1/2" bolts and nylon shims from local hardware store.

Swivel bracket and rear triangle: As a swivel bracket for rear wheel I used an old BMX fork. The hinge was made of steel, which I bought inexpensively at a local bike shop. Another fork was needed to build the vertical part of the rear triangle.

Frame: Made from 1/2 inch thin wall metal tubing for wires. Each 10" tube cost $2.00. I needed four tubes. Before welding, be sure to grind the galvanized coating with a flap wheel.

Other components: I used steel plates (1/4" and 1/8"), corners and a channel that were left over from previous projects. The old knitting needles acted as locking pins. In addition, we need a thin-walled metal tube one inch thick. The bottom is made of steel mesh.

BOB quick release axle: It forms the basis of BOB's patented trailer attachment method. It is possible that the mount could be made independently, but it is still better to purchase a ready-made mount, since there should definitely not be any problems with it. I ordered a quick release axle from Amazon for $26. Another version of the quick release axle is also available for bikes with a solid rear axle.

Step 2: Tools.

The main ones that we need to assemble a homemade bike trailer:

• 4" angle grinder with cut-off, sanding and flap discs
• Round and flat metal files
• Pipe cutter for cutting thin-walled metal tube for wires (a grinding wheel was also used)
• Bending machine for thin-walled metal tube for wires (I only had for 3/4", but it worked for 1/2")
• Drilling machine and hand drill
• Bench grinder and disc-shaped wire brush
• Wire feeder or MIG welding machine
• Openwork saw with blades for cutting metal
• Marking tools, cutters, punches

Step 3: Swing Arm and Rear Triangle Constructions.

I started by assembling the swing arm.

Since the BMX fork is designed for 20" wheels and I used a 16" wheel, I had a few extra inches left to use for my own purpose - to attach the shock.

I welded a piece of channel to the top of the fork (you can also use a corner), to which, in turn, I attached a shock absorber.

I cut out the 1.5" x 1.5" (or 1.25" x 1.25") shock mounts from two steel angles.

I cut out two more shock mounts for the top and mocked up the rear triangle. The second bicycle fork served as vertical supports for the rear triangle. I used a steel bushing as a fulcrum in the fork for the swing arm. Using a steel angle, I outlined the required length of the vertical fork after trimming. I also needed a steel angle to attach the shock mount to the vertical fork legs.

I cut off the stem of the fork and attached the rounded slot to the steel bushing. Since the diameter of the fork was larger than the diameter of the bushing, I had to work with a hammer on the stem of the fork to fit the groove size to the dimensions of the bushing.

Weld the channel to the swivel bracket of the fork, and solder the lower part of the mount to the channel.

Weld a steel sleeve to the yoke tube pivot bracket. First you need to remove the axle and bearings.

Weld the steel angle to upper parts cut off fork legs. Weld the top of the shock absorber mount to the corner. Then sand the edges.

My welding was not very accurate, because the wind was strong, I did not have enough gas and I have little experience.

Finally, bolt the steel hub axle to the fork legs. Attach the shock absorber with a 1/2" bolt and nylon grommets to the top and bottom of the mount.

Step 4: Trailer fork dropouts.

If you follow BOB terminology, then the part of the trailer that attaches to the rear axle of the bicycle should be called the fork. To get started on this part of the project, I had to wait for the cam axle to arrive from Amazon. The contact of the dropout with a special BOB eccentric mounting system allows the trailer to turn up and down around the rear axle of the bike. It is necessary to install the axle on the bike, check the clearances, and also measure the diameter and width of the dropouts.

I started the production with a sketch of the dropout, made from a photo from the Internet. Using the dimensions mentioned above, I made a paper template. To cut two dropouts, I used a 1/4 inch thick steel plate at hand. To cut the dropouts, you will need a round old plate with a large hole in the middle. In size, it should approximately correspond to the size of the template. Using an openwork saw with metal cutting blades, I cut a large piece off the plate and then drilled a 9/16 inch diameter dropout hole. My plate was thicker than the eccentric socket, so I had to grind it down a little at the connection point so that it could fit into the socket.

I then drilled two small holes into the plates so they could be fastened together with small screws. Then I polished them again so that they corresponded to each other as much as possible. One of the holes will be used to hold the locking pin in place with a large piece of steel nail welded on.

A locking pin made from a stainless steel spoke prevents the dropout from popping out of the eccentric mount. How to drill small holes through the legs of the dropout, see the sketch and photo. The needle is inserted into the holes, bent at an acute angle, and then passed behind the bolt and brought out above.

Step 5: Trailer fork.

The trailer fork allows the trailer to move sideways.

This swivel tube was fabricated using a 10" long, 1" thin-walled metal tubing and 5/16" x 1 1/4" washers welded on top and bottom.

The washers are held together by a 5/16" stud with nuts that act as the anchor point for this design. Washers need to be welded to the tube and sanded. A cap nut was used on one side of the rod.

Before welding, be sure to grind the galvanized coating of the pipe with a flap wheel.

The trailer fork frame is made from 1/2" thin-walled metal tubes that were bent using a bending machine. Before being welded to the dropouts, the frame was sanded with a 4" grinding wheel. The two bottom tubes of the frame were first welded to the dropouts , and then to the hinged pipe.Similarly, the two upper pipes were welded.

To facilitate trailer rotation, nylon spacers were placed on top and bottom of the pivot tube.

Step 6: Trailer frame.

The trailer frame was made from 1/2 inch thin wall metal tube.

I started making the frame with two sections of the upper and lower parts of the frame. Since it was difficult for me to create an even semicircle of a large radius in the front of the trailer, like in BOB trailers, I decided to limit myself to a small bend radius and short straight jumpers between the top and lower parts frame. At this stage, I didn't care about the overall length of the pipes - the main thing is that the top and bottom of the frame match exactly.

I started assembling the frame with a sketch. According to it, I made models, according to which I assembled the frame in metal.

I cut out the base plates from 1/8 inch steel and welded them on the front to the top and bottom of the frame at an angle, as in the breadboard. The base plates were attached to the top and bottom of the pivot tube, thus defining the location of the bottom and top front of the frame frame.

Then, on each side, I welded vertical struts between the down tubes and the top tubes.

To determine the desired length of the frame, I had to make a layout again. I welded the top cross section, cut the side rails to the correct length, and welded the uprights in the back.

Diagonal baffles on each side are needed to reinforce the rigidity of the frame. I also took large steel nails, cut them off and welded them into the holes in the bottom of the diagonal baffles so that they act as a spring damper at the joints.

Step 7: Bottom of the frame.

The bottom of the frame is made of special metal mesh, which can be bought at a hardware store. Unless it will be difficult to find a sheet large enough so that one sheet can completely cover the bottom of the frame. So I had to use an old garden cart that seems to have seen and better days. I cut out a metal mesh from the cart and cleaned it of rust in several places.

Before deciding on the final size of the metal mesh, I welded the vertical part of the rear triangle to the back of the frame. Then I cut the metal mesh around the fork legs and welded the metal mesh to the bottom of the frame. Next, I sanded all the sharp and rough edges of the mesh.

Step 8: Painting the homemade trailer.

Now everything is ready. You can start painting our homemade bike trailer.

Step 9: After painting.

Finally, the homemade trailer is painted and looks pretty good.

I used Rustoleum Hammered Bronze, which gives the metal a forged effect, improving appearance welds. But, since I painted at a temperature of 34 ° C, this effect did not appear in any way.

However, the homemade bike trailer has been given a beautiful metallic bronze finish.

The final weight of the homemade bicycle trailer was 10 kg.

The last thing to do is to make a belt mount for the locking pins so they don't get lost during the ride.

Bob Ibex bike trailer assembled by hand.

Step 10: Finishing touches.

I made narrow strips from bicycle tubes. I pierced one end with a locking pin, and the other with a bolt, which I then secured into a hole next to the fork dropout.

This ensured that the locking pin would not get lost if it popped out and was always at hand when hitching up the trailer.

2. Upholstery of the top tube.

For the padding around the perimeter of the top tube, I used foam (two 6-inch lengths, each costing $0.97). I needed a few plastic zip ties to secure the foam. The padding protects the paint from large items that may be peeking out of the basket and also reduces slip resistance when large items are strapped to the top tube.

Craftsmen live on earth, as they say, of all trades, who are able to assemble a bicycle on their own. In this case, there is no need to talk about quality, although there are different things. But nevertheless, making anything with your own hands is a great experience that will not hurt anyone. For example, the Chinese Kevin Cyr designed and then assembled a whole house on wheels. Camper bike. It was presented to the public in April 2008. But no one is releasing serial samples yet, you yourself understand why.)))

You may only need a cargo bike a few times in your life, but it's better to have one than have to suddenly look for it later. This design will be indispensable for transporting a certain amount of cargo that you cannot carry with your hands, but using a car for this is extremely unprofitable and costly. Next, we invite you to watch the video. It clearly shows how to make a simple cargo bike from the usual old "Ukraine". Everything is done with the help of a grinder and a welding machine. Didn't even need any turning work.

Bicycle trailer- a useful thing. One of the commercial companies produces the popular bicycle trailers "Bee" and "Bee 2". However bike trailer you can do it yourself. Its design is quite simple and includes several essential components: a platform measuring 70 by 100 centimeters, mounting brackets, a frame with wheels and a place for attaching to a bicycle.

To make a bicycle trailer, you will need the following tools: a grinder with two types of discs - cutting and grinding, a drill with an electric drive and nozzles of various diameters, a welding machine, a mask, gloves for safe work, a ruler, a pencil for marking, steel pipes of small and inch diameters, as well as strips up to thirty centimeters wide, a hammer, bolts for fixing the structure (their diameter depends on the diameter of the drills selected for work), a ball joint, threaded studs, two wheels, the platform itself (it can be either wooden or from other materials).

A metal frame for a bicycle trailer can have a simple design with oblique mounting plumb lines and a dropped axle for wheels. You can always find a drawing for its manufacture on the Internet or, if you have the ability to create it yourself. In order for everything to work out what is called the first time, it is necessary to take very clear measurements and be guided by the principle of "measure seven times and cut once." Highly important point– system of fastening of the trailer to the bicycle. In the common people, it is called a drawbar. This is a kind of assembly made from a two-inch square tube. Here are some drawings for self-manufacturing this device.

The bike trailer platform itself needs to be both light and strong overnight so that heavy objects and loads can be transported with it. Most often, MDF is used - a material that is durable for fracture and at the same time is characterized by low weight. The only disadvantage of this material is that it easily absorbs water and collapses under its influence. But the modern market also offers MDF with a water-repellent coating. Basically, it solves all problems.

A bike trailer of your own making is a very convenient thing. You can independently determine the size and shape of the trailer that will meet your needs. In the end, after you have created a bike trailer, you can try yourself as a master builder of experimental bikes - it's always very interesting, and in the long run also incredibly profitable!