Reader Shu Sin emailed us recently with a cool trailer hack incorporating a discarded jogging stroller. All text and pictures are credited to Shu Sin.
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I found a three-wheeled jogging stroller with
20in wheels on the side of the street last year and grabbed it not
knowing what I would do with it. One day I saw a bicycle trailer... and
it came to me. However, living in NYC one is always
limited with space, so i wanted to be able to fold the trailer when not
in use. And while i don't jog, or run (I just hop on my bike when I
want exercise), I thought it would be nice to be able to use it as a
stroller if I need to 'run' with my daughter if we have to get someplace
quick without a bicycle.
With my parameters set and after some
research, I modified the stroller by taking the quick-release front
wheel off and chopped one handle off at the point where it joins with
another tube. I drilled a hole at the top of the remaining handle of
the stroller and ran an eye-bolt through it.
I bought a pressure-hose connection for about $3, drilled a hole through the female part and ran another eye-bold through that. I then opened up one eye of one bolt, connected the two eye bolt and closed it back up. This set up allows for rotations in every direction, and in fact it helps a lot with cushioning the ride when having to stop quickly, or when hitting a ubiquitous pothole because the eye-bolt on the female part swings like a pendulum when connected to the bike.
For the connection to the bicycle, I attached the male
part of the pressure-hose by running a 1/4" bolt through a triangular
opening just above the axle of my Raleigh Sport. After making sure
there would be no interference with the wheel, and that the hose
connection engages without a problem, I sawed off the end of the bolt
that was sticking out.
You will notice I put two nuts on the end of the bolt, one of which is a lock-nut. On the inside of the bike frame there are a couple of washer to make sure bolt does inadvertently come out. I installed the same set up of the male part on my wife's 5-speed so she can use the trailer as well. I have removed the back wheel of the bicycle without a problem, even though in the photograph it looks like it would create problems.
Initially, I tried using the trailer with the fabric
on it and just loaded small items where a baby would normally sit. I
had a few mishaps with this set up because the center of gravity was
high enough that if one wheel hit a bump, it would flip the trailer
over. This problem completely disappeared when I started using the milk
crate. Also, having the milk crate in the frame stiffens the trailer
quite a bit. I once loaded more than 200 pounds of soil for my garden
and the trailer held up (even though the stroller has a warning on it to
the effect of not loading more than 40lbs on it. But that's just
lawyer talk).
Engaging and disconnecting the trailer is so simple
that I can hold the bike with one hand and connect/disconnect with the
other hand. I have been using it for more than a year with no trouble
and no maintenance, aside from pumping the tires occasionally. I find
that the shape lends
itself very well to hauling things because the frame allows for
multiple places to attach things.
For example, if I have a particularly heavy load, I will attach a canvas shopping bag to the back of the trailer and load it with items so that the trailer is balanced enough so it does not put too much weight on the connecting arm of the stroller. To test if the trailer is balance enough, I lift the stroller arm while it's not connected to the bicycle, and when the arm is about the height of the connection to the bicycle, i feel the weight and see if it wants to go up or down and then adjust it accordingly.
One
last note on the clearance: I have had no trouble with turning at all.
But I do keep in mind that I can make narrower turns when turning left
(or in the direction of the connecting arm of the stroller), while I
have a limit when turning right because eventually the back wheel of the
bicycle will hit the arm of
the stroller.
My advice to anyone wanting to do a similar hack
is to make sure that the back wheel of the bicycle clears the stroller
in tight turns. Ensure that the center of gravity is low enough that
you will not have a trailer that turns over easily. When riding with
the trailer, especially when it's loaded, remember that it will take you
longer to come to a complete stop, especially if you ride a bicycle
such as mine with steel rims, and especially in wet conditions.
If your load is heavy, you have to 'feel' the ride when you hit bumps or potholes. My technique is to never brake at the moment I hit a bump because that makes the trailer swing a little, then when the trailer hits the bump, it swings the opposite direction and that put unnecessary load on the connection. The best is to brake before you hit the bump and then ride it through, but without pedaling, until the trailer clears the bump or pothole. And finally, the larger the diameter of the wheels of the trailer, the smoother your ride will be.
Oh, and when I need to
lock my bike and the trailer, it's really easy to fold the trailer and
u-lock it through the frame of the bicycle, which is a great added
bonus!
I would like to note while one photo shows the trailer
completely loaded and my daughter's bike seat attached, my daughter was
not in that seat until I unloaded the trailer and disconnected it. I
don't like to have her on the bike when the trailer is attached.
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Have you repurposed something into a trailer? Feel free to let us know.
very impressive. I like it a lot.
I'm curious about the hitch though. Exactly what type/size pressure hose connection did you use? Is it the quick-release type that you simply press on a ring on the female part to release? I would have been worried about its holding strength in that case, so I'm wondering what you did.
Perhaps some more close-ups of the hitch would help. The second picture down is confusing, as it appears the female side of the connection is fitted to the arm of the trailer, and from other pictures, that appears not to be the case.
You could build some redundancy into the hitch with a nylon strap bolted to the eye hook on the trailer arm. You loop it through the bike frame, and have a quick-release type clip that would attach to the eye-hook or somewhere else on the trailer arm. It wouldn't tow the trailer, but prevent it from going too far if your main hitch failed. I did that on my crummy trailer from craigslist, and it has worked.
Finally, was it hard to center the trailer behind your bike?
Posted by: Seth | 06/09/2010 at 06:45 PM
Its looking some this different and dangerous to use . But different and nice design . I never seen like this these jogging stroller . But i use to follow this strollers for some days. Thank you .
Posted by: bob double stroller review | 08/19/2010 at 02:24 AM
woww this good idea for stroller, i like it. Thank you ^^.
Posted by: johan | 07/19/2011 at 08:15 AM