by Larry Lagarde

As practical as folding bikes are for commuting or running errands, there are limitations when it comes to toting goods (such as groceries) on any bicycle, especially a compact fold up bicycle like the Carry Me, E-Z Pack, Kent Compact Nexus or Mobiky. In such cases, attaching a trailer to your bike can work wonders.

Slideshow:
Compact Nexus folding bicycle w/bike trailer attached


By placing the weight of your cargo on the trailer instead of the bike, the right cargo trailer can maximize the practicality of your bike. You'll gain stability & responsiveness, reduce your carbon footprint and avoid breaking spokes, warping rims or blowing tires.

After trying a variety, the bike trailer I like best for carrying cargo is Tony Hoar's Grocery Getter (GG). The GG is unique for a variety of reasons.

Watertight, Practical Cargo Container
The Grocery Getter's frame is built to cradle an 18 gallon RubberMaid tote. The result is a weatherproof cargo container that is stackable, easy/economical to replace and a breeze to remove (so goods can be carried right into your house without walking back and forth several times). With a carry capacity of 150 lbs, chances are that the GG can hold more than you would ever want to pull. And if the tote cracks, Walmart normally has them for $6.

Stable Transportation Platform
The GG transports cargo between two 16" wheels, allowing cargo to be carried with a lower and far more stable center of gravity. The hitch is mounted to the seat post instead of the rear axle, allowing the trailer to track properly when turning and turn in less space. And if you have a folding bike with small wheels, the GG's seat post mount allows the trailer to attach when other trailers never could.

Less Packaging & Handling Needed
Unhitch the Grocery Getter from your bike and it becomes a hand cart (the hitch bar has foam padding so you can pull or push the trailer comfortably by hand). About the same width as a standard sized shopping cart, the trailer is easy to manuever down the grocery aisle. Once you're done with the cashier, the purchases remain in the cargo tote until you're ready to put them away in the pantry, making it possible to completely forego the epic "paper or plastic" issue.

Stores Compactly
The Grocery Getter's designed so that all parts of the trailer will fit inside the RubberMaid tote for storage.

Ultimately, having the right trailer will increase your opportunities for cycling, giving you more enjoyment, keeping you fitter and reducing your carbon footprint even more.

Priced at about $300, the Grocery Getter is a good value for the ways it can improve your life but it's not cheap. Tony and I have been talking about ways to reduce the cost while improving the product. Mass production with tight quality controls would do it but the start up costs for that are daunting.

Ultimately, the answer lies with consumers like you. What would you pay for a cargo trailer that goes just about anywhere. Post a comment with your answer now. Who knows; you just may get your wish in 2009.

Labels: bike-trailer, Grocery-Getter, Tonys-Trailers