Trailers

Car free tours are the bomb-diggity.  Ain’t no better feeling than completing the longest, most challenging ride of tour with only the power of your own two feet, determination, and teamwork.  Most Otesha tours make use of a support vehicle during the initial training period, and then it fades away like a dream, leaving you to complete your human-powered journey under your own power.

Gear used by the whole team is pulled in two or three Burley Nomad trailers. This includes cooking gear, groceries, presentation materials, a bike repair kit and First Aid kits. Every team member takes a turn pulling, which means you should train frequently with your bike fully loaded so that you can handle the extra weight. You also need to make sure that your bike has a triple chain ring so that you have low gears available for climbing with a trailer.

Most bikes easily attach to a trailer in a minute or so. Your bike needs to have either:

a)    A quick release skewer on the rear wheel -- this means you can use a Quick Release Hitch;

Above: Ensure there is a flat area with at least a one centimeter radius around it where the hitch will sit

Below: Quick Release Hitch installed

b)   Or, a clear area where the seat stay and chain stay meet in a triangle -- this means you can use a Classic Hitch

Above: Ensure that the triangular space where the seat stay and chain stay meet is free from pannier racks, fenders, disc brake braze-ons, etc.

Below: Classic Hitch installed

Riding Considerations

• Adopt a group mentality about trailers.   It is a group responsibility to ensure that trailers get packed and transported to the next location.  The rider pulling the trailer should always have a biking partner that is willing and able to trade off the trailer if need be, and trailers should be passed off to another rider at the halfway point.  

• Equity, not equality.  Riders will have different levels of fitness and comfort with the trailers.  Rather than rotating the trailers so that everyone pulls them for an equal distance over the trip, past tours have found it effective to have stronger riders pull the trailers more frequently.  This can help to slow them down so that they are riding at pace with others in the group, and gives other riders a chance to build their strength up gradually.

• Have a back up plan for challenging rides.  If it looks like a particular ride might be unrealistic to complete before dark, or riders are feeling sick etc, take time in advance to gather information about other options – community contacts with vehicles or places to stay, public transportation, or, worst case scenario, car rental locations, their hours, and the availability of vehicles that can accommodate bikes.

• Maintain good communication.  Lead riders should mark the road with sidewalk chalk (or other creative alternatives) to alert riders to upcoming turns.  Having a lead and sweep phone is a minimum.  Having more cell phones throughout the group so that riders can communicate about delays and direction changes on the road is hugely helpful.

   

  Check out this helpful video (with not-so-helpful audio quality - sorry!) starring Otesha's own Communications Coordinator, Kira Burger: