• Bicycle Cargo Trailer
    (Summer 2017/Summer 2018)

    The Bicycle Cargo Trailer was a personal project I developed to help me move heavy or bulky objects (and occasionally passengers) around with my bicycle. I was inspired to build it when I was hauling a salvaged printer on the back of my bike and dropped it at a busy intersection.

    The attachment had to be sturdy, not impede the motion of the bicycle, and carry a large payload.

    A black dog sitting inside a cart

    The trailer carrying a passenger

  • V1

    The first iteration was made from ½” electrical conduit supporting a rubbermaid storage bin and was attached to the back of the bicycle with paracord which could be clipped to an existing rear wheel rack on my bicycle. However, this design was heavy and bulky. Also, flex in the paracord caused the payload to oscillate significantly when the bike experienced large accelerations.

    A cargo trailer made of steel tube and a rubbermaid bin

    V1

  • V2

    The following year, I designed a second iteration which made use of the collapsing mechanism from a walker. It included a larger bin and lightweight aluminum frame as well as direct attachment to the rear wheel of the bike. The frame also folded, allowing me to store it above the wardrobe in my dorm room.

    • a collapsed aluminum frame sitting in a black bin
    • an aluminum tube with coped ends
    • an aluminum-frame cargo trailer containing a black bin

    The collapsed trailer (TL), an aluminum structural component (TR), and the trailer (Bottom)

    a decorative dingbat