Single track with advantages
There was no need for the yellow pennant. Anyone towing a low-loader like this behind them doesn't have to worry about attracting attention. Pensioners walking their dogs and mothers pushing their children stop, the street sweepers lean on their brooms for a moment as we approach the limits of the single-track trailers in the icy cold park. In the car industry, this is known as the "moose test": a sharp evasive manoeuvre at high speed, then back onto the straight.
Several laps later, one thing is clear: if the payload is right, the single-track trailers are superior to conventional cargo trailers in some respects. They follow the wheel true to the track and with a lean angle through all bends and roll pleasantly smoothly even with tiny wheels. Their low centre of gravity and the double-sided attachment to the rear wheel axle allow them to glide effortlessly when touring. So the perfect solution for touring cyclists? No - or at least not for everyone.
Already a difficult task when hanging up
Even hooking up a loaded bike trailer is extremely difficult without help, and new problems lurk when pushing, manoeuvring and parking. Parking on the rear stand? Pushing out backwards? Better not, it works much better with two-wheeled trailers. And when travelling, there are many arguments in favour of the classic method with two racks mounted on the frame: with the average six to seven kilos extra weight of a trailer, pedalling uphill is unnecessarily tough. Even 30 kilos of luggage - which is a lot even with camping equipment - is almost always easier to transport on a rigid touring bike with good racks.
But for four types of cyclists, the single-track bikes are a blessing: Families with small children can carry all their luggage on their adult bikes. Tandems finally have more than two pannier racks. Bikes that are not suitable for rack mounting (full-suspension mountain bikes, racing bikes...) can be toured with a bike trailer. And expedition cyclists carrying canisters of water can face the desert in a more relaxed way.
What the manufacturers first developed for these dedicated cyclists around 20 years ago looks the same at first glance at most. All four models have the attachment at the height of the rear wheel hub in common, but even here there are major differences in the details: Bob and Extrawheel use the ends of a special quick-release axle as the usual mount, and both also offer special nuts for various solid axles. Topeak and Weber do not start directly there, but move the connection a few centimetres to the rear. This works wonderfully with flat, flat dropouts, but with spatially forged dropouts sometimes only with a talent for improvisation - be sure to try it out with the bike at the dealer.
Wide range with specified payload
There is also a wide range in the specified payload. It ranges from 32 kilos for Bob and Topeak down to 15 kilos for Weber (on rough surfaces). Our practical experience suggests that these maximum loads should be significantly lower if the speed can exceed the generally specified maximum speed of 40 km/h or if the route requires a dynamic riding style. For example, one tester was almost pushed off the road by a heavily loaded bike trailer when he had to brake in a tight gravel bend - after all, the trailers have no brakes.
At the end of the test rounds, there is no definitive test winner due to the wide range of uses, but rather a categorisation of the trailers according to specific user profiles. Both the Extrawheel and the Topeak have earned a "very good" rating in terms of technology and practicality - but for completely different areas of use.
You can download the full-length article from issue 2/2014 as a PDF.
