In my previous post today, I questioned whether it takes a week to fix a flat, a sort of excuse for not testing the trailer. It was one way in which I gave myself a bit of external motivation to actually fix the flat tire and put this thing on the road. Just about every part had been tested and found working. The hitch was the one area that I have questioned since finishing the metal fabrication months ago. I still have some questions.
The questionable towing bracket "hitch" in place
The primary problem is the position of the fixed bracket on the dropouts. It should be vertical, but as installed is 90 degrees off due to the presence of rack and fender mounts. For this test today, it works sufficiently, but it’s clear that some further “engineering” will be required to make this piece really function.
For those looking closely, it should be obvious that the trailer bracket forward wing should be positioned in front of the fixed bracket forward wing.
No matter. The real story today is that trailer was attached to the bicycle and it made more than a few passes in front of the video camera for your amusement. More importantly, it showed that it is working as designed, mostly. Further, it was clear during the test rides that whatever the weight of the trailer itself, the rider feels no pull or unwelcome pressure from the trailer.
A quick trip around the block is fun and it proves that the bicycle trailer can work. The next test, after the bracket problems are resolved, is to actually use it to pick up something. Or, at a minimum, to haul something up and down, around and about. I’m thinking that a beer run to some local breweries might be just the right test . . .
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