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Thread: Bicycling with LF

  1. #11

    Join Date
    Apr 2000
    Posts
    14

    Bicycling with LF

    This thread has got me thinking I should be hauling my gear on my bike.

    Larry: I did a search on BOB. Here is their website: http://www.bobtrailers.com/

    Here is a review I found: http://www.tomswenson.com/bob.htm

    Their COZ trailer looks interesting too.

  2. #12

    Join Date
    Aug 1998
    Posts
    89

    Bicycling with LF

    I bought a Yak BOB trailer a few years ago, with the intention of using it to carry my LF equipment. It arrived the day before I was due to go camping for a weekend. I built it up, and went for a few miles ride with it unladen - no problem, but I felt a bit conspicuos, and I seem to remember that it rattled a fair bit.

    On reaching home, I loaded my LF gear, all contained within my Lowe Pro SuperTrecker (the big one!). It weighed about 60pounds, as far as I can remember. I cycled across a flat field, and the front-end of the bike was shimmy-ing like crazy. Even on the smooth, I never felt in control. My bike is a steel-framed mountain bike. It's a fairly heavy frame in that it's no super-lightweight racer (no suspension, rigid forks). At a stand-still, the bike seemed to be flexing. You could 'park' the combo by moving the bike around 90degrees to the trailer and leaning the trailer over, but moving it around was a nightmare.

    In the end, I decided against taking the camera with me, sent the trailer back to the importer, and ended up going for my trip with just the camping gear loaded on the bike in panniers on a Blackburn rear rack. The camping gear weighed about the same as the LF equipment, and there was no sign of a wobble.

    I've seen other people using BOBs, and they seem to be getting on okay. Maybe mine was a bad one. I've read reports of people taking them off-road, but I'd need to try again before buying one.

    I've read about other trailers (I think Vitarelli, or something), but these have two larger wheels with a low carrying platform. Obviously they'd be no good for cycling single-track, but for on-road use, I think they'd be much better.

    I'd be interested in hearing experiences from other people.

  3. #13

    Bicycling with LF

    David - what you describe doesn't sound very inviting. The sales person at the store was a non-automobile owner, and used his YAK for all sorts of hauling tasks. He described them as very smooth and stable. He is also a MF photographer, and uses his YAK on photo expeditions. The store had a YAK built-up. It would be interesting as a test to pack-up gear, and take it for a test ride. The aspect of the YAK that bothers me is the space it takes up while storing or transporting it. It doesn't really (easily) knock down at all. On older versions, the pivoting folk attaching section could rotate into the body of the YAK to make it shorter. The newer versions have added stiffening members to the body of the YAK which now prevents the rotation of that section.

    The other well regarded trailer I found doing some internet research is from a company called CycleTote. Their setup is much wider and uses two standard size wheels. It appears to have a much larger capacity than the YAK. It's still fairly light. It can also be adapted to carry children. Doesn't look like you'd want to take the CycleTote off-road, and it might be too large for city use.

  4. #14

    Bicycling with LF

    Hi Larry,

    I regularly ride with my 4x5. I am a mt biker. I just put on my regular backpack of camera gear including tripod and umbrella attached to the pack and go. I have taken the gear on rides as long as 15 miles. I'm usually more tired than my friends without cameras, but they always admire my photographs and are patient with me when I want to stop. Obviously, I don't take the gear on very technical rides or I would end up in a heap. I would think that a street bike would be difficult with its very narrow tires and the additional weight of the camera gear. Some sort of a hybrid mt bike/street bike would probably be best for around town. The bottom line is its no big deal on a bike. By the way, I'm no spring chicken (I'm 51).

  5. #15

    Bicycling with LF

    I tried a BOB Yak loaded with 50lbs of photo equipment. This is a great way to transport LF equipment while photographing in the city. Trailer tracks nicely, and it's very easy to weave around things in the city. When going on the flats, you pretty much forget it's there. The bike I had it attached to (short wheelbase, upright, lightweight road bike) was hardly the ideal bike for hauling stuff. Once I get my heavy duty bike back together, it will probably be even easier. It only part requiring practice was keeping the trailer balanced when stopped. If it starts to go over, it's difficult to wrestle it back into position.

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