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Choosing between a Bike Cargo Trailer or Bike-Mounted Bags

The debate over bike cargo trailers versus bike-mounted bags is generally addressed from the perspective of bike touring. However, the comparison between these two modes of bike transport is just as important to bike commuters and anyone using their bike for errands and chores.

Wisely choosing between a bike cargo trailer or a set of bike bags will likely be measured in achieving the best overall use of the gear you invest in. For example, if the majority of your use of bike cargo carrying equipment is carrying large items around town, a two-wheeled bike cargo trailer might suit you best. This trailer could also serve double-duty for a week long bike tour and though it may not be perfectly suited for this singular use, the multi-use aspect will provide long term value. For someone who can benefit from and budget the expense of setups chosen for both bike touring and bike commuting, the specific gear for the two different yet closely related activities will often end up being used interchangeably and in combination.

I suspect that many bike expeditions are begun after the cyclist blindly chose new panniers and racks or a new bike trailer without having had the opportunity to really test, compare and understand the differences. If you are comparing bike-mounted bags and bike cargo trailers in preparation for anything longer than a 2 week bike tour, I strongly recommend that you borrow or rent both types of setups for a serious comparison. See if you can borrow a bike with a full setup of front and rear racks and panniers and take it on an overnight bike tour. Then do the same with bike cargo trailers, where if possible, try out both a single-wheel trailer such as a BOB or Extrawheel and a two-wheel trailer such as the Wandertec BONGO or Burley Nomad.

If you do not have the time or opportunity to test and compare before embarking on a long-distance bike tour, careful consideration should be made to narrow down your choices. For bike commuting or doing errands by bike around town, the weight of the choice is less critical. But on a 3,000 mile cross country bike tour, a setup that has handling characteristics that first seem "less than ideal" can quickly turn into a major annoyance.

Whether you are preparing for a bike tour and you are making a last-minute decision or spending time on a well researched, educated choice or if you are preparing for bike commuting or other local utility cycling, this article will help you to narrow down your options and understand the most important differences between bike-mounted bags and bike cargo trailers.

Terrain:
The variety and types of terrain that you ride on is something that will quickly narrow down and often be the most important determining factor in your choice between bike trailers and bike bags. With the spectrum of bicycle styles capable of handling such a wide variety of terrain, a discussion about all the nuanced types of roads and terrains that various bicycles might go on can get bumpy quite quickly. So I've classified 4 general categories of terrain.

Wide & Smooth: Includes maintained paved roads and paths. Wide & Some Roughness: Includes maintained dirt and gravel roads, unmaintained paved roads and paths, maintained cobblestone roads and roads with frequent curb hops and potholes. Narrow or Wide and Rough:Includes relatively smooth single-track trail, most unmaintained dirt and gravel roads and unmaintained cobblestone roads. Narrow or Wide and Very Rough: Includes very rough single-track trail, very rough unmaintained dirt and gravel roads and riding off trail.

There are going to be some fuzzy lines between these 4 terrain classifications. For example where is the exact line between maintained and unmaintained paved roads? And it is important to mention that it is not very common that a touring or commuting cyclist will be riding exclusively on just one terrain type. Most bicycle tours that follow off-road routes will likely have quite a few smooth sections as well. Meanwhile bicycle tour routes following smooth roads and paths might only rarely venture onto sections that are slightly rough such as maintained dirt roads. But being prepared for rougher conditions is a good idea as route information can be inconsistent and might change quite quickly.

Whatever the intended terrain that your equipment is for, becoming aware of the capabilities and limitations will be very useful when unexpectedly rougher conditions come along or if the inspiration to venture on roads less traveled should arise.

Wide & Smooth: For smooth tarmac riding, all styles of bike trailers and bike-mounted bags will perform effectively and the choice comes down to a variety of other comparison factors discussed later in this article.

Wide & Some Roughness: When the going gets a little bumpier, all styles of bike cargo trailers and bike-mounted bags will perform well and are suited to handle some shaking, jarring and vibration. Two-wheel bike trailers offer the greatest challenges with this type of terrain because they are difficult to navigate through bumps and potholes. Often, you will navigate your bicycle between bumps, but one or both of the spread out trailer wheels will roll right into the bumps that you carefully avoided.

Narrow or Wide and Rough: When the going get's rough and the trail gets narrow, your cargo carrying options narrow as well. The narrower the trail, the narrower you will want the profile of your bike and equipment to be. This usually eliminates two-wheeled trailers as a viable option. Conversely, single-wheel trailers have a narrow profile, roll through rough spots, follow the path of the bicycle, do not tip over and support most of the weight of the cargo load. Bike panniers are frequently used on single track, however they may catch on rocks and snag on bushes on the side of the trail. Panniers vibrating in rougher conditions can sometimes cause them to pop off. Riding on rough trails with heavily loaded panniers can put a lot of extra stress on a bikes wheels, suspension and frame. A new style of bike-mounted bag setup that mounts inside of the bike frame's triangle and combines with oversized handlebar bags and saddle bags is becoming increasingly popular for mountain bike and ultra-light touring. This setup is lighter and offers a narrower profile yet also has limited capacity and the full size frame bags are difficult to standardize and are generally custom made. Cyclists often augment the limited capacity of this setup with a cycling specific backpack.

Narrow or Wide and Very Rough: One way to summarize this type of terrain, is to say that when it is encountered many cyclists will choose to walk through is. However, with a good mountain bike and the right bike cargo trailer or bike-mounted bags, very rough terrain can be navigated through. A single-wheel trailer like the BOB, can handle much of these conditions. But even the BOB Trailer can have issues with the front of the cargo area catching against rocks. The Extrawheel Voyager Trailer is perhaps the best designed bike cargo trailer for these types of rough conditions with its short length and ability to roll over anything the bike rolls over. With bike panniers, the issues of catching on trailside obstacle or popping off are further amplified the rougher it gets. While it is possible to use racks and panniers in very rough conditions, it should be done with moderation and caution. An ultra-light mountain bike touring setups (explained in Narrow or Wide and Rough) is well suited for rough conditions especially if the overall weight of the load is kept down.

Load Requirements:
While the options defined by terrain are quickly narrowed by clear limitations, especially if you are considering riding in rough or very rough conditions, choosing between options that satisfy your load requirements is much more about satisfying your preferences. The challenge is to reconcile your personal packing style with the available options for your cargo load's requirements in regards to: size, shape, variation, organization, additional or specialized carrying capacity, weather protection and theft protection.

Load Size:
By size I mean the total volume and weight of the cargo being transported.

Bike-Mounted Bags: Volume is determined by the combined volume of the bags in use. Maximum weight is limited by either the racks or the bicycle's wheels, suspension or frame. Most bike racks specify their maximum weight limits. Determining the maximum weight limit of your bicycle wheels, suspension and frame requires that the weight of the rider is added to the total weight of the cargo including the weight of the bags and racks. Typical maximum weight capacities are 50 to 100 pounds. For well built setups, the maximum weight can be much higher, though would not be typically utilized. Single-Wheel Bike Trailers: Most single-wheel trailers offer up one large cargo area where volume is determined by the size of duffel bag that can be fit as large as 8000 cubic inches. Due to factors explained in the handling characteristics section below, weight is generally limited to around 70 lbs.

Two-Wheel Bike Trailers: Most two-wheel trailers also offer up a single large cargo area. The volume is determined by the volume of the duffel bag or other storage containers such as large Rubbermaid boxes, typically 6,000 to 10,000 cubic inches. Typical maximum weights are 75 to 150 pounds. On heavy-duty two-wheel trailers with high-strength, load-spreading hitches, the cargo capacity can be as high as 500 pounds and items as large as full-size refrigerators give an idea of the potential volume.

Load Shapes:
Are you considering transporting oddly shaped or large items by bike? Would you like to carry golf clubs, photo equipment or a cooler and a few lawn chairs? Or is everything relatively small, packable and easily organized however you like?

Bike-Mounted Bags: These are limited in their ability to carry awkward loads. Most loads need to be packable and should be able to be spread out into 2 to 6 bags (depending on your setup). Single-Wheel Bike Trailers: Depending on the setup of the cargo area, single-wheel trailer have some capacity for awkward loads. Items that are propped too high or sticking out rearward to far will affect the handling characteristics. Two-Wheel Bike Trailers: Within the spectrum of two-wheel trailer designs, the sky is almost the limit. Two-wheel trailers can easily handle a variety of awkward loads as most of the forces of the load are balanced over the two wheels of the trailer. Off course different trailers have different capacities based on such factors as the width and length of the cargo area, whether they are open or enclosed and the width of its two wheels.

Load Variation:
Consider all of the loads that you would like to use your bike cargo equipment for. Then think about how much of your cycling will be done with these different loads. If you would like to use one setup for all of your bike touring, bike commuting and errands by bike, there are likely quite a few load variations to account for.

Bike-Mounted Bags:
Add more bags and take them off as needed for a variety of load sizes. One and Two-Wheel Bike Trailers: A one-size-fits-all solution. For more variation, owners of bike cargo trailers might also benefit by having a rack and panniers. This will be useful for both when the load is small and the trailer is not needed or to add to the trailer capacity when the load is large.

Organization:
With the size, shapes and variations of your loads in mind, consider how you would like to organize the variety of loads. Do you like one cavernous space for all of your needs or do you prefer multiple sections.

Bike-Mounted Bags:
The use of bike bags offers a multiplicity of organization options. For example, a set of front and rear panniers offers up 4 different compartments to organize your gear between. Individual bike bags can offer anywhere from just one large compartment to a multiple sections and pockets. One and Two-Wheel Bike Trailers:
Most bike trailers leave the organization up to you, offering up one large cargo area. Some trailers do offer pockets, sections or other organizational features. Specialty trailers such as the Burley Travoy offers additional organization with a variety of upper and lower bag options as well as the ability to use the length of the trailer for longer or odd shaped items.

Modes for Additional or Specialized Carrying Capacity:
While the maximum recommended weights should be followed, if your load requires extra volume, most bags and trailers can accommodate. Some of the products have specific accessories designed for this additional capacity. More commonly though, extra gear is lashed on with straps or bungee cords.

Bike-Mounted Bags:
Ortlieb panniers offer the outer mesh and waterproof pockets which also could be easily mounted to other brands of panniers. But more generally, extra capacity is achieved by strapping gear or a small bag on the rear rack. Ortlieb's Rackpack medium offers quite a bit of extra capacity, by laying across both rear panniers as would any similar sized stuff sack or dry bag. Simply strap a tent, sleeping pad and/or sleeping bag in this useful spot on top of the rear rack as well.

Many panniers have the ability to be overstuffed while still keeping the contents secure. Drybag style roll up panniers can be minimally rolled, leaving quite a bit of extra room at the top. Panniers with cap style tops can have their straps run out to contain an overflowing load. Many pannier have strapping points for additional items or stuff bags to be lashed to them. Even when their are no strapping points, it is usually easy enough to run straps around the whole bag or connected to features on the bag.

One and Two-Wheel Bike Trailers: Trailers have plenty of volume, yet sometimes the load is extra large or awkwardly shaped. The volume is defined by either the cargo enclosure or the size of the bags can be loaded onto it. If the trailer is left open (in the case of enclosed trailers) or a bag is not used (in the case of flatbed trailers), items can be piled on as high as they can be safely secured so as to not shift while riding. Safely securing items piled high, is a useful option for short trips around-town, but is not recommended for touring.

For touring or when it is rainy out, the load should be enclosed. Expanding enclosed load capacity is similar to the method described for bike-mounted bags in that extra items or bags are lashed on with straps or bungee cords. With flatbed and open trailers like the BOB and Burley Flatbed, where a waterproof duffel bag is likely being used, additional bags or items can be lashed on top or underneath the main bag. The Wandertec Cargo Net or similar bungee nets are useful for holding down extra gear. And it often works well to tuck loose items underneath the main bag. The Wandertec SAX BOB Liner works great for loose items secured down with the BOB DrySAK on top.

A few trailers have accessories available specifically designed to increase their volume. The Burley Nomad offers up a cargo rack that sits over it like a car's roof rack. A BOB Trailer's capacity can be increased by adding on a Greenspeed Rack with adapter over the rear wheel. The Wandertec BONGO has long hitch arms available, extended by 2 or 3 feet for accommodating longer loads.

Weather Protection:
Ideally everything would be protected from the weather. Yet with gear that is weather-proof, there are some limitations to consider. Weather-proof, bike-mounted bags are generally more expensive, heavier and offer fewer organizational feature. Weather-proof bike cargo trailers can have the same limitations as bike bags and also have a diminished ability to carry large awkward loads.

Bike-Mounted Bags: The choice between weather-proof or non-weather-proof bike bags is a balance between the convenience of not having to worry about the rain and the convenience and/or cost benefits of sewn bags that generally have many more pockets, zippers and a softer touch. If you prefer sewn, non-weather-proof bike bags they generally have rain covers available. One and Two-Wheel Bike Trailers: Bike trailers have either an enclosed cargo area or open flatbeds. Most enclosed bike trailers are weather-proof though some only offer partial weather protection. For open flatbed trailers, there are plenty of waterproof duffel bags such as Ortlieb's Rack Packs or the BOB DrySAK that work very nicely. Waterproof duffel bags and dry sacks also work well to weather-proof your cargo stored inside of enclosed bike trailers that are only partially weather-proof.

Theft Protection:
While most bike cargo trailers and some bike-mounted bags can be locked to the bicycle, in most instances the cargo is difficult to secure from theft. There are some sturdy solutions available in the form of lockable trunks for mounting to a bike rack and sturdy lockable cases that can be used with bike cargo trailers. Lightweight mesh lock systems like the Pac-Safe 120 can be used to lock up a set of bike-mounted bags or a duffel bag inside of a bike trailer, offering protection against the casual theft.

Bike-Mounted Bags: Panniers such as the Ortlieb Plus Series can be locked to a bike rack using Orltlieb's security cable system. These only should be relied on for the shoort-term protection, preventing a thief from grabbing the panniers off the bike. There are a few bike-mounted cases available that can be locked shut and/or can be locked to the rack. One and Two-Wheel Bike Trailers: Most bike trailers can be fully or at least partially secured to the bike by winding a cable through the wheels and frame of the trailer and locking it to the bike frame. The Pac-Safe 120 fits around waterproof duffel bags up to 7300 cubic inches and it's cable can additionally be used to secure the cargo and trailer to the bike. For regular security needs, a setup using a lockable trunk, such as a 24 gallon Rubbermaid Action Packer, work well when bolted to an open platform trailer like the Wandertec BONGO bike trailer. For full security, this system also requires that a cable is locked to the trunk and to the bike.

Handling Characteristics:
The handling characteristics of various types of loads on a bicycle can vary in importance from being one of the key issues of concern to being an afterthought worth noting but not critical in your decision on what cargo carrying setup you choose. To understand the handling characteristics of a bicycle alone is an advanced science. Adding in the factor of the variety of methods for loading cargo on a bicycle, adds yet another layer of depth.

While it is overly complex for the purposes of this article to fully account for all the factors that can affect bicycle handling, I will briefly mention some of the most important factors. The variety and complexity of these factors helps to explain why it can often be inaccurate to blame a bicycle's handling characteristic problems on just one aspect of the bike, the cyclist, the terrain or the bike bags or bike trailer in use.

Bicycle Design Factors Affecting Handling:
Geometry, Suspension, Frame Stiffness/Flex, Gearing, Aspects of Shifting and Braking Components

Cyclist Factors Affecting Handling:
Body Measurements and Fit with Bicycle Geometry, Body Weight, Experience and Riding Style

Terrain Factors Affecting Handling:
Steepness, Roughness, Grip or Slip

Bypassing a full physics discussion of all of the factors affecting a bicycle's handling characteristic, we'll cut to the center of the issue and look at the cargo setups that most commonly cause handling problems. As discussed in this article's introduction, if you intend to use a bike cargo trailer or bike-mounted bags on an extended bicycle tour, testing before hand is crucial whenever possible. The primary reason to test is to make sure that the cargo setup doesn't cause any significantly annoying, dangerous or easily avoidable bicycle handling issues.

Bike-Mounted Bags:
All bike bags affect a bicycle's handling by putting additional weight onto the bicycle. Depending on the weight of the load, the mounting positions of the bags and the weight distribution inside the bag and between bags, the impact on handling will vary dramatically. This impact is the most noticeable in off-road conditions due to the extreme demands on bicycle handling.

Consider a bicycle to be a lever that rotates around the invisible line connecting the bicycle's two wheels. The further that any fixed weight on the bicycle is from this invisible pivot line (effectively further from the ground) the great the leverage force that weight will have. The force on a lever increases proportionately as its distance increases from the pivot. Therefore, the side-to-side leverage force of the weight of bike-mounted bags increases proportionately the higher up on the bike that they are mounted.

Understanding this leverage principal, is important in both choosing your assortment of bike bags and determining how to distribute the cargo load throughout the bags. There are other physics factors that will counteract the leverage factor. These factors include the bicycles forward momentum and the centrifugal force of the wheels. The counteracting impacts of these forces is largely dependent on speed, riding style and terrain. Essentially if a bicycle is moving rapidly and staying perpendicular to the road with very little side-to-side motion, the leverage force of a cargo load will be minimal even if it is mounted high. But as soon as the terrain gets rough or curvy or if the cyclist prefers to rock the bike underneath them while climbing and other times, the impact of the leverage force of a cargo load on a bicycle's handling becomes much greater.

Load Size and Arrangement:
If a cargo load begins to have a noticeable impact on bicycle handling, first make sure that the load is evenly distributed among your bike bags. The point at which unevenly distributed weight begins to affects a bicycle's handling could be as little as 10 pounds or as much as 40 pounds.

When using a one or two pair of panniers always distribute the weight evenly between them left to right. With front and rear pannier in use, start by balancing the weight evenly front to back. From here, experimenting having more weight either forward or rearward can potentially help improve handling issues. Center-mounting bags such as handlebar bags, trunk bags and frame bags will impact the bicycle's side-to-side leverage weight but usually won't cause the bike to be off-balance.

Once the cargo load is balanced side-to-side and front-to-back, if there are still noticeable bicycle handling issues, work on getting the heaviest parts of your cargo load as low as possible. If you are using bags with high mounting such as handlebar bags or trunk bags, if possible, move the heaviest items into your panniers. These types of bike mounted bags can be the largest culprit in causing bicycle handling issues as they are very high up on the leverage point and in the case of handlebar bags also have an impact on steering. Handlebar and trunk bags are best suited for lightweight items where quick access offers convenience while riding. If you are only using handlebar and trunk bags and loading them up is causing bicycle handling issues, strongly consider getting a set or two of panniers to transfer the heaviest portions of your cargo load into. Within the panniers, move your heaviest items towards the bottom. If your rear and/or front bike racks offer lower mounting position, mount the panniers to them. If your bike rack or racks don't have lower mounting positions and you are dealing with bicycle handling issues you should to consider switching to low-rider front racks such as the Tubus Tara, Ergo or Duo and a low-rider rear rack such as the Tubus Logo or Cosmo.

***We will be covering all aspects of the topic of Packing Bike-Mounted Bags in an upcoming BikeShopHub.com Expert Article.

Single-Wheel Bike Cargo Trailers:
The leverage force of a cargo load packed in a single-wheel trailer works in the same way as the leverage force of a cargo load in bike-mounted bags. A single-wheel trailer is in or close to the same plane in space as the bicycle is. Because of this, the bicycle and single-wheel trailer apply force together as a lever that rotates around the invisible pivot line connecting the bicycle's wheels and the trailer's wheel. So agin, the side-to-side leverage force of the cargo load in the trailer increases proportionately the higher up that this load is located from the ground.

Single-wheel trailers, offer the advantage that most of the weight can be positioned quite low to the ground. With the one open cargo area, side-to-side balancing of the load is less of an issue. Because of these two factors, single-wheel trailers can haul a relatively large load before having a noticeable impact on the bicycle's handling characteristics.

In order to roll over bumps and through dips, single-wheel trailers rotate in a vertical plane around the bicycle's rear wheel axle. For going around corners, single-wheel trailers rotate in a horizontal plane around the fork yoke positioned behind the bicycle's rear wheel. The rotation in these two directions affects bicycle handling as the leverage force of the cargo load is increased. The length of the trailer is an additional important factors that come into play. (Please Note: The predominant form of single-wheel trailer utilizes a trailer fork mounted to the bicycle's rear wheel axle and is being described here. The form of single-wheel trailer that mount to the seat post has relatable but not identical impacts on a bicycle's handling characteristics.)

Calculating all of the physics that affect handling with a single-wheel trailer and corresponding them to the other complex handling aspects of a bicycle makes for a long and complex set of equations. While that is not our purpose here, there are some simple aspects to be aware of in considering how single-wheel trailers impact the handling of a bicycle.

Load Size and Arrangement: The best way to pack a single-wheel trailer is to organize the heaviest items as low as possible. When tall items are propped up in a single-wheel trailer, their leverage can be quite noticeable. Most single-wheel trailer manufacturers recommended to not load over 70 pounds. In most cases, the trailers are strong enough for a much larger load, but weight limits indicate where the leverage force of the load will begin to have a problematic impact on the bicycle's handling. Centering or balancing the heavy items in a load is important as well, especially with heavier loads. Putting the heavier part of the cargo load in the front of the trailer results in less movement of this load as it rotates around the axis of the trailer fork yoke.

Terrain:
The impact of a single-wheel trailer on a bicycle's handling characteristics can be quite noticeable in rough and/or curvy terrain, especially as speeds increase. In general though, single-wheel trailers are excellent for off-road use because they track right behind you through obstacles and won't tip over, unlike a two-wheel trailer. Additionally, single-wheel trailers take most of the weight of the cargo load off of the bike, allowing the bike to be more maneuverable and less vulnerable to damage can occurs to a bike being ridden with heavily loaded bike-mounted bags. While offering these advantages for off-road riding, the multiplicity in dynamics that a single-wheel trailer brings should be something that you approach cautiously while you get used to it.

Many road touring cyclists also enjoy the advantages that make single-wheel trailers work so well off-road for road riding. Their narrow profile compared to pannier setups and two-wheel trailers, allows for riding in narrow conditions, avoiding road obstacles and handling rougher road conditions.

Some cyclist riding with single-wheel trailers down curvy roads have talked about an oscillating sensation as their speed increases. The size or placement of the cargo load or the bicycle itself or the riders fit with the bicycle can all be contributing factors to this phenomenon. But the various reports on this issue have not yet been effectively isolated so as to be able to offer a cure-all solution. Generally, I've heard that the problem occurs at speeds over 30 mph. We've only heard of this issue in reference to BOB Trailers, though because of the far greater numbers of BOB Trailers in use as compared to any other single-wheel trailer, this occasional issue isn't necessarily BOB specific. Cyclists who have encountered this issue usually can sometimes find a resolution by packing their trailer differently or using a different bike. Other cyclists have chosen to avoid speeds where they begin to encounter the problem. Still others have decided to switch to a two-wheel trailer or bike-mounted bags.

Test:
Between the use of bike-mounted bags, single-wheel and two-wheel trailers, single-wheel trailers are the most important to test before using on an extended tour, especially if you intend to pack a heavy load or frequently ride in rough conditions. There are many cyclist who swear by single-wheel trailers like the BOB, while others seem unable to get comfortable with them. Fortunately, the BOB trailer is widely available and in use and if you are interested in one, you should easily be able to find one to borrow or rent.

Two-Wheel Bike Cargo Trailers:
If the handling characteristics of bike-mounted bags or single-wheel bike trailers makes cycling difficult or not as enjoyable for you, a cargo carrying solution can usually be found with using a two-wheel trailer. With riding in rough conditions as the exception, two-wheel bike trailers will have only minimal impacts on the handling characteristics of a bicycle.

This is because two-wheel trailers are connected to the bike with a universal joint hitch (A hitch that pivots in all directions). This allows the bike trailer to remain level while the bicycle angles through curves and sways as the cyclist stands on the pedals. With the trailer remaining level, the weight of the cargo load does not affect the bicycle's handling characteristics with side-to-side motion. The cargo load is supported by both wheels of the trailer. Packing a trailer unevenly or with the heavier stuff loaded high while not recommended, will have far less impact with the weight balance over the two wheels. This is a big reason why two-wheel trailers are favored for large and awkward loads.

Tongue Weight:
A two-wheel trailer does an excellent job of isolating the weight off of the bicycle thereby reducing both wear-and-tear and negative impacts on bicycle handling. That said, the weight of the two-wheel trailer will have some impact on these factors. The impact is a factor of the tongue weight of the trailer, meaning the weight that is not supported by the trailer itself, but rather transferred through the bike trailer hitch to the bike. Tongue weight differs depending on trailer design. A trailer designed with the load perfectly centered over the two trailer wheels will have no tongue weight. However most trailers have the wheels further back on the body of the trailer resulting in some percentage of the weight being supported by the bicycle.

Hitch Position:
The multi-directional hitch of two-wheel trailers connects to either the bicycle's seatpost or the bicycle frame (on or near the left-side, rear dropouts). These two positions affect the bicycles handling as a factor of the tongue weight of the trailer applied to the leverage arm from the ground up to where the hitch connects. Simply put, given equal tongue weights, a seat post mounted hitch will have two or three times the affect on the bicycles handling as a frame mounted hitch. That said, this is generally not a very big impact as most two wheel trailers have low tongue weights, with the majority of the weight supported by the bike trailer wheels.

Load Size and Arrangement:
Two-Wheel Bike Trailers are heavy lifters compared to single-wheel trailers and bike bags. While the most important limiting factor on the capacity of most single-wheel trailers and bike bags is how the increased weight directly affects bicycle handling, these are not the factors that limit the capacity of two-wheel trailers. Most two-wheel trailers are rated for around 100lbs. 100lbs. seems to be the generally agreed upon size where the braking capacity of many bicycles becomes a concern. It seems that with this limit in mind, most trailer manufacturers designed the hitch and cargo area to support this amount of weight. That said, it is quite simple for manufacturers to strengthen the cargo area of the trailer. Increasing the weight capacity of the hitch is not as simple. Two-wheel trailers with 100lb. capacities generally use simple hitch mechanisms that mount to the bike frame's rear dropouts. Hitches of this style generally use rubber connectors such as the Burley Flex Connector and the Chariot Lollipop. While these parts are designed to handle very heavy loads, they contribute to a surging feeling in the pulling of the trailer when loaded over 100lbs. Additionally, these style hitches would put to much stress on the hitch itself and the rear dropout with very heavy loads. Two-wheel trailer manufactured for very heavy loads have hitches that spread the load through multiple connection points to the bicycle frame. Bikes-At-Work solves this by mounting their hitch to a bicycle frame's chain stay and seat stay. Surly solves this problem with a support brace for the hitch that wraps around the wheel, connecting to both dropouts thereby spreading the load to both dropouts.

***We will be covering all aspects of the topics of Packing Bike Cargo Trailers and One Wheel vs. Two Wheel Bike Trailers in an upcoming BikeShopHub.com Expert Article.

Usability Features:

Usability features are the last thing I'll discuss as for many cyclists, the usability issues that are important to them are covered within the first 3 topics of Terrain Capabilities, Load Requirements and Handling Characteristics. What I mean by Usability Features here are special features and overall designs in bike cargo trailers and bike-mounted bags that offer a variety of helpful conveniences.

Transporting the Load on Foot:

Especially for local use and bike commuting, the ability to smoothly transition from cycling to walking can offer some great advantages. Bike commuting specific bags offer a variety of methods for this. Almost all of them have a top handle for holding them like a briefcase as well as a shoulder strap that can be tucked away when not in use. Some bike-mounted bags such as the Ortlieb Vario offer the ability to convert into a backpack. This can be great for bike commuting or as one of your bike touring bags for day hikes on your tour.

Single-wheel trailers are not well suited for transporting while walking though in a pinch they can be rolled along like a wheel barrow. Some two-wheel trailers offer excellent usability off the bike. The Burley Travoy and other similarly designed trailers roll very much like a hand truck off the bike with the hitch arm at an ideal height to be pushed along while walking The Wandertec BONGO and the Croozer Cargo offer up a hitch arm that can be repositioned as a push handle.

Storing and Traveling:

Bike-mounted bags as with any bag are generally fairly easy to stow away. Some bags have some structure to them making them more difficult to collapse, but in general unpacked bike-mounted bags can easily be organized into small spaces as needed. While the bags themselves can be quite stowable, traveling with a full set of panniers to the start of a bike tour may present some challenges. One somewhat cumbersome approach is to strap 2 or 4 panniers together and perhaps carrying any other bags as carry on luggage. An easier approach is to get a large duffle like the Ortlieb Big Zip to pack all of your bike bags into. And if you are traveling with a bike in a box, your smaller bags and perhaps larger bags unpacked can be tucked in with the bike.

Bike Trailers are all over the spectrum when it comes to how they break down resulting in a mixed bag of how they stow and travel. If this is an important concern, be sure to compare this ability in the bike trailers you are considering. When it comes to stowage, almost all bike trailers can easily be reduced in size by removing the hitch arm or fork and removing the wheel or wheels. Those parts can generally be tucked inside the body of the trailer. The body of bike trailers can be collapsed like the Burley Nomad and Croozer Cargo, can not collapse like the BOB and Extrawheel trailers and flat bodies like the Burley Flatbed and Wandertec BONGO. A quick way to get an overall assessment how stowable a bike trailer is, is to find out the size of the box that it comes in from the manufacturer. This size represents the trailer packed down as much as possible for efficient shipping, so it may be packed down more than is reasonable for normal use but should be an accurate assessment for any travel with the bike trailer.

Ease of travel with a bike trailer depends on a variety of factors. Of course the trailer design is a key factor. If you are traveling with a bicycle, often times some of the parts of the trailer can fit inside your bicycle box. We've found that a large stiff bag like the Ortlieb Big Zip or the BOB Stroller Bag makes for an excellent bag for transporting a bike trailer in. Even for a non-collapsing framed trailer like a BOB Trailer, we've found that it will fit in either of the two bags along with a fully packed BOB DrySak.

A variety of bike trailers have focused on the concern for storing and traveling with specific usability features. The Burley Travoy, folds in on itself into a very compact mode where the entire trailer including wheels can be tucked into the included Burley Travoy Tote Bag. The Radical Designs Cyclone III Cargo Trailer is essentially a travel bag on wheels. When the wheels and hitch arm are removed, the trailer looks like a big duffel bag which can be checked onto an airplane. The Weber Monoporter very neatly folds in up with various components nesting into the plastic molded loaded into a compact unit that fits into a compact transport bag.

Quick Removal/Installation:

Being able to use a bicycle unencumbered by cargo equipment is an important consideration especially for those who use the same bicycle in a variety of different capacities. Most commonly, this issues comes up for cyclist using the same bike both for bike commuting and recreational riding. Whenever you are varying your cargo capacity on a bike the ability to switch setups quickly is quite helpful.

Bike-Mounted Bags are easy enough to remove from the bike. However, bike racks and handlebar bag mounts are not so smooth in their removal. A front or rear rack that has four available mounting mounts can be as simple to remove has undoing 4 bolts. This works especially well with bike racks that have their mounting hardware lock in position as with Tubus racks. That said, mounting a rack to a bike without eyelets requires a variety of less user friendly brackets. Even with eyelets, sometime other accessories such as fenders are mounted at the same point, slowing down quick installation and removal. With all this in mind, an unloaded bike rack is only 1 to 2 pounds and won't hinder an unloaded recreational ride that much.

A big selling point for many cyclists of bike cargo trailers is the almost instant evaporation from the bicycle of any sign of cargo capacity. When removing a bike cargo trailer from the bike, all that is left behind is the relatively minimally sized hitch bracket. For most recreational cycling, leaving the hitch on at all times is very common practice. For technical mountain biking on rough, rocky trails, it is often advisable to remove the hitch as it can bang against rocks protruding into the trail.

Attaching Cycling Accessories:

Bike-mounted bags and bike cargo trailers can be useful for mounting some of the accessories that normally mount directly to the bicycle frame. They also offer up some unique mounting points for accessories designed specifically for them that expand overall usability.

While bike-mounted bags are limited in the capacity to mount standard accessories beyond rear bike lights, many bike bags offer up their own useful accessories. Ortlieb's handlebar bags and panniers offer up some great examples of this. Accessories for Ortlieb's handlebar bags are a map case, gps case and camera insert. Accessories for Ortlieb's panniers are water bottle cages, outer waterproof pockets and outer mesh pockets.

Bike racks offer a variety of attachment points for cycling accessories. Many bike racks have a rear bar with mounting holes for rack specific lights such as the Busch & Mueller 4D Toplight. This spot on the rack is also utilized for fender mounting bracket such as the Tubus Mudguard Bracket. Some styles of front bike lights are designed to mount to front bike racks. Some rack manufactures have built specific mounts for other products as is the case with the Tubus Locc, designed to hold Abus U-Locks. Beyond bike racks and mounting brackets specifically designed for bicycle accessory mounting, bike racks are suitable for do-it-yourself mounting solutions for accessories that don't smoothly mount onto the bike frame.

Many bike cargo trailers are well suited for mounting accessories though due to the fact that they have smaller diameter tubing than bicycles, the cycling accessories require a mounting brackets that can accommodate. Rear bike lights are commonly mounted to bike trailers. Water bottle cages can be mounted with special brackets and in the case of the BOB Trailer, water bottle bosses are welded into the rear of the trailer frame. A variety of other bike accessories such as pumps, locks and even bike- mounted bags can sometime be mounted to bike trailers.

Conclusion:
If you've read this entire BikeShopHub.com Expert Article you should now be well versed in all the things you might consider when deciding between bike-mounted bags and bike cargo trailers. And hopefully, contrasting these two methods for carrying cargo on a bicycle has yielded some worthwhile insight into both of them.

As mentioned throughout this article, if you are choosing between a bike cargo trailer and bike-mounted bags for a long tour (anything over two-weeks) it is very strongly recommended that you test out a couple of contrasting options to be sure that you make a choice that you will offer comfortable bicycle handling. While the setup that offers the very best bike handling is probably the most important concern for long bike touring adventures, many of the other considerations we've discussed will hold much more weight when considering using the trailer for around-the-town transport, short tours or a mix of the two.

To sum up I'll give a few generalities about the choice between bike trailers and bike bags. For around town use, if you frequently have large awkward loads, go with the bike trailer. If your loads are small, go with a suitable combination of bike bags. And if your loads vary in size perhaps, get both. Keep in mind the factors of Terrain, Load Requirements, Handling Characteristics and Usability Features in an effort to make a balanced decision. The same decision making applies to your cargo carrying choice for shorter bike tours mixed with around-the-town use. For long tours, first focus on Handling Characteristics in view of the various types of Terrain you'll be riding on. With that resolved, go with what best serves your overall needs as regards to Load Requirements and Usability Features.

Now that your head is full of perhaps to much information about products that are in all reality simple, easy and fun to use, relax and don't fret over the decision too much. If you are a cyclist who is dedicated to bike touring and utility cycling, chances are you will become quite familiar with both bike bags and bike trailers. If you are new to utility cycling, bike touring or cycling in general, diving in and getting started with putting cargo capacity on your bike is a natural progression. Bicycles are amazing tools for personal transportation and including cargo carrying abilities is fundamental for increasing their usability. Whether its a bike bag or bike trailer, you'll be getting far more utility, adventure and fun out of your bicycle when you are geared to bring some stuff along for the ride.