Happy Trailers

Today I was finally able to get the trailer out for a test spin, and boy what a test!  I had several stops to make and for the first time, that didn't entail making several trips because I could take everything in one load.

The trailer only needed a few modifications for revamping it from a child hauler to a cargo hauler.  We removed the seat and the divider.  The seat won't be needed, but we'll hold onto the divider for when we take the dog and other cargo, like food, at the same time.  Once that was out, we put a piece of peg board in the bottom to support the load.  The peg board was left over from the previous owners of our house and has been in the garage ever since.  I attached some Blackburn lights to the rear of the trailer to get it street legal and that was it.  That's all it took to convert the Burley D'Lite!

This morning I had to take about 30lbs of old clothes to the Planet Aid bins down the street and several projects I had been finishing up to my old office.  Here's how it looked all loaded up:

The only thing I couldn't get to fit in the trailer was a squirrel trap I had borrowed from a coworker about a year ago.  It had quite a few sharp edges and I was afraid of snagging the bags of clothes or the trailer.  So, the solution was to strap it to the cargo rack on the FX.

I imagine how I looked to the drivers.  "Oh that poor woman lives out of her bike.  She has a trailer full of clothes, and an animal trap to catch her meals!"

Ha!  Anyway, the trailer performed rather nicely.  I noticed drivers gave me a wider berth, perhaps thinking I was towing a child, perhaps because I was hauling an animal trap.  It handled very smoothly and once I got all the cargo out, I didn't even feel it there.  It was sprinkling a bit and everything stayed dry.

Of course, every ride in urban Akron has its downside.  I was honked at for being in the way of someone who wanted to turn right on red while I was waiting to go straight, reminiscent of this post from Cute On A Ute.  Much to their chagrin I neither moved nor acknowledged their frustration.  Their solution was to go around me and turn right from the left lane.  I guess they didn't understand the situation would have been the same if I was in a car.  I'd still be going straight at the intersection and they'd still have to wait.  Whatever, I would expect no less from the ignorant masses of Akron.  Oh well, no point in dwelling on the negative.

I'm extremely satisfied with our decision to get a trailer.  Without it, I wouldn't have been able to accomplish everything I did this morning.  It handled gracefully and even served to increase my presence on the road.  The best part is, through the sale at Century Cycles we were able to get this trailer for less than half its worth.  That's a good deal!

I'm looking forward to using it regularly in Luxembourg!