# Extrawheel voyager trailer; is it worthwhile?



## Brandane (15 Mar 2012)

I am thinking about buying one of these trailers for touring in the summer:







I have read some good reviews and some indifferent. I am wondering if anyone on here who has used one can advise me on a few points. I have a Tricross with carbon forks so don't really want to use front rack and panniers. To haul camping kit + clothes etc. will be a bit heavy for the rear rack and panniers which I have just now, so this seems like a possible solution.

How does the bike handle with one of these in tow? Is it as light and unobtrusive as they claim? Is it really a better option than cramming all the weight over the back wheel on the bike? What is the build quality like?

Thanks for any advice!


----------



## Dayvo (15 Mar 2012)

I used a BOB Yak with everything in and thought it would be the tourist's dream. I was wrong: travelling at no more than 30 km on a downhill, I got a wobble, lost control and fell and broke my collar bone (on day one of a six-week trip).

I re-started four weeks later, using front panniers and had no problems at all. If you pack carefully, taking what you need and not what you want, you'll be fine. But that's just my point of view - I'm sure others will praise a trailer.


----------



## vernon (15 Mar 2012)

Brandane said:


> I am thinking about buying one of these trailers for touring in the summer:
> 
> I have read some good reviews and some indifferent. I am wondering if anyone on here who has used one can advise me on a few points. I have a Tricross with carbon forks so don't really want to use front rack and panniers. To haul camping kit + clothes etc. will be a bit heavy for the rear rack and panniers which I have just now, so this seems like a possible solution.
> 
> ...


 
You can judge the success and appeal of a product by the number seen 'in the wild'. In seven or eight years of touring in the UK and France, Switzerland and Germany, I've only seen ever seen one being used. It's owner was Polish with next to no English and my Polish is p1ss poor but I managed to glean from him that it did the job. He had the trailer in addition to front and rear panniers. Equally I've only seen a few Bob Yaks and Carry Freedom trailers. In Europe most of the trailer users were families who divvied up the kids and large tents between them. Some of their encampments had to be seen to be believed but I digress.

I've toured with front and rear panniers and rear panniers only. Despite many nay sayers claiming that it's bad to tour with rear panniers only, I did not find any adverse effects on the handling from unloading the front end. I took just as much gear with me in two panniers as I did in four panniers but I selected what I took more carefully regarding size and weight.

The only down side was accessibility issues when packing two panniers. Space being at a premium it isn't always possible to get quick access to everything. I used to use one front pannier for cooking stuff and dried foods and the other front pannier for sleeping mat, sleeping bag and tent footprint. With only two panniers the aforementioned items, with me at least, are the last to be packed and invariably end up at the top of the panniers block access to other items.

I'm about to return to using four panniers for no other reason than I will have increased capacity for bringing back wine and other nice things when I tour in Germany, Austria, Serbia and Hungary this summer.


----------



## mickle (15 Mar 2012)

I never liked the way a BoB affected the handling of the tractor bike - a case of the cart steering the horse. I never liked that sense of the rear triangle/hub/skewer handling all of the tortional loads. And they're very difficult to man-handle when off the bike. So I'm very wary of similar - drop-out mounted - trailers. My choice would be something like an Aevon. www.aevon-trailers.com


----------



## Brandane (15 Mar 2012)

Thanks for the replies, which have helped to convince me that in all probability I would be better sticking with the arrangement I already have, and cut my load down to a minimum. I had my doubts before I posted, so you guys just helped to prevent me wasting about £200. Cheers .


----------



## Aushiker (15 Mar 2012)

Hi. For what it is worth I am a owner of a Extrawheel Voyager so here is my five cents worth. Oh BTW I had a BOB Ibex before this .... First up I haven't had the handling issues that others have mentioned and I have used both trailers on the bitumen roads, down hills at speeds around 50 km/h, on gravel forestry roads and on single track (mountain bike trails). I have also and do tour with just panniers. I make my decision as to which way I go depending on the tour. My review of the Extrawheel Voyager can be found here. I am heading off in July on a 5,000 km ride and yep it is coming with me.

BOB Ibex in action on the Munda Biddi Trail in 2008:






As a side note, Perry who was riding with panniers on this ride went out when he got home and brought a BOB Ibex after seeing mine in action on this ride.

The Extrawheel Voyager on it is shakedown tour. Again this included some of the Munda Biddi Trail but this time riding my Surly Long Haul Trucker. Not the best choice for the Munda Biddi Trail but 











Back to your questions.

*How does the bike handle with one of these in tow?*

In my experience so far it handles fine. I really don't notice any handling change and as I said my biggest issue on the single track was not the Extrawheel Voyager, it was the Surly Long Haul Trucker. All my focus was on the bike, the trailer got forgotten about. I find that other than really tight spots I forget about the trailer.






Going down hill I have descended both bitumen hills and pea gravel hills. On the bitumen I hit around 50 km/h and found that was okay but I wouldn't want to go much faster than that. On the pea gravel I maxed out at around 20 km/h because it hurts when the front wheel washes out  I have ridden pea gravel a lot without a trailer and didn't notice any significant difference in the riding experience. It is a pain either way.

*Is it as light and unobtrusive as they claim?*

Light? It weighs 4.1 kg by my scales (sans panniers) so I guess you need to decide if that is light or not. It is lighter than the BOB but of course it adds weight to the bike overall. Unobtrusive? I guess you have to make that judgement. I switched to the Extrawheel Voyager for a couple of reasons, one of which was to be able fly more easily with a trailer than I could with a BOB. I am expecting to pack the Extrawheel Voyager into the same bike box as the Surly.

*Is it really a better option than cramming all the weight over the back wheel on the bike?*

I would say yes in that any re-distribution of the weight is better. Is it better than using front and rear panniers? From my experience I wouldn't get one just to do this. As I have said I have toured with both the Extrawheel Voyager/BOB Ibex and with panniers only and I make the choice based on my tour. What is my preference? Extrawheel Voyager but I really cannot put my finger on why that it is my preference. There is simply something nice about the overall experience/feel of the bike that I prefer but it is not a deal breaker for me in terms of which way I choose to go. I also go with a trailer for two reasons: (1) I like to tour with my mountain bike and I don't want racks on it if I can avoid them and (2) because on some of my tours I simply need the extra load carrying capacity.

*What is the build quality like?*


Looks very good to me. Nothing has jumped out at me so far. It was easy to assemble and from what I have seen of in use on some serious rides it has survived okay. I have yet to put more kilometres into to judge durability. That said I am trusting it on a 5,000 km tour on some pretty rough rides. I hope it stands up to it! 

*Closing Comments*

If I was in your situation and didn't want to put a rack on the front then I wouldn't have an issue using the Extrawheel Voyager based on *my experience* with it and with the BOB. I would choose it over the BOB but. That all said if I was flying off to the UK to tour or to Europe I would probably fly with my Surly and panniers, but then my Surly has front racks  Equally it wouldn't bother me to go with the Extrawheel Voyager.

Hope that helps
Andrew


----------



## willem (16 Mar 2012)

I road bike is not ideal for touring with camping stuff, obviously. The problem with one wheel trailers is that they also strain your frame. If you want to use a trailer on a light bike like that, go for a two wheeler like the Radical (it will keep itself upright). All trailers are quite expensive, so the alternatives are to get a cheap second hand tourer or mountain bike or to use the budget to reduce your load. Consider a PhD sleeping bag from the current sale and a Thermarest NeoairXlite mattress. Between them they will be about 1 kg, and will pack into a tiny volume. I have seen people use road bikes with either just two small front panniers on the rear (and a tent like the TN Laser on top), or even a Carradice Camper Longflap saddlebag.
Willem


----------



## Aushiker (16 Mar 2012)

willem said:


> The problem with one wheel trailers is that they also strain your frame.


 
I am curious. Do you have more details to support this statement? Also what is about a two wheel trailer that stops it from them from straining a frame as you put it?

Regards
Andrew


----------



## Brandane (16 Mar 2012)

Aushiker Andrew; thanks for taking the time to post that quite detailed reply and the useful link to your review. I need to do some serious thinking about this, as the cost is not insignificant and I am at best an "occasional" cycle tourer. If I thought I could get good use out of it, I would be tempted, but I don't want to spend £200 plus cost of panniers and then find it is taking up room in a store cupboard alongside my twice used training rollers .

I had all sorts of touring plans for last summer, but sadly I live on the west coast of Scotland and the summer was a washout. I fear that the same might happen again this year, as it has done for about the last 5 years!

Hence all the questions; if it turned out to be a very good product it might get me more involved in cycle camping and I could head further afield into mainland Europe. As it stands I am swithering with sticking to what I already have, i.e. a rack with 2 panniers and a Carradice longflap saddle bag. My main concern with that set-up is that it concentrates a lot of weight over the back wheel, but obviously by towing a trailer you have additional weight to pull up the hills. Swings and roundabouts?


----------



## mickle (16 Mar 2012)

Get a lowrider front rack, they'll help reduce the enormous load on the rear wheel, they help stabilize the bike because their c of g is below the axis of the steerer and - if you get a fairly smooth bag such as those made by Ortleib - the'y'll (slightly) reduce your aerodynamic drag.

(All other things being equal) small panniers on lowriders are preferable to rear bags in my view. The combination of a barbag, saddle bag, and a pair of fronts on a lowrider is a great set-up which doesn't leave your bike feeling like the rear end weighs a ton.


----------



## Brandane (16 Mar 2012)

mickle said:


> Get a lowrider front rack, they'll help reduce the enormous load on the rear wheel, they help stabilize the bike because their c of g is below the axis of the steerer and - if you get a fairly smooth bag such as those made by Ortleib - the'y'll (slightly) reduce your aerodynamic drag.
> 
> (All other things being equal) small panniers on lowriders are preferable to rear bags in my view. The combination of a barbag, saddle bag, and a pair of fronts on a lowrider is a great set-up which doesn't leave your bike feeling like the rear end weighs a ton.


 
Problem being, carbon fork! So I wouldn't be happy securing clamps around them, or riding with any sort of weight in the panniers.


----------



## Bodhbh (16 Mar 2012)

Brandane said:


> Problem being, carbon fork! So I wouldn't be happy securing clamps around them, or riding with any sort of weight in the panniers.


 
I don't if it's a ridiculous solution, but thought about getting a spare pair of forks with rackmount?. You could stick the same headset races on it as your current, leave a lowrider on it and swap for touring. Swapping forks isn't too much of a faff, but probably adds up to not far off the price of a trailer when you're done.


----------



## mickle (16 Mar 2012)

Bodhbh said:


> I don't if it's a ridiculous solution, but thought about getting a spare pair of forks with rackmount?. You could stick the same headset races on it as your current, leave a lowrider on it and swap for touring. Swapping forks isn't too much of a faff, but probably adds up to not far off the price of a trailer when you're done.


That's a very good idea indeed, until you'v ever tried to by a headset race separately.


----------



## mickle (16 Mar 2012)

Brandane said:


> Problem being, carbon fork! So I wouldn't be happy securing clamps around them, or riding with any sort of weight in the panniers.


Bugger.


----------



## Brandane (16 Mar 2012)

Bodhbh said:


> I don't if it's a ridiculous solution, but thought about getting a spare pair of forks with rackmount?. You could stick the same headset races on it as your current, leave a lowrider on it and swap for touring. Swapping forks isn't too much of a faff, but probably adds up to not far off the price of a trailer when you're done.


 
Thanks for that suggestion. As well as rack mounts, it would need to have mounts for cantilever brakes, as fitted to the Tricross. Either that or it means replacing the brakes with a conventional set up, and now the costs are adding up, as well as the faff factor .


----------



## Aushiker (16 Mar 2012)

On the subject of a front rack the New Zealand product, the Freeloader maybe worth a look. It is rated to 25 kg so not too much weight and it is not "bolted" on so speak. That said the carbon forks may still be an issue. This is what Freeloader say in the FAQ about carbon frames:



> _*Can I fit the racks to my carbon frame?*Due to the huge variety in designs of carbon frames, it is very hard to give a definitive answer to this question. _
> _Officially speaking we cannot accept responsibility for any damage caused to your frame (read our full warranty *here*)_
> _However - we have seen many customers use racks on a range of carbon framed bikes with no ill effects._
> _We would advise going easy on the loads carried, and not cranking up the ratchet mechanism too much, as well as applying insulation tape or similar to help prevent abrasion between the racks' mounting points and the carbon fibre._
> _Ultimately though - the decision is yours._


 
Regards
Andrew


----------



## rollinstok (16 Mar 2012)

I think it all depends on how long your planned tours are going to be.
Aushiker sounds as if he goes on very long extended tours and his experience in this regard is well worth taking into account. I would certainly consider a trailer if I was planning to be away for months at a time.
FWIW I go for a week or two at the most and use rear panniers and a barbag only.
If you consider the lightness of modern day camping gear, the Tricross would handle this just fine.
The total weight of rack and panniers, camping gear, bike tools and clothing is app 11kg on my 2 week tours


----------



## P.H (17 Mar 2012)

vernon said:


> You can judge the success and appeal of a product by the number seen 'in the wild'. In seven or eight years of touring in the UK and France, Switzerland and Germany, I've only seen ever seen one being used.


 
Can you?
When I bought my Rohloff they had been in production for nearly ten years, the first one I saw was my own.
I wouldn't judge any product by how common it was. I'd go by how I saw it fitting my needs, the opinions of those who'd actually used it and the opinion of the reviewers, in that order.
Ive never had any need for a trailer when touring, any trailer, it seems to just add complexity. If I did, then from what I've heard the Extrawheel would have to be on the shortlist.


----------



## P.H (17 Mar 2012)

Brandane said:


> . I have a Tricross with carbon forks so don't really want to use front rack and panniers. To haul camping kit + clothes etc. will be a bit heavy for the rear rack and panniers which I have just now, so this seems like a possible solution.
> Thanks for any advice!


 
I have a friend with a Tricross who uses 4 panniers. The carbon forks have a fair bit of metal in them, I think the crown extends down at least to the brake pivots, it's a lot stronger than a road carbon fork. With any camping load they'll be stuff that's bulky rather than heavy, if you're carrying enough kit to warrant 4 panniers you could just put that light stuff in the front two.
Personally, for European camping I make do with two panniers, a saddlebag and a bar bag, and I don't skimp on comfort.


----------



## Aushiker (18 Mar 2012)

rollinstok said:


> Aushiker sounds as if he goes on very long extended tours and his experience in this regard is well worth taking into account. I would certainly consider a trailer if I was planning to be away for months at a time.


 
I think this is a fair point plus touring here in WA can often mean having to carry more food and water than say touring in the UK would require. We don't always have access to towns each night for example. The other aspect to take into consideration in my view is the bike you are using. With my MTB I prefer the trailer as I want to keep it as a mtb for mountain biking whereas the Surly is setup as a touring bike.

Andrew


----------

