Extrawheel voyager trailer; is it worthwhile?

[Aushiker]

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]

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]

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]

. 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]

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