# ? for those with BOB trailer



## copsey (Jul 11, 2010)

What is the height of the fork that attaches the trailer to the bike at the turn pivot?


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## CommuterBoy (Oct 4, 2007)

Just measured mine for you. Looks like that steel bar is cut to 10", not including the urethane washers. Mine is the 'yak 28', which is the longer forked 700c/29er edition, but I think that dimension has to be the same on all of them, because the 'trailer' part is the same, it's just the fork arms that are a little longer.


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## copsey (Jul 11, 2010)

Thank you so much for the quick response! I really appreciate it. 1/4" for the washers?


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## CommuterBoy (Oct 4, 2007)

1/4 at most for the washers. There is a little bit of play there ... I don't think the washers are a full 1/8 thick.


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## newfangled (Sep 13, 2010)

Hey CB,

I'm still planning on getting a trailer this summer for hauling a new puppy around. 

It's a debate between finding a $50 kiddie-trailer off craigslist, or spending a lot more on a single-wheeler. Since our roads are full of snow/ice/crud/potholes for a solid six months of the year, I'm pretty sure that a single-wheel is the way to go. And one of my coworkers was just complaining about his kiddie-trailer.

Any advice or stories to share on how awesome the BOB is?


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## CommuterBoy (Oct 4, 2007)

I have a 'burly' kiddo-hauler two wheel trailer also. The kids love it, but it's cumbersome. By 'cumbersome' I mean that you occasionally have to think about it.... it's designed well, it's offset to the right a bit, so the left side sticks out into traffic less, and there's more 'overhang' on the right. I like this attention to detail. Once you're used to it, you can straddle potholes, etc without too much effort. I screw up occasionally and a kid hits their head on the roof...this either brings giggles or tears depending on how tired the kid in question is. 

I bought the Bob for touring. My big experience with it so far is a 7 day trip down the Oregon coast. I also hauled a big cinder-block around in it for training for a while. I can't emphasize enough how nice it is to not have to give a fraction of a thought to where the wheel is. It is always right in line with the bike, except on very tight, slow turns, You can pick a line through road debris, potholes, etc, as if there was nothing back there. I've never hit something with the trailer that I didn't hit with the bike. Once you're used to the weight being back there it dissapears. (it took a while before I was comfortable standing up and cranking, but after a couple days with it, the wobbly-ness goes away). 

I vastly prefer hauling it than the burly.

Another thing that stood out from the Oregon trip was the stability at speed... the Bob is a rock. There is a 'warning' sticker on it not to exceed some rediculously slow speed, but my friend's computer clocked us at 40+ on a couple of screaming descents on that ride, and I never even had a hint of a wobble from it. I was probably packing close to 50lbs. One scary moment was when I was going pretty fast on a downhill section and hit a pavement transition/sinkhole thing that I should have missed...the trailer got some massive air behind me and landed a bit off to the side...I was expecting some carnage, but there were zero consequences.


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## newfangled (Sep 13, 2010)

CommuterBoy said:


> I vastly prefer hauling it than the burly.


Thanks. That's what I was hoping.


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## ubernerd (Mar 22, 2010)

newfangled said:


> Hey CB,
> 
> I'm still planning on getting a trailer this summer for hauling a new puppy around.
> 
> ...


I second what commuterboy says. I have a BOB and I just built myself a flatbed cargo trailer for hauling bulky loads and/or my large dogs. The difference is pretty astounding. The BOB is a "set it and forget it" proposition. Once you're moving, you never have to worry about it. It just goes where you go. No dodging potholes or worrying about it being wider than you. It also has *significantly* less drag than a two-wheeled trailer. I'm shocked at the difference in effort for the same load weight. The BOB can be a bit unstable with larger loads (40+ pounds, or wierdly shaped), so think about what you want to haul. The only two drawbacks I see to the BOB are dealing with large or funky shaped loads, and the fact that it is unstable when parking due to the single wheel. A nice PVC kickstand on the trailer solves that issue. (E-mail if you want pics/plans of how to make a sweet one for a couple of bucks.)

If you get the BOB, you'll love it.


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## newfangled (Sep 13, 2010)

Thanks ubernerd. 

The main cargo would be a dog that's likely grow to ~40lbs. Since that's the upper range for the BOB I'm still on the fence a bit. But the BOB has so many positives that I'm pretty sure I'll go that route, and then just sell it if the dog ends up being too big for it.

I'd love to see a pick of the kickstand if you've got one handy. I was just planning on getting a kickstand that would attach to the trailer's fork.


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## woodway (Dec 27, 2005)

The standard Yak trailer is rated to 70lbs. I own a Yak and use it for trail maintenace, carrying tools and materials. I've loaded mine to almost 100lbs with no adverse impact (except on my legs). It's a lot of fun to ride technical singletrack with a loaded BOB


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## ubernerd (Mar 22, 2010)

Newfangled,

I missed in your original post that the trailer was going to be largely for dog hauling. My experience is that the BOB is not the way to go there. The BOB is a dream for you to pull in large part because it pivots and moves with the bike. That's not so good for dogs. Mine HATED it and wouldn't ride in it. With the stable platform of a 2 wheeled trailer, the dogs are much more comfortable. They seem to deal well with fore-aft balance changes, but the side to side changes (which are big in a BOB) really mess w/ them. Also to consider: If you put a dog in a BOB and it leans to the side, so do you - like it or not.  In a platform trailer, you can feel 'em move, but it really doesn't affect your balance. YMMV, of course, depending on your dog.

Finally, in a BOB, the dog's tail is right next to the rotating spokes of the wheel. That can be bad....

Finally, finally, if you're at all handy, building a platform cargo trailer is cheap and easy. I just did it for less than $30. So, if you're not sure, maybe you want to try that first and then decide whether an upgrade is worth it.

(Picture of BOB kickstand will follow this evening when I get home.)


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## newfangled (Sep 13, 2010)

Thanks again, woodway and ubernerd.

For the dog (which doesn't currently exist), I'm hoping that if I start it out as a puppy then I'll be able to train it to be comfortable in the BOB. But of course there's no guarantee that that will work, which is another reason I'm on the fence.  That's also why a $50 kiddie-trailer from craigslist is definitely tempting.


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## newfangled (Sep 13, 2010)

So I've got another question: on loose gravel how does the handling compare for a one-wheeler vs. a two-wheeler?


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## woodway (Dec 27, 2005)

I've never ridden with a two-wheel trailer. A single-wheel BOB on gravel is pretty much set it and forget it.

Ubernerd makes a couple of good points...you will feel more of a side-to-side weight shift with a singlewheel trailer. But the tail part is what really got my attention.


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## CommuterBoy (Oct 4, 2007)

I've hauled my kids on the rail-trail in the burly many times. handling is predictable, drag is noticeable. From what I've felt with the Bob (less dirt than with the burly, admittedly), the big difference is the lower rolling resistance. The 2 wheeler can really bog you down, and the Bob is in the same wheel rut, causing less drag. Plus, imperfections in the road are easier to avoid.


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## newfangled (Sep 13, 2010)

Thanks for indulging me, experts. 

Rather than gravel, what about snow? I mentioned it up top, but around here for at least 6 months of the year the ground is covered with crud. I went for a ride at lunch on a "gravel" multi-use path, and it was just an icy and rutted mess. So our bikelanes and paths become less than 1' wide; there are 6" high windrows to hop at intersections; the trails can suddenly turn into skating rinks; and of course the potholes, sand and gravel everywhere else. And this year is an early spring. 

I could be wrong, but one of my worries is that with a two-wheeler I'd be limited to Apr-Oct (if not May-Sep in this climate). With a BOB I'd hope that could be extended to Mar-Nov?


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## ubernerd (Mar 22, 2010)

*BOB kickstand*

Here's the pics of the kickstand for those who are interested. It works really well. The legs are just long enough to slightly lift the back tire on the bike, so it forms a tripod that keeps the bike upright too. A couple bucks in PVC and conduit clamps and you're good to go. You can adjust the tension on the conduit clamps so that the kickstand stays up when you want it, but is easy to flip down. The PVC tees prevent over-rotation, and are set at a slight angle so the legs rotate *just* past 90 degrees. Thus, you get a stable config. where the weight in the trailer resiststhe legs accidentally folding up under load.

Anyone who is interested can e-mail me for measurements on the parts. No sense reinventing the wheel...


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## Harold (Dec 23, 2003)

clever setup with that kickstand. I have not toured with a BOB, but I've used on extensively for trail work and can vouch for its handling and the space it occupies.

while there's a single wheel that's great for tracking, the body of the trailer is MUCH wider than the bike. when I was using one for trailwork, hitting trees alongside the trail was common. this was usually with the front of the trailer, where it suddenly gets wider.

You will not get a dog to get comfortable with riding one. the bob does not handle like a canoe, that a dog can get used to with enough training. in such a case, the swaying is gentle and rhythmic and you can adapt. the bob is not so. it will lean until it takes the bike down so balance is key.

if your cargo moves, you will go down. your bike will not handle the same and you will dump the trailer while you're getting used to it. and sometimes even after you get used to it if you've got a heavy load and you need to make a quick correction outside the handling capabilities of the trailer.

you are MUCH better off using a two-wheeled trailer if you want to tow a dog. much more predictable motion for the dog. the dog also won't cause the trailer to sway and dump you.

I towed this once. More wheels means more stability on the trailer which means your cargo can move around without disturbing you.


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## newfangled (Sep 13, 2010)

There is some photographic and video evidence of dogs on BOBs:






That is much more than what I'd plan to do with our dog - if we're on singletrack I'd just let it get off and walk. But the dog in the video is also quite a bit smaller than the one that we're planning to get would be when it's fully grown.

But now I'm back on the fence again, and will probably go back to watching craigslist for a kiddie trailer.


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## Harold (Dec 23, 2003)

they may be riding "downhill" bikes, but I wouldn't call that downhilling. that trail is awful buff and is not representative of the trails I find most places. the guy in back was clearly just sitting back in his saddle and cruising the whole time.

something like this can work if there are few bumps and a flowy trail to deal with. I think even a curb would be excessive with a dog on board. with no top, it'd get ejected, I think, unless you slowed to a crawl. 

probably be better off setting up a bikejor setup, IMO. let the dog do a little running.


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## newfangled (Sep 13, 2010)

^ It's the problem of safely and legally getting a dog around a city without having to take the car everywhere. 

It's a 5~10 minute ride from my place to dogparks, the river, and my usual 40km riding loop. Once we're there I could hook the dog up to the bike for a run, or let it run free. It's the couple km of riding in traffic to get there that I really need the trailer for. And once we get to wherever we're going it would also be nice to have a trailer that's not too cumbersome and doesn't get hungup on stuff.

I can rent a BOB to play with, but I should try to find someone who will lend me a two-wheeler to tear around with for a while.


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## woodway (Dec 27, 2005)

The thing that strikes me about the dog in the BOB is how close the dog is to the back wheel. I had not thought of that before. Debris getting thrown up into the dogs face (although a fender would help this). In an emergency stop situation the dog hitting the back wheel.


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## newfangled (Sep 13, 2010)

^ yeah, I've got a full rear fender, and I'd be using a 29er bob on a 26er most of the time. But the video does make me wonder how many whiskers Kaya must have lost...


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## CommuterBoy (Oct 4, 2007)

Hey OP.......................................why?


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## newfangled (Sep 13, 2010)

^ I've hijacked the thread from the original topic, but my guess would be that it's because you can get a 29er fork for the BOBs while all the knockoffs are still stuck at 26.









From Bike Trailer Blog

That's why I would want to know that dimension, but I could be totally wrong.


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## CommuterBoy (Oct 4, 2007)

That makes sense. I bought my bob new because I couldn't find a 29er one used. I actually emailed Bob (the company, not the crazy uncle) to ask them if I could run 2.35 Big Apples and fenders with the 'Yak 28'...they said "Big Apples yes, fenders probably not"... When I got it everything fit fine. I had to relocate a fender mount on the disc brake side, but the PB Cascadia fenders fit fine with the BA's.


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## Harold (Dec 23, 2003)

newfangled said:


> ^ It's the problem of safely and legally getting a dog around a city without having to take the car everywhere.
> 
> It's a 5~10 minute ride from my place to dogparks, the river, and my usual 40km riding loop. Once we're there I could hook the dog up to the bike for a run, or let it run free. It's the couple km of riding in traffic to get there that I really need the trailer for. And once we get to wherever we're going it would also be nice to have a trailer that's not too cumbersome and doesn't get hungup on stuff.
> 
> I can rent a BOB to play with, but I should try to find someone who will lend me a two-wheeler to tear around with for a while.


Gotcha. I'd go 2-wheel trailer in this case hands down. A bikejor setup might be legal or it might not - depends on how local laws address leash lengths and stuff. The BOB can get wobbly if the weight in it is tall when you're at a standstill (stop signs and such). If the weight is kept low, it's not so bad. The dog in the vid looks to be 50-60lb or so - how big do you anticipate yours getting?

Also, with a kid trailer, there's a sort of safety buckle system and you could use a dog seatbelt harness to tether the dog inside.

Concerns about road debris being kicked up make sense.


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## mtbxplorer (Dec 25, 2009)

Kaya looks like a cool dog to me. Have you checked the cargobike forum for dog stuff?


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## newfangled (Sep 13, 2010)

^ I did start a thread there awhile ago, and someone was nice enough to post this:










That's probably pretty close to the size of dog we'd be getting. So it is possible, but there's definitely more stuff that could go wrong with a BOB compared to just sticking them in a two-wheeler.


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## CommuterBoy (Oct 4, 2007)

I think a Dog in a Bob needs to be wearing goggles for it to be really legit. Leather helmet and goggles.


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## newfangled (Sep 13, 2010)

I just stumbled across this on the youtube:






That's crazy.


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## CommuterBoy (Oct 4, 2007)

Hey, I have one of those single Bob strollers....and a bob trailer...and an assortment of kids... :idea:


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## newfangled (Sep 13, 2010)

I think you should give it a go, CB. 

I found that video while I was researching two-wheeled dog trailers. But I have to say that it (and all the spring snow that we got over the weekend that turned everything into singletrack) puts me firmly back on the side of wanting a bob, and just hoping that my dog has a good sense of balance.


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## CabezaShok (Oct 15, 2007)

Im not sure but a BOB Yak without suspension on bumpy trails must be torture on the dog's joints/ligaments....long term. So Like, how does the dog know when to unweight itself when a bump is coming? When i ride, if it gets too bumpy, ill carry my 9lb chiwawa in a backpack so she gets active/smart suspension from my knees.


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## CommuterBoy (Oct 4, 2007)

Dogs can jump off of things 5 times their height without batting an eye. I think the dog's joints are going to be just fine.


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## gsxrawd (Apr 2, 2004)

I take my dog on the Bob trailer also


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## newfangled (Sep 13, 2010)

Gorgeous dog! 

Mine hasn't quite figured out the BOB yet. She'll ride in it for awhile, but likes to hop out randomly. So we'll do short, slow trips around the dogpark, but nothing major yet. 

I haven't spent as much time training her with it as I should have (there's just so much other puppy craziness that takes a higher priority) but I'm hoping by next year she'll be a little more predictable. She's only recently stopped trying to tackle/herd me when I'm on the bike, which is progress!


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## Beth (Feb 24, 2016)

I would love to make this for my bob ibex, pulled by my 29er mtb. Could you share teh measurements! THanks!
Beth


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## ubernerd (Mar 22, 2010)

Beth said:


> I would love to make this for my bob ibex, pulled by my 29er mtb. Could you share teh measurements! THanks!
> Beth


Hi Beth,

Sorry for the slow reply. Twas a busy week with houseguests. They're gone, and I just got a chance to do the measurements. All the measurements I will give are the actual cut length of the pieces. They include the 1/2" that forms the joint.

Legs: 8" long
Outside cross pieces (Go from elbow to T): 3"
Middle cross piece (T to T): 3.5"

Good luck on your build! It's one of the best things I did for my BOB.

Will


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## lighty (Mar 26, 2016)

How do you use it in the winter when studded tires are not made in that size?


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## fotooutdoors (Jul 8, 2010)

I haven't pulled my Bob in the winter, but I have about 1000 miles with a chariot in tow in the snow and ice. I feel no need for studs on my trailer. If I am braking hard enough that the trailer wants to come around, I am already braking faster than my studs on my bike can handle and will shortly be on the ground. And obviously, under propulsion, the trailer follows the bike. The only exception where studs would be useful instead of just allowing me down that I could see is if you had a very icy side hill, but I obviously haven't run into that on the road.

Typed on my phone. Pardon the autocorrect.


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