Wednesday, April 1, 2009

Bob Trailer - Build your own.

If you have been a cycliclst long enough, you most likely know about bicycle trailers. One of the most famous one out there is the BOB trailer.


http://www.bobgear.com/


It is rumored that the name BOB stands for "Bring Own Beer", and that the trailer was designed to carry a keg. I am very familiar with the product. Not only do I own one, but am a sponsored rider. Sorta.


Bob trailers were originally started in San Luis Obispo, where I went to college. At the time of my senior project, I was working in the engineering project lab, the student machine shop. One afternoon, in walks a man who is poking his head around. My senior project was a gas power assisted recumbent bicycle. He immediately took interest in my project. I informed him that this was a restricted area, and he informed me that he was the owner of BOB trailers. We got to chatting, and i told him how I planned to ride my contraption from Ventura California to Las Vegas self supported. Do you want a sponsorship he asked.


My sponsorship included a BOB trailer, gear bag, T-shirt, stickers and pamphlets. The trailer was a broken late model prototype, which after seeing the miles of welds on my recumbent, he was sure I could fix. He told me that I could take this sponsorship as far as I wanted to, and that was the last time I spoke to him. I did however help show off his product on my trek. I wore his shirt and talked up his product to who ever would listen. I also plastered BOB stickers on every flat surface between Ventura and Vegas.


Fast forward 8 years. I get an e-mail one day from my buddy Ralf who did the trip with me. He asked if I still have the BOB, and was wondering if I was willing to sell it to him. Though it gets used only a few times each year, usually loaned to others, I was not willing to part with it, he could barrow it any time he wanted though). The main reason was the shipping to Michigan part; seemed to be a hassle and anti bike trailer purpose: CO2 footprint reduction.


These trailers are not cheap, with a MSRP of $289 for the basic trailer. Ralf decided to build his own.






Though almost all homemade, a critical part was needed to be purchased from BOB. The skewer. Also upon test rides it appeared that the skewer to trailer connection was a little weak, and that it might be a good idea to purchase the entire front triangle assembly.


http://www.biketrailershop.com/catalog/bob-replacement-parts-c-22.html


Last I heard BOB trailers is based out of Bosie Idaho, and they sell way more baby joggers then they do bike trailers.

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