I had this idea...

[Harold_Shand]

Another one joining the ranks. Was out this morning for a ride, first time since the end of the summer, it was hard going but I ended up happy.

I do a bit of self employed gardening work on top of my paye job, all done legit, insured, qualified and everything is through the books. It's not enough to warrant a van or even a shitty estate so my little hatchback takes the punishment.

Talk about not seeing the wood for the trees. When I was out this morning I got thinking about a trailer for my push bike. Then, using it for my jobs, I could use my hand mower, get a decent scythe instead of my strimmer and only use manual tools. You can charge less but still make more profit, get to ride about all weekend and gain a bit of stamina into the bargain. Off to get one from Argos tomorrow, looks alright, called Raleigh Mule and will cost £100. Had a look at some tougher looking ones but they were daft money IMO, more for proper touring than nipping across town.

I think it's a marketable idea, keep it modest, don't shout ECO at everyone, do a good job and hope for good words.

So anyway, you know, cool story and that.
____________________
BCF's 6th favourite poster 2009-2010

Harold_Shand's theory might be the best explanation.

[stinkwheel]

I got Mrs stinkwheel a bicycle trailer for her Christmas. She is very pleased with it.

I got her a skiidii single wheel trailer. A bit flimsy to my mind but I suppose flimsy = light.

I think a certain group of people would appreciate the service you are offering and tell their friends about it down the wine bar. I suspect they would also be the kind of people who have money to spend.

A mate of mine has himself quite a nice little earner gardening for the "in crowd". He's also just about the scruffiest looking human being I know, having worn the same lumberjack shirt for as long as I've known him. I suspect this is actually part of the key to his success.

I see it as a bit like Victorian gentlemen employing a hermit to live in a cave on their country estate.
____________________
“Rule one: Always stick around for one more drink. That's when things happen. That's when you find out everything you want to know.”
I did the 2010 Round Britain Rally on my 350 Bullet. 89 landmarks, 3 months, 9,500 miles.

[bamt]

I've used a trailer for a couple of years now. Mine came with second hand off eBay with a big dog box on the back

https://farm7.staticflickr.com/6179/6171981864_cefe7fe41a.jpg

I was working in Hammersmith at the time, so I rode in to work from Basingstoke area, rode up to St Albans after work to pick it up and rode home with it. That ride home was a bit of a baptism by fire, but by the end of it I was used to riding with one

The box is big enough to a supermarket run, and easily fit three of the large re-usable shopping bags in. It's worth looking into fixing a good wooden crate or plastic box to the chassis of your trailer if you're using it for proper working loads, it'll be bit heavier but much better.

Going to the animal feed merchant, I can easily carry a couple of full size sacks in mine
https://farm7.staticflickr.com/6175/6191661013_eea8c33302.jpg

Mine is a Carry Freedom Y Frame (Large). It is surprising what you can carry on a pushbike, and the trailer has a large WTF? factor that means car drivers give you loads of room as they overtake (which is quite likely when you are puffing up a hill with 30kg of feed on the back...)

[Harold_Shand]

I bottled this, getting a roof box for the car instead. Few things I didn't like, mainly the lack of security, climbing hills and having to spend time and money modifying it. I blame endorphins.
____________________
BCF's 6th favourite poster 2009-2010

Harold_Shand's theory might be the best explanation.

[smegballs]

[bamt]

These trailers attach to a bracket that goes on the rear dropout, fixed in place by the rear axle (either nutted or quick release). There's a good description here at Carry Freedom's site. Mine is actually an older version, with a plastic ball that fits into a socket mounted in a similar fashion - then held in place with a quick release pin.

As for building your own, I know people who've done this, but the typical method seems to be to buy a second hand children's trailer off eBay (dirt cheap, as few people will trust their young children in an old and worn trailer), then cannibalise it for the hitch and any other useful bits - e.g. potentially the wheels on their stub axles.

[stinkwheel]

Mrs stinkwheels single wheel one clips onto two metal blobs on either end of the rear wheel axle. They provide a quick-release skewer and a couple of track nuts with said blobs attached. Takes about 5 seconds to attach or release.

https://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f216/stinkwheel/CIMG1400a_zps4d120765.jpg
____________________
“Rule one: Always stick around for one more drink. That's when things happen. That's when you find out everything you want to know.”
I did the 2010 Round Britain Rally on my 350 Bullet. 89 landmarks, 3 months, 9,500 miles.

[G]

Someone I knew in Reading used to do pretty much this - he didn't have a car and was a bit of an eco-hippy-peak-oil style person.

Me, I made a trailer so I could take a fully sprung normal mattress into Glastonbury... and a f-load of firewood, etc.
https://fbcdn-sphotos-b-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/5166_113867285688_1793437_n.jpg
That has had 250kg or so on it (when some kindly souls have decided to jump on) and has done fine.

Guess it cost no more than £50 in metal? Get it for less if you can find it as scraps. Two front wheels from random push bikes. Works very nicely - for instance taking 4 of my friends backpacks up and down hills was less effort than most were putting in carrying one!

[Cyclingbiker]