She had the weight of the world on her rack....

What's the craziest/biggest/heaviest thing you've carried via bike. How did you do it? Would you do it again? Discuss....

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Permalink Reply by Chucko on November 13, 2008 at 4:52am
When I was a kid I pulled a go-kart engine behind my BMX on my homemade trailer- thing must have weighted 75lbs at least. Luckily it's flat around here, I definitely couldn't have gone up any hills.

Then recently my heaviest load would be a trip to the pet store- 25lbs of dog food, 25lbs of cat litter, 25lbs of cat food, and a 10lb box of dog biscuits. Plus the weight of the trailer and my locks, I'd say right around 100lbs on the trailer. It's a strange feeling having that much weight behind you. Easy to keep moving once you're up to speed, but tough getting moving.

And I do have a project to build a bike carrier for my trailer so that I can tow two bikes in the trailer behind me...
Permalink Reply by BalloonBiker on November 13, 2008 at 5:48am
I don't have a trailer for my bike, but I want to get one. I have a trailercycle that I used to use when I worked with kids. I've started wondering if it might be possible to convert it to a cargo trailer, but I haven't done much thinking yet.

As for carrying stuff on my rack. I've gotten 24 pack rolls of paper towels, other groceries and a broom home in one trip once.

Tonight I'm thinking about trying to strap a frozen turkey to the top of my rack, but I'm not sure about it. I need to get a 20+lb turkey for a party taht we're having this weekend. It got me thinking about other big loads. And I'm still thinking.
Permalink Reply by Chucko on November 13, 2008 at 5:56am
jamimaria said:
I don't have a trailer for my bike, but I want to get one. I have a trailercycle that I used to use when I worked with kids. I've started wondering if it might be possible to convert it to a cargo trailer, but I haven't done much thinking yet.

As for carrying stuff on my rack. I've gotten 24 pack rolls of paper towels, other groceries and a broom home in one trip once.

Tonight I'm thinking about trying to strap a frozen turkey to the top of my rack, but I'm not sure about it. I need to get a 20+lb turkey for a party taht we're having this weekend. It got me thinking about other big loads. And I'm still thinking.

I carried a 10lb watermelon home on my rack once- put it in a box to stabilize, but it was fine.

And I definitely think you could swing converting a trail-a-bike to a trailer of sorts. Depending on the design, you could use it sort of like a xtracycle and mount attachments for panniers on the sides- just remove the crank and the handlebars. I did consider that sort of thing before I just bought my Burley Flatbed with my stimulus money back in May.
Permalink Reply by Bikefreeek on November 13, 2008 at 6:02am
Here's a few...

the Red Ass Sound System (the entire rig weighs near 200lbs)


Here's a few of me towing bikes

(note the tool box and stand on the rear rack)


Here's one of my spacemate towing gear for a Mucca Pazza show


I think the amount of what can be carried by bike + trailer starts to become limited around 500lbs. Once the load gets that big it's hard to start (even with a very low geared bike) and even harder to stop once you get going. There are ways to go even bigger/heavier but then you start to get into specialized parts and componetry. Still, I think that 500 lbs for a trailer and normal bike is pretty doable.
Permalink Reply by justJason on November 13, 2008 at 6:30am
Damn! I can't even compare to that! The biggest load I've managed lately is a 30lb bag of kitty litter and a couple of 22oz Old Styles in my backpack.
Permalink Reply by Bikefreeek on November 13, 2008 at 6:47am
justJason said:
Damn! I can't even compare to that! The biggest load I've managed lately is a 30lb bag of kitty litter and a couple of 22oz Old Styles in my backpack.

That's great, and really that is the sort of load that most people have to carry most of the time. Too bad that so many other people believe that they need a car to carry their kitty litter and Old Style.
Permalink Reply by justJason on November 13, 2008 at 7:08am
Agreed! That being said, I'd really like to eventually get a trailer so I can carry more ample loads from the grocery store, instead of being limited to what I can stuff in a backpack. It'd also be easier to get the cats to the vet (one of 'em weighs 20 lbs!!!!).
Permalink Reply by justJason on November 13, 2008 at 7:33am
You bet! That's exactly what I'm looking for. Actually, someone was selling one not terribly long ago in Morton Grove for something like $60. I beat myself up for not snagging it when I could've.


M.A.R.K. said:
watch CL ads, even for an old crappy child one on teh cheap. thats what I got, got it off freecycle. I certainly wouldnt put any kids in it, but it gets the job done for going to the store and such.

justJason said:
Agreed! That being said, I'd really like to eventually get a trailer so I can carry more ample loads from the grocery store, instead of being limited to what I can stuff in a backpack. It'd also be easier to get the cats to the vet (one of 'em weighs 20 lbs!!!!).
Permalink Reply by Chucko on November 13, 2008 at 7:54am
Bikefreeek said:
justJason said:
Damn! I can't even compare to that! The biggest load I've managed lately is a 30lb bag of kitty litter and a couple of 22oz Old Styles in my backpack.

That's great, and really that is the sort of load that most people have to carry most of the time. Too bad that so many other people believe that they need a car to carry their kitty litter and Old Style.

Best part is that litter buckets can be used to make additional panniers! I just got an economy 40lb bucket that will soon be morphed into a grocery pannier as it will have more room than my 25lb bucket. In fact, if anyone needs one of those buckets, my two cats go through them quite quickly...
Permalink Reply by Julie Aberman (Hochstadter) on November 13, 2008 at 8:15am
A 6 pack of beer in Kettle Moraine, WI from the bike/coffee shop back to our camp site. Here is a pic.

Permalink Reply by vxla on November 13, 2008 at 10:31am
Worst I've ever muled on my back were two fully loaded messenger bags after standing on the Columbus street bridge working Checkpoint Charlie at the '07 TdC. Basically 2 other riders who disappeared left 2 extremely packed bags, and I had my own as well as the other guy.

You think riding with one messer bag sucks, try two.
Permalink Reply by Jon on November 13, 2008 at 10:31am
Wasn't me, but on RAGBRAI there's a team called TEAM BAD BOY (cheesy, I know, but hardcore). They're entirely self contained, and carry among other things: a full loaded bar, giant bbq, huge stacked cooler, and full huge sound system... all on mountain bikes. Rumor has it they rode all the way from Colorado one year.

Either way, pulling all that stuff across Iowa? That's some heavy towing.

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