As a unicycle commuter, I get groceries using a backpack and my unicycle. The problem is the backpack cannot hold very many groceries and gets sweaty in the summer. I was thinking if a pull behind trailer such as one used for skiing or running would work. I would love all opinions. Do you think it would pull back too much when it goes up hills?
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I’ve used this method on packed winter trails to pull my pulk loaded with camping gear.
My system is from SkiPulk. The poles are crossed for better cornering and I also use a chest and hip harness.
Going uphill isn’t a problem at all because you have stability in your forward and backwards pulling. The poles connected to the load provide this.
Now going downhill can be the tricky part.
The extra weight driving you forward and down requires keen attention and a constant drag from your brakes.
A rolling mount is easiest because the momentum of the sled helps to push you up.
Hope this helps.
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I’ve attached a wagon to a unicycle with a single bungee cord and it worked wonderfully on uphills and flats, and downhills we’re surprising ok even though the wagon hit the wheel occasionally and tried to pass me. You should be fine with a proper setup like this.
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I wonder if having a more rigid bar would help so the downhill isn’t having stuff slam into you.
I’ve always been curious what it would be like to attatch something like the Burley Travoi(?) Trailer to a uni for shopping.
I’m personally in the backpack camp myself, but my grocery store is a less than 10 min ride up the road.
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So, does ten minutes up the road let little Uni set in the basket or does he/she get left/locked outside? A rigid bar sounds of more control over the load so yes I wonder too.
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Mostly I just walk in with it, they have full sized and half sized cart so I just get a cart for the food, drop the backpack in the lower part of the cart and keep a hand on the uni. Much easier with my 24" over my 29".
Also moist shops in my area don’t have issues with me bringing it in which is nice.
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The Burley Travoi looks very suited to uni, but it might need a swivel connector for the seat post, or just to loosen the connector slightly to allow for swivel. It is rather expensive, but looks simple enough to throw together out of some fabric and metal tubing. I would definitely pursue something of that nature if I intended to make a habit of using a trailer with uni.
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For sure, you’re paying for a highly polished product with the Burley trailer.
I’d be curious to see something similar in style though. It would probably be an easy DIY project.
It looks like it would be pretty uni friendly once you are on but I wonder how your gonna get there. I personally do a static mount from the back and it might be a bit awkward straddling it. Love your opinion on mounting. If so I might consider that instead
That looks super cool!! What harness are you using? I like the shoulder straps on it!!
Hi!
The trailer is from the German Croozer, also the Ski-Adapter-Set, but I can’t find it on the Website by now. It works pretty fine. I don’t know, whether it is still on sale…
Going in a different direction here, i wonder about the practicality of making a trailer mount that attaches to the unicycle frame and only pivots in the horizontal plane. This would essentially convert the unicycle into either a penny farthing style bicycle or tricycle depending on the trailer. While it would no longer be a true unicycle in this format, this would deliver tremendous benefits in terms of hauling, braking and hill climbing. It seems to me that if the goal is to use the unicycle for the practical purpose of occasionally hauling stuff then the practicality of it might outweigh being a unicycling purist.
Perhaps. But I also use the same unicycle for distance road cycling and the occasional muni. In which case a handless trike would probably hinder my progress
It would only disable the unicycle function when the trailer was attached. What I’m envisioning here is a unicycle with a couple of pin style couplers attached to the frame and seatpost. When you hook up the trailer, it would slide over the pins and the whole thing would then operate like a penny farthing. Disconnect the trailer and you’re back to a unicycle. Being able to switch to that bicycle/tricycle mode would however allow you to climb and descend steeper grades and use the brake to much better effect.
Just imagine having to make an emergency stop on a downhill slope with a trailer being carried like a rickshaw. The odds that you would land flat on your face and then be run over by your trailer are extremely high.
The one problem that I see with my idea is that it would put serious stress on the hinge mechanism. In order to make it work I think there would have to be two pivots connected to the unicycle frame preferably separated by the greatest distance possible.
Yes finding a good pivot would definitely be a challenge. Although I am definitely going to look into it. I might also see if there is a semi detachable way to do so.
This is an old topic but it caught my attention. I’ve been using the Chariot Cougar II with the XC-ski waist-harness attachment regularly for a few years now. First with a 36" uni, and for the past few months with a 32" guni. I’ve got twin boys who have put on a lot of weight since I first started riding with this setup (currently almost 40lbs each!). Add the weight of the carrier and cargo and I’d estimate the trailer at ~115 lbs.
I had first considered a seatpost-mounted solution but I ride frequently through Seattle where it would be cumbersome to mount/dismount and walk with a fixed-mounted trailer. The waist harness makes this whole process seamless. The poles attaching at the hips is a natural, comfortable way to pull a load, and I’ve found myself keeping a hand on a pole during a turn for added stability, or to make a very tight turn. Keeping both hands gripped on the poles can also help smooth out the power during a hill climb. I’ve had a great time with this setup and just wanted to share!
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