Fitting a Yak to a Thorn

[Wowbagger]

We recently purchased a Bob Yakish trailer. That's to say, not the real thing but a cheaper version sold by Square Wheel Cycles, Strathpeffer, Caledonia.

When I came to offer it up to the tandem, the especially robust mounting point for the especially robust luggage carrier meant that I could not get the trailer to attach to the QR skewer.

I have packed the QR skewers with washers so the mounting point is now extends about 5mm further out from the frame. The trailer now fits beautifully and it will have its inaugural trip away on Sunday when we go off to Hampshire.

[Cunobelin]

Take care!

I have a Radical Cyclone which fits with a plated "ball"

As the plate interfered with the "lawyers lips" I packed out the gap with a couple of washers.

The washers do not "bite" in  the same way as the serrated plate of a QR and allowed some movement, albeit vert slight, but accentuated by the towing of a heavy tailer. NO pulling out o the wheel, but brake rub as the wheel (repeatedly) realigned.

[woollypigs]

I have the co-op version of the Bob and it is a great bit of kit, I was a bit worried at first about the one wheel bit. But the only problem I have with it is that at first you forget it is there and you get of your bike and the bike is heavier and falls over much easier.

[Wowbagger]

Take care!

I have a Radical Cyclone which fits with a plated "ball"

As the plate interfered with the "lawyers lips" I packed out the gap with a couple of washers.

The washers do not "bite" in  the same way as the serrated plate of a QR and allowed some movement, albeit vert slight, but accentuated by the towing of a heavy tailer. NO pulling out o the wheel, but brake rub as the wheel (repeatedly) realigned.

We have the Rohloff version with vertical dropouts. I don't think that problem is likely to occur.

[donpedro]

A friend of mine had tons of problem as the weight from the BOB bent the dropouts on his alu-frame. Finaly sold it!

[Wowbagger]

Ours is a steel frame and Thorn sell Bob Yak trailers.

Or is this another "1 in 1000" cracked hub flange problem waiting to happen?

[andygates]

Better not be!

You need two trailers Wow, so you can have a tandem bike with a tandem trailer!  (just swap the lead trailer's skewer for a Bob one and pack out with more washers  )

[donpedro]

Ours is a steel frame and Thorn sell Bob Yak trailers.

Or is this another "1 in 1000" cracked hub flange problem waiting to happen?

True, but I still think there's a lesson to be drawn.
A single wheel trailer will chare the weight and ad a twisting motion to the rear wheel and dropout of the bike it is attached to! This area is already the most stressed area on a tandem and as you indicated might cause futher hubproblems.

Two wheel trailers like the Carryfreedom has many advantages over a BOB. It will ad some weight to the rear but to a much lesser degree. It is also easier to pack, works of the bike as a cart and are made by nice chaps, me think.

[andygates]

They're different solutions for different problems - the Bob-a-likes are for light loads, where the low drag and tight tracking are needed.  They're amazing offroad.  Two-wheelers are for proper load-hauling.