Whats the best way to strap your bike down when using a trailer, what are the best parts of the bike to strap from/to . every time I go out the bike ends up on a slant and I have to re tie in down. Thanks for any suggestions

Wot sort of trailer is it? All trailers are different .

I ve found that on my trailer if you get two ratchet straps underneath the small bar that goes across your handle bars pulling them forwards and down they are perfect and dont move at all.

Although if you dont have anything on the front of you r trailer stopping your bikes going off the front i suggest u make something as its a lot easier keeping them stood up right.

Thats what i do any way hope this helps.

Hi, i always tie my bike down from the footpegs, it seems a very solid way of tying down as only short lengths of straps are needed and it doesn't compress the forks as much as tying from the handlebars.

the strap going over the seat is just the tail end of the strap tied off on the other side to stop it flapping around! ( s'pose i should just cut it shorter!!)

bike rack and trailer

you just need a few mudguards now to make it legal

James

bike rack and two bike trailer!!

you just need a few mudguards now to make it legal

James

look where he lives, hardly likely to be a problem !!!

Yer whos gunna bother him out there ?

Looks pretty fun though , is there lots of places to go riding ?

Just a suggestion - if you find that your bike is slipping to one side have a good look at the tie straps you are using, some straps, especially when they are wet or become worn are prone to slip & this will allow your bike to become lopsided on the trailer - even if the strap is tied off below the clasp..

Try a length of rope alonside the tie strap the next time you go out - just in case - if this cures the problem then the answer is simple - buy some new straps!

Me I prefer to see a bike tied from both the handlebars and from the footrests to minimise risk of bouncing out of the groove in the trailer.

Its all personal preferance & depends on the trailer design you have.

Be careful when strapping down using short length of straps to footrests. The straps can quite easily come off if you hit a big bump in the road, and this can mean major hassle obviously!

A little tip to prevent this happening is to add a bungee (elastic cord) between the hooks of the tiedown. This keeps constant tension on then regardless of how much bouncing you do.

On a side note, how bad do you find that trailer bounces with a rigid axle? I was considering building a minitrailer like that with a rigid axle for symplicity, but worried about it taking flight on each pothole in the road.

I always put the straps round the fork leg at the mudgaurd stay, this way you don't pre load the forks and put additional pressure on the seals. Also this way no matter how much the trailer bounces about there is no travel in the bike which ellimenats the chance of the straps slackening off which is poss. if they are fornd the bars or pegs. Bungee round the back wheel and the runner and that it is. Been doing this with all types of bikes right up 1100's and covering thousands of miles without a slip or wobble

mostly personal preference.

I tie off the the bike above the suspension, for opposite reasons than oceanvibe. I want some suspension spring action holding the straps tight.

Tying cars down on trailers for example, want the suspension holding the binders tight.

I also use spring clip chain links (carabiners) on the trailer end of the strap so it cannot come off in any way. Slipped through the web loop, snapped on to the trailer loop, and ignore the actual hook.

kcj