Sunday, August 3, 2008

Epilogue II: Ode to BOB

Let me be the first to admit that

1) We only did a small section of the ride (300 miles is less than 1/8th of the full ride)
2) Thanks to SagMan's generosity, we had SAG support for our ride
3) We only planned to camp out 2 of the 8 nights, and ultimately due to rain we didn't even put up our tents one of those two nights

Still, I have a few things to say about the trailer I used. I'll interview myself:

Q: (Taken from an email from a friend): What is that contraption on the back of your bike?
A: It is a BOB trailer. I happen to think that it is a super-cool contraption. It hooks up easily to the bicycle by dropping on to the quick release axle that holds the back wheel on the bike. I can move the trailer from my bike to my wife's bike in less than one minute. BOB makes two types of trailers...I have the IBEX, which has a shock-absorber built in. The YAK is a similar trailer without the shock absorber.

Q: I have seen other cyclists with panniers...why not use those?
A: There is a bit of a debate amongst mountain bicycling tourists about what is the best way to haul your gear on a self-supported ride. Some people prefer panniers (bags carried on the bike, typically one bag on each side, and they can be put both front and rear.) I personally have never tried panniers, so I'm not going to add much to this debate. However, I can say that I really like the BOB trailer, and think that it is remarkable how little I notice it behind me when I am riding. People have successfully completed the full Divide ride with both panniers and BOB trailers, and typically are supporters of whichever they use.

Q: Yeah, but you didn't exactly have a full load for this ride.
A: Very true. The BOB trailer can handle a load of up to 70 lbs, and most people who self-support carry somewhere between 40 and 60 lbs of gear, food, and water. I was only carrying snacks and cold-weather gear for the three of us, adding up to only about 20 lbs. There is no question that a heavier load would have been more noticable on hills. However, I did do a 2-day training ride with Richie here in NH with a full load (camping gear for both of us) and it still was amazing how easy the bike rode with the full load.


BOB trailer at home loaded with 40+ lbs of camping gear

Q: Why did you bother with the BOB trailer, when you had SagMan carrying your gear?
A: (Squirming)...it was admitedly kinda silly to bring the BOB. It created logistic challenges, like how to get the BOB in the SAG vehicle with all of our other food and gear. Still, I'm glad I carried it. I have dreams of someday doing the whole divide ride self-supported, or perhaps doing other sections of it self-supported. I wanted to take the BOB on a 'test ride' this trip, to see what I thought of pulling it over a section of the actual Divide ride. It was certainly convenient for snacks and to have ready access to our cold-weather gear, but it was not strictly needed for this supported ride.

Q: So, how did the test ride go?
A: It went great...I now have confidence that I could pull the BOB on a self-supported trip. I noticed a slight drag on the uphills, but less than you would expect. It had absolutely no impact on my downhill riding...I went just as fast on the downhills, paved or dirt, as I would have without the trailer. The BOB took a fair amount of abuse on this trip, from being strapped atop the sag vehicle, to being left outside in the rain twice overnight, to bumping behind me on 335 miles along the dirt roads of the Great Divide route.

Q: Is there any other use for your trailer now that the ride is done?
A: Yes sir. Bike trailers are hot now as a type of 'green' travel. For instance, I can use it around home to go grocery shopping, saving a car trip. I think I will get a lot of use out of it.

Q: Where did you get the BOB?
A: I'm happy to give them a plug: I got it online at http://www.biketrailershop.com/ They helped me decide on some helpful accessories for my trailer (liner, kickstand, stretchy cargo net) and the shipping was fast. I think it is really cool that the guy who runs the site used a bike trailer to get my packaged box from his place to the shipping spot! I find the blog on this site to be interesting to read, with lots of imaginitive uses for bike trailers.

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