The Best Bike Accessory You Didn't Know You Need

[@chuckhunter77]

If only more channels would show us stuff that doesn't need to be charged or have firmware updates. Simple, mechanical solutions to everyday problems. That's what bike accesories SHOULD be.

[@nathanbackous826]

I had a first-gen Travoy. I'm really surprised other companies haven't adopted the form factor. Would be nice to see some innovation/competition in the too-much-to-carry-on-a-rack/not-enough-to-justify-a-cargo-bike market.

[@CreativeFishDesignsCharlotte]

i hauled fire wood all winter LOVE IT

[@markifi]

i bought a postman's bicycle for 70 euros. it has a 60 cm x 40 cm platform on the front and i had well over 100 kg on it one time. rides real nice. i can keep it outside because it's old, beat up, and not very appealing for theft.

[@urbane-cyclist]

Love those bikes! Sadly those bikes are super rare in Canada. The good news is if you wanted to increase the load capacity - the travoy could work with that bike too!

[@keeblebrox]

My Burley Travoy is very nice and served me well. I haven't used it since I got my GSD, but I haven't lost hope.

[@urbane-cyclist]

I think cargo trailers often get forgotten in the urban mobility discussions. Cargo bikes are obviously amazing but cargo trailers are a nice stepping stone!

[@xzcion]

The awesome hitch and folding the travoy has did not win out for me over the off road capability of a one wheel trailer (like the oxtail or farfarer). Totally a use case preference choice I admit.

[@urbane-cyclist]

Totally agree. Single wheel is amazing off road. I've used a bob for many years and I love it for touring and even some more adventurous rides but it feels clumsy in the city exactly where the travoy seems to excel. Its like this lovely little "last meter" from bike to home or from shop to bike where most trailers are not nearly as neat (or enjoyable) to pop on and off and also continue onward without the bike!

[@Frostbiker]

Yeah, I think for most people a cargo trailer makes more sense than a dedicated cargo bike. The raison d'être for dedicated cargo bikes is often taxiing small kids around car-infested urban environments.

[@darkglass3011]

1. Since the Quick Hitch doesn't require special tools like an Allen Key or even a screwdriver to remove, I'd detach it from my bike and take it with me to prevent theft. 2. If there's a problem with the tubes, I'd like some way to get replacements. If the company goes bankrupt for whatever reason, there's no customer service, so I'd like to know if it's possible to purchase generic tubes for those tires. 3. If the price point were in the $100-$200 range in Canadian, I'd buy it no problem along with the accessories. Its simple design allows for less materials to be used in its construction. Therefore, it shouldn't be as expensive as traditional bike trailers that uses more materials in their construction. 4. A major turnoff for bike trailers is that they're bulky and can't easily detach from a bike unless you have the tools. The travoy is the ideal shopping accessory design that people would think of when they think "bicycle shopping cart". I believe that the reason why traditional bike trailers are in the hundreds is because they're very unpopular, so they would have to have a high profit margin to compensate for poor sales even if the materials are cheap. The travoy is different because the nature of its design makes it near identical to a regular shopping cart that "just so happens" to attach to a bicycle. This would allow it to make way more sales even with a lower profit margin. In fact, if the manufacturer can lower the price and accept a lower profit margin, it WOULD generate more sales because THOUSANDS of people own bikes now compared to a few years ago and they would love to own this.

[@urbane-cyclist]

Great news! The trailer **does NOT** use proprietary inner tubes - these are the same you would see on many strollers and small bikes for children. Lowering the price as far as you suggest to 1/4 or 1/2 would require significant changes on the production side which would also likely fall onto the lowest tier of production- the labourers making the trailers. Which would mean worsening working conditions or lowering wages and likely lowering the standards to meet these unrealistic pricing goals. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[@dbusby77]

Very interesting product and I can see how it would be very handy however it’s pricey. I am just getting back into cycling after 18-19 years and I find that there are many products for cyclists that are overpriced for what they are and this is one of those products. $400 cad for a foldable dolly that attaches to pipe is a bit much. Then if you need a couple compartments the lower bag is around $200 cad and the upper bag is about $177 cad. WOW!! This product seems to be very overpriced to me. Are there any similar products that are more budget friendly?

[@urbane-cyclist]

I've seen people try to replicate this with an actual dolly. And it works although it doesn't fold and would not roll smooth or fast at speed and would also be quite loud. So for short distances that might be an option but also you need to devote time to build and troubleshoot your design. I honestly think for the quality of this trailer - it's pretty fair! It's made well and has a ton of features and folds up small. What's the alternative? Pay for a cab? Buy a car? Haul your stuff on the transit? I think this trailer would pay for itself if you need to move stuff regularly!

[@dbusby77]

@@urbane-cyclist I hear what you are saying and I am sure it’s built well. It’s great that they found a need and engineered a product to meet this need. However if other companies developed a similar product with similar options I am sure those products would come in at a cheaper price point with quality that is more than adequate to perform its needed duties. The fact that there are no other products like it right now is one of the main reasons they can charge this much and you are right, if you truly need it than it’s magnitudes cheaper than any of the alternatives. I also think this product is more of a niche product with a limited demand so it might be hard to get an ROI due to the limited number of annual sales for something like this but hopefully these will change as more people start cycling due to the E-Bike boom.

[@krob9145]

I have seen two similar products that are cheaper but they didn't have that quick fit hitch and they didn't fold down as small. I got one when the Burley Travoy wasn't available and a few years later I upgraded to the Travoy. I passed my old one on to a family member who was overjoyed to get it. The trick is not to opt for the expensive bags. Choose your own and just get the extra bag clip on straps.

[@krob9145]

I also love this because it's easy to store and fold down trailers work best when you have to deal with stairs and storage issues.