Bike w/panniers Or BOB IBEX Trailer

[fonsie]

Well I figure since I been on the road for 2 years I use Panniers and the bob trailer. I carry most of every thing on the Bike for the fact when you go to climb hills and mountains there isn't so much pull behind you. It's really great to be able to carry 4 seasons of things and if you know your going to be a few days between places to get food, I've been 200 miles from groceries and places to get water. It's always good that you can carry the supplies. But truthfully I rather just carry Panniers, than pull a Bob, for the fact you don't have to pull everything behind you. But if your on a dirt trail, like the C&O or Great Divide mountain bike trail, then its good to have the Bob. For the fact you don't have your bags rattling on the racks.

[cara2u]

Sorry, about the missing link, here it is:http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/page/?o=RrzKj&page_id=164475&v=7phttp://

[aggie]

Unfortunately this link is a second hand account of the incident and shows the authors bias about Bob trailers. 

[John Nelson]

The first-hand account is referenced there as well.

[Stevenp]

I have also just been studying this question for myself. After a lot of research the answer seems easy and obvious that panniers are the way to go.
Now...
If they designed trailers with the wheel centered under the weight to displace the weight of the trailer, than I would reconsider, but all the good models I have studied have the wheel behind the weight which adds weight to the bike.

Panniers all the way!

Stevenp

[aggie]

On looking at the first hand account it is difficult to determine what happened.  She states that she may have over or under corrected for the trailers movement.  It that the trailers fault or a lack of experience in pulling a trailer?  I've seen numerous car trailers on the side of the road because the driver either didn't know how drive with a trailer and or where going too fast for conditions.  I've also seen bikes with panniers in the ditch because they were blown over.  It it the panniers fault the cyclist couldn't control the bike?  It's easy to blame equipment.

[rvklassen]

I have also just been studying this question for myself. After a lot of research the answer seems easy and obvious that panniers are the way to go.
Now...
If they designed trailers with the wheel centered under the weight to displace the weight of the trailer, than I would reconsider, but all the good models I have studied have the wheel behind the weight which adds weight to the bike.

Panniers all the way!

Stevenp

They do.  http://www.biketrailershop.com/extrawheel-trailers-c-140.html  - and others accessible from the same page.

And for some folks that probably works.  We're pockets people.  So Arkel panniers are the way to go for us.  With an extrawheel trailer we could put the panniers on there, but that just makes it obvious that it weighs more than the panniers alone.  And panniers alone helps is maintain discipline when packing what we "need" on the tandem.

[cyclocamping]

Here is an article with all the pros and cons of both panniers and trailers, I thought you might find it useful:

Panniers vs. Trailers

[Tourista829]

Each has it's pro's and cons. Depending on your trip, a trailer is more aero dynamic and easier to control except on fast descents. I like them on dirt trails. Trailers need an extra tube, spare trailer skewers and hitch pins. It is harder to organize my stuff and a pain if I have to haul it upstairs, at a motel. I sometimes use front panniers for stability and to go for supplies. I do not like to use it in the city with lots of traffic (very long wheelbase) and do not use it in parts of the world prone to theft. (India) A couple of times, I had troubles traveling on a train or airplane.