BOB Trailer Ibex storage versus YAK

[chrisk]

I am looking at getting a BOB trailer and I have some restrictive storage requirements. I'll only be doing road touring not off road so I don't really need the shock feature that the Ibex has.

It looks like the YAK is all one piece. It seems like you can take the wheel off, but the rear fork that holds the 16" wheel is permanently attached to the storage section and is not removable. So, I'd need a space approximately 37" long for storage.

The Ibex has the rear shock and fork assembly that seems to be mounted to the storage section. I can't tell from pictures for sure, but it looks like it is removable from the storage section. I think if it can be removed from the storage section, then I can store the rear shock/fork/wheel assembly in the storage area (along with the front fork) and only need 25" in length for storage.

Can the rear shock/fork/wheel assembly be removed from the storage area ?

If so how hard is it to remove and reassemble ?

Thanks
Chris Kottaridis

[JimF]

Chris: Unless the design has changed, the fork on the Ibex cannot be separated from the box. You may want to check with "Bob" directly, however.

[staehpj1]

I am looking at getting a BOB trailer and I have some restrictive storage requirements. I'll only be doing road touring not off road so I don't really need the shock feature that the Ibex has.

It looks like the YAK is all one piece. It seems like you can take the wheel off, but the rear fork that holds the 16" wheel is permanently attached to the storage section and is not removable. So, I'd need a space approximately 37" long for storage.

The Ibex has the rear shock and fork assembly that seems to be mounted to the storage section. I can't tell from pictures for sure, but it looks like it is removable from the storage section. I think if it can be removed from the storage section, then I can store the rear shock/fork/wheel assembly in the storage area (along with the front fork) and only need 25" in length for storage.

Can the rear shock/fork/wheel assembly be removed from the storage area ?

If so how hard is it to remove and reassemble ?

Thanks
Chris Kottaridis

FWIW: I saw a german made trailer when on tour that folded flat and small.  The fork rotated around over the platform as did the hitch portion.  I forget the brand, but the guys I met who were using them on the Great Divide seemed pretty happy with them.

If I remember the name or find a link I will post it.

Edit:
It might have been the Weber Monoporter, not sure.  If not it was similar in concept.

[waynemyer]

You did not say if you were set on a BOB. But if packed size of the trailer is the issue, the Wandertec Bongo breaks down to the footprint of its platform.

[chrisk]

I am not necessarily sold on BOB, though they do seem to be well thought of.

I do want to stick with a one wheel trailer. Not a two wheel solution and your link looks like a two wheel trailer.

[chrisk]

Maybe I am asking the wrong question.

What I want to be able to do is store the trailer in the standard 62in box for transport, I'll be putting my bike in a second one.

So, if the back fork and wheel assembly comes off it should be able to fit in a 18x16x25 box which totals 59in and leaves me some play room. The YAK having the rear fork welded on would need a 18x16x36 box which is 70 in.

When I was at REI a long time ago they had an ibex trailer and when I looked at the instructions in the box I thought they showed how to add the rear fork as if when they shipped it it wasn't already attached and you had to assemble it. But, that was a long time ago, and at the time I wasn't really paying that close of attention. I haven't been able to find any copies of that instruction sheet or a manual on-line.

So, I guess the question really is:

Is there a one-wheeled trailer out there, appropriate for on the road trailing,  that can be broken down to fit into a 62 inch box ?

Thanks
Chris Kottaridis

[aggie]

I put my yak in an Ortlieb big zip bag when I travel with it.  It easily holds the yak and other gear and it is has straps so you can carry it on your back if necessary.  When I'm riding it folds up under the bob bag.  I've also used it for extra storage during a trip and it is supposed to be water resistant. 

You remove the wheel and the front fork to put it into the bag.  Never had a problem shipping it that way.

[chrisk]

So, airlines don't charge you extra for oversized bags ?

According to United's site:

http://www.united.com/page/article/1,,52907,00.html

Any Baggage whose length+width+height is greater then 62 in will get charged for oversized baggage. It's bad enough they charge $35 for the first bag and $25 for the second, but if it's larger then 62in then they charge even more. I'm hoping to fit my bike in one and the BOB trailer in another.

The Sands Machine site, guys that make the S&S couplers make a big deal out of this for their bags:

http://www.sandsmachine.com/regs.htm

Has it been your experience that the 62 in restriction is not enforced by airlines ?

Thanks
Chris Kottaridis

[staehpj1]

Has it been your experience that the 62 in restriction is not enforced by airlines ?

I have read where folks manage to take a bob without paying oversize charges.  I have always found the airlines to be pretty quick to charge for anything oversize or overweight, but maybe the odd shape of the bob slips through?

On a more general note...
I try to fly southwest because they tend to be more bike friendly.  No baggage charges for two regular sized checked bags and $50 for a bike in an oversize box (it counts as one of you checked bags).  Frontier is supposed to be bike friendly as well.

Personally, the S&S couplers don't solve the problem for me.  Since I tend to fly to one place and home from another getting the case moved would become problematic.  One answer might be to use a 62" cardboard box, but you would still have to manage to get exactly the right size box to the end point.  A soft case would be easier to mail ahead that a hard one, but still a hassle.

I typically just fly southwest with my packed bike ($50) to get to my trip start.  I take my gear (in panniers rather than a trailer) in either a $7 thrift store suitcase (which is then discarded at the airport) or in a cheap duffel bag that is either mailed home or carried on the trip.  The packed panniers fit nicely in the duffel, but I have to pack more carefully with the suitcase.

To get home I drop the bike at a bike shop and ask them to pack it and ship it home.  That usually runs about $50 for the packing and $50 for the shipping.  The gear either goes into another thrift store suitcase or a duffel.  If a duffel, I either pick one up at walmart, use one that I carried along, or have one mailed to me from home.

[waynemyer]

Chris, where are you from and to where are you flying? US to US, international? The reason I ask is because a UPS store might be able to help if you're running into oversize baggage issues. I have taken to shipping my bike ahead of me and I let the UPS store pack and ship it. Much less hassle than dealing with the airlines and a much better guarantee of safety for my stuff.

[chrisk]

Strictly US to US. I need a way to get myself my bike and my equipment to starting points and back home from end points.

On my last trip I started from around Kansas City. We had gone to Indiana for a family reunion and my wife just dropped me off on the way back. I made it to Great Bend KS. I had a bike store pack up the bike and ship it home UPS. For packing and shipping that ended up costing me $127!! I told him to ship it cheap as possible but I assume he shipped in like next day or something because it got to me 2 days after he said he shipped it. I didn't have him ship my panniers, I went down the street to a store that did UPS shipping on the side. I was able to fit my panniers into one of there boxes and shipped it for only $27.00. The pannier box weighed 38 lbs (going to have to work harder to reduce that weight!) and the bike box only weighed 33 lbs. But, it cost 5x to ship the lighter bike. To get me back was the hardest. Great Bend KS doesn't have bus service. The bike store guy had a friend who was a traveling salesman of sorts who lived in Hays. The salesman was going to be in the area for the day and said he'd give me a ride to Hays where I caught a bus back to Colorado Springs. It cost me $90 to get homne from there. That's cheaper then my bike. I tried to pay the guy for the ride, but he refused. You got to love the people you meet in middle america on the trail.

I do believe that I can probably find a UPS shipper in just about any of the little towns, but I am not sure they'll have a correct size box. What I want to do is more or less take my own with me. If you look on the S&S site they have a zippered cover that you can fit a 26x26x10 box into. I have some practice with fiberglass from small boat building hobby. What I want to do is make some panels from fiberglass and coremat that can be inserted in the zippered bag or one like it. I can dissasemble the box and secure the panels to the sides of the BOB trailer when riding. When I am done I can assemble the sides of the box together and put the bike in one and the BOB trailer and it's parts in another. Then put each into a zipperred bag. The panels should provide some protection and the form of the box. I can then either ship it from a UPS store or put it on a plane or bus or train with me, whichever is more convenient for the facilities in the town I am at.

>>>I have taken to shipping my bike ahead of me<<<
In terms of shipping the bike UPS ahead of me to the starting point, I have had REI tell me that I could ship it ahead to an REI store in the start city and they'd hold it for me till I flew in and picked it up. But, not all the cities along the trails have an REI.
Where do you ship it to for pick up ?

Thanks
Chris Kottaridis

[waynemyer]

n terms of shipping the bike UPS ahead of me to the starting point, I have had REI tell me that I could ship it ahead to an REI store in the start city and they'd hold it for me till I flew in and picked it up. But, not all the cities along the trails have an REI.
Where do you ship it to for pick up ?

I have shipped it to the hotel where I was staying, a friends house, or a UPS Store (not to be confused with a store that happens to do some UPS stuff). I think a FedEx/Kinkos Store could perform the same function.

[staehpj1]

n terms of shipping the bike UPS ahead of me to the starting point, I have had REI tell me that I could ship it ahead to an REI store in the start city and they'd hold it for me till I flew in and picked it up. But, not all the cities along the trails have an REI.
Where do you ship it to for pick up ?

I have shipped it to the hotel where I was staying, a friends house, or a UPS Store (not to be confused with a store that happens to do some UPS stuff). I think a FedEx/Kinkos Store could perform the same function.

Also pretty much any bike shop will accept it and assemble it for you if you want, for a modest fee.  That has the advantage of being able to know ahead of time whether it arrived with no damage.

[indyfabz]

So, airlines don't charge you extra for oversized bags ?
According to United's site:
http://www.united.com/page/article/1,,52907,00.html
Any Baggage whose length+width+height is greater then 62 in will get charged for oversized baggage. It's bad enough they charge $35 for the first bag and $25 for the second, but if it's larger then 62in then they charge even more. I'm hoping to fit my bike in one and the BOB trailer in another. Has it been your experience that the 62 in restriction is not enforced by airlines ?

Maybe I am a little confused here. Unless United has changed its policy since I flew it back in June of this year, you are going to get charged more than the standrd baggage charge for a bike regardless of the size of the box.  If I remember correctly, the bike charge was $100/bike, which is why we shipped UPS.

If you look at BOB’s site, it seems doubtful that you can get the Yak in a 62” box. The cargo space alone shown as roughly 25”x16”x18”, or 59”. Add to that the non-removeable “fork” to which you secure the wheel, and you are over 62” by more than an inch or two.  (When new, the trailer is packed with the front “fork”, which I thought they used to call the yoke, reversed so it’s inside the cargo compartment and thus does not add to the dimensions of the box. The wheel, fender and flag can alo be placed inside the cargo portion.)

One last consideration:  According to the TSA people I have spoken with, if you fly with a stove, you risk having it confiscated even if there is no fuel involved. When we travel, we ship the stove and empty fuel bottle in either one of the bike boxes or the trailer box.

[chrisk]

If you look at BOB’s site, it seems doubtful that you can get the Yak in a 62” box

Right that is why I was hoping the Ibex's rear fork could be removed and put in the cargo space as well. The Ibex has a chance to fit in a 62" box the YAK doesn't.

I have shipped it to the hotel where I was staying, a friends house, or a UPS Store (not to be confused with a store that happens to do some UPS stuff). I think a FedEx/Kinkos Store could perform the same function.
Also pretty much any bike shop will accept it and assemble it for you if you want, for a modest fee.  That has the advantage of being able to know ahead of time whether it arrived with no damage.

That's all good to know. I was wondering about that possibility. The only issue I have with that is when I get to town at an airport or bus station how do I get where the bike is ? Probably not a problem to take a taxi at bigger towns but smaller towns could be problematic. So, if it's possible to travel with them with me that seems best.

Although the more I check into things shipping ahead seems like a better way to go and then I may not have to worry about the 62" limitation.

One last consideration:  According to the TSA people I have spoken with, if you fly with a stove, you risk having it confiscated even if there is no fuel involved. When we travel, we ship the stove and empty fuel bottle in either one of the bike boxes or the trailer box.

Good to know. I will try and fit as much bike and camping gear as possible in the boxes. I'll then have a back pack to take on the plane with me that will have clothes and such.

Maybe I am a little confused here. Unless United has changed its policy since I flew it back in June of this year, you are going to get charged more than the standard baggage charge for a bike regardless of the size of the box.  If I remember correctly, the bike charge was $100/bike, which is why we shipped UPS.

I've heard both ways on this. The S&S site certainly implies that the 62" limit would only result in standard costs.

How would they know that you had a bicycle in the bag ?

Like I said the only real advantage to having it with me on the flight is so when I get to my destination I don't have to figure out how to get to the bike from the airport or bus station. If I can figure that out then I am only restricted by UPS/FedEx limitations, which I don't exactly know off hand. But, I figured while I am researching things I ought to aim for the maximum flexibility of being able to keep it with me. But, if I get dinged anyway then shipping it seems better and I'll go with the YAK because it's cheaper and I am sure it will work fine. Provided the YAK doesn't violate any UPS/FedEX size restrictions that will ding me anyway.

Thanks for all the input.

Thanks
Chris Kottaridis