With so many types of bikes to choose from, picking the best bike to tow a trailer can be challenging. Therefore, before attaching a trailer to a road bike, ask yourself, can you pull a bike trailer with a road bike?
You can easily attach and pull a trailer using a road bike. Road bikes are actually an excellent choice because of the aerodynamic position, lightweight frame, and the extra power shifted to the legs. However, you may need an adapter for a roadie with disc brakes before attaching a trailer.
Keep reading to find out more about pulling a trailer with a road bike and also read: Can you put a basket on a road bike?
How Do I Attach My Bike Trailer To My Road Bike?
To attach a trailer to your roadie, you’ll need to remove the rear seat and the rear axle nuts. Next, attach the coupler plate to the rear axle, metal support to the coupler plate, and lastly, the metal support to the trailer.
However, before that, determine the type of axle found in your road bike (quick-release or thru-axle).
Types Of Axles
It’s important to identify the kind of axle found in your road bike because it will play a huge role when attaching the trailer. Here are the two categories.
1. Quick-Release
Bicycle trailers are made primarily for quick-release bikes. Therefore, you shouldn’t have any issue attaching nearly any trailer to your roadie if it has a quick-release axle, although hooded dropouts can make things a bit complicated.
Hooded dropouts may need a spacer attachment to get more clearance to facilitate coupler attachment. The problem with these axles is their smaller diameter, and they can loosen due to rattling.
2. Thru-Axle
These axles are mainly seen on newer bicycles with disc brakes like road bikes, gravel bikes, and mountain bikes. They have a thicker diameter than quick-release, thread into the bike’s frame directly, and pass through the wheel’s hub.
How To Attach The Trailer On The Rear Axle
Once you figure that out and already have a trailer, follow the following steps to attach the trailer. However, if you are still looking for a trailer that suits you and your roadie, consider Schwinn Day Tripper and Porter Cargo Bike Trailer (Amazon Link)
This trailer has quick-release wheels and a folding-frame design for compact transportation and storage. However, don’t use it to carry your kids or pets.
With that settled, do the following to attach your trailer.
1. Remove the Rear Seat
If you have attached a rear seat to your roadie’s back wheel, you’ll need to remove it before attaching the trailer. Detach the nuts to ensure the trailer is well-fixed when it goes behind your bicycle.
You’ll need to remove both nuts that hold the bike seat in place using a wrench, the washers followed by metal guards, and finally, the seat.
2. Remove The Nuts From The Rear Axle
You will find washers and bolts attached to the back wheels in most street and mountain bikes to keep them securely in place. You’ll need to disconnect these nuts before connecting a trailer to your road bike.
Do so by aligning the nut’s flat side with a wrench, tighten the wrench to grab the nuts, put pressure then rotate until the nuts open. You’ll need to remove the washer then repeat the process if your trailer requires two-sided support.
Make sure your roadie is in a stable position once you detach the nuts. However, you don’t need to remove the rear tire because it won’t interfere with your trailer installment.
3. Attach The Coupler Plate
You’ll find a coupler plate on the bike trailer kit, which you will attach to the bike’s rear axle. The part also connects the trailer to your road bike.
After taking out the coupler plate, attach it to the rear axle using the bolts and washers you took out earlier when opening the back wheels. Next, insert the coupler plate into the rear axle, making sure the wheels are aligned correctly.
Insert the washers once everything is aligned properly and you’ve inserted the couplers. Put in the metal support once the coupler plates are in if you want to keep your rear seat attached to your road bike.
The next step is putting in the washers and tightening the nuts on both sides.
4. Attach The Metal Support
Your next job is to connect the metal bar accompanying the bike trailer to attach it to the trailer and coupler. This core part supports the trailer, so you need to be careful and secure it properly if you want your trailer to stay put.
You’ll use the bolts and nuts provided for trailer installation. Insert the metal support to the holes found on the coupler and tighten it using the bolts or nuts. If you use nuts, ensure you also incorporate washers for extra stability and to prevent wiggling.
5. Attach The Metal Support To The Bike Trailer
Once you’ve ensured that the metal support is securely in place, you can attach it with the trailer through the slot or bracket found underneath the trailer. Refer to the manual if you can’t find the bracket.
Put the metal support inside the bracket and use the bolts and nuts to fixate it, ensuring that everything is tightly in place. If you notice any fixation issues or a wiggle, detach it and do it all over again because if the nuts don’t do through uprightly, you won’t get a firm fit.
It’s paramount that washers go ahead of the nuts because they facilitate a proper fit.
How to Attach A Bike Trailer Without Couplers
Some trailers are designed to be attached to bicycles directly without using a coupler plate. They are fixated to both sides of a bike’s rear axle.
To do this, get the metal support once you detach the washers and nuts from the rear axle (both sides). Put two washers into the bike’s rear axles, then insert the metal supports on both sides of the bike’s rear axle.
Put in two more washers once the supports are in, then use the rear axles’ nuts to attach everything tightly in place.
Can You Put A Kids Bike Trailer On A Road Bike?
You can attach a kid’s bike trailer to your road bike but make sure you choose the most suitable trailer to make your work easier and keep your kids comfortable and safe.
A high-quality trailer you can use is the Instep Bike Trailer for Toddlers (Amazon link). It has a sitting capacity of two quick-release wheels and a foldable frame design for easy and quick installment, transport, and storage.
Your child can start riding on a bike trailer as soon as they can hold their heads without your support, usually about 9 to 12 months. However, remember every kid is different, so do what’s best for your child.
Benefits Of A Kid’s Bike Trailer
Here’s why you should get a kid’s bike trailer to attach to your road bike.
1. It’s Fun
Your young ones will enjoy riding on the trailer, so attach it to your roadie and go for a fun ride with your child. It could also be exciting to drop your kid at school on a bike trailer.
2. Keeps You Fit
Parenthood, work, and other responsibilities can get in the way of getting your workout. However, you can get around this by connecting a kid’s bike trailer to your roadie; that way, you can exercise while taking your kids where they need to be or simply enjoying a leisure ride together.
The extra weight you have to pull when the trailer is attached will slow you down, but it provides impeccable endurance training.
3. Helps Your Kids Get Some Fresh Air
Every time you go out with your children on a bike offers an opportunity for an adventure. Your kids will be more involved, and they can enjoy the fresh air and the beauty of nature instead of getting cooped up at home or in your car.
4. Quality Time
Quality time with your kids is undoubtedly essential and while you can find a lot to do at the comfort of your home, getting out from time to time is essential. Riding your roadie with your kids on a trailer at the back allows you to explore new places, spend time at your favorite trail, and make great memories.
However, before doing so, remember that a trailer adds more weight and makes your roadie longer, making maneuverability hard. It also raises travel time, so you’ll spend more time on the road.
In addition, ensure your child is wearing a helmet for their safety and well-being. If you are shopping for a kid’s bike helmet, the OUWOER Kids Bike Helmet is an excellent choice for two-year-olds and above, with side and top vents to keep your child comfortable and cool.
FAQs
1. Can You Attach A Bike Trailer To Any Bike?
You can attach a bike trailer if you can attach a coupler attachment and hitch arm to it. This works for road bikes, mountain bikes, e-bikes, cruisers, and hybrid bikes.
2. Can You Attach A Bike Trailer To Road Bike?
You can attach a bike trailer to your road bike to efficiently carry your kids, pets, and small items. For a more enjoyable experience, make sure you are comfortable on your bike, adjust your seat post to get more power on your legs to handle the extra weight.
3. Does Anybody Pull A Kid Trailer With Their Road Bike?
Road bikes are commonly used to pull kid trailers because they go a lot faster due to their lightweight and aerodynamic nature. Besides getting you and your kid to your destination, it also offers a great workout.
4. How Do Bike Trailers Attach To Road Bikes?
You’ll need to mount the trailer to a road bike’s rear axle by detaching the back seat and the nuts from the bike’s rear axle. Follow that by connecting the coupler plate to the rear axle, metal support to the coupler, and joining the metal support with the trailer.
In Conclusion, Can You Pull A Bike Trailer With A Road Bike?
A bike trailer allows you to carry different things while riding your road bike up and about, from bringing your kids or pets on your rides to carrying items like groceries more easily.
To get the best of your trailer, consider safety, ventilation and coverage, weight and size capacity, and storage space.
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