First Shopping Run With B.O.B. Yak

Townie and B.O.B Yak

I recently found a nearly new B.O.B Yak on Craigslist.  Today, I made my first shopping trip with it. The trailer performed well and extending my townie’s capabilities to grocery shopping and running other errands is going to further increase apathy toward my car.

The trailer install amounts to changing the skewer on your back wheel to the “hitch” provided by B.O.B.  In my case, I had to shorten the skewer by about 1/4″ with a hacksaw, so my install took 15 minutes instead of five.  The hitch consists of short extensions on each end of the skewer that support the tongue rails, which are held in place by cotter pins. Attaching and releasing the trailer takes about 30 seconds.

The trailer is rated to 70 lbs.  I found that 5 gallons of water wasn’t much of a challenge for riding straight down the street, but when navigating sidewalks I turned too sharp and the trailer flopped over awkwardly.  I think if you put 70 lbs on it, the weight needs to be packed as low as possible on the trailer to lend stability.  And water is a little more challenging because it sloshes about a bit.

The bag is a nice addition as it kept all my other groceries safely contained in the trailer, but I suppose any appropriately sized duffel bag would do.

I am not sure the suspended version would work any better for me.  I have only paved roads between home, grocery stores, hardware stores, coffee, etc. and the Yak trails along comfortably on these surfaces with and without load.

The B.O.B Yak may become my favorite bicycle accessory since the handle bar cup holder.