I’ve long been a fan of panniers for commuting and longer rides, but I have been desperately curious about a bike trailer for a while. So, I’m thrilled to present my Burley Nomad trailer review.
My building is super weird about accepting packages, so when the trailer arrived, it ended up getting sent to my local FedEx store — exactly half a mile away. I asked my partner to come along for a little walk, dreading dragging the massive box home. We got to FedEx, and when I tried to lift the reasonably sized box to the ground, my arms flew up — the box was so much lighter than I ever could have anticipated.
It wasn’t until the next day, when my partner was at work, when I opened the box to try the trailer out. Again, I was pleasantly surprised. One might think that a cycling enthusiast would have a love for mechanical things, but that is not true for me.
I took the instructions, Nomad frame, wheels, tow arm, hitch, flags, and cover out of the and, though nervous at first, set it up in just 15 minutes. The wheels easily popped onto the frame (one button takes them on and off!), the tow arm effortlessly slid into place, the waterproof cover made sense, and the hitch was as easy as taking my wheel’s skewer off and putting it back on. This thing was made for people like me — the mechanically inept.
The only issue I had was pushing up the bar that held the waterproof cover up. I joined my friend on a ride along the Burke-Gilman Trail, and had him muscle the cover upright. This felt like a fluke.
That first ride, I opted to only carry things I didn’t care about in the Burley Nomad bike trailer. I was worried that things might fall out, that it would get run over, or that it would randomly detach from my bike. It did absolutely none of the above, happily.
For the first ten miles, I kept looking back. “Was it still there? Was my stuff in it?” Every time I looked back there was no problem, until I just forgot about it.
Through the rest of my rides with this rugged beast of a trailer, I have found it to be a dream to use for a variety of reasons.
The Pros
- Lightweight: This trailer weighs less than 15 pounds. If you’re like me, then that sounds like a lot. But, in reality, that is nothing. The trailer floats behind me, seemingly on air. I never notice it behind me. Even when packed with stuff, there is just a push as you start and then you forget your large load once rolling.
- Durable: Although the Burley trailer is so light and easy to use, it is still rugged. The wheels are tough and offer plenty of squish — which comes in handy when I run over huge curbs and massive bumps. The cover is hardy and super waterproof, and the frame is sturdy.
- Maneuverable: Every time I ride, I am impressed by how maneuverable this trailer is. It has amazing turning capabilities (I have even U-turned on a tiny dock on a lake before) and doesn’t affect the way I ride at all. The low center of gravity makes it miss some of the wind that my panniers catch, which is lovely. And, it is compact — the width isn’t much larger than I am on my bike, which means I’m less afraid of the trailer getting swiped by passing cars.
The Cons
- Stairs: This is probably not a problem for many, but I live in a three-floor walkup. That means three flights up and three flights down every day I use this. With a bike, I can just pick it up. With the trailer, I have to carry the bike first, and then carry the trailer. In downtown Seattle’s drug-addled alleys, this can be a bit dicey. Once out, I just avoid stairs and have no problems!
- Hitch: The hitch can be a bit hard to wiggle in and out. This is a super minor issue.
- Locking: You can’t lock up panniers, and you can’t lock up this trailer. I’d love to be able to comfortably leave my stuff on the roadside while grabbing a burrito on a ride. Have you guys solved this problem?
The Verdict: Buy Now!
I love this trailer, and I know you will too. Check it out on Burley right now: here.
Just keep spinning — Arielle