14.05.06 | taking the trailer for a spin…

After spending a few hours in my office (to make up for some of the time i will be riding over the next week), i hitched the trailer, loaded it up a went on a short ride of a little over 20km. This was my first time out with it loaded - i hitched it up (empty) yesterday for a trip around the block to see what the feel was like.
At first i could notice the extra weight, but not for long. Acceleration was not as quick, and it still had a little bounce (far less than when empty). Once going the momentum was quite good and a good cruising speed was easy enough to obtain. Handling wise, it is somewhat unnoticeable... I had read some reviews so was aware of the implications for breaking. A u-turn requires a bit more room too!
I tried to ride a diversity of terrain - busy city streets, cycleways, crushed gravel trail an and light sand. Sand was a little tricky and if i come across any of this with the trailer fully loaded it may the a time that hopping off the bike and pushing is required. I had a quick try and some rough (compact) dirt climbs and ths was no an issue at all - will probably be the only times i will use the granny gear!
Given the diversity of terrain i rode on the short ride today, i discovered the major bonus of having the trailer hitched: cars gave me a wide bearth. I am not sure whether it comes down to looking more serious as a rider, the addd bulk, the increased visible profile or the image of something different?
I have attached a pic of the set-up against the wall at bunnytown (a better pic will follow)...