I really put my new trailer to work today, we went 19 miles together and climbed over 960 feet.
I used it to haul…
-trash
-laundry
-my laptop
-groceries
-two kids
Not all at the same time though, thankfully!
This was my first time hauling my own trash to the dump. Previously, I would bribe my brother with either food or money to drop in off with his car. It might seem like a tiny, even weird thing to finally be able to take my garbage to the dump completely independently, but it made me beyond thrilled. Look at me, my bike and trailer! We can do practically anything!
On the way up to the dump a pickup truck passed me, but slowly, because he was hauling trash as well in a (slightly bigger)trailer. When I got to the dump a few minutes later he told me he was impressed by how I kept up with him. The guys at the dump were really kind as well. One of them helped me carry my bags to the drop-off point and the other dude gave me a break on the cost I was supposed to pay on the bags.
First dump experience = win!
Then I went to babysit and since my trailer is actually a child-specific trailer, their mom was fine with me giving two of my favorite little boys in the world a ride. They are two and four years old and thought it was the best thing ever.
“Fast!” They would call out and I would pedal furiously (in a low gear for increased dramatic effect of course).
With a cry of “Slow!” I would coast, giving my legs a break, which I needed for what lay ahead.
I am a pushover when it comes to cute little kids that I adore, so when they asked to go, “Faster, faster, faster!!!” I coasted down a hill. Not just any hill though. A hill that is fairly short but has a gradient up to 13%. Have you ever pulled a 22 pound trailer with 65 pounds of kids in it up a hill? I never had before and I personally believe that no gears that exist are small enough to make that task easy.
There were two town workers cleaning the road on the hill and they asked me, “Will you be able to make up there?” I told them I didn’t know, but that I was going to give it my best shot. It took everything I had, but I climbed that hill with the best cadence I could muster. I was sweating bullets at the end but it felt great.
After babysitting, I went to the store and picked up groceries. It is so nice to be able to buy whatever I need to buy without calculating available pannier space. My world has changed, I could buy out the whole store and take it home with me if I wanted to!
My new trailer is awesome, with it I can do anything and everything I need to do in my day-to-day life without the help of a car. It feels wonderful!
I had a trailer when my kids were little. Ride them to the park. Let them play. Put them in the trailer. They would fall alseep instantly. I’d go for a ride with them snoozing away.
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That, right there, is true perfection, rootchopper!
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I love my little bike trailer as well. Makes packing stuff on a bike a breeze. But it sure can be a challenge getting up steep hills when you have occupants. It’ll make you stronger pretty quick. If you’re going to do much of that, you might want to look into those jeans for cyclists 😉 (https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1336021397/keirin-cut-jeans/description)
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Thanks for the link, Carmel!
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Us bike riders have a mantra. ‘The hills are our friends. The hills are our friends”, that we repeat while suffering up a 13% grade.
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It feels so strange, all of the hills I climbed yesterday I have climbed many times before and in a way they do seem like old friends. I know exactly how much exertion it will take to climb each one.
But throw hauling a trailer into the equation and those same hills feel totally different! And not like friends at all 🙂
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Although I b*tch and moan about hills, I secretly love them. Nothing shows the signs of a true cyclist more than their ability to tackle hills. And it’s a KILLER workout for your entire body. BRING ON the hills!
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It is a killer workout to be sure! My legs actually feel fine this morning, but my back is another story, I think next time I am pulling the trailer up hills I need to watch my position on my bike so my back doesn’t feel so strained.
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