Over the summer we received a couple of emails asking us what we though of pulling a bicycle trailer like a BOB or Burley Nomad with a carbon framed bicycle. We all now the stigma that surround Carbon fiber frames, many people cringe at the thought of using a carbon fiber frame for anything else then road riding on pristine pavement.
Even though these days mountain bike frames, forks, wheels, seat posts, handlebars and even seats are all made of carbon fiber. From an engineering standpoint carbon fiber is, ounce for ounce, significantly stronger then steel or aluminum. A steel or aluminum frame that is not designed specifically for touring is subjected to the same unusual load a carbon fiber bike is.
Now I would venture to guess that although many steel and aluminum bikes have mounts for bike racks carbon bikes do not, but by no means does that mean that you can’t tour with one. All you need to do is reconsider how you will carry your gear and a bike trailer is a great way to do that.
Using a bicycle trailer such as a BOB Yak, BOB Ibex, or Burley Nomad trailer takes the load off your bike frame down to the rear axle and rear wheel. Doing this not only keeps your pretty carbon bike free of anything that might be an eye sore, but enables you to use your carbon bike to carry gear with just a flick of the quick release.
If you have a carbon frame that you want to tour on we at the Bike Trailer Shop support the use of an axle mount trailer on carbon road and mountain frames, so go some where with your carbon bike, longer then just a few hours.
I would like to thank Matt for motivating this post.