BikeTrailerShop.com just got in a batch of the new longer forks for the Extrawheel Voyager. These longer mounting forks were designed with 29er mountain bikes in mind, though the longer fork is also useful for the 28″ European wheel standard as well as for providing extra clearance for 26″ or 700c wheels with fenders.
As you know, the Extrawheel Voyager is a great bike trailer for mountain biking. With the recent rising numbers of 29ers in use, I thought it was very important for Extrawheel to get on the ball and manufacturer a longer version of their fork. They got to work promptly and its cool that they got them out there just in time for the summer bike touring season.I’ve been keeping an eye on BikePacking.net and noticing that the ultra-light setups are the main emphasis here. Most of the setups that they are discussing are quite lightweight and often bypass even using racks and panniers. Those that are using racks and panniers seem to be utilizing Old Man Mountain racks as these are about the best bike racks around for mounting to front and rear suspension mountain bikes. But more common than a rack setup, are the custom bike bag setups made by the likes of Carosel and Epic Design. These setups generally involve some combination of an extra large handlebar bags, an XL saddle bag and a large usually custom bicycle frame bag. This setup, offers a fairly limited amount of storage capacity and addition of a bicycling specific backpack also is often used for both extra capacity and for the convenience of carrying a water bladder.
Bikepackers have been pushing the envelope towards ultra lightweight load setups. To get an idea of what I mean, have a look at the personal setups page at BikePacking.net. Ultralight bikepacking setups generally involve a custom made handlebar bag, saddle bag and often a large bicycle frame bag. Sometimes for even more capacity a bicycling specific backpack is also a good way to go. Most of the bike backpacks we carry include a water bladder with extra water capacity definitely being appreciated for most bikepacking adventures.
On the opposite side of the spectrum, is the need for lots of gear. Perhaps you are riding through the outback. Perhaps you are the sherpa for your spouse. Perhaps you just like bringing more luxuries. Perhaps you like to have access to a mountain bike unencumbered with gear along your ride. Perhaps you prefer to keep the majority of your load off of your bike. All of these reasons would encourage the use of an off-road suited trailer like the Extrawheel Voyager.
The Extrawheel Voyager is not just an option to ultralight touring, it can be considered a part of it. How about ultralight expedition touring. The kind of tour where you need a ton of gear but still want to be as light as possible. The Extrawheel Voyager trailer itself only weight 8.6 pounds along with the weight of the panniers you choose.
Beyond mountain biking, the Extrawheel Voyager shines as a bike commuter trailer. It’s small, short size is fast and maneuverable through the most heinous of traffic conditions. This lightweight maneuverability also make it a great trailer for a tandem where every ounce of maneuverability is well appreciated.
