Bumper Transporter trailer

Cargo bikes are making a comeback but the humble trailer is still one of the easiest and most versatile ways to extend your luggage capacity. This wooden-based, nylon-sided unit from Bumper will swallow a huge amount of stuff and it's stable and simple to fit, folding down for easy storage.

The chassis of the trailer is made from sturdy square section steel and the bike hitch folds away underneath the plywood base to make it easier to store. The wheels are on short axles held in place with a captive pin. It's a simple and effective solution and as the axle is braced by two sides of a square section there's no play once the wheel is in place. The box itself is a collapsible tubular steel frame with a tough nylon skin and rain cover; you only need to do up two thumbwheel bolts to erect it which takes about thirty seconds. The whole thing can be readied from its flat packed state in less than a minute, and when flat it takes up very little space.

Attaching the trailer to the bike is simply a case of fitting a mounting point through the rear quick release and sliding the trailer hitch on. It's held in place by a pin and there's a webbing loop for extra security.

I'm not sure where these trailers are made or what market they're primarily for, but I'm guessing that it's somewhere that the traffic uses the opposite side of the road to us - that doesn't narrow it down a lot. The reason? The trailer is offset, the bike doesn't sit equidistant between the two trailer wheels. Logically you'd have the trailer poking out a bit into the road so that traffic wouldn't be able to pass so close to you and you'd be less likely to hit the kerb with a trailer wheel. The Adventure is the other way round, which means you have to be a bit careful to keep yourself a bit further out into the tarmac. It's not a big issue, but it would be good to see a specific UK version.

Out on the road it's very well behaved most of the time, feeling stable and secure. It can pogo a bit due to the spring in the hitch but you can normally adjust your cadence to stop it happening. It'll hold a huge amount of gear – the weekly shop will fit with room to spare – and I never worried about anything falling out, although I was a bit concerned that something sharp would puncture the side wall. The walls are flexible enough that unwieldy objects can press through and against the tyres, so careful packing is sometimes necessary.

Verdict

A trailer is a good alternative to a cargo bike for many people, and the Transporter is a good trailer: sturdy enough for the job, light and collapsible enough to not get in the way when it's not being used.