Scrapheap challenge: Wheelie bin bike trailer
November 26, 2020
We love cargo bikes, but they're expensive and can be tricky to store if you’re short on space. A couple of years ago we set ourselves a challenge to boost a conventional bicycle's carry capacity to 240 litres on a budget of £50 (and make sure it remained easy to store). For reference, the cheapest 20-litre pannier we could find online was £22.50.
With our £50 we bought a new 240-litre wheelie bin for £37, a length of 22 mm copper pipe for £11, a pipe fitting and a handful of nuts and bolts. The only tools required are a hacksaw and a drill. Watch our short film to see how we did it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gaaE-yqgtDY&feature=youtu.be
The result is a 240-litre bike trailer that is cheap to build and easy to store - when you are back home after shopping or the school run, simply park the wheelie bin trailer next to your real bins.
Adding a couple of cushions makes it possible to carry a passenger and there is still space for over 100 litres of storage.
We're not suggesting the wheelie bin is a serious alternative to as properly engineered trailer but we had a lot of fun building it. If you have any DIY bike trailer stories you'd like to share please post them below.
Cycle insurance for your bicycle and trailer
Here at the ETA we believe a combination of bicycles, cargo bikes and trailers has the potential to radically transform our towns and cities for the better. If you need insurance for your utility cycling, give our friendly team a call or get an instant quote below.
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Information correct at time of publication.