Bicycle Hauling Cart From Old Child Trailer

I find these baby trailers being pitched all the time. They are usually in good working order other than the fabric cover being torn, faded etc. I decided to make this one into a trailer. This is a pretty simple tutorial, strip off the old add the new. You could use wood decking for a cool look. I used wire shelving since I have a bundle of it and I feel like it will allow air to move through easily making it easier on the cyclist. I built this for a neighbor who prefers biking over driving, she loves it!

Strip Off All the Fabric

This is the easiest part, you may need a screw driver to remove medal snaps that pin the fabric to the frame. Just remove everything you don't want or can't use. If you know how to sew you could add the female side of the snaps to straps used to secure things inside the buggy.

Figure Out How to Attach the Rig

This attachment was a temporary rig up so I could test out the trailer. I had a 4" angle bracket I straightened out a bit and drilled a hole large enough to allow the axel to slip through I also lopped off the excess. You can (and should) order a factory correct clasp, I told my neighbor where she could get one. Anyway, it served the purpose for testing that day and was thrown back into my spare parts bin afterwards. The reason I wouldn't rely on this attachment is the metal the bracket is made of would most likely bend a bunch and could break off, so it wouldn't be safe in the long run. I found a brand name on the fabric I stripped off the buggy and looked up the proper attachment. If you don't have any markings, the local bike shop should be able to help you order the right hardware.

Measure and Cut Your Decking

I had an abundance of these metal wire shelves in my shop, As I mentioned I feel like this material will allow for air to pass through easily, I also liked using it for its strength. I used a sharpie to mark where the cuts needed to be and used my 4" grinder to cut the pieces to length. I used zip ties to attach the decking, I wasn't sure if my neighbor would like it so I didn't want to do a bunch of tapping and drilling before she gave it a maiden voyage. I feel like the zip ties are easily replaced, and a year on she hasn't broken any (gotta love zip ties!) I attached the sides first. Next I put down two on the bottom, then two up the back to make sure stuff can't get blown out, and one across the front. She mainly needed it for groceries so I felt like the front could be left open. A good thing to add would be one of those trunk nets that you could drape or strap across the cargo.

Test Your Ride

Once you have it together, you should drive around the block a couple times. Next add some weight, throw a couple of concrete blocks in there and see how it maneuvers. These rigs are made to maneuver well, so it should work the same way, just with more resistance from the weight you add. I also put an old bike reflector on the top of the back edge of the trailer to make it more visible at night. Thanks for looking!