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Which Raven Model? (& Max Load Chart)

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revelo:

--- Quote from: Danneaux on October 25, 2012, 04:42:01 am ---<nods>
Frank...I'd like to offer a suggestion for you to ponder (you'll know best if it might prove suitable for your use): Have you considered a trailer to ease the load on a lighter bike? While the overall weight might be the same or more than you presently have, the stress/load carried on the bike would be less, since it is shared by the trailer. The result might keep you well within the Nomad X's weight limits. I have been testing the Extrawheel trailer and am impressed by how it allows a lighter bike to carry heavier loads than it could manage otherwise. Perhaps something like that (with large wheel) would allow you to carry your present or occasionally heavier loads on a lighter, more lively Nomad X without incurring wobble or the possibility of frame failure that could occur by putting the weight on the bike alone. Much to my surprise, I have found the trailer to be almost unnoticeable in much of my on- and off-road testing so far.

--- End quote ---

No, no, no, a thousand times no to a trailer. I am aware that people have used trailers in very rugged situations (http://www.wildworks.co.nz/csr/home.php), but the downsides are many. It's just a bad idea, as you will discover eventually. The only time to go with a trailer is when the load is so heavy that the load can't be carried without one, which was the case with Jakub Postrzygacz (he was carrying 30 days of food plus huge amounts of water). 40kg is NOT at all a heavy load for the Nomad MKII, which is what I have. So if the Nomad-X won't handle such a load, then that answers my question as to how to carry 40kg. Namely, go with the Nomad MKII.

People who says trailers work fine simply haven't encountered truly rugged terrain, yet such terrain in common in the American west. In particular, washed out roads can be extremely rugged. I haven't used the extra-wheel myself, but one look at it and I can see it is a good design, but I can also see where it will cause problems in all sorts of situations. Of course, you can always portage, but that is a royal PITA. Trailers are a bad idea and probably unnecessary for 99.9% of the people, given that the Nomad MKII with its heavy-duty Thorn racks is available as a much better option.

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