CSA and Compost Bicycle Trailer

The CSA / Compost Bike Trailer project addresses the underutilized potential of
the bicycle as a cargo carrying transportation device in the urban landscape of New York
City. Implemented in order to meet the local transportation needs of the Ditmas Park
CSA and Compost for Brooklyn, the CSA / Compost Bike Trailer ultimately seeks to
connect and build relationships between environmentally minded groups and individuals
in the Brooklyn neighborhood of Ditmas Park by helping them work together to make our
food cycle healthier and more sustainable.

The final iteration of the CSA / Compost Bike Trailer meets the needs of all
programmatic elements required by the Ditmas Park community groups involved
and ultimately is designed to be reconstructed many times over by groups in other
neighborhoods with similar needs. To pursue this goal a detailed set of free construction
documents has been made available online and all materials used to make the bike trailer
are easily and inexpensively accessible at local hardware stores. It is our hope that the
CSA / Compost Bike Trailer will ultimately connect people within the communities
it functions within, promoting a healthier food cycle and the bicycle as a viable cargo
carrying transportation device in the urban city environment.

by Pavel Mamontov and Greg Diedrich
urbanbike.parsons.edu

Step 1: Schematics & Shopping List

Here's the plan of how to assemble the trailer. Also included is he shopping list which is around $150. However, if you decide to skip on the paint job and advertising on the sides it can be reduced by $50. Also, some parts on the list can be scavenged, like the milk crates, buckets, hose, plywood etc. reducing the cost even more.

Comments

[bo88y]

First, the lumber you're showing is nominal 1x2 (actual 3/4" x 1-1/2"), not 2x2 (1-1/2" x 1-1/2").
I like the way you incorporated a kickstand in the design. I wonder about the weight it will have to support (and your tongue-weight). It might be better to locate your axle about 2" or 3" behind the center of gravity. I'm also a little concerned about the bounciness of the plywood going over bumps, if the buckets are filled with damp or wet compost. Gluing a strip of 1x2 to the bottom, flatwise, along each long edges of the plywood would stiffen it up considerably. Gluing one on top and one on the bottom would create a 2" deep beam along both edges, but that might be overkill. (A cross piece on the bottom where the axle is mounted would be needed, too.)

[CluthaDubh]

Is this plug going to help against surging during braking? like the simplicity.

[GiggleWhiskers]

Well, mostly we put it there so the conduit wouldn't scratch the seat post. We used another piece of rubber hose that we folded into a "U" shape and put around the seat post with the ends of the "U" attached to the bolt you see in the picture. To make it adjustable we made several holes on one side of the "U" like a belt. It looks kinda like what this guy did: http://www.instructables.com/id/Hammer-Time-Bike-Trailer/step5/The-Hitch/

Originally we were going to use a heavy spring at the end of the hitch to help with surging but I think we got the wrong size spring or something at Home Depot so we had to settle for the hose.

[CluthaDubh]

Like the schematics, would like to use them as a base for my own build, at the moment it's see what i can find and adapt.

[GiggleWhiskers]

Awesome! Glad this is helping somebody

[Kaptain Kool]

Awesome idea, how cool would it be if you made (or got others to help) an entire fleet of these in New York.

[GiggleWhiskers]

Thanks! Yea it would be cool, gotta have the organizations that would use them though. Like CSAs or community gardens. If you know any that could use it point them to this instructable :)

[Kaptain Kool]

Sadly, I'm not involved in any community gardens, but if I was I would show them this instuctable!