Tow Capacity =/

[Haitian_King]

Heck, just sitting there and letting ozone and heat get to them destroys them. The no bicycle bridge still gets me.

That's pretty common. No bike riding or pedestrians on the Burlington-Bristol, Ben Franklin, Betsy Ross, Tacony-Palmyra, or the Walt Whitman bridges. Was I the only one to think that wasn't a weird thing?

[RAP]

It is illegal to ride a bike across the bridge to the next town where i train with other people for a triathalon. Even if i did said training alone at home out in the country by my house (which is already a bad idea with no shoulders and limited viewing distances) i would still need a way to get the bike to the actual race which is 30 miles away. So its not that i am lazy, but merely its not legal to ride to where i train which is already almost 20 miles from where i live as it is. I also like to do trail riding at my parents place in north carolina which is 480 miles away, so i guess i should ride my bike there too?

Well a 480 road trip would provide plenty training for sure. Set you up for the Tour de France. At 25 mph on a bike that would be about 20 hours non stop?

However I have to agree that riding bikes on most US roads is a dangerous proposition and really not yet a good transportation alternative, in the country or the cities If the high cost of fuel persist then there will be a change of attitudes towards using bikes and providing space for them. That would be a good thing but we are far from there yet. In the meantime, I am of the opinion that the way of the future is high fuel cost and folks with a limited supply of bucks will have to do some figuring. Such as, "do I really want to spend my limited funds to drive 480 miles, one way to go bike trail riding" ?

I'm not picking on you but simply using this situation as an example of having to start thinking about how will I use my gas budget?

To return to the topic, "trailer hitch for our cars that will carry a bike" which would be rendered moot if it becomes too expensive to engage in frivolous pursuits of happiness? Thus rendering the need for a bike carrier as, well. un-needed. So I'll rest my case here and post no more on this subject.

Jack

[maxnix]

That's pretty common. No bike riding or pedestrians on the Burlington-Bristol, Ben Franklin, Betsy Ross, Tacony-Palmyra, or the Walt Whitman bridges. Was I the only one to think that wasn't a weird thing?

Man,and I thought Texas was pedestrian and bicycle unfriendly!

More people need to go to Holland and see their wide dedicated bicycle lanes.

[qship96]

Why not just bag the bicycle and tow hook problem all together and get a nice, fast.............................Motorcycle!!!!

[jimbyjimb]

Agreed. The crappiest 350cc Honda is still more fun to be on than any car is to drive. Mounting a trailer hitch sounds like a very expensive and difficult way of attaining this goal. Just get a roof rack, sandwich the bike in somewheres or use the cheap trunk mount. They work, are available and much less expensive than attempting to mount a hitch that's practical application seems a little bit rediculous when other solutions are more inexpensively and more easily attained.

[twoeightythreez]

I have a 1994 Q.
I have a curt class 1 hitch on it rated for up to 2500#.
OM states towing up to 1000# is ok.
I tow a 1975 shipmaster tandem axle 4x9 utility trailer, which has tall sides and likely weighs 500# by itself.
I take car not to over load the car, but the trailer is a one ton gross weight rating.
The car does not even know it is back there.
In fact, my Q is actually one of the best tow vehicles I have used. It trailers similarly to a GM b body.
can it tow a car trailer? Hell no, but OP is talking about a tiny little thing that could just about be pulled by a motorcycle. Geez. That said,
I would say in full confidence that if I were to reinforce the chassis, put poly sub frame bushings in, and put higher rate springs out back, I would be able to tow another car with it, no problem.
I have trouble believing that a 4100# V8 powered vehicle with a 114" wheelbase would suffer any Ill effects whatsoever towing a lousy half a ton.
How are subframe bushings gonna wear out faster pulling such a low amount of weight on wheels?
It is no different than accelerating with heavy throttle up a hill.
remember that when you tow you tend to take y our time more.
I am more concerned about what PA's horrid pothole infested, frost heaved roads do to the sub frame bushings.....A small PWC trailer will be fine.