DIY Bike Cart: Build a Trailer for Easy Cargo Transport

Do you want to know how to make a bike cart? A bike cart is a very efficient solution for carrying heavy loads on a bicycle without having to make all the effort. It basically distributes the weight and puts most of it away from the rear wheel of the bicycle by adding a third wheel on the cart. So the convoy is now composed by a regular bicycle hauling a small trailer.

What you need to make a bike cart is:

• A smaller wheel, fourteen to twenty inches will work.
• Two old solid forks.
• Fifteen to twenty feet of steel bars, 1/2" to 1/3" inch wide. The quantity of steel bars needed will depend on the design.
• A 15" by 35" metal plate, for the base of the loading compartment.
• A welding machine with it´s welding materials.
• Welding protection. Gloves, glasses and apron are required.

To make a bike cart you have to:

1. Choose or draw a design. Basically, a bike cart consists of two forks welded together with some loading space. One of the forks goes horizontally to the rear axle of the bicycle (the link fork) and the other holds the cart´s wheel.
2. Weld the cart´s frame to the link fork. You can use a moving joint or hinge, to allow for smoother maneuvering.
3. Place and weld the base to the frame.
4. Weld the cart´s wheel fork. A solid fork will be enough, but a suspension will not hurt and will prevent the cart from skipping around making it difficult to control de bicycle.
5. Establish the load limit. Depending on the chosen design and materials, carefully decide the load limit of the cart, to avoid overloading and subsequent problems on the road.

A bike cart avoids the use of saddlebags, that put all the weight on the bicycle. But it also presents some more difficulty at the time of maneuvering. So be careful, and have fun!