Build your own wheelie bin bicycle trailer

We love cargo bikes, but they are expensive and can be tricky to store if you’re short on space so we set ourselves a challenge to boost a conventional bicycle's carry capacity to 240 litres on a budget of £50 (and make sure it remained easy to store). For reference, the cheapest 20-litre pannier we could find online was £22.50.

With our £50 we bought a new 240-litre wheelie bin for £37, a length of 22 mm copper pipe for £11, a pipe fitting and a handful of nuts and bolts. The only tools required are a hacksaw and a drill. Watch our short film to see how we did it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gaaE-yqgtDY&feature=youtu.be

The result is a 240-litre bicycle trailer that is cheap to build and easy to store - when you are back home after shopping or the school run, simply park the wheelie bin trailer next to your real bins.

Adding a couple of cushions makes it possible to carry a passenger and there is still space for over 100 litres of storage.

Cycle insurance for your bicycle and trailer

Here at the ETA we believe a combination of bicycles, cargo bikes and trailers has the potential to radically transform our towns and cities for the better. If you need insurance for your utility cycling, give our friendly team a call or get an instant cycling insurance quote below.

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Our wheelie bin design is by no means the most unusual bicycle trailer idea of recent years. RCA graduate Daniel Durnin built the amphibious vessel as way of taking a sustainable micro break without venturing too far afield. “an escape from the stresses of city life, the Water Bed encourages users to find temporary respite in and reconnect with the city’s existing waterways and wildlife.”

The Water Bed is constructed from marine plywood and a lightweight aluminium frame, which supports two bicycle wheels for towing.

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