I really like the idea of the Burley Travoy, which is a much refined version of the concept of pulling something like a (Whitmore) wire utility cart–the kinda cart that “grandmas” do their shopping with.

Well…i’m not a grandma, and I don’t ride a fasionable bike, either. So, when packing a pile of canvas sacks around a farmers market, as they fill up, I really want to put them in a stroller because the do get heavy, and commuting back to the bike stand after every visit to a booth is something of a time waster. This is a good opportunity for such a wire cart. I suspect the price of a wire cart is much lower than a Travoy.

Possible cons to towing one of these wire utility carts is bouncing and rattling. The wheels on these carts are so bitty I don’t see how you could safely tow them at a speed over about 10mph. I wonder if it would be possible to put some 12in kids wheels on such a cart and extend the front legs with some tin cans.

The only other bit of engineering is coming up with a hitch. For a short bike (not a long tail), a horizontal pipe mounted to the seat-post…something like this I’ve seen advertised as a kid’s wagon, or golf bag caddy towing hitch. I bet about 20in long segment of 2in dia of PVC would be a good starting point.

Is this crazy? Let me know how many wheels I’m re-inventing.