Review - Burley Coho XC

In this video I will be talking about the Burley Coho XC. I have had this trailer for a few years now and have put some serious miles on it. In 2019 I took it on a 2 week 1000 km+ Tour of Eastern shores of Lake Huron and in 2020 I began my Cross Canada Tour with it and pulled the Burley Coho XC all the way to Thunder Bay before deciding that trailers are just to much work on the climbs.
The Burley Coho XC is a great trailer and in this video I will talk about the build quality as well as my experiences on the road, what I like and dislike. Trailers are fun to use but if you are touring anywhere with lots of climbing it can feel like you are towing a anchor uphill! And that can be said for any trailer not just the Burley Coho XC.
If you would like to contribute to the Tour Divide in 2024 here is a link to my platforms that you can use to do that. Thanks!

#burleycohoxc
#touring
#trek1120
#bikepacking
#wanderingeyeoutdoors

[tconnolly]

Beautifully produced video and a great review of the Coho.
I own 3 trailers now although I have never toured. It was "The ultimate bike trailer?" tagline that grabbed my attention so I had to look.
I use trailers basically for carrying stuff (there's a novel idea!😂) for utilitarian purposes and basically to turn my bike when needed into a cargo bike and a real world practical alternative to a car. So my needs and wants from a trailer are very different from all of the other comments I've read here.
I have a large sized dog trailer because it's very large with a big load carrying area and completely enclosed and secure. Just load it up like the boot of your car from the front, back or top, zip it up and go. I've had 70kg of weekly shopping home in it. A really great and practical "cargo" trailer. It really was a great decision as my first cargo trailer.
Then I got an actual cargo trailer for everything that wouldn't fit into the dog trailer cabin. Like 60x80cm stacked containers or the last time I used it, I first bought about 30kg of groceries and then picked up my full sized lawnmower after being repaired and pedalled the 7.5km home.
And finally I got a cheap single wheel for occasional use that's not wider than the bike unlike the others and is handy for small loads that are still too awkward for racks and panniers. With the other two I can't slip through a space to get past traffic because they're too wide. But they allow me to carry almost anything I would in a car.
As I said, very utilitarian and in my experience so far, there's definitely no one single trailer that's suitable for every purpose.
With every trailer and especially the two large 2 wheeled trailers (they weigh 13kg each empty) there is definitely more resistance on the roads and on hills or when facing a strong headwind. Even empty. Still some with the single wheel but much less. Although I'm 2 metres tall and weigh 120kg plus a large frame bike to accommodate me plus racks, bags, locks and chains, water and always more so another 30-50kg behind isn't as much to me as it might sound to other people perhaps? And I'm mostly on open country roads because I live in a rural area.
I permanently have at least a rear rack and selection of bags with me but when I know I'm going to carry something heavier or bulky even the single wheel is so convenient for just 10-30kg loads.
When not planned, ALWAYS carrying a few extra bungee cords often saved the day! 😅l
Having suspension on both the trailer AND the bike sounds like a lot of spring n bounce and wasted energy! 🥵
Since you hooked me in and got me to look I thought I'd share a brief insight into my different experience and requirements from different trailers.
I do own a car and I have a trailer for it as well for when needed but it's just so much more fun and satisfying whenever practical to leave the car at home and to do as much I can by bike.
Enjoy your touring! 👍

[billcompton]

Great video.
I just recently purchased the burley coho myself.
I have a specialized turbo vado 5.0 igh that is electric.
This will definitely help with the hills.
I have taken some trips with my salsa Fargo loaded up on the bike and i didn't like the way that rode.
bill c

[hikingontario]

Thank you for sharing this great footage! Greetings from Canada and wish you have a wonderful day!

[petesig]

Great review of the trailer, looking at its great features and limitations. I have toured with trailers, both the BOB trailer and the Extrawheel. I got the BOB trailer about 22 years ago. On its first tour I was all packed up for a 7 day tour in the mountains towing it behind my dual suspension MTB. I loaded it for a trial run, and it was SO whippy that I repacked all my gear into the four panniers on my touring MTB (a rigid frame) and found that the BOB only carried 3 panniers-worth of gear. I rode the whole tour on the rigid MTB, very happily. Later tours with the BOB have been on my tandem in western Tasmania, and for shorter tours in more local regions. Also note that with a loaded BOB (or similar) trailer there is often a tendency for the trailer to jackknife on steep descents and they do cause the trailer to fall-over, as you said, or self-park when turned in sharp manoeuvring, usually when off the bike. I found this to be really annoying. I have also done two extended expedition tours with the Extrawheel into the deserts of Australia, and have found this, with two added panniers to be a much more suitable trailer, for added capacity with a pannier set-up (6 panniers). The Extrawheel also does not produce any jackknife-tendency, nor do the 'self-park' thing when manoeuvring off the bike.

My son often tours using his BOB-trailer together with two front panniers on a front rack. This is I believe one of the best ways to use the BOB, giving a bit more carrying capacity, better handling than the trailer alone, and capability to carry larger single items (eg. a slab of beer 😆). Mostly I prefer to just use panniers for extended tours and mountain tours, reserving my Extrawheel trailer for the added capacity needed in the desert ( 6-7 days food and 20L+ of water).

[Crispyground]

Thank you for this review esp the various video shots of the trailer while it's being towed...great to see the shock working! I've not owned a bike trailer before, but something like this could be my first.

[GavinCowardswymlyphe]

Thanks for this! I'm looking at getting one and this was so helpful.

[mswarrior]

👀 Looks like your in northern Minnesota!!! 🇺🇸🌎🚴🇺🇸 CHEERS!! 🍻

[propylaeen]

Hm, listening to your choice of music you might opt in for a cross southern Europe tour.

[stefannico]

Excellent video!! Well done and thank you, especially for the camera footage of the trailer in action!

I actually have this trailer sitting around for two years now, since I had nowhere to go with ut because of the C virus.

I'm planning to use it next week, riding it through german forests in autumn colors, camping at lakes and sending off the year 2022.

I am curious how the shock will perform. Over roots and stones, since I will be pulling it behind my Specialized Enduro and plan on taking it down singletrails.

If you come up with noise dampening ideas in the future, please let us know. I'm thinking about some rubber washers for the bottom plate maybe.

[Bike-About]

I own this trailer ... From your experience is it better to have the pivot as free as possible OR have some resistance there ?
Like your front rack ... is it part of the bike OR an addition ?

[fernandosoares]

muito interessante para curtas viagens de bicicleta,

[socalupdates]

Is your frame bag a 4 Litres or a 6 Litres?
I have a medium size 1120 but I am not sure if the 6 Litres Ortlieb frame bag would fit.

Thanks

[wheelsforward]

Great vid...I have a cheap version of a bob trailer....paid $110 CND in 2018... Pulled it from Brantford Ontario to Edmundson NB last year...1550 kms in 22 days...loved it...other than the climbs lol . downhills were great however.. sometimes you forget it's there...but as much as I love it..I think I'll be using panniers next yr when i do all of Canada

[kengauhl]

Would the Burley COHO fit a fat tire bike?

[davidlynch]

That BOB has been everywhere from Iceland to Guatemala, Canada, Alaska, mainland US, Mexico, Greece to Germany and all over Europe loaded like this. Approx 75, 000 Kms
The skateboard bearings in that little wheel are still spinning!
My wife and I will leave for a 3 year long tour in a few months and I have built a new instrument for the trip. Unfortunately, it won't fit in my BOB the way my Sitar did, so I am looking at the Burley in hopes that I can just rest it along the top like a table.
I've never had a problem climbing with the BOB and as I get older, I seem to enjoy climbing more and more. The set up in the video was 220lbs before water and without me on the bike. ;)
I am still undecided if I will modify another BOB, go with the Burley or try the Topeak Journey....
Thoughts?

[register]

Unless it was a partner trip and you could share the load, not for me. Build it and they will come. Buy it and you will fill it up.