Burley Travoy Trailer Review: E-Bike Cargo Hauler & Shopping Cart! [VIDEOS]

Electric bikes are great for carrying cargo!  And the Burley Travoy commuter trailer makes carrying cargo on your e-bike super easy!

I have been using the Travoy for the past month+ and I am impressed with how easy it is to use everywhere.  

One of the best parts is that when you park your bike, you can take the Travoy and/or its accessory bags with you into the office or into the store.  You don’t have to worry about leaving anything unsecured because the trailer and/or its bags can go where you go.

The Travoy has a number of different accessory options (bags, straps, rain cover, etc.) that will fit almost anybody’s needs. From commuting, to errand running, to delivery, to camping, and more!

One of the reasons I wanted to review the Travoy was because it will work with almost any electric bike.  A lot of traditional bike trailers attach to the dropout area of the bike and with some rear hub motor e-bikes, the motor cable gets in the way. The Travoy attaches either to the seatpost or rear rack of the bike. 

Here is a video from Burley that shows how the Travoy works and how it can be used:

Assembling the Burley Travoy

First of all let’s talk about the assembly of the Travoy out of the box:

Make sure you read the Warning!

The Travoy unboxed!  The upper Transit bag on the right is an optional accessory.

The Burley Travoy was very easy to assemble with instructions actually attached to the trailer!

Installing the wheels is very easy.  Just push the hub axle in until it clicks into place.

This is the kickstand for the Travoy so that it will stand upright when you use it as a rolling cart.

Here is the Travoy fully assembled with the Tote bag and upper Transit bag shown below it.

To fold the hitch of the Travoy down, simply twist the handle and rotate the hitch down.

Backside of the Travoy with the hinge folded down.

The view from above with the hitch folded down.  In this configuration the Travoy is a handy cart that can easily be wheeled around with you.

This is the quick release attachment clip that all of the bags and straps use.

This is the Tote bag installed on the Travoy trailer.  The Tote bag is great for getting groceries and/or many other errand items.  When the Travoy is completely folded it can fit inside of the Tote bag.

Here is the hitch assembly attached to the seatpost.  Burley also makes a rear rack adapter for the hitch in case attaching to the seatpost won’t work.

It is very easy to add or remove the Travoy via the quick release lever on the hitch.

Using the Burley Travoy

Here is a video from Burley showing the quick assembly of the Travoy and all the many uses: commuting, camping, shopping, picnicking, etc.

Let’s just say I enjoyed putting the Travoy to the test!  I have carried a lot of different cargo; from a bunch of groceries and the upper Transit bag to very large boxes all while traveling at a pretty good e-bike clip.

Putting the Travoy to the test!  The Easy Motion Neo Jumper and the Travoy handled this oversized load with ease.

The various different accessories make different kinds of cargo very manageable.  There are a bunch of accessory options: the large Tote bag for almost anything, top and bottom Transit bags for transporting office or school gear, Market bags for running errands, the Duffel bag for travel, the Dry bag for commuting/camping, tie down straps for the big loads, and a rain cover to keep things dry.  They all attach to the trailer with quick lock attachment clips.  The Travoy can carry 60 pounds of cargo.

It is very easy to install the trailer. There’s a very simple quick release mechanism that attaches to the seatpost or rack of the bike. This is handy for taking the trailer with you into the store when you’re out running errands. You can buy another trailer hitch for another bike so that it will be easy to swap between bikes.

It is also easy to remove the bags from the trailer and use them while you’re shopping.  If you leave the trailer connected to the bike when you’re in the store, just remember to lock the bike and trailer together.

Another option is to remove the Travoy from the bike and fold the hitch arm down and use the Travoy as a grocery cart.  Then you can go through the checkout line without using any bags: check your items through and then reload the Travoy!

When you get home it is nice to be able to disconnect the Travoy from the bike and wheel the trailer and groceries into the house to easily put them away.

The same is true when you are getting ready to head out for your commute or errand running.  Load up everything in the house, then wheel the Travoy outside and connect to your bike and off you go!

The trailer is very stable thanks to its connection point on the seatpost or rear rack of the bike. I have tried many times to tip the trailer over. For the most part the trailer is very stable under normal riding conditions.  The only time the trailer handling got weird is when there was no cargo load and I was standing out of the saddle, swinging the bike side to side while pedaling hard.  The rapid side to side motion caused the trailer wheels to come off the ground.  Just try to avoid this riding situation 🙂

The trailer tracks very well behind the bike. I can turn pretty tight corners and the trailer responds very well.

Off road testing the Burley Travoy with the OHM XS750 electric bike.

The trailer also has a number of options where you can collapse it down into a very small size so you can store it in your house or take it with you on a train, bus, or taxi.  The whole trailer can fit in the tote bag!

To remove the wheels, push the center hub button and pull the wheels off.

The Burley Travoy completely folded!

When completely folded the Travoy fits into the included Tote bag.

Here is a story about a guy who uses a Burley Travoy with his OHM XU700 electric bike.

Burley Travoy Specifications:

Capacity: 60 pounds of cargo.

Trailer Weight: 9.8 pounds

Track Width: 20″

Wheel Size: 12.5″

Size Folded: 21″ x 18″ x 8″

Size Unfolded: 53.3″ x 46.7″ x 20.3″

Colors: Yellow or Grey

Retail Price: $299 (includes Travoy trailer, seatpost hitch, Tote bag, 2 tie down straps, user manual)

Pros

Easy to use:  It is nice to be able to grab the Travoy when I need extra cargo carrying capacity and install it or remove it from the bike in seconds.  The ability to use it as a cart off the bike is a real plus too.

The Prodeco Outlaw SS and the Burley Travoy made quick work of errand running around town!

Versatile: Burley has created a bunch of accessories for the Travoy that will work for almost any cargo situation.  It is nice to have the ability to pick and choose what accessories will fit your needs best.

Works with E-Bikes: The Travoy is one bike trailer that will work with almost any electric bike because of its attachment to the seatpost or rear rack.

Price: For $299, the Travoy is a good deal for this high quality and versatile trailer.

Fold-ability: It is nice to be able to fold the Travoy into a more compact size and store it or carry it with you.

Cons

Avoid rocking the bike: As I mentioned before, the only time the handling of the trailer got weird (wheels coming off the ground) is when I was standing out of the saddle and rapidly swinging the bike side to side while pedaling hard.  Just avoid this riding style!

Shoulder strap for bags: I use the upper Transit bag a lot and it came with a shoulder strap that attaches to the same clips that attach the bag to the trailer.  When carrying the bags on the trailer you need to remove the strap and when you get to where you are going you need to re-install the shoulder strap for transport.  It would be nice if there was a way the shoulder strap could remain attached whether on or off the trailer.

Conclusion

I really enjoy using the Burley Travoy trailer.  It really makes commuting by e-bike so much more convenient because you can carry a lot of cargo.

In addition you can take your cargo with you because the Travoy becomes a handy cart off the bike.

Overall, I give the Burley Travoy a thumbs up!

Where to get the Burley Travoy?  Check with your local bike shop or purchase it online.

Do you have any questions about the Travoy?  Do you own the Travoy?  Please share your questions and/or comments in the section below.

Thanks!

-Pete

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