PVC Pipe Bike Trailer – the starting point of the PVC Pipe Quadricycle

So I’ve been doing a lot of reading this week, partly because I commute on the train and there have been a lot of service disruptions. I don’t really mind though because I’ve got a lot of research to be getting on with.

I’ve been looking into PVC piping, and the pros and cons of using this material for a quadricycle/velocar/dream vehicle. Mostly people seem to think it’s a good idea. PVC piping is cheap, easily accessible, and relatively simple to work with. Worryingly though I’ve found some opinions at the other end of the scale.

Some people aren’t so sure on this as a material because of the flex it can have. It’s not as strong as wood or metal, and so each flex gradually damages the structure of the pipe, and in turn your PVC pipe car. In addition a couple of forums have mentioned that it doesn't age well and will eventually shatter, snap or break. Not what you want in a vehicle.

I want my bike car to last me a lifetime, or at least a few thousand miles. Although PVC pipe is cheap, once you factor in the amount you need for a car, plus the time and effort you’ve put in, your velocar is quite dear. I don’t want to put that money and effort into something that has a couple of laps around the park and then KAPUT!

The solution to this is to do a test build on a smaller scale. I’ve decided that I am going to make a bike trailer out of PVC piping, and use that as a bit of a research tool. I’ll find out first hand how easy it is to work with PVC piping, and how strong items made from it are. And to boot I get a great trailer that I can use with my foldie bike (which didn’t get stolen) for the foreseeable future.

Now I am off to draw some plans which will be shared on here, unlike other websites, free of charge! Check back soon.

Maybe I'll end up with something snazzy like this...