Reviews You Can Rely On

Burley Travoy Review

This is an incredibly easy to use trailer with the ability to transport groceries and fragile materials without damaging them
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Burley Travoy Review (The Burly Travoy excelled as a grocery getter and impressed us with its ability to haul oddly shaped items.)
The Burly Travoy excelled as a grocery getter and impressed us with its ability to haul oddly shaped items.
Credit: Brian Martin
Price:  $300 List
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Manufacturer:   Burley
By Brian Martin ⋅ Review Editor  ⋅  Aug 24, 2021
69
OVERALL
SCORE


RANKED
#5 of 8
  • Capacity - 30% 5.0
  • Ease of Use - 20% 9.0
  • Ease of Towing - 20% 7.0
  • Smoothness of Ride - 20% 7.0
  • Versatility - 10% 8.0

Our Verdict

The Burley Travoy is well designed for around-town commuting and shopping — so well designed, it hauled off one of our awards for expertly hauling groceries and odd-shaped fragile items. While we found the Travoy to be incredibly well-versed and user-friendly for these uses, other applications, like touring, proved to be a challenge. However, the collapsible design made for easy storage in our tester's small downtown apartment, as well as added to the overall ease of use. The upright design is truly what sets this trailer apart. This feature put the Travoy ahead of the competition when transporting fragile materials, even allowing for secure hauling of odd-shaped items such as potted trees. See it rated versus top competitors in our review of the best bike cargo trailers.
REASONS TO BUY
User friendly
Packable
Stable hauling
REASONS TO AVOID
Small wheels
Plastic components

Compare to Similar Products

 
burley travoy
This Product
Burley Travoy
Awards Top Pick Award
Best for Grocery Shopping
Editors' Choice Award
Best Overall Bike Cargo Trailer
Top Pick Award
Best for Heavy Loads
Best Buy Award
Best Bang for the Buck
 
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Bottom Line A well-designed trailer that makes grocery shopping with a bike easy and has a host of useful accessories available for different applicationsAt home both on and off road, this is an incredibly versatile and smooth rolling one-wheeled bike cargo trailerA large carrying capacity makes this trailer quite versatile and uniqueThis model is a bit heavy, but its an excellent valueAn around town trailer that assembles quickly and proved to work well as a grocery getter or while out doing some greenway trail steward cleanup
Rating Categories Burley Travoy Burley Coho XC Burley Design Flatbed Aosom Wanderer Schwinn Day Tripper
Capacity (30%)
5.0
8.0
9.0
9.0
6.0
Ease of Use (20%)
9.0
9.0
9.0
7.0
8.0
Ease of Towing (20%)
7.0
8.0
7.0
6.0
7.0
Smoothness of Ride (20%)
7.0
8.0
7.0
5.0
5.0
Versatility (10%)
8.0
9.0
9.0
7.0
7.0
Specs Burley Travoy Burley Coho XC Burley Design Flatbed Aosom Wanderer Schwinn Day Tripper
Capacity 60 lbs 70 lbs 100 lbs 110 lbs 50 lbs
Weight 10.2 lbs 21.5 lbs 14.5 lbs 30 lbs 18.5 lbs
Number of Wheels 2 1 2 2 2
Size (when open, L x W x H) 43"x 22" x 16" 32.5” x 22” x 22.5” 33" x 16.1" x 30.9" 57" x 27.6" x 19.2" 25" x 16.5" x 10"
Wheel Size 12" 16” 16" 16" 16"
Access into Trailer Top Top Top Top Top
Cover Protection Weatherproof tote None None None Weatherproof cover
Attachment to Bike Quick release Quick release Forged Hitch Aosom Type 'B' Bike Trailer Universal Hitch Coupler Forged Steel Hitch

Our Analysis and Test Results

Burley updated the Travoy since our first test period with this trailer. The latest model features a new Quick Hitch which allows for a tool-free transition from bike to bike. There are integrated wheel guards, an extendable tow arm, and a wider kickstand to provide a stable platform when the trailer is standing on its own. Finally, the original version came with a suspended tote bag included, but the new one, unfortunately, does not. There are now multiple bags and attachments available for purchase separately.

Performance Comparison


burley travoy - able to roll into the grocery store and haul oddly shaped items with...
Able to roll into the grocery store and haul oddly shaped items with ease. The Travoy is truly unique among a large field of uninspired bike cargo trailers.
Credit: Brian Martin

Capacity


The Travoy offers a decent weight capacity of 60 pounds and comes equipped with two straps that secure to attachment points along the side of the trailer. We found that this trailer excelled at hauling odd-shaped items and those that needed to remain upright. It's worth noting the maximum weight capacity of the Travoy is on the lower end of the spectrum, and the flexible materials used in its construction seem like they don't want to be pushed very hard. If you plan on loading your bike trailer down with heavy items such as water jugs, firewood, or trail building material, check out some of the more “rough and tumble” options in our review.


Our biggest gripe with the update to the Travoy is the omission of the tote sack. This bag clipped to the sides and allowed us to suspend our groceries off the bottom of the trailer. That said, there are a host of bags and accessories available that look effective, and if they are anything like the original trailer/tote, they will work well at keeping fragile items suspended and unspoiled.

burley travoy - while our two crash pads probably weighed in at just around 30...
While our two crash pads probably weighed in at just around 30 pounds, there was a significant bounce and flex in the structure of the trailer. We would shy away from going far beyond the recommended 60-pound limit.
Credit: Brian Martin

Ease of Use


The Travoy is incredibly easy to set up and collapse for storage. The trailer folds down and fits perfectly into an included storage bag. We also found the hitching mechanism to work well and set up quickly. Once we got used to hitching the trailer to its mount, we could hitch and unhitch one-handed, allowing us to balance the bike or scroll endlessly through Instagram at the same time.


Out of the box, we thought this dainty little trailer wouldn't have what it takes to see regular use. However, the reality of how easy it is to use this trailer heavily influenced how much action it saw, and it held up well. It easily wheels in and out of the grocery store, and, most importantly, it doesn't take up hardly any storage space in your dwelling. Simply put, we used this trailer for errands around town often as its unique shape and ease of storage made tough items easy to tote.

burley travoy - the travoy had the easiest and most spine-friendly attachment...
The Travoy had the easiest and most spine-friendly attachment system. No need to hunch over, once you get used to this mechanism it is entirely possible to clip in one handed.
Credit: Brian Martin

Ease of Towing


Before we get into the “stress testing” results, the reality of the Travoy is that it is an efficient and easily towed two-wheel trailer. The tiny wheels and flexible materials will heavily restrict what types of road surfaces one might want to pull this trailer over. While smooth gravel was just fine, chunky roads were a no-go.


This trailer is generally quite stable, even with a large, awkward load such as two climbing crash pads, but we did find a pretty significant weakness. If you corner quickly or clip a bump on the inside wheel of a turn, the trailer will turn over. This was especially pronounced when hauling larger items. That said, when we were really thinking about having a trailer in tow, it was easy to keep all two wheels down. Flipping the trailer early on also highlighted that this trailer, despite its dainty feel, can take a beating.

burley travoy - while this scenario is avoidable, we found ourselves tipping the...
While this scenario is avoidable, we found ourselves tipping the Travoy multiple times before really getting to know its handling characteristics. Long story short, don't load up your priceless frescos until you know where the tipping point is.
Credit: Brian Martin

Smoothness of Ride


One of the first things we noticed pulling the Travoy was how quiet it was in tow. There was no rattling or really any sound coming from the trailer. Without anything loaded, the trailer is relatively stable and capable of making tighter turns than you would typically need to make while towing (unless you clip a curb or have the trailer loaded top-heavy).


Through grass and gravel, the tiny wheels of the Travoy definitely struggled a bit more than other trailers. If you're heading off-road in any capacity, we would suggest looking at some of the single-wheel touring trailer options as they don't come with the same turnover risk and can track much straighter on tight paths.

burley travoy - the long spine of the travoy had enough flex it seemed to act like...
The long spine of the Travoy had enough flex it seemed to act like suspension. While this did dampen bumps, rough dirt paths and singletrack were out of the question with the tiny wheels.
Credit: Brian Martin

Versatility


The Travoy isn't a jack of all trades trailer like some of the others options we have tested. This trailer is much more specialized but is also uniquely able to accomplish a few tasks better than other trailers. This is a truly fantastic option if you're looking for something specific to do a short work commute or grocery shop. Additionally, the Travoy has the unique ability to haul awkward items that need to stand up relatively straight such as long narrow boxed items or even large potted plants.


The ultra-packable design does add some points back to the overall versatility score, as we found getting this trailer in and out of our house was quick and easy. In contrast, other trailers didn't really have a place to live inside and were relegated to the porch or yard. Not only did this add to the versatility, but it allowed us to simply use the trailer more than we would have if it was a hassle to get it outside and set up.

burley travoy - by a long way, the travoy was the easiest to pack up and took up the...
By a long way, the Travoy was the easiest to pack up and took up the least space when packed. This added to the trailer's versatility and greatly influenced how much we used it.
Credit: Brian Martin

Value


If you are in the market for a practical solution to grocery shopping by bike or want something to haul uniquely odd-shaped items, this is a great deal. Suppose you're willing to get clever and don't mind the unrefined nature of cheaper trailers. In that case, the Travoy may not be the best overall value since what it offers can technically be accomplished by cheaper options with enough ingenuity. However, we found the Travoy able to haul more fragile items without rattling them to pieces. While this trailer isn't suited for tasks outside urban commuting, transporting, and shopping, it does its job well and can pack up into an easily stored package.

Conclusion


Anyone who has struggled through a bike ride with a backpack full of groceries will remember the burning shoulder pain they experienced before making it home. The Burley Travoy is a perfect, low-impact solution to shopping by bike or for those wanting a unique and easy-to-use transportation solution. For individuals hoping to lessen their impact and take a bike once in a while, trust us, this trailer will help you accomplish that goal. Its easy setup and smooth towing help make your bike a viable option for errand runs around town.

Brian Martin