Tandem and Tandem Rack Questions

[Tandem Rider]

We have had a Yakima, sold/gave it away and currently have a Draftmaster. You will need a 2" receiver hitch but they are the easiest to use. We have many thousands of miles on it, heavy and solid.

[radsmd]

If you already have a roof rack, then the Thule is the way to go. It is the same as the ATOC tandem topper. I have the triplet version that I also use for the 2 person tandem.

The draft master is great but $$$$.

[pdmtong]

Originally Posted by cmbicycles

I could do this as I have an extra single tray, but am missing the third crossbar. I'm thinking about a mounting a 2x4 with a bolt on fork mount to the cross bars... simple and cheap. I could also make a visit to the local grainger to get some 80/20 and diy a slightly better looking rack that way too. Macguyver solutions aside, anyone have a tandem rack they prefer?

You have never ridden one so I would just DIY to get it home and then see if the kids take to it. As cycling hobbyists we always want to spend a bunch of money on stuff ... resist until the experiment is deemed a success.

[joosttx]

Best of luck finding a tandem. If I had all the money in the world I would own this.

https://www.moustachebikes.com/en/el...-samedi-27-x2/

It would be ideal for tooling around Mount Tam with the kids.

[CNY rider]

Originally Posted by pdmtong

You have never ridden one so I would just DIY to get it home and then see if the kids take to it. As cycling hobbyists we always want to spend a bunch of money on stuff ... resist until the experiment is deemed a success.

Agree.
Can you borrow or rent a minivan?
Our Sienna handles the double with ease, and we put the triplet in with 10 minutes of prep work like removing pedals and padding the back and center console.

[weisan]

We have an old regular Thule 4-bike hitch rack on our Odyssey minivan. When we are transporting our comotion tandem, we simply take the front wheel off and place it somewhere in the middle. The rear wheel is protruding out a bit but no big deal, you just have to be careful of the limit while you are driving. We have never been stopped by the cop or encountered any problem in the past.

Alternatively, we can also put it inside the van in the middle, in between the captain seats, with the rear row seats folded down of course and when we needed to haul fewer people....

Not the most ideal setup, but either way works.

[stien]

I can second the minivan...with a car full of kids how do you not have one already? We have two dogs, one infant and a heavy bike habit between my wife and I. Our Sienna has been super handy.

Secondly, just take wheels off and strap it to the roof rack with some generous foam and ratchet straps. That'll get you home with little to no hassle.

I can remember each tandem we have bought. We were lucky to borrow a truck a few times, one was shipped from California, and one I had to ride home solo!

[cmbicycles]

Negative on the minivan. Two kids, plus one extra this weekend, plus their luggage in the back. I think I have a friend to loan me some extra crossbars so I'll double up the singles and make it work.

Sometimes two dogs plus a roof box for vacations works with either our subaru outback or Toyota highlander... although once the outback dies in another 150k miles +/- or gets to be a total eyesore I'll likely get an extended cab pickup or a 4runner... not that that helps this weekend.

[flydhest]

If you find your self tandeming a lot, the. The roof racks that swing down are great. Makes a huge difference for ease of putting the tandem up on your own. The other thing if you do it a lot is to invest in a coupled bike. I used to have a Co-Motion with S&S couplers. Sold it to Zap. It is so solid but it also means putting it inside a car is easy. Whether with or without the cases it fits in.

[cmbicycles]

Well I got the tandem on Sunday, made a few adjustments and changes when we got home and then spent the next 2 hours giving rides around the neighborhood to my kids, my nephew, and my wife. It was a lot of fun... now the kids are asking me to get a triplet or a quad. Baby steps to the tandem, baby steps to the triplet, baby steps to the quad.

I ended up using three load bars and two single bike racks staggered front to back. It was not easy getting that sucker off the rack. (Had help getting it on). I'm considering building a swiveling fork mount rack out of 80/20 and a leftover Thule roof tray figuring I can make something for less than Thule or Yakima charge that is as good or better... plus the exercise of designing and building it will be fun (for me anyway... maybe not everyone's cup of tea).

Thinking of a 3"× 0.75" 80/20 channel for the base, the slots underneath for adjustable mounting hardware to the roof rack... similar to Thule with long washers in the slots and carriage bolts sticking down for wing nuts. That allows the rack to move easily between cars. The thule tray will get bolted to the top side with enough room under the tray for the wheel strap to slide back and forth from single to tandem length. Then a second 80/20 foot long piece on a swivel with a locking fork mount attached... similar to the Yakima tandem mount. Of course as soon as I spend my time designing it and buying materials one will pop up used for next to nothing so the sooner I start, the better. If someone here has a better idea, which I'm all ears, chime in as right now it's still very much in the "drawn on a napkin" phase.