My wife and I got a tandem this past fall. I am finally getting around to cleaning up the garage and this darn bike is just always in the way. So I have been brainstorming on how I am going to store it.
I could hang it vertically, but the only good vertical spot already hold both of our mtn bikes.
So I thought I would hang it from the ceiling. The problem is that there isn't any place I can hang it vertically. So I thought I would hang it horizontally (or as much as possible). Basically put 2 hooks in the ceiling where the wheels with attach. And then have a 3rd hook on a rope (with a pulley on the ceiling) that I can then pull up so the bike is hanging somewhat horizontally (at least until the handlebars hit the ceiling).
I assume this should work fine, I mean the bike handles our weight when riding. I mostly worry about what if any effect this would have on the wheels, as it would be adding sideways pressure to them (pulling them out of true possibly?)
thanks
-D
zonatandem
01-22-06, 11:20 AM
Should not be a problem and it'll will bulk up the biceps!
mtbcyclist
01-22-06, 12:22 PM
I hang mine and all my bikes from the ceiling in the off season and it does not damage at all. I have to have my wife help me get the tandem down because if I don't the hand bars turn 90 degrees real fast and could potentially scratch the frame.
derath
01-22-06, 01:02 PM
Mtbcyclist,
Do you hang yours vertically (hanging straight down by the tires) or swung up so they are kind of out of the way? I wouldn't worry if I was just hanging them like that. My concern is the sideways pressure on the tires by swinging them up out of the way.
-D
acrafton
01-22-06, 02:03 PM
Costco.com sells a ceiling bike rack with pulleys for hanging bikes for $15 or so. . .I use it for my tandem and mountain bikes. Works great.
NJWheelBuilder
01-22-06, 02:40 PM
I use a pulley system specifically for bikes. I think I picked it up at Lowes. It works great.
TandemGeek
01-22-06, 05:37 PM
My concern is the sideways pressure on the tires by swinging them up out of the way.
I don't think the static weight of a tandem distributed across 3 or 4 contact points -- 2 of which are the wheels -- would have an adverse affect on the wheels if left to hang in a horizontal attitude over a prolonged period of time. A spoke network is an incredibly efficient structure, even with respect to side loads, so the 45lbs of tandem weight would be of little consequence, again noting that you will be distributing the weight over at least 3, if not 4 contact points. In regard to the latter, if it was me I'd probably attach the pully system to a large diameter section of schedule 40 PVC with a pair of coated hooks that would loop around the captain's stem and stoker's saddle/seatpost junction vs. a lone hook attached to the stoker's stem (normal CG point on a tandem). That would help to ensure the weight of the tandem was evenly distributed at four points.
However, as noted in my previous posts on hanging bicycles by storage hooks, I would definitely cover the hooks with a section of automotive heater hose to preclude marring the rims or tires.
Nachoman
01-22-06, 11:01 PM
I tuck my two tandems behind my pinball machines. Just in case you thought your tandem was big and bulky, try two tandems and three pinball machines in the garage!
mtbcyclist
01-23-06, 04:45 PM
All bikes are hung by on front wheel and one rear wheel hooks. Hooks are cheapie rubber coated found at local home supply store (Lowes) I have a 12' celing in my garage so it works out well. Saves me a butt load of space since I have 6 bikes. I don't use any pulleys either. I am tall enough to reach the bikes if I streach. 8-)
JanMM
01-23-06, 08:22 PM
If your wheels don't deform from the weight of you and your stoker (or captain, as the case may be) then they shouldn't mind the very slight stress of supporting just the bike while hanging from two hooks. I hang our tandem vertically and the hanging wheel (rear) still seems quite round after several years of the blood rushing to the head tube.
zonatandem
01-23-06, 09:06 PM
Blood rushing to the headtube?!
As noted, hanging a tandem, one way or the other, should work just fine.
We are fortunate to have a 2-car garage, but only one car. So, more room for more toys. Right now our tandem is worth more than the car . . . and cheaper to fuel up . . . priorities!
derath
01-23-06, 10:10 PM
If your wheels don't deform from the weight of you and your stoker (or captain, as the case may be) then they shouldn't mind the very slight stress of supporting just the bike while hanging from two hooks. I hang our tandem vertically and the hanging wheel (rear) still seems quite round after several years of the blood rushing to the head tube.
Funny,
But my concern is not about the bike hanging vertically...
mrfish
01-24-06, 05:44 AM
Sideways Pressure on the tyres from hanging the tandem sideways will be much less than the pressure inside, or of a large team going round a corner. Unless you hang up the tandem for many years without riding it or inflating the tyres there should be no problem.
just me
03-08-06, 05:21 PM
However, as noted in my previous posts on hanging bicycles by storage hooks...
Tandemgeek,
I found that previous post earlier this afternoon but the link to the pictures on your site did not work. And I cannot find the article by poking around on thetandemlink. Is that article still available? I am interested in getting some ideas from it
Jack
Trsnrtr
03-10-06, 06:49 PM
Is it just me or have some people misunderstood the question? Anyway, it would bother me a little to sideload the rims for extended periods of time, but I'll defer to TandemGeek who generally knows his stuff.
TandemGeek
03-11-06, 07:29 AM
I found that previous post earlier this afternoon but the link to the pictures on your site did not work. And I cannot find the article by poking around on thetandemlink.
I killed off our personal site which is where it was hosted. I've now rehosted it off of the "Learning" section at the www.thetandemlink.com. It can be accessed using this URL: http://www.thetandemlink.com/articles/garage/garage.html