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I just bought a tandem and am looking for rack recommendations. I drive a Yukon and can barely fit it in the back cargo space with the front wheel off. I'd rather get a rack and carry it on the outside. My car is tall, so getting it on a roof rack might be a challenge. Do they make rear racks for tandems? Something that I could hook to my trailer hitch?
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I use the Yakima Sidewinder for my roof rack. It swivels out for easier loading (you hook on the forks with the back wheel on the ground and then swing the back up and over). Should work for an SUV, but it might be too tall for you to reach. More info at the tandem@hobbes mailing list as well.
If your SUV is too tall: use a small step stool or even a milkcrate to stand on or 2 stepstools/crates if stoker's gonna help.
Have you given any thought to loading tandem with (or without) wheels on inside the Yukon? It'll save you $$ and hassle and potect tandem from the elements.
Heck, we carry our custom tandem inside a Honda Accord station wagon . . . and yes, we close the hatch!
Just our thoughts . . .
Pedal on TWOgether!
Rudy and Kay/zonatandem
Before we had a minivan that our KHS Tandemania Comp would fit into, we got a Thule tandem rack that fits onto any square or round rack system. The Thule pivots so you can attach the fork dropouts into it with the rear wheel on the ground and then pivot the rest up onto the roof. I second the motion of carrying a tandem inside a vehicle, if at all possible.
Do they make rear racks for tandems? Something that I could hook to my trailer hitch?
Yes, there are a few tandem-specialty racks and the better / more robust hitch-mount single bike mounts can also carry a tandem with or without the wheels attached. There are, of course, more substantial tandem-specific roof-mount rack systems from Yakima, Thule, Rocky-Mounts, and Tandems-East, as well as the Badger (may have gone out of business) & Draftmaster vertical carry rear mounts. You'll find links to various manufacturers, retailers, and the like at this URL: http://www.thetandemlink.com/TLLinks.html#anchor810905
You'll probably need to scroll down a few lines to get to the rack section.
FWIW, I had roof racks on our Suburban and putting a 2' step stool next to an open side rear passenger door gave me two good footings (top of the stool and the seat) to work from while positioning the tandem on the top of the truck. I'm hardly a big and burley guy at 5'8" / 160lbs, but I didn't find it to be all that hard to press our 35-38lb road and 45lb off-road tandem over my head before stepping up onto the stool and seat. You just need to be mindful of the open door frame so as not to hit with the fork or cranks.
If I had to do it over again, and for short trips, I'd probably use a rear hitch mount single bike or tandem platform mount vs. the roof mount.
I strongly endorse the Draftmaster rack by Atoc. Why lift a big bike up on to the roof when one person alone can swing it up neatly behind the car. We've been carrying a recumbent tandem this way for years behind a Subaru Forester. No problem.
I just bought a rack used yesterday for $50. The guy had taken a couple of regular Yakima trays, welded them together, and then put reinforcing strips over the joined part. Said it worked great for years. So now it's really just like a double long Lockjaw rack that is so common, and a lot cheaper then the Sidewinder I looked at.
Just don't forget what is on your roof!
This post is for dummies like myself who forget their tandem is on the roof and drive under the low clearance bar of a highway toll gate. They have those here in Argentina to force trucks to use specific toll gates, don't know if you have them in other places. However it is probably just as easy to do as to forget to disengage your pedals when you first started to use SPD peddals. Tore the rack right off my roof and droped the tandem on the pavement behind me. The rack protected the bike though and I only had to true the back wheel.
I've heard more stories here in the states about folks driving into their garages with a bike on the roof.
Just don't forget what is on your roof!
Amen, brother. I gave up on roof racks after two incidents of trying to drive into my garage with bikes on the roof. [Alzheimer's is a brutal disease.] There ought to be a simple lockout routine for garage door openers from a signal from a roof carrier, but I haven't found it.
I carry my bikes inside my Explorer now, but we're empty nesters and can do that. Takes all the worry out of it.
Good luck.
Hmmm, a remote lockout... that would be handy.
Unfortunately that won't work at drive thrus at fast food joints or banks (or toll booths). Maybe a mirror on the hood pointing up to the bike up top so you can see it at all times? I am waiting for something to help alleviate my anxiety.
I gave up on roof racks after two incidents of trying to drive into my garage with bikes on the roof. [Alzheimer's is a brutal disease.] There ought to be a simple lockout routine for garage door openers from a signal from a roof carrier, but I haven't found it.
Any time I put the tandem on the roof rack, I place an orange traffic bollard in the middle of my carport. I imagine that if you have a garage, you can place a cone or something in front of the garage door just to remind yourself.
- L.
We use a hitch mounted rack by Hollywood. I made a simple QR/20mm tray adapter that the front disc fork drops into. The Stoker's BB sits on a chuck of foam to keep from getting scratched. I then place my tandem wheels either inside the car or mount them onto the available tray. We don't have to struggle to lift over knee high. Mud and dirt washes off instead of onto the car. The rack easily does double duty for FS singles and the tandem with out fussing.
you can't fit it in a yukon? Take off both wheels.
http://www.draftmaster.com/
They make a really nice, easy to load tandem hitch rack that holds the bike vertically. The inventor is an active tandem rider.
Well, my two cents are worth every penny...:)
I have read many threads talking about carrying tandems, roof racks, hitch racks, inside vehicles. There are always many good suggestions and opinions.
Just want to remind people that sometimes there are circumstances as to why people can not carry their tandem in vehicle XYZ.
We can fit our Trek T900 in our Ford Windstar just fine, on its side with the seats folded down, or upright if we remove the seats. However, the problem is we either have to fold down the seats or remove the seats...
We have two kids (12 and 14) that normally ride with us. So when it comes to strapping the bikes (plural) to the roof rack or strapping the kids to the roof rack we opt to put the bikes on the outside. Granted there may be times when we would prefer it the other way round but Thule has yet to offer the Kid Mount. (I've also checked the Yakima website.) So please keep in mind when you recommend carrying the tandem inside the vehicle that it is not always viable, even if the vehicle is larger.
I hope no one takes this as a personal attack. I just know some people can carry their tandem inside, while others (for the time being;) ) still have kids to travel with.
Thank you for letting me get that off my chest.
I have a massive roof rack for two tandems on top of my Buick Rendezvous. When we are going on a serious road trip (like northern Michigan) Our bike goes up there. For shorter trips and around town I have an inexpensive Allen Receiver rack that works great. I don't take off the wheels or anything, just bungee the front wheel turned and off we go.
When we have the bike on the top racks, I have made and had laminated a very bright, colorful, sign of noticeable size reading "Bike On Top!". There is a large arrow pointing up on the sign. This sign goes in an obvious place on the dash. It is hard to miss. The colors are so bright, it never blends into the scenery.
Good luck,
Doc
Any time I put the tandem on the roof rack, I place an orange traffic bollard in the middle of my carport. I imagine that if you have a garage, you can place a cone or something in front of the garage door just to remind yourself.
- L.
Whenever we load bikes onto our roof rack we put the garage door opener into the glove compartment. When I reach to hit the button I remember why it isn't on the sun visor.
Whenever we load bikes onto our roof rack we put the garage door opener into the glove compartment. When I reach to hit the button I remember why it isn't on the sun visor.
Our van came with garage door opener buttons right on the visor, so I put a garbage can or lawn mower or something large one cannot drive over in the stall where the van is usually parked. Thus opening the garage door after the trip requires a stop to move said object, and therefore a mental alarm is (or *better be*) triggered to remove the bikes before driving in the garage.
D
I have a Cannondale tandem in the XL L size. Probably the biggest non-custom tandem made. It Won't fit in my Yukon. I have the Yakima tandem roof mount, BUT, I'm 6'-6" and yet can barely put it on the roof. As for using a ladder or milk crate, I've tried that and nearly dropped the bike and almost broke my leg. I figure that eventually that route will damage something. The sidewinder looks great, but i figure it's too much to pay that again when i already have the yak. SO.. to make a short story long, i bought a standard Yakima KingPin hitch mount rack and found the balance point on the bike with the front wheel off and mount it backwards, with the downtube holder fastened to the captains seat tube. It's far easier to load on a good solid rear rack without risk of damaging myself, the bike, or the car. It's a little wider than the car, (remember this is a big tandem) but with the front wheel off, it's really only a couple inches wider than the mirrors, so no chance of damage while driving. I don't drive all the way into the garage with it on tho;)
Do you have a welder or know anyone who does? We put our burley duet, adult bike, 2 kids bikes, a piccolo and a trailer on a homemade rack in a hitch mount. The possibilities are endless. The prongs are nice and wide making a stable platform for the tandem and long enough for all the other stuff too. Materials = $10. Or, if you don't have a welder, you can by a 115 v wire feed model for less than most roof rack systems.
[QUOTE= Or, if you don't have a welder, you can by a 115 v wire feed model for less than most roof rack systems.[/QUOTE]
Nice idea, but I would hesitate to learn welding technique to carry thousands of dollars worth of bikes. If my rack failed, I would prefer to present the bill to a guilty party -- someone besides myself.
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