Bicycle Mechanics - How to take apart tandem for shipment

Hello How should I take apart a tandem that is going to be shipped to california I am thinking take the bars of and wheels how about the fork? or no?

Even with the bars, wheels, fork and anything else you can remove, will the frame be within UPS or Fed-Ex's maximum size guidelines?

No. Motorfreight only

Use a tandem box and ship motor freight. I thought removing the fork was unnecessary until my tandem was dropped on that end, causing the fork to bend back. So pulling the fork off can help prevent such damage. Wrap all tubes with plastic pipe insulation or cardboard to prevent scratches and use a cardboard sleeve between the front wheel and the rest of the frame.

BTW, "motor freight" is best done by Fedex Freight.

One other precaution; be sure to fit "travel axles" into both the fork and rear dropouts. These are usually plastic spacers that slip into the dropouts to protect them from compression loading. You can often get them from an LBS for nothing as they come on new bikes. For repete use, I've made them from axles,locknuts and qr skewers salvaged from trashed hubs.

Thanks for the tips should I remove the chain wheels? for the travel axles I was going to put a notch in some wood and call it good For motorfreight we only use Fedex they are more flexible then other companies

Thanks for the tips should I remove the chain wheels?
Try to support the frame by the bb shell so the chainrings are protected. Otherwise pulling the drive side crank is probably a good idea. Be sure to pad the crank very carefully as the chainring teeth will really do a job on anything they hit.


for the travel axles I was going to put a notch in some wood and call it good
Sure, anything that will support the dropouts is fine.

I am having trouble getting the thing apart it seems like the fork is frozen in place so are both the seat posts
should I leave them on and not worry I am going to pick up some penetrating oil tonight and see how it goes