Tandem Cycling - ...How to transport a tandem in a 2 door car? Kinda urgent :)

This is my car ... It is small. Later today or tomorrow I'm going to pick up a big-big Cannondale RT-1000 in it.

How?

I really have no idea. The roof rack seems like a no go, but if you have an idea, let me have it. I was planning on laying down the back seat, and ramming the bike into the trunk, wrapping a blanket around whatever sticks out the back and securing it with bungee cords. Sound like a plan, or am I in for a rude awakening?

So to summarize...

I need to put this

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y52/accordionfolder/download.jpg

into here..

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y52/accordionfolder/0206091239a.jpg

discuss...

Can you borrow a trunk rack? If you take off the wheels it'll be ok. Or Ryder rents vans for like $30/day.

step 1) sell your car
step 2) buy a miata
step 3) drop the top
infinite head room! :D
do you have a friend with a truck? a 6 pack goes a long way with those truck guys.

I should note, the tandem is about a three hour drive from me so not really an option to seduce a friend.

Thanks for the input so far though.

If all else fails, I mean, I can probably pad the tandem heavily and the strap it down tight onto the rack.

Do the back seats fold forward?

We were able to get our tandem into my wife's WRX hatchback. Had to take off the wheels and put the front passenger seat down, but it fit and the hatch closed.

Our tandem fits in our Subaru Impreza with both wheels off, both front seats usable, hatch closed.

If you are near Grand Rapids Michigan, I have a Saris Tandem roof rack I could loan you.

I realize that's most likely not going to work and I don't have a good short term solution. Before putting in the car, strip the wheels and seat posts. Pull the stem, while leaving all cables connected and rest it on the blanket covered frame. I'd pull the rear rack off too.

I'm assuming that the back seat folds down and you can go in thru the rear.

You may also want to contact the person who has it now and ask them to take some measurements for you.
Fork tip to drop out, and bottom bracket to top of seat tube.

You can go so far as to remove the fork if necessary. The other thing I'd try is sliding the front seat all the way forward and then tilting the seat back all the way back. It should probably go nearly flat with the seat all the way forward. Without bars, fork, wheels, rack, you should be able to do it. Take along appropriate tools, and rags to cover anything greasy that becomes exposed in the disassembly process.


And enjoy it when you get it home. Looks lovely.

The lady who is selling it to me claims that it will fit on a standard bike rack on the back of her miata (takes the wheels off) and that I should have no problem fitting it on my car.....?

Hmm, well I guess she knows best. Any more thoughts on this with this most recent update?

Hmm, well I guess she knows best. Any more thoughts on this with this most recent update?


If you take the wheels off, the wheelbase will be around 70"/6' give or take. So you can measure your car and see how much overlap there would be.

Our tandem fits in our Subaru Impreza with both wheels off, both front seats usable, hatch closed.

Ours fits in the back of a Prius. Fold the seat down, remove both wheels. You may need to remove the rear rack and seat posts as well to get the clearance you need. Put the rear of the bike in first and if necessary, let the derailleur slide up between bucket seats.

Good luck. And welcome to the world of tandeming.

No sweat... Turn one of the bike mounts around (or use a mount without the attached tray), secure the tandem fork in the mount and let the rear wheel rest on the trunk lid. Bungee some part of the bike to the trunk-lid spoiler, and head on home. [No guarantee that it will work, but it sure looks do-able!]

Think 'out of the box': go horizontal on top of that rack. For cushioning add an inflated car/truck innertube under the bike.
First remove wheels and pedals + capt. seatpost with stoker bars attached. Makes for a smaller tie-down package.
Where there's a will, there's a way!
Pedal on TWOgether!
Rudy and Kay/zonatandem

All these where legit ideas that had occured to me, but the security of the extremely expensive (for a college student) bike threw most of them out. I opted for the simplest idea and padded the living hell out of the bike.

Behold.

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y52/accordionfolder/0419091233a.jpg

We decided to take my girlfriends civic also, try 48.5 miles to the gallon (it's a 93 civic w/ 200,000 miles on it). Hard to beat that with anything but a bicycle (which I totally would have done, but lack of time kinda threw that one off).

Hard to beat that with anything but a bicycle

How about a diesel?

http://lh5.ggpht.com/_p-7soM3NytA/SNmrBN3TN2I/AAAAAAAABJs/b2G_NA4xwv8/s640/CIMG7245.JPG

Touche! :)

Nice looking bike you have there :)

Actually, I got low 40's mpg in that diesel, so your Civic would still beat it.

When I purchased my tandem (4 hour drive, 2 door early 90's Ford Probe hatchback) I removed the wheels and with a trunk rack. You may also be able to pull the wheels (and maybe fork/handlebars), fold the passenger seat forwards, and lay it down sideways in your car.