thebigbiker

Similar to my previous post about sports equipment. Do any of you guys out there transport your musical instruments on bikes? If so, how?

I play trumpet and guitar so looking for responses tailored to those 2 but any suggestions would help! Thanks!

FunkyStickman

Trumpet would be easy, just tie down the case on top of a rear rack.

The guitar would require a bit more work. Is it in a hard case? Gig bag? Electric, acoustic? Do you carry an amp?

bhop

I see dudes carrying guitar bags on their backs all the time. I assume they've got two straps like regular backpacks. I once saw a band called Blind Pilot that was touring the west coast by bicycle. They used trailers on their bikes. The stand up bass had a case that looked like a coffin being pulled behind the bike.

I found a pic of it.. heh..
https://www.flickr.com/photos/blindpi...7606763393604/

no1mad 

Trailer may be your best, least cost option for hauling various things. However, if you have the resources- both physical and fiscal- then maybe a cargo bike like the Big Dummy, Kona Ute, Fisher Transport...

FunkyStickman

I have an electric guitar case that has backpack straps like that. An acoustic hard case would require a Big Dummy or trailer... or maybe use pannier hooks and clip it onto the side of a rack.

fietsbob

In my Burly Flatbed there is a fine cargo area for my Roland AC-60,
and a fiberglass Calton case for my electric 4 string Mandolin..

I have another Fiber glass case for my Carbon Fiber Peter Mix made
8 string mandolin too .
eastman fiberglass cases have a set of 3 D rings
so you can fit backpack straps onto.

fiberglass cases have gasket edges, so well adapted to the Wet Coast.

And readily accept a variety of bumper stickers..

a few years ago a young woman was on a solo folk singer tour on her Xtracycle extended bike , EPS foam light case on one side ,
CF rainsong guitar inside.
the rest of the remaining rear and both front bags carried the rest.

made a stencil and picked up t shirts at the charity shops ,
so had tour T shirts to sell.
by spray painting on them thru the stencil, as she went.

groovestew

I carry a bass in a soft-shell gig bag with backpack straps. The long neck extends well above my head, so I gotta be careful around trees with low-hanging branches, etc.

Scheherezade 

Acoustic guitars are pretty easy with a light gigbag that has straps. I use a cheapo from Musician's Friend for all my gigs these days.

bobbisingh

Get a hybridbackpack. It carries a lot of item. There's a picture of a guitar in a soft case on the website. They sell extension straps for bigger items.
$39.99. looks way much better than saddle bags.

ryanwood

These guys have found a way to make it work:

buzzman

So have these guys:

https://gingerninjas.com/tour/why/

As for me- I carry a tenor uke in a soft case/backpack but it also fits in my milk crate on the back of my commuter. I also have a mini-Martin guitar, which I bought for it's easy bike transportability.

mikeybikes

I had a backpack designed to fit a trumpet. I carried that on my back while riding.

nashcommguy

When living in Chicago I taught guitar, mandolin, bass and voice at the Old Town School of Folk Music. I'd borrow a bass from the Different Strummer which was an on site music store. My mandolin was strapped to my rack and I had a Reunion Blues gig bag w/double straps for my guitar. They're not made anymore, but I've got Tribal Planet gigbags for all my instruments nowadays. They come equipped w/straps and a built in metal rod. One can use the bag(s) for an instrument stand as well as transporting. They're very well made and practically waterproof.

That being said if I played trumpet I'd strap it to the rack and carry the guitar on my back.

qualla

Not the easiest solution, but... An Xtracycle can carry a Guitar, a banjo, mandolin or tenor banjo, and other instruments simultaneously in protective cases. I put reflective tape on the head ends of my cases after someone commented that they could not see the instruments (which extend past the end of the freeloader) in the dark.

Seattle Forrest

I saw somebody strumming a guitar while riding their bike down the Burke Gilman Trail. Wouldn't recommend it.

silmarillion

I would go with the gigbag with straps too. But I usually have so much other stuff that goes with my guitars, mics, stands and accessories, I usually drive. Too much of a risk I couldn't imagine wiping out on my bike while carrying my Legend or my Strat...some things you just can't replace. Especially my granddad's Gibson guitar he had from 1934 until the day he left this world.

When I go on bike tours, I usually have an old Yamaha that my wife carries in the sag wagon...

DG Going Uphill

I carry my electric guitar in a gig bag in a pannier, open at the top, and use a strap with fastex buckle to go around the guitar and connect to the rack to prevent swaying. Haven't really solved what I would do in the rain. Doesn't hurt that it's a headless Steinberger, making it much more compact, but still full scale. Tried it on my back and it would work, but the neck keeps bonking my helmet. That would probably be less of a problem on a more upright bike.

Ray R

I could probably find a trailer big enough to haul my harpsichord, but regulating and tuning the damn thing afterwards would be a real chore, since it goes out of tune when someone opens the front door.
My upright grand piano, I don't think so.
Then again, have you ever tried to set your beer on a trumpet?

____asdfghjkl

Oh my god I am in love

FunkyStickman

This would be close...

JeremyLC

Or, how about this upright grand? https://www.flickr.com/photos/rashbre/3937532528/ (comments from another photo of the same pianocycle suggest that it may not be an ACTUAL piano)

Incidentally, I carry my (alto) sax in a Protec (https://www.ptcases.com/) case with backpack straps. I don't have a case I'd be willing to use with my (Taylor ) guitar, though, only the very soft gig bag it came with. (odd choice, really, since the sax was almost 6x the cost of the guitar)

Standalone 

I haven't tried to throw my DB into the back of my Madsen, but I guess it's worth a try.

Hauling a PA, though... that's tough.

FunkyStickman

Dude, fellow sax/guitar player here, man. What kind of horn you got?

And when I think PA systems, I think of the JBL EON self-powered speakers, they're very light and could be strapped on either side of a Big Dummy/Xtracycle.

JeremyLC

I have a Yanagisawa A992 (bronze ) Alto and a Keilwerth SX90R Tenor (black nickel/brass finish). I won't ride with my tenor, though, because I have only the case it came with, which is cloth and hard foam.

A Fender Passport system would probably be small enough to cart around, too. (class D amp, though, so the fidelity will be questionable)

bkj

I carry my saxes in their original cases which have backpack straps. You can't tie saxes to a bike because every little bump could knock them out of adjustment, so on the back they go. Alto is easy, but the tenor case extends below the seat & that takes a little getting used to.

Both are Keilwerth SX90 in the dark gray cloth cases. I also have a MkVI alto in a very easy to carry Gator case, but I don't play that one very much, so it stays home.

I play some guitar at the church gig, luckily I have a Telecaster that I can leave up there.