ibasin

I am considering buying a tandem and need to find a way to transport it.

A tandem roof rack runs at around $450 when all is said and done. I would rather invest the money in a better quality tandem.

I am wondering if it would be possible to transport a tandem using a trunk mounted rack for regular bikes (which I already own) if you remove tandem's front and rear wheels.

The tandem I am looking to buy has a wheelbase of 70in while my car is 68in wide. If I attached the tandem not perfectly horizontally, the angle will easily "consume" the 2 extra inches, so that the bike won't even protrude. The rack is designed for 2 regular bikes so it should easily handle the weight of a single tandem without the wheels.

I am only concerned about the fact that the "arms" of the rack are relatively narrow compared to the length of the tandem which could cause stronger upward forces on the "arms" should I make a sharp turn while driving.

Has anybody transported tandems on a regular trunk mounted rack (I have seen a picture of somebody doing this on this forum)?. Any ideas / suggestions?

Thank you in advance.

ibasin

The picture of the mount I was refering to can be found here: https://www.bikeforums.net/showthread...+front+mounted

tandem rider

I would not want to take the rear wheel off. The chain would scratch the chain stay and the rear wheel can be difficult to get off and on. Front wheel would not be a problem.

ibasin

Unfortunately, just taking off the front wheel would not allow me to mount the bike like I described

DannoXYZ 

Easy way to deal with the flopping chain is to tie it up with a zip-tie. Loop the zip-tie above the brake-boss on the seat-stay. Tighten it just enough so the chain is tensioned by the rear-derailleur spring. On older racing bikes, they used to have a peg on the seat-stay that you can loop the chain over to keep it tensioned.

As for having the bike on the trunk rack, it's fine. I've carried 3 regular bikes on one of these or a single tandem. From the rack's perspective, all it experiences is downward force perpendicular to the ground. Doesn't matter if that weight is spread out sideways more or if it's centered between the arms, the vertical force is the same.

When you go around a curve, you introduce a lateral force on the bike that makes it want to skate sideways on the arms of the rack. This is where it's highly critical that you have the bike tied to the rack securely. I like to use nylon straps and tie the bottom-bracket to the opposite arm (to get the strap as horizontal as possible). Two straps from opposing directions pretty much locks the bike laterally to the rack and you don't have to worry about any sideways or upwards motions.

B. Carfree

I always transport mine by riding it.

Ritterview

Here is a pic of a trunk mounted tandem rack.

jimmo

I also carry mine with a regular trunk mounted bike rack. I throw both wheels in the trunk. As long as its balance and not wanting to sag on one side I dont see any problems.

Metal Man

I carry mine on a rack on my spare on a Jeep Liberty. I tie the bars turned to keep the wheel in a bit. It hangs out past the Jeep about 10 to 12 inches on each side. I tow a 102" wide snowmobile trailer in the winter and the bike is only about 90" so it's not an issue for me.

Roland Owens

Okay...I'll be the contrarian and say it...spend the money for a decent bike rack. Can you make something less than ideal where you have to pull off both wheels to transport work? Absolutely. But a decent rack is something you can keep as you go through different bikes and vehicles. On my Honda Fit I have Thule racks and the basic TandemTopper fork mount for the bike. I moved this setup off our CRV when we traded it for the Fit. For the Prius we broke down and bought a Draftmaster. Definitely on the very pricey side but we figured we'd keep it forever as it'll work on any vehicle with a trailer hitch.

swc7916

I consider a good rack to be part of the cost of owning a tandem. If you're getting a $1000 tandem then carry it on a $50 trunk rack, but if it's upwards of $3000.00 do you really want to trust it to a cheap rack? I'm with Roland - spend the money for a decent rack.

zonatandem

tandem smiley..gifibasin:
Depending on the type of car you have, tandem could be carried inside. No rack needed.
We have a '97 Honda Accord station wagon. Pop off both wheels and it fits completely inside with hatch closed.
Or just toss it in with both wheels on; front wheel will hang out just a bit past bumper. Put piece of old carpet between partially closed hatch and the bike. Use bungee from rear hatch to underneath the vehicle. Works fine!
Heck, used to haul our tandem inside a VW hatchback back in the 70s and a Honda Accord hatchback in the '80s.
Be creative. . . $ave $450!
Pedal on TWOgehter!~
Rudy and Kay/zonatandem