antmaster5000

Hey all- the SO and I have gotten into tandem riding over this last year (has been a godsend for us) and are looking to have Rodriguez built up with couplers for traveling. One thing that I can't quite figure out- is there a good way to do one way tours (e.g. Seattle -> Portland over a weekend), and break down the bike to bus/train back? I imagine that you would need some sort of soft case that folds/breaks down and is packable on the bike. I suppose you could also ship a standard bike case to your destination and pack your bike there, but that means extra money + hassle. Curious if others have encountered this situation

jccaclimber

In my case the wheel bag is soft (with some cardboard protection that was slipped in), so it at least fits in the frame case. It probably wouldn't cost that much to ship the empty case back after arriving at the destination, or ship it out in advance if it's ride out, fly/drive back. I suppose if you had a friend you could do Seattle>Portland over a weekend, leave stuff with a friend, then do Portland>Seattle another weekend.

I've heard of people cutting down and repurposing cardboard bike boxes (free at many bike shops) and then simply disposing of the cardboard at one end so cases don't need to be returned.

Never tried it, but I'll bet you could rig up the cases as large paniers if you really wanted to.

scycheng

In regions with decent train service ie. not most of North America, we would take the train one way with the tandem. Works particularly well in western Europe.

For flying, couplers are worth every penny/pence/...

Alcanbrad

If you are looking at only occasional 1 way trips, you might take a look at 1 way car/van rental. Leave your travel case(s) at the origin, then rent a car/van one way returning to your case(s). Having a coupled bike would allow you to break the bike down to easily fit in a small vehicle keeping the rental cost low. You might find that a one way rental may be cheaper than shipping the bike or the empty case(s) and your travel to/from the trip origin might be cheaper as well if you book round trip between the same airports.

antmaster5000

Man would I love this in the states. Haven't found a bus or train service in the greater region that accommodates tandems, although with couplers I imagine I can break it down and rig something together.

Ross200

You can make a surprisingly compact and secure bundle of a coupled tandem using bubble wrap or moving blankets and some packing cling wrap or tape. Wrap the parts in the padding as you take them apart and combine them into one(or more) package(s). A quick trip to the home improvement store and you are on your way. Harbor Freight moving pads are often had on the cheap. If you want cardboard, grocery stores throw it out 24/7. Make your own custom box! More than a few tandem teams travel the world this way with minimal damage/hassle.

A little practice at home goes along way. The MKS Ezy pedal system can be a help for travel bikes and the Topeak bottle cage quick release mounts speed up the packing.

Have fun with your new ride!