Travel with a tandem and a BT50 with Slide on camper
12-31-21, 05:12 PM
#1
Newbie
Thread Starter
Travel with a tandem and a BT50 with Slide on camper
We like to travel off the beaten track with our set up and stay in state forests or other sites away from towns and busy roads.
We used to bush walk and treck untill Kathy's left ankle started to fail (she now has had a ankle reconstruction and is able to walk on good surfaces and ride our Cannondale tandem).
Unfortunatly we can't take the tandem with us as the Camper has rear entry so we can't fit a tow bar and rack and the dog with travel kennel stop us putting it in the cab.
We are now considering a "bike friday twoday folding tandem" as a possible solution to our problem.
Has any one traveled with one of these tandems as they would seem to fit the bill to allow us to set up camp and day trip from "home base"
If we manage to do this then Rail Trails seem to be verry suitable.
Sorry for the long post but may be sombody out there has solved the problem
We used to bush walk and treck untill Kathy's left ankle started to fail (she now has had a ankle reconstruction and is able to walk on good surfaces and ride our Cannondale tandem).
Unfortunatly we can't take the tandem with us as the Camper has rear entry so we can't fit a tow bar and rack and the dog with travel kennel stop us putting it in the cab.
We are now considering a "bike friday twoday folding tandem" as a possible solution to our problem.
Has any one traveled with one of these tandems as they would seem to fit the bill to allow us to set up camp and day trip from "home base"
If we manage to do this then Rail Trails seem to be verry suitable.
Sorry for the long post but may be sombody out there has solved the problem
01-02-22, 12:34 AM
#2
Bike Doctor
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I'd look at a custom 1 1/4" or 2" reciever mounted to the front, so I could get a removable rack to mount off the front bumper or frame.
Just Google "front mount trailer hitch"
They're commonly used to mount a winch on off road vehicles.
Just Google "front mount trailer hitch"
They're commonly used to mount a winch on off road vehicles.
Last edited by bazil4696; 01-02-22 at 12:39 AM.
01-02-22, 11:48 AM
#3
rebmeM roineS
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We like to travel off the beaten track with our set up and stay in state forests or other sites away from towns and busy roads.
We used to bush walk and treck untill Kathy's left ankle started to fail (she now has had a ankle reconstruction and is able to walk on good surfaces and ride our Cannondale tandem).
Unfortunatly we can't take the tandem with us as the Camper has rear entry so we can't fit a tow bar and rack and the dog with travel kennel stop us putting it in the cab.
We are now considering a "bike friday twoday folding tandem" as a possible solution to our problem.
Has any one traveled with one of these tandems as they would seem to fit the bill to allow us to set up camp and day trip from "home base"
If we manage to do this then Rail Trails seem to be verry suitable.
Sorry for the long post but may be sombody out there has solved the problem
We used to bush walk and treck untill Kathy's left ankle started to fail (she now has had a ankle reconstruction and is able to walk on good surfaces and ride our Cannondale tandem).
Unfortunatly we can't take the tandem with us as the Camper has rear entry so we can't fit a tow bar and rack and the dog with travel kennel stop us putting it in the cab.
We are now considering a "bike friday twoday folding tandem" as a possible solution to our problem.
Has any one traveled with one of these tandems as they would seem to fit the bill to allow us to set up camp and day trip from "home base"
If we manage to do this then Rail Trails seem to be verry suitable.
Sorry for the long post but may be sombody out there has solved the problem
No personal experience with Bike Friday tandems, folding or otherwise, but know a team that rides and enjoys theirs. Don't think it's the folding version.
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Bacchetta Giro A20, RANS V-Rex, RANS Screamer
Bacchetta Giro A20, RANS V-Rex, RANS Screamer
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01-02-22, 02:43 PM
#4
Newbie
Thread Starter
Hi Bazil.
a couple of problems with your sugestion.
1 it is ilegal in NSW to have such a device with a bike rack in place (although many do use a front bar to mange big trailers and caravans into parking spots) I did have one 50 years ago and used it often.
2 the bar usualy fits below the front bumper or bull bar and I have had many hang ups in the past with scoured creek crossings where the bar has hit the bank lifting the front wheels into the air then the rear wheels digging in and much shoveling required to get out and this is without the goose neck fitted.
a couple of problems with your sugestion.
1 it is ilegal in NSW to have such a device with a bike rack in place (although many do use a front bar to mange big trailers and caravans into parking spots) I did have one 50 years ago and used it often.
2 the bar usualy fits below the front bumper or bull bar and I have had many hang ups in the past with scoured creek crossings where the bar has hit the bank lifting the front wheels into the air then the rear wheels digging in and much shoveling required to get out and this is without the goose neck fitted.
01-02-22, 04:56 PM
#5
Newbie
Thread Starter
Thanks JanMM
I didn't realise there were 2 types of bike friday tandems.
Have checked with factory web site and yes one is dissmantalable the other folding.
So now need to find a example of both (hopefully for a test ride) then see which will be the best for our needs.
we saw one go past our place on the weekend so will keep an eye out for it and talk to them as they are probably staying near by
Thanks for the heads up
Regards
Joe
I didn't realise there were 2 types of bike friday tandems.
Have checked with factory web site and yes one is dissmantalable the other folding.
So now need to find a example of both (hopefully for a test ride) then see which will be the best for our needs.
we saw one go past our place on the weekend so will keep an eye out for it and talk to them as they are probably staying near by
Thanks for the heads up
Regards
Joe
01-03-22, 02:24 PM
#6
Newbie
Thread Starter
Things moving on have been contacted by a Bike Friday Tuesday folding bike in Wollongong and we will go and see and test it
Since all our grand children and all our children ride bikes road and MTB it will make vsiting and riding together easier as Australia being a big country means they are all many hours drive away and if the Tuesday tandem is suitable we can drop in on the way to other places and have a tandem with us.
Hope it works
Joe
Since all our grand children and all our children ride bikes road and MTB it will make vsiting and riding together easier as Australia being a big country means they are all many hours drive away and if the Tuesday tandem is suitable we can drop in on the way to other places and have a tandem with us.
Hope it works
Joe
Last edited by JoeShellharbour; 01-03-22 at 02:25 PM. Reason: spelling
01-12-22, 04:01 PM
#7
Senior Member
No experience with the Bike Friday tandem, but I do own two BF New World Tourist single bikes and am happy with them. They ride very much like a full-size bike. Have you also considered an S&S-coupled full-size tandem? Not as convenient as the Bike Friday folding mechanism, but it doesn't take very long to break the frame apart with the couplers just for transport (from personal experience).
01-12-22, 10:55 PM
#8
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Thread Starter
No experience with the Bike Friday tandem, but I do own two BF New World Tourist single bikes and am happy with them. They ride very much like a full-size bike. Have you also considered an S&S-coupled full-size tandem? Not as convenient as the Bike Friday folding mechanism, but it doesn't take very long to break the frame apart with the couplers just for transport (from personal experience).
I have a freind with a Cannondale same as ours who went down this rout in 2016
His Cannondale like ours has hydraulic breaks and not suitable for couplings
He contacted 2 shops (VIC and QLD) couldn'r find a NSW shop
he looked for and found a suitable tandem and sent it away they (QLD) quoted 6 to 8 weeks it ended up closer to 10 weeks dor to door, so a wise move to send a second bike!
Hence our looking for a Biike Friday tandem Two's Day folding
01-15-22, 03:20 AM
#9
Newbie
Thread Starter
No experience with the Bike Friday tandem, but I do own two BF New World Tourist single bikes and am happy with them. They ride very much like a full-size bike. Have you also considered an S&S-coupled full-size tandem? Not as convenient as the Bike Friday folding mechanism, but it doesn't take very long to break the frame apart with the couplers just for transport (from personal experience).
Have found a Cannondale with rim brakes alloy frame 26" wheels that was called a MTB no suspension so is this worth buying and getting S&S couplings fitted?
if so the price of the bike is reasonable and a full size bike would be much better to travel with
Regards
Joe
01-16-22, 10:33 AM
#10
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Hi Philly
Have found a Cannondale with rim brakes alloy frame 26" wheels that was called a MTB no suspension so is this worth buying and getting S&S couplings fitted?
if so the price of the bike is reasonable and a full size bike would be much better to travel with
Regards
Joe
Have found a Cannondale with rim brakes alloy frame 26" wheels that was called a MTB no suspension so is this worth buying and getting S&S couplings fitted?
if so the price of the bike is reasonable and a full size bike would be much better to travel with
Regards
Joe
01-16-22, 08:46 PM
#11
Newbie
Thread Starter
I think having couplers retrofitted costs a couple thousand dollars, at least for a steel tandem. Not sure whether it’s doable for aluminum. Might be more cost effective to look out for a bike with couplers already installed - I see them on Craigslist or eBay sometimes for 2-3 grand.
Most ads say local pick up and even for a new bike the transport is over $5000 AU
If some one is willing to send to Australia Iwould jump at the chance
I'll keep looking
only 2 new tandems are available localy a cheap Chinese Knock off with a idler for the Timing chain so not worth even looking at
The other Poligon wgich does not have the diagonal brace so would be suspect of it as well
There is a Trak 100 for sale which could be worth a look
but nothing with S&S couplings
Makes the 12 year old Bike Friday Two's Day seem like a viable buy
