tandem+bike rack=???

[Craiggo]

I have a tandem bike that I want to haul around (and other normail bikes) but I have no way of hauling it .

I thought I could try to construct a Bike rack but I would question its integrity. any ideas?

Here is some brain candy.

1995 Ford Escort Stationwagon

1972 Schwinn Twinn

-Craig

 

[eldoroddo]

I'm kind of in the same boat...er, van. I have a Honda Odyssey and it's a pain in the ... to haul my '79 Twinn DeLuxe in the back. I have to remove the second-row middle seat and lower the handlebars to get it in. Once in, I really have no way to secure it, as there are no tie downs in the floor due to the third row stow-and-go seats. I usually have to shove a couple of folding camping chairs between the front forks and the leather seats of the second row. Then I run straps from the rear of the bike to the grab handles above the sliding doors. It totally sucks.

I have a Thule hitch but the van is 5.5 feet wide and the bike is over7.5 feet wide.

 

[expjawa]

Interesting, a Twinn with a downtube shifter. Are you sure its a '72? The 1972 Collegiate and Suburban that I have both have stem-mounted shifters for their 5-speeds.

Anyway, I'd think about using a roof mount. I have Thule load bars on my Mountaineer and 4 bike carriers on them. A lot of the Thule bike carrier models use the same basic tray. It's an extruded aluminum channel, IIRC. You can often find old ones on c-list cheap. I thought about picking up an old one, and just using the base tray to make an extension for one of my existing ones. I think I ought to able to overlap the ends by a foot or so, then through-bolt them together. I was looking at doing that when I picked up a post-war Schwinn Tandem. I found, though, that I could fit it in the back of my vehicle with the rear seat folded and the fork turned some, so it became a non-issue.

 

[Craiggo]

Interesting, a Twinn with a downtube shifter. Are you sure its a '72? The 1972 Collegiate and Suburban that I have both have stem-mounted shifters for their 5-speeds.

Anyway, I'd think about using a roof mount. I have Thule load bars on my Mountaineer and 4 bike carriers on them. A lot of the Thule bike carrier models use the same basic tray. It's an extruded aluminum channel, IIRC. You can often find old ones on c-list cheap. I thought about picking up an old one, and just using the base tray to make an extension for one of my existing ones. I think I ought to able to overlap the ends by a foot or so, then through-bolt them together. I was looking at doing that when I picked up a post-war Schwinn Tandem. I found, though, that I could fit it in the back of my vehicle with the rear seat folded and the fork turned some, so it became a non-issue.

Thanks for the advice. I don't want to buy one new, so I will look on c-list sometime for a cheap one. I'll see how that goes. As for the year of the bike, I really don't remember what the guy told me.i think he said 72 or 73? I can look up the serial # sometime. Thanks!

 

[expjawa]

[Thanks for the advice. I don't want to buy one new, so I will look on c-list sometime for a cheap one. I'll see how that goes. As for the year of the bike, I really don't remember what the guy told me.i think he said 72 or 73? I can look up the serial # sometime. Thanks!

Start with where the serial is located. On a '72 or '73, it would be on the headtube below the badge. They started putting it there around 1970. On earlier bikes, (built after 1952) it would be on the left drop out. Starting in 1965, Schwinn serials started with two letters, the second one is the year (first is month), starting with "A", and going up for each year. So, 1965 would be "XA_____", and 1972 would be "XH_____", etc. But I don't think Schwinn used downtube shifters OEM after the mid/late 60s.

 

[Georgeediii]

If sombody can come up with a rack to haul a surfboard along the side of a bike, why can't a rack be devised to hold the tandem along the passenger side of your station wagon? If you figure something out, you might want to apply for a patent.

 

[expjawa]

If sombody can come up with a rack to haul a surfboard along the side of a bike, why can't a rack be devised to hold the tandem along the passenger side of your station wagon? If you figure something out, you might want to apply for a patent.

Could be the relatively dried up station wagon market doesn't justify it. But at a glance, I'd say that issues with blocking the passenger doors, width, and exposure to damage in traffic all work against a side mount for a car.

 

[scrumblero]

put it on the roof and use a strut off the front bumper like they do for hang gliders, just screw a couple of the gutters together and hang the end on the front strut.

 

[Georgeediii]

Looks like side mounting it would work on my Avalanche. I just threw my trunk/tailgate rack on the rear passenger door. Figure out a way to stabilize the front and rear wheels and you are all set. If you really wanted to get nuts you could mount one on the front door as well.

Of course I just fold mine up and throw it in the trunk.

 

[Craiggo]

Of course I just fold mine up and throw it in the trunk.

That is a really unique bike! Never seen one like it anyway...

Thanks for the great tips everybody! I think I will be able to put it on the roof though. I would be too nervous having it on the side.

All I would need is some sort of channel like a long enough piece of angle iron and a way to secure the tire. I would also strap it down from the seat posts to the car hooks...

My dad says he has an idea too but he won't let me try my idea yet. I might just end up trying it haha

 

[Vonpotter]

Yakima makes a Tandem rack...

 

[Craiggo]

Yakima makes a Tandem rack...

I dont have $400 to throw at a Bike rack but I might take some pointers from that. Thanks!