Tandem Carrier

[Matt174]

Hi guys.

 

Has anyone got any suggestions on a roof rack carrier for a tandem? I know Thule make one but it is prohibitively expensive, R8k to R10K. 

 

Any thoughts, comments or suggestions would be welcome.

 

Matt

[Long Wheel Base]

I use the normal thule proride. I remove the front wheel, put a pool noodle that I have shaved a bit square on the flat part of the thule and then the bottom part of the frame(between the 2 cranks) sits on the noodle. The clamp then clamps on the frame like normal. I then secure the handle bars so they don't move from side to side. Does that make sense?

[Long Wheel Base]

I'll look and see if I have a picture on my phone of my tandem on the rack.

[Matt174]

I use the normal thule proride. I remove the front wheel, put a pool noodle that I have shaved a bit square on the flat part of the thule and then the bottom part of the frame(between the 2 cranks) sits on the noodle. The clamp then clamps on the frame like normal. I then secure the handle bars so they don't move from side to side. Does that make sense?

 

Ah ok I think I have an idea of what you mean. A picture will definitely help too if you have one. Thanks  

[Long Wheel Base]

Ah ok I think I have an idea of what you mean. A picture will definitely help too if you have one. Thanks  

Sorry, this will have to do for now.

[Matt174]

Sorry, this will have to do for now.

Tandem.PNG

 

Haha brilliant! Thank you

[The Ouzo]

Sorry, this will have to do for now.

Tandem.PNG

what do you rest the forks on ?

[Long Wheel Base]

what do you rest the forks on ?

Nothing. They get fastened straight so they don't turn. I use another, well the rest of the same pool noodle, that I took a piece of ally tube(about 8mm so it is easy to bend) and shaped it and threaded it through the centre of the noodle. It is shaped kinda like a banana. I then put the one end between the 2 blades of the fork and the rest gets fastened against the frame, again with old toe straps.

[Long Wheel Base]

Nothing. They get fastened straight so they don't turn. I use another, well the rest of the same pool noodle, that I took a piece of ally tube(about 8mm so it is easy to bend) and shaped it and threaded it through the centre of the noodle. It is shaped kinda like a banana. I then put the one end between the 2 blades of the fork and the rest gets fastened against the frame, again with old toe straps.

 

what do you rest the forks on ?

Like this.

[Long Wheel Base]

Haha brilliant! Thank you

No problem. I already had the thule proride and also looked at that tandem carrier and despite the hefty price tag it wouldn't have worked on the setup I have on my bakkie. So a bit of playing around and testing and measuring and an hour later this was done. Sure, it's not state of the art and the pool noodle gets pretty dirty from the chain but it does the job and it only cost me 1 pool noodle that was lying around, the ally tube which I have plenty of off cuts and the toe straps which we also have a lot of. 

[piotter]

I really would love to see an actual photo of this, good job.

 

No problem. I already had the thule proride and also looked at that tandem carrier and despite the hefty price tag it wouldn't have worked on the setup I have on my bakkie. So a bit of playing around and testing and measuring and an hour later this was done. Sure, it's not state of the art and the pool noodle gets pretty dirty from the chain but it does the job and it only cost me 1 pool noodle that was lying around, the ally tube which I have plenty of off cuts and the toe straps which we also have a lot of. 

[Long Wheel Base]

I really would love to see an actual photo of this, good job.

I will take photos sometime. The bike lives at my folks place so won't be today but I will make a plan and take photos asap.

[Matt174]

Awesome thank you Long Wheel Base! Definitely some food for thought and inspiration here! Will have to do some measuring myself and see if I can actually fit a tandem on a Suzuki Ignis  

[Long Wheel Base]

Awesome thank you Long Wheel Base! Definitely some food for thought and inspiration here! Will have to do some measuring myself and see if I can actually fit a tandem on a Suzuki Ignis

I reckon the tandem is the same length, if not longer than the Ignis, so it might be pretty easy. Just need to check the opening of the boot once the bike is on. Or take the rear wheel off as well. On the plus side, it is at least a low car. Picking the tandem up high is not easy. I have my bike rack on top of my armadillo on the bakkie so it is still pretty low but I have used my wife's car once to transport it and that is not easy picking it up high(qashqai) and then I couldn't really open the boot. Luckily that time it was just me and a buddy so pretty much everything got packed on the back seat.

[The Ouzo]

Like this.

tandem1.PNG

the picture makes perfect sense. So the forks are basically sitting suspended.

 

Oh and toe straps are the most useful things out. I think I need to source a bunch of them now before they become unavailable everywhere.

[Matt174]

I reckon the tandem is the same length, if not longer than the Ignis, so it might be pretty easy. Just need to check the opening of the boot once the bike is on. Or take the rear wheel off as well. On the plus side, it is at least a low car. Picking the tandem up high is not easy. I have my bike rack on top of my armadillo on the bakkie so it is still pretty low but I have used my wife's car once to transport it and that is not easy picking it up high(qashqai) and then I couldn't really open the boot. Luckily that time it was just me and a buddy so pretty much everything got packed on the back seat.

 

Haha luckily I have to lift the tandem on the regular as it is mounted nice and high up on a wall.