Pendle Tandem Rack-T bar attachment

[thirdcrank]

I used to carry my tandem on an aluminium ladder attached to the roof bars. I made an attachment to hold the front forks using square section tubing offcuts and a threaded rod as an axle. The fork attachment was positioned so the rear wheel fitted nicely between 2 rungs and was held on with toestraps. Depending upon your car shape and positioning of the roof bars it may be possible to attach the tandem with the ladder positioned on the rear roof bar then lift and slide the back end fully on. My car shape wasn't ideal so I had to lift it onto the ladder. The kids toilet step came in handy for this giving me an extra 8 inches of height :lol:
Our current car is a Hyundai i10 and we have carried the tandem on one of those strapped on bike carriers which hang on the back. The tandem does poke out both sides so one has to drive carefully especially in the rural lanes. :wink:

To develop the ladder idea, I have a Thule rack-mounted roller designed to facilitate sliding a ladder onto roof bars, where the ladder is stabilised by more fittings. It wouldn't be necessary to use a ladder as the base, something like a scaffolding plank would do and might be less attractive to thieves. A length of metal channel could be used for both wheels with one or more uprights. Wheel the bike on, fasten it in place, then slide it all up on the roof and clamp down. (Securely.)

[Norman H]

The problem of the front wheel flopping around isn't unique to tandems. I solved the problem on a solo bike by using an adjustable tie bar designed to prevent the same thing when the bike is clamped in a workstand, it fits between bars and seat post. Mine was purpose made and is adjustable for length but it should be easy enough to fashion something similar from a length of timber or suchlike with a couple of straps each end. I leave it in place when the bike is travelling on the roof as it helps to dampen the oscillations of the front wheel in the wind.

You might also find that Thule sliding roof bars would make it easier to load the tandem. They extend sideways and mean that you only have to lift the bike vertically. I bought a pair primarily for loading my kayak single handed but they also make loading bikes a lot easier, especially if you are carrying three or four bikes.

[CJ]

The problem of the front wheel flopping around...

...doesn't bother me. I simply let the steering turn 90° left, as I lift the tandem by it's two seat tubes and hold it horizontal above my head.

I've found that when I tilt the tandem downwards and rest the bottoms of the two wheels onto the edges of their respective wheel cradles, provided I lower the front wheel first and am careful how I nudge the side of the front tyre against the near edge of its cradle - whilst ensuring that the bottom of the tyre is between the two cradle edges - this straightens up the front wheel nicely. With the front wheel now aligned with and resting on its cradle, I drop the rear wheel to rest similarly. The tandem is still far from vertical, so the wheels are not yet fully engaged with their cradles, but that doesn't seem to matter, the wheels are sufficiently engaged that I can raise the tandem further not just by lifting the seat-tubes but also by shifting my grip a bit lower and pushing the frame sideways.

Before going further I should explain that my tandem carrier is towards the left side of the car roof (above the passenger seat) and the tandem travels front first, so my left hand is holding the front seat-tube and my right the rear. Having got the tandem as vertical as I can by pushing sideways on its seat-tubes, I move my left hand to the bottom-tube and push hard sideways against that until the front seat-tube is snug against its vertical support. Meanwhile the rear support has been out of the way but handy, loosely located in a horizontal position on it's square attachment stub. Ensuring that the tandem remains vertical with my left hand on the bottom-tube, I use my right hand to re-position this other support vertically against the rear seat-tube, and hold it there while I use my left hand to fasten it firmly onto its stud. The tandem is now stable between fixed supports on opposite sides of its frame, so I can move to attach the wheel and frame security straps. (This I do by opening a rear door and standing on its cill. I also stand there to get the tandem off, which takes two and is another story!)

[thirdcrank]

I may have misunderstood the OP but I thought that part of what they were talking about was an increasing inability to lift the weight of a tandem up that high and that first removing the front wheel might reduce that weight enough to be able to cope.

[beeb]

that is the problem, we are going to try it with both thorn racks , rear saddle which handle bars are attached to and front saddle removed to see what difference it makes. We will also visit our local bike shop to see if the have a couple of old 26" wheels which might be lighter. Really impressed with all the possible solutions offered. thanks again

[531colin]

I used to carry my tandem on an aluminium ladder attached to the roof bars. I made an attachment to hold the front forks using square section tubing offcuts and a threaded rod as an axle. The fork attachment was positioned so the rear wheel fitted nicely between 2 rungs and was held on with toestraps. Depending upon your car shape and positioning of the roof bars it may be possible to attach the tandem with the ladder positioned on the rear roof bar then lift and slide the back end fully on. ............

This is the answer
And I'll tell you how I know its the answer.....
4 years ago when we moved house I bought wooden garden furniture; age 70.
Now aged 74 I am too weak to be able to move the stuff, so I have given it to the kids and bought lightweight alloy stuff; I can lift 2 chairs with one hand. The wooden chairs and benches come apart into manageable bits, I transported them in the car boot. But the table....oh! the table!....the legs come off....big deal. I could fly about in the air more easily than I could lift the table top onto the roof bars.
The answer was to slide it on. I fixed a length of wood to the left ends of both roof bars, leaned the table top against it, and slid it up with no problem.
At the other end my son in law simply lifted it off; but then he is a generation younger than me, as well as being taller and heavier.

So, fix the tandem to a length of ladder (or whatever comes to hand) on the ground . Pick up one end of the ladder and rest it on a bar (whatever comes to hand) attached to the roof bars. Slide the assembled tandem/ladder onto the roof.

[thirdcrank]

My version of what Colin is describing involved transporting a ladder. When my late mother was still living independently in a first-floor flat her regular window cleaner packed in and she couldn't get another so to keep her happy the easiest solution was for me to do it but shifting the ladder regularly from my garage to her carpark was difficult as I lacked the strength to get it on and off the roof bars with any certainty. I fitted a roller of the type I described above and bingo! Straight on and off every time.

[531colin]

75 next month, I can still get the ladder on the roof bars, one section at a time. I think you are a bit ahead of me, TC?

Simply picking up a tandem and holding it at shoulder height while you fit it to roof bars is all well and good, just as long as you are strong enough to do it, and young enough to want to do it.
But getting the thing down, with 2 people, one of whom has to stand on the door cill sounds a bit iffy to me.

[thirdcrank]

I'm 77. What I'm talking about is largely about confidence.. It's not some sort of sports event where you prove how much you can lift, but what you can do confidently and reliably, without risking getting into difficulties and needing help. Once upon a time I could probably have carried our tandem in a cyclo-cross style. To give it some local history, I gave it to the chap who used to live near Spa Cycles in the Wedderburn Road days and sold vintage bike stuff. (Can't remember his name but I have it somewhere.)

[RJS]

Unless I've got it wrong, the idea, as in the Thule, is that the rear wheel stays on the ground while the front fork is fastened to the pivoting quick release, then the rest of the tandem is swung up onto the roof; that's how my friends worked, I'll ask him about it when I see him on Thursday.
Cheers, Rob.

[531colin]

I'm 77. What I'm talking about is largely about confidence.. It's not some sort of sports event where you prove how much you can lift, but what you can do confidently and reliably, without risking getting into difficulties and needing help. Once upon a time I could probably have carried our tandem in a cyclo-cross style. To give it some local history, I gave it to the chap who used to live near Spa Cycles in the Wedderburn Road days and sold vintage bike stuff. (Can't remember his name but I have it somewhere.)

I can't remember his name either!
EDIT.....John Bell. Haven't seen him or heard anything about him for a long time

[531colin]

Unless I've got it wrong, the idea, as in the Thule, is that the rear wheel stays on the ground while the front fork is fastened to the pivoting quick release, then the rest of the tandem is swung up onto the roof; ..........
Cheers, Rob.

More than one way to skin a cat.

The basis of the Thule idea and of the ladder idea is actually the same; some or most of the weight stays on the ground while you get some of the weight transferred to the roof bars, before finally putting all the weight on the roof bars.

Thule seems to require the tandem to be supported while you fasten the front fork into a quick release. Fastening the fork into the release I think will require both hands, so an assistant needs to support the weight of the tandem?

Fastening the tandem to a "ladder" on the ground could be made to be a one person job, for example fix a "mast" to the ladder, strap the wheels to the ladder and the front saddle to the mast. Then lift one end of the ladder onto the roof bars and slide the rest of it on.

The easier the better as far as I can tell.

[CJ]

...getting the thing down, with 2 people, one of whom has to stand on the door cill sounds a bit iffy to me.

It is! So usually we pop a folding step-stool in the car.

[Bonefishblues]

These may be useful gadgets for some?

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Universal-Door ... C61&sr=8-9

Plenty of strength in the door lock btw - it's a critical safety component to maintain the integrity of the vehicle in a crash, so will more than take the weight of the heaviest chuffer

[thirdcrank]

I'm 77. What I'm talking about is largely about confidence.. It's not some sort of sports event where you prove how much you can lift, but what you can do confidently and reliably, without risking getting into difficulties and needing help. Once upon a time I could probably have carried our tandem in a cyclo-cross style. To give it some local history, I gave it to the chap who used to live near Spa Cycles in the Wedderburn Road days and sold vintage bike stuff. (Can't remember his name but I have it somewhere.)

I can't remember his name either!
EDIT.....John Bell. Haven't seen him or heard anything about him for a long time

I just remembered it was John Bell and when I came back to this I found your edit. It's probably 25 (ish) years since I saw him