Date: Mon, 14 May 2007 09:52:52 -0700
Reply-To: Michael Elliott <camping.elliott@GMAIL.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Michael Elliott <camping.elliott@GMAIL.COM>
Subject: Re: Racks for Tandem Bikes?
In-Reply-To: <521120.95352.qm@web51401.mail.re2.yahoo.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed
Hi Stephen,
How were you planning to modify your crossbar mount? If it doesn't
involve welding, I could give it a try. If it does, I'd be happy to pay
you, or someone else, to modify one. But tandems are pretty heavy. If
the tandem is hung from a fork-mount, the mount and the crossbar and
mounting and gutter would need to be pretty darn sturdy, it seems.
I agree with your post about bike being a total pain to deal with when
you're not on them. I love riding, don't ride as much as I should, but
with a tandem, Mrs Squirrel and I can have some fun jaunts.
The bike is a no-big-deal Raleigh "Companion." I spotted it at a garage
sale. Only been ridden a few times, but here's the thing: it's a small
frame, and both Mrs Squirrel and I are short. When I gave it a test
ride, it fit me perfectly, so that's rare enough to make it worth
buying. The brakes are just crummy cantilevers, so I know we won't be
doing long downhills.
--
Mike "Rocket J Squirrel" Elliott
71 Type 2: the Wonderbus
84 Westfalia: Mellow Yellow ("The Electrical Banana")
74 Utility Trailer. Ladybug Trailer, Inc., San Juan Capistrano
KG6RCR
Stephen Grisanti typed:
> You could do what I plan to do on my van; a single
> gutter-mount crossbar at the rear of the roof modified
> so it clears the raised poptop and the raised hatch.
> You then use a single fork-mount bike holder and let
> the bike hang vertically on the back of the van with a
> bungee holding the rear of the bike to bumper or tow
> hook.
>
> Stephen
>
> --- Michael Elliott <camping.elliott@GMAIL.COM> wrote:
>
>> Hi Greg,
>>
>> Nah, I've never owned or considered getting a
>> tandem, so the issue of
>> hauling one has never come up. It's just possible
>> that I may have asked
>> about towing a small car with a Vanagon, or maybe
>> towing the Vanagon
>> behind a larger vehicle, towing a motor scooter
>> behind the van, so
>> trailers may have been discussed at that time. It's
>> possible. But tandem
>> bikes are an altogether different matter -- I know I
>> haven't beaten this
>> horse to death.
>>
>> The Draftmaster that Stephen pointed out looks like
>> a fine rack. But at
>> $800, it's four times the cost of this used tandem
>> bike I just got. Gary
>> Lee's stuff isn't cheap, either. Can't help but
>> wonder if this was a
>> plain silly purchase.
>>
>> --
>> Mike "Rocket J Squirrel" Elliott
>> 71 Type 2: the Wonderbus
>> 84 Westfalia: Mellow Yellow ("The Electrical
>> Banana")
>> 74 Utility Trailer. Ladybug Trailer, Inc., San Juan
>> Capistrano
>> KG6RCR
>>
>>
>>
>> Greg Potts typed:
>>> Hi Mike,
>>>
>>> Haven't we been through this already??You need a
>> trailer.
>>> Happy Trails,
>>>
>>> Greg Potts
>>> 1973/74/77/79 Westfakia "Bob The Tomato
>>> www.pottsfamily.ca
>>> www.busesofthecorn.com
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> On 12-May-07, at 2:22 PM, Michael Elliott wrote:
>>>
>>>> I just found a good deal on a tandem bike at a
>> yard sale. I hope to hang
>>>> it on the back of Mellow Yellow before our next
>> camping trip and
>>>> surprise Mrs Squirrel. I'm looking for a rear
>> hatch tandem bike rack --
>>>> not a roof rack, I'm too short to be hauling
>> stuff up there, and tandems
>>>> are very heavy. Mrs Squirrel is close to useless
>> when it comes to
>>>> hoisting heavy items.
>>>>
>>>> Does anyone have any recommendations for a good
>> rack? I saw Gary Lee's
>>>> stuff at
>>>>
>>>>
> http://www.telusplanet.net/public/gary2a/rack/4bike/tandem/tandem.htm
>>>> Or maybe someone has a used one for sale, and
>> could figure out how to
>>>> ship it to Zip code 92008?
>>>>
>>>> --
>>>> Mike "Rocket J Squirrel" Elliott
>>>> 71 Type 2: the Wonderbus
>>>> 84 Westfalia: Mellow Yellow ("The Electrical
>> Banana")
>>>> 74 Utility Trailer. Ladybug Trailer, Inc., San
>> Juan Capistrano
>>>> KG6RCR
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>
>
>
>
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