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Tandems on planes

Rob Brown2010-08-26 18:53:22

I wondered if anyone has experience of taking their tandem on a plane. We are flying to New Zealand in November and trying to work out if its better to get a tandem here and transport it, or buy one out there.

If anyone has any information on advice on this it would be much appreciated.

Thanks

Richard Irving2010-08-26 20:31:00

Yes I have:

Heathrow to San Francisco in 1995 by United Airlines both ways. No particular problems. UA insisted on us using a couple of their useless boxes on the return leg which was irritaing as some parts fell off but easily put right on arrival at LHR. Outward I used pipe insulation with tape and straps, reversed pedals, rotated the handlebars parallel to the frame and partially deflated the tyres. We also took a solo, a Rhode gear child seat and a car seat for our younger daughter on the same flights (as well as a new baby buggy and a BOB Yak trailer on the return journey!). They all got used on a Critical Mass ride in San Francisco. This only worked as the transatlantic flight baggage allowances were enormous back then - I have no idea what it is like now.
The worst part of it was cycling home (to the centre of London - Grays Inn) on a tandem pulling a trailer at around rush hour on a Monday morning after 15 hours travelling and the jet lag - made it though!

The very best of luck.

Richard

: I wondered if anyone has experience of taking their tandem on a plane. We are
: flying to New Zealand in November and trying to work out if its better to
: get a tandem here and transport it, or buy one out there.

: If anyone has any information on advice on this it would be much appreciated.

: Thanks

Tricia Frost-Anderson2010-08-26 23:38:41

: Yes I have: Heathrow to San Francisco in 1995 by United Airlines both ways.
: No particular problems. UA insisted on us using a couple of their useless
: boxes on the return leg which was irritaing as some parts fell off but
: easily put right on arrival at LHR. Outward I used pipe insulation with
: tape and straps, reversed pedals, rotated the handlebars parallel to the
: frame and partially deflated the tyres. We also took a solo, a Rhode gear
: child seat and a car seat for our younger daughter on the same flights (as
: well as a new baby buggy and a BOB Yak trailer on the return journey!).
: They all got used on a Critical Mass ride in San Francisco. This only
: worked as the transatlantic flight baggage allowances were enormous back
: then - I have no idea what it is like now.
: The worst part of it was cycling home (to the centre of London - Grays Inn)
: on a tandem pulling a trailer at around rush hour on a Monday morning
: after 15 hours travelling and the jet lag - made it though!

: The very best of luck.

: Richard

Rob, your starting point is to find out the weight/size/pieces of baggage allowed on various airlines (or your chosen airline) as these keep changing and are hard to keep up with. We've tandemed 3 times in New Zealand: the first time over the Millenium we took our Cannondale and wrapped it with bubble wrap and pipe lagging, etc: the second time (2004/05) we took our coupled full suspension Ventana in 3 suitcases with clothing and bike accessories packed around the bike bits; the third time (2007/08) we took our coupled 29er in 3 suitcases as for the Ventana. Each time worked well with no problems. I believe it is now possible to hire tandems in NZ but they are somewhat rare and if you're doing a lot of miles then you need to be comfortable. I hope it all works out for you and that you have a great time there.

Tricia

Rob Brown2010-09-01 09:24:59

: Rob, your starting point is to find out the weight/size/pieces of baggage
: allowed on various airlines (or your chosen airline) as these keep
: changing and are hard to keep up with. We've tandemed 3 times in New
: Zealand: the first time over the Millenium we took our Cannondale and
: wrapped it with bubble wrap and pipe lagging, etc: the second time
: (2004/05) we took our coupled full suspension Ventana in 3 suitcases with
: clothing and bike accessories packed around the bike bits; the third time
: (2007/08) we took our coupled 29er in 3 suitcases as for the Ventana. Each
: time worked well with no problems. I believe it is now possible to hire
: tandems in NZ but they are somewhat rare and if you're doing a lot of
: miles then you need to be comfortable. I hope it all works out for you and
: that you have a great time there.

: Tricia

Thanks for the advice guys. It seems from the airline website that it should all be fine so we'll see when we get to the airport! Thanks again