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| Our tandem and the case it packs into. (Click on the photo for a larger version; give it some time to load as this animated GIF is a large file.) |
Still... that saying manages to ring true. We are embarking on what will be the start of the next big adventure of our lives; you might say that we are laying the groundwork for our golden years.
We've packed up the tandem and will be boarding a flight to Florida in the morning, with the goal of trying to find property or a house, while getting in some quality riding time around the area/s we'll be house hunting in. (And we'll also be riding in the Florida Tandem Rally, which will come at the end of our Florida vacation.)
The photo I've posted is an answer to the question that a lot of people ask; "how do you travel with your tandem?" Hopefully the device you're reading this entry on supports animated GIF files, and if it does then you're seeing the bike being packed in a case, layer by layer, until it's ready to travel with the rest of our luggage. (If not, then you're just looking at the opening photo with our bike and the case it breaks down and goes into. Trust me... with a little patience and a LOT of cussing... it all fits!)
It takes me about an hour to an hour and a half to either break the bike down and pack it in its case, or to reassemble the bike once we reach our destination. When breaking the bike down, I often take my time to try and clean the frame up a little bit when normally hard-to-reach spots are suddenly accessible. When putting the bike back together I sometimes take it slow, if only because I'm not a mechanically-minded person and find turning wrenches frustrating at best! (And then there have been the rare moments when I was able to get the bike up in running in under an hour... the exception rather than the rule.)
For years, travel-bikes were normally the folding variety -- some looking much like standard commuter bicycles of the day, and others looking rather goofy (small wheels, long seat tubes and handlebars). Along came S and S Couplers, and the travel game changed radically. While all travel cycles benefited from this innovation, tandem cyclists suddenly were able to buy a standard sized bicycle that was as sturdy (or even stronger) than a bike without the couplers, comfortable to ride (because the frame was of a standard size and geometry) and that would break down into suitcases that the airlines will take without much fuss at all.
The ability to fly with our bike is a game-changer; we love to vacation with our bike and now there's no limit to where we can travel to with our bike packed neatly in its case. That being said... we've got an early flight to catch so I must power down (literally and figuratively) until my next post from the Sunshine State.
We've packed up the tandem and will be boarding a flight to Florida in the morning, with the goal of trying to find property or a house, while getting in some quality riding time around the area/s we'll be house hunting in. (And we'll also be riding in the Florida Tandem Rally, which will come at the end of our Florida vacation.)
The photo I've posted is an answer to the question that a lot of people ask; "how do you travel with your tandem?" Hopefully the device you're reading this entry on supports animated GIF files, and if it does then you're seeing the bike being packed in a case, layer by layer, until it's ready to travel with the rest of our luggage. (If not, then you're just looking at the opening photo with our bike and the case it breaks down and goes into. Trust me... with a little patience and a LOT of cussing... it all fits!)
It takes me about an hour to an hour and a half to either break the bike down and pack it in its case, or to reassemble the bike once we reach our destination. When breaking the bike down, I often take my time to try and clean the frame up a little bit when normally hard-to-reach spots are suddenly accessible. When putting the bike back together I sometimes take it slow, if only because I'm not a mechanically-minded person and find turning wrenches frustrating at best! (And then there have been the rare moments when I was able to get the bike up in running in under an hour... the exception rather than the rule.)
For years, travel-bikes were normally the folding variety -- some looking much like standard commuter bicycles of the day, and others looking rather goofy (small wheels, long seat tubes and handlebars). Along came S and S Couplers, and the travel game changed radically. While all travel cycles benefited from this innovation, tandem cyclists suddenly were able to buy a standard sized bicycle that was as sturdy (or even stronger) than a bike without the couplers, comfortable to ride (because the frame was of a standard size and geometry) and that would break down into suitcases that the airlines will take without much fuss at all.
The ability to fly with our bike is a game-changer; we love to vacation with our bike and now there's no limit to where we can travel to with our bike packed neatly in its case. That being said... we've got an early flight to catch so I must power down (literally and figuratively) until my next post from the Sunshine State.
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