How to Pack a Bike Friday Tandem into a Samsonite Suitcase

[0905ash]

Do you ever have any issues taking the duffel bag full of metal parts on to the aeroplane? any security issues??

[mchbc]

Hmmm, I'm not sure, and I'm at work right now. Will measure later, and post again, but I think I have a 31" as it is several years old.

[npier00]

Are you using a 29" or 31" Samsonite? I am considering using an Oyster 29 (~29.5"x22.5"x10") as it passes the airlines' less than 63 linear inch baggage limit. Thanks for the video. It is extremely helpful.

[mchbc]

@npier00

I've now measured the case and it is 31" wide, so is the larger model. I have never tried fitting this bike into any other case, so I cannot comment on the likelihood of success with the Oyster.

[npier00]

@mchbc

Thank you for your prompt response. I just ordered the 31". I read on the Bike Friday site that they use the 31" and have never heard of anyone having to pay an oversized luggage charge. An agent would actually have to measure quite carefully to ascertain that the case exceeds the linear limit by less than 3 inches.

[VeloVags]

Excellent video. Thanks for taking the time to put that together.

[willyswagonmastr]

This is a great video, except the audio is very painful. My Canon still camera does this to the audio when I record video with it.

Please consider recording a voice over track and reposting these instructions. I'm the first to vote (up of course) of the 3,049 who viewed this, probably because of the audio. My ears are still ringing.

[WOODRUFFAPTS]

30 seconds of looking at a suitcase was enough for me.  By by!

[mchbc]

Hey, no problem, and I cannot blame you! It's painful for me to watch that now, too, but I've left it up for the contents. Maybe someday I'll try re-recording in a more engaging style. Total amateur, I was (and probably still am). Here's hoping you, too, have a Bike Friday, or at least another good bike, and are enjoying riding!

[ghostzapper2006]

@WOODRUFFAPTS you likely spent that much time posting your nonsensical response, lol

[gcziko]

This is interesting, but I didn't see the second crankset, handlebars and center section tubes. Are these are placed in the duffle bag?

-- Gary

[mchbc]

Hey Gary, They are all there, into the suitcase. With the pedals removed the cranks are not as easy to spot. The handlebars are a split drop bar. They go in near the end of the packing job. The titanium tubes, being light, were slid under the frame components in cloth sleeves. I did use a duffle, too, and it had the stem, chain, pedals, and seatposts, all rather heavy. (Stoker seatpost has a thudbuster on it, and that is heavy.) - Mark

[gcziko]

Yes, I see the two cranksets now and the extra tubes. But I still can't see the stoker handlebars. At what time marker can they be seen?

-- Gary

[mchbc]

I see you are right: the video never shows me putting the stoker bar into the case. I tried to show with one of the titanium tubes how I insert tubes into sleeves & slip them in wherever they seem to fit. When I break down the stoker handlebar by removing stem & bar ends, it fits, too. I just did not show me inserting it (or 2nd titanium tube, captain's seat tubes, bar ends, etc.) into the case. The video was already long enough. Most of the straight tubes will fit. Just need to monitor weight.

[gcziko]

Thanks for the clarification. It's nice to know that you can get all the big stuff of the tandem into one case. I am thinking of getting a Bike Friday tandem (I have a BF single which I like a lot). If you want to provide any tips for options that have worked well for you, you can contact me directly at gcziko (at) gmail(dot)com.

[geoffreygee]

Sweet! This is very helpful. My wife and I are debating a tandem purchase -- we already have a NWT and Pocket Crusoe -- at this very moment. This makes the Bike Friday even more attractive relative to the clunky big wheel bikes.

Hope to see you on the road sometime!

[bikefriday]

Thank you! Love the talking Samsonite in the beginning.  I'll add this to our Folding/Packing YouTube Playlist

- Lynette @ Bike Friday