Wow.  I dunno ...

We have three ways to carry our two single-rider bikes with our
'Esme'.

We have a front hitch, and a bike rack that fits onto it.  The bikes
ride sideways in front of us.  I don't know whether tandem bikes would
be too wide to ride this way without sticking sideways out into
traffic.

We have a back hitch, and <insert paragraph above here>.  We tend to
use the front hitch in preference to the back hitch for
ease-of-campsite-setup purposes.  Having bikes on the back hitch
impedes access to the rearmost cabinet.

Additionally, we have two bike holder thingies (S clarifies:
"Hollywood fork mounts") screwed into the panel below the rear
passenger seat.  We bought the van with one holder-thingie courtesy of
our P.O.  It worked well, so we installed the second one.  If we're
carrying bikes in Serious Earnest we tend to carry them inside because
it's just that little bit much easier to drive 'Esme' with the bikes
inside. (S adds:  serious earnest = longer distance - and the multiple
reasons are security, reduction in wind resistance, freedom from
weather and insects).  For tootling around town we'll stick 'em on
front or back.  Overnight at an unfamiliar campside we'll stick 'em on
front or back because we can lock them onto the carriers. (S adds, -
or just lock 'em to a nearby tree.)

S sed (but didn't type) that if you take the wheels off yer tandem it
may not be too wide to carry sideways, on a front or back hitch.

B&S
'87 Westy 'Esemerelda Blanc'
SoCal

On Mon, 14 May 2007 09:52:52 -0700, you wrote:

>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.