How to Make a Tandem Bike

Tandem bicycles are a well-known and unique form of transportation. Songs like "Daisy Bell," perhaps better known as "Bicycle Built for Two," have reinforced this vehicle's place in western culture. However, a brand-new, name-brand tandem bicycle can cost quite a lot of money. But if you have two spare bikes lying around and are comfortable with working on bicycles, it is possible to construct your own tandem bike.

Things You'll Need

• Two bicycles
• Adjustable wrench
• Electrical drill
• Nuts and bolts
• Chain-breaking tool

Instructions

1. Decide which bike you would like to use for the back of the tandem bike and which for the front. Remove the front wheel from the back bicycle and the rear wheel from the front bike. Also remove the axles from those tires.

2. Drill three holes through the steering column of the rear bicycle, below the handlebars and above the main body of the bicycle. Before you start to drill, make sure the fork of the rear bike is in line with its frame and that you have bolts that will fit snugly. To ensure that the separate steering mechanisms inside are locked into place, space the holes evenly. Insert the bolts and secure them with nuts. This will lock the steering column in place, keeping the rear bicycle in line with the front bicycle.

3. Attach the front tire's rear wheel to the rear bike's fork. To simplify, you are taking the tire you removed from the front bike and attaching it to the rear bike. The rear bike now has two rear wheels attached to it: one in the front, and one in the back.

4. Fit the front bike's rear dropouts (the slotted part of the frame that the wheel's axle fits into) over the tire you just attached to the rear bike. You may need to stretch the front bike's rear dropouts to do this. Bolt the wheel into place using the wheel skewer, which is the long rod that slides through the wheel's axle. You may need to find a slightly longer skewer, as it will now be going through two bike frames instead of one. If there is going to be a structural weak point of your tandem bicycle, it will be here. Bolt on the new middle wheel as securely as you can.

5. Add the bike's chain. This will require both chains from the separate bicycles. Using a chain breaker, break apart and combine two of the chains. If needed, add or remove links from the chain so that it runs from the front crankset to the rear crankset. This may require extra links, in which case you may need to cannibalize a third bike chain. Run this new chain through the cranksets (the gears attached to the pedals), the deraileur (the geared arm attached to the middle wheel) and the cogsets (the gears on the middle and back wheels). Use the chain breaker to reattach the chain.

Tips & Warnings

• Test your new tandem bicycle before riding it. Failing to properly attach a bolt or a chain could be dangerous for its riders. Riding a tandem bike is somewhat different from riding a normal bike. Be sure you feel comfortable with the process before riding.

Resources

• Read this Article in Spanish