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UPDATE Feb 27, 2005: This model has been suspended from production pending further development, and is currently not available to order at this time.
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Screeech!!!! Spotted on a listserve by one of our canny customers, Bob Immler, is a fella bragging about "only" having to pay $240 to have his S&S coupled tandem shipped to a rally. It caused quite a stir in the BF community here.
BF folks have ridden across America, conquered all peaks of the Tour de France, scraped their rims on the bottom of Death Valley, circumnavigated the Arctic Circle but virtually 0 have been lucky enough to have had this 'satisfying' experience of paying $240 to ship their tandem.
Of course, it's all academic. This gent may well be someone who'd never been seen dead on a BF tandem even if you paid him $240; he may be like that guy we met on Cycle Oregon who piped up at the lunch table and drawled: "yeah, but they [Bike Fridays] just look W-R-O-N-G!"
When the gaggle of BF owners responded that one of the nicest thing about BF owners is that they tend to be pleasantly secure people, having gotten over that tedious stage of worrying what others think, the man got huffy ... and moved to another table. Say no more. Here's the text of the triumphant non-BF tandem traveler, thank you Bob for sending this to my perch:
"I chose to use Luggage Express to ship my tandem to MTR 2003. You may or may not agree with my method but it worked very well and was hassle free. I was up front with American Airlines when I asked about flying the tandem. My S&S box is oversized and overweight. I was quoted $160 one way to Dayton. I decided it was better to expect a charge rather than not and then get hit a fee at check-in. I know many people are flying their tandems free. Could I? I wouldn't know until I tried so I decide to go with Luggage Express.
They use FedEx as their shipper. The S&S hard case and soft case with the wheels were picked up sometime Tuesday. We live in such a neighborhood that I was able to leave the boxes outside since neither of us would be home for the pick-up. Thursday Luggage Express called to inform me my boxes had arrived at the Crown Plaza Hotel in Dayton. I called the hotel a few weeks ago to confirm they would accept and hold my boxes. When we arrived late Friday night hotel security produced my boxes.
Monday I left the boxes with hotel security. Tuesday the boxes were pick up by FedEx. Thursday the boxes arrived at my door step. Luggage Express called that day to confirm the arrival. The tandem came through in good condition within exactly the time frame Luggage Express had quoted. The price: ~$240 round trip which included extra insurance. No hassles, no opening for security checks, an easy trip.
As it turned out on departure there was a mix up in our flight/tickets and we would have not made our flight if I was checking the tandem.
A satisfied customer"
NOW, here are some satisfied Bike Friday customers. The Inghams and the Gilpins from Australia flew to the BF factory, did Cycle Oregon (the BF Homecoming 2003), then flew home with their tandems, each suitcase weighing well under the 70 lbs international weight limit.
Read more about the production Twin Air tandem here. Of course if you want it to be a Twin Air Q, that's an upgrade.