Charity ride in September, Holyhead to Cardiff. I need to fit 34 bikes in a transit (without scratching any of them). Will they fit?

Alternatives are a 3.5t Luton or 7.5t with tail-lift, but at extra cost.

Will they fit?

no

nope

probably. don't know about not scratching them. take wheels off each ine, wrap in sheet, line em up then strap them in so they don't move. wheels on top?

Hmmm! Your planning on visiting a bike race aren't you? 😛

Could you get the riders to take off their own seatpins and pedals and keep 'em with them. Then just take off all the wheels, wrap everything up in something and I reckon you've got a chance.

Might be an idea to have a test run?

APF

go for the luton

Is that thirty four or three to four? If I read it at thirty four, you will not fit anywhere near that many in a transit.

Load capacity of a LWB Transit is 3.4 x 1.7 x 1.7m giving 9.826 cum.

Given that a bike is approximately 2.0 x 1.0 x 0.45m giving 0.9 cum, you could theoretically fit about 10 in.

As you can't stack them, the floor of the Transit is 5.78sqm and the footprint of a bike is about 0.9sqm, you might get 6 in.

Hope this helps.

Get them all to get bike bag/boxes from halfords and box them up? Might get ~20 in then.

Hmm, bu99er.

Yes, it is 34 as in thirty four. No, I'm not attending a race, just a sponsored ride from Holyhead to Cardiff (in preference to our usual route to London).

We did have 70 applicants, but have limited it to the capacity of two minibusses and a van (3 drivers).

Last year we got 9 in a transit with plenty of spare room, but these were lengthways and would ideally have been stacked sideways to fit more in.

We have at least that many bikes in our carpark today (plus my tandem and bike trailer) perhaps a trial run is in order?

Any ideas about other ways to get 34 bikes to holyhead? Train? Courier? Does anyone make a 34 bike boot-rack?

thisisnotaspoon – Member

Get them all to get bike bag/boxes from halfords and box them up? Might get ~20 in then.

Great idea. Pedals off, wheels off, turn bars round and get a load of boxes from Halfords. You could even stack them then.

LWB Hi-cube then possibly, if you can partially disassemble them and stack them. It's going to be a lot of work though. I would go with the luton.

Dan,

Can I ask what charity? Was thinking of doing one of the charity Holyhead to Cardiff rides in September…..

Cheers,

Alex

Most we've done is 12 with kit.

Well I got 13 bikes and 13 riders in my VW T5 3 years ago from the bottom to the top of the Stelvio pass in italy

that was a squeeze but worth it for the off road decent

then as a bonus I got to rag an R32 Rabbit back up for the van

A Luton has internal dimensions of 4.0m x 2.0m x 2.2m high. The wheels are below the bed of the van too, so wheel arches shouldn't be a problem.

You will certainly get more in a Luton, but 34 without scratches could be pushing it. The owners will have to bring lots of blankets and bubble wrap.

With careful stacking you can get 34 in a Luton, I reckon

I helped out at a 24Hr adventure race a year or two back and we got about that number in OK
Depends how prissy people are with their bikes and how much time you've got to get 'em in/out though

The identification of 68 loose wheels will be fun

Give these people a bell. They organise a load of charity bike events every year and should know exactly how big a vehicle is needed for 34 bikes.

you would be amazed what you can squeeze in when you have to! When I was working in cycle hire we would get hold of box van (luton style) then slap in some 2×4 joists in back to make frame to add second tier of bikes hanging from saddles above the main stacked ones below (remember to slap zip tie round seatpost and wood to stop it jolting off) bit of card (old bike boxes ideal) between each bike secured by anothe zip tie. Lower set get bars spun and top and tailed and card between cant remeber how many it was we got in but it must have been pushing 50. although it will take a good couple of hours to load/unload. Dont even try to take the wheels out it is not fun trying to match tyres and rims on lots of bikes! (we even tried numbering them with marker pen but that took so long it was pointless) e-mail me and I can put you in touch with someone who is still doing that kind of thing and may be able to give better advice

Getting an improbable number of bikes in a van is part of our business!

I would advise:
• Don't take the wheels off – it is really a big task to match them back up.
• Do loosen the stem bolts and turn the bars – nip one bolt back up lightly to keep the bars tidy and stop headset working loose.
• Getting everyone to take their pedals off and carry them themselves would be a very very good idea – pedals is the biggest swear-maker in threading bikes into a small space. Make every rider responsible for putting their own pedals back on.
• A sheet of cardboard between each bike should stop most of the scratching, but some cosmetic damage is almost inevitable – make sure everyone understands that.
• You won't get 34 in a transit without doing a top layer, which probably needs a high-top van. Make a floor of cardboard on top of the lower layer. Be thorough!

The charity is EFOD, Engineers for Overseas Development. The money is funding an orphanage and medical centre in Soroti, Uganda.

I normally work at 12 bikes per SWB transit if not taking wheels off.

34? No hope, without SERIOUS disassembly.

how about trying to get a couple of bike trailers. the one my club have takes about 20 bikes i think, so one of those and a transit?

I may know someone with a trailer wait there…………

I know a genius who got something like 40 in to a much longer van (Fiat I think) but they were all old knackers whose condition did not matter. Can't see how it could reasonably be done but if Glenp has then I won't argue about it.

But I was jolly sure no bike of mine would have gone in those vans after Pedal for Scotland.

The charity is EFOD, Engineers for Overseas Development.

In that case can't some of these engineers knock you up some kind of Scrapheap Challenge contraption to carry all the bikes home again?

I would just like to point out that 34 is beyond our record, but we don't go for a top layer. But if you had a tall van it might be possible. Especially without pedals – with pedals you'll get them in but never get them out!

On reflection I'd hire the biggest van you can, plus do the bar spinning and pedal removal. Some paint scratching is inevitable, unless you pack with cardboard/carpet/blankets.

mail me for trailer contact.
think its a unused council one and located in south wales.
its bike specific and very big. could be perfect.

I got 14 bikes in a Fiat Punto with the seats down so it should be possible, wheels off, seat posts down and pedals off, card board on the floor, stack them alternately with card between and as upright as possible so no weight is transferred.

Zip tie the pedals to the wheels for each bike, card above the lot wheels on top. No bother!

Is there a world record, like this?

APF

Dan,

That's the one I was thinking of doing. Not sure now….. Have you got numbers together? I provisionally put my name down, but have yet to have further details through from Matthew…

Alex

Alex,
Yes, this is going ahead, but limited by logistics. We had 70 names, which would have required 4 minibusses and the mother of all transits to take the bikes up (even considered a 40' shipping container).

When we liaised with SW police, they suggested limiting numbers to avoid the need for marshalls, road closures etc. So we're aiming for the first 34 riders (plus 3 drivers).

As you know, some people we work with are fairly precious about their bikes, hence the importance of getting transport and details right. We have now booked 2no. 17 seaters and a 7.5tonne tail lift lorry. This will take 34 bikes and all our camping kit in a single layer and also has side rails for tying down, bungees etc. Everyone will need to bring a blanket or sheet for wrapping though.

Matt B will issue details this week and a modest deposit will reserve a place. I'm doing the route recce on the 20th in a hire car (209 miles of Welsh rally in a 1.4 nissan note!) with one of my grads reading pace notes. Yes, we have a job number to book it to in work time, and a 4star hotel in Wrexham so we can get an early start!!!

Accommodation for the trip is booked – Valley of the Rocks campsite on the Friday night and a camping barn outside Aberystwyth on the Saturday. Should be awesome.

Really like the sound of it, but a little unsure about day 2 and how I'll be feeling after Day 1….

The last time we loaded a pile of bikes into a trailer we got a load of off-cut carpets (1m*2m or so) that one of the shops were chucking out to wedge between the bikes, so that could be an idea? Could I bring my bike ina bike bag, or would that be too big?

Looks like you've got it sorted with the lorry, but if the minibuses had roofracks, you could probably have got 4 or 5 bikes on each minibus, which would have reduced the load for the Transit…

Why don't you all cycle to the start point!

We did a sponsored ride along sustrans hadrian wall route. We had a similar number of bikes. From memory we got about 20-25 bikes in the LWB Sprinter (4.3m long) and the rest went in a pickup we had.

The sprinter wasnt loaded up in any scientific manner so i presume more could have fitted. They were just leant against each other and none of the height was utilised. Would people be happy at stacking them on top of each other. I would think not.

If you were in cumbria i would offer to help as i have demo vans which would do the job.

Anyhow good luck

The vehicle hire is at a well reduced rate – 3 days of two 17 seaters and a 7.5 tonner with insurance and CDW for £650+vat. The hire co. are doing the insurance as a freebie, as we have a big contract with them and they would like to support the charity, but have to charge cost for the vehicles as they sub them in from elsewhere. Unfortunately, company insurance only covers hire cars.

The 7.5 tonner will also need to carry tents, kit and beer for 37 people. Bike bags are great, as is any old carpet, rugs, cardboard and blankets. They should easily fit now.

Does anybody hire those bike trailers like Cwm Down use?

There's a bike trailer rusting away behind the Glyncorwg Ponds Centre, which I think is the one they used to use for the uplift when it was running.

Don't know who has ownership of it mind…..

…..need to change the thread to "how am I going to get 70 bikes to Holyhead".

With massive interest, there are now loads of people who want to take part. I'm looking at a coach, plus a 17 seater with big trailer, plus a 7.5t lorry, plus a car and another big trailer. I still think the bikes will be a squeeze though

Any better ideas for getting the bikes up there from Cardiff?