ROOF RACK CARRY

A triplet can travel on the roof of a long car if the rack is a proper load-bearing pair of bars, not a pair of elastic hooks from a boot sale. The machine is 11 feet (3.2 metres). The car must be long enough that the front wheel does not hang over the windscreen like a battering ram.

Use at least four straps: two around the down tubes onto the front bar, two around the chainstays or seat tubes onto the rear bar. Pad every contact. Do not crush cables against the rack. Check the load after the first mile, then again after the first dual carriageway.

Drive as if the roof is taller than you think, because it is. Height barriers at car parks and petrol stations are the usual surprise. If the forecast is wet or windy, bring a van instead. We will refuse a roof-rack handover when the A6 is gusting.

Tandems are shorter and more forgiving. The same strap logic applies. More notes on collection, delivery, and rider sizes are on logistics. Broader van and ferry advice is on Kit moves.