How to carry a guitar on your bicycle

Cycle-touring, Expeditions, Adventures, Major cycle routes NOT LeJoG (see other special board)
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AntonioCM

How to carry a guitar on your bicycle

Post by AntonioCM »

Hey guys!

I was wondering if there are many cycle-tourers out there who carry a guitar or another musical instrument on your bicycle.

I carry a full size guitar with this home-made system:
http://www.cyclingelmundo.com/carry-guitar-bicycle-touring/

If you carry an instrument, I would like to know how you carry it on your bike and if you are happy with it.

Thanks!

Antonio
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Heltor Chasca
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Joined: 30 Aug 2014, 8:18pm
Location: Near Bath & The Mendips in Somerset

Re: How to carry a guitar on your bicycle

Post by Heltor Chasca »

If I could play the guitar I would get one of these:

http://surlybikes.com/bikes/big_dummy
Ned Ludd
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Joined: 14 May 2014, 11:13am

Re: How to carry a guitar on your bicycle

Post by Ned Ludd »

As much as I love playing guitar I've always left it at home when traveling let alone cycling. But I've often been able to borrow one at campsites....Im not planning on trips longer than a week or two so the withdrawal symptoms have been manageable. If I was away for a long time on my own I'd be tempted to take a ukelele!
iandriver
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Joined: 10 Jun 2009, 2:09pm
Location: Cambridge.

Re: How to carry a guitar on your bicycle

Post by iandriver »

I carry a concert uke, low strung, and leave the guitars at home. Forget George Formby, this is how to play a uke http://youtu.be/MC230wdYl1c bags of fun in the right hands.
Supporter of the A10 corridor cycling campaign serving Royston to Cambridge http://a10corridorcycle.com. Never knew gardening secateurs were an essential part of the on bike tool kit until I took up campaigning.....
Vorpal
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Re: How to carry a guitar on your bicycle

Post by Vorpal »

When I was in high school, I carried a cello a few times. I had shoulder straps to carry it on my back. It was a school cello. I wouldn't have carried my own that way. :shock:

Now, I use a trailer, but I don't tour with it. I just use the bike to get to go places where I will play the cello. :D

And then there's

http://www.cellojoe.com/p/videos_22.html

and

http://bicyclemusicfestival.com/about_bmf/
“In some ways, it is easier to be a dissident, for then one is without responsibility.”
― Nelson Mandela, Long Walk to Freedom
LollyKat
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Joined: 28 May 2011, 11:25pm
Location: Scotland

Re: How to carry a guitar on your bicycle

Post by LollyKat »

A couple of times I've seen a cyclist in Glasgow riding one-handed and holding his guitar, without a case, in the other. Presumably he didn't believe in hand signals. I've even see a skateboarder whizzing down a hill with a guitar on his back -- it was in a soft case but he must have been very sure of his technique. :shock: .

I regularly cycle with my violin over my shoulder, but usually only for short distances. Over 5 miles I prefer to put it in a pannier with extra foam - the top sticks out, of course, but an extra bungie secures it to the carrier.
AntonioCM

Re: How to carry a guitar on your bicycle

Post by AntonioCM »

I guess for short trips is not really worth it. But for a long one, I really like carrying mine ;)
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jezer
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Location: North Wiltshire

Re: How to carry a guitar on your bicycle

Post by jezer »

I had my first proper crash on a bike in 1959 while I was carrying a tennis racket in a clamp on my fork. I don't know to this day what happened, but I ended up with severe road rash and a wrecked bike. It put me off sport for life, except for cycling of course :lol: BTW I've tried to play like Jimi Hendrix ever since, but I'm sure my apparent lack of talent stems from that incident :oops:
Power to the pedals
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Audax67
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Re: How to carry a guitar on your bicycle

Post by Audax67 »

Dunno if it's from the bike or simply crabbed age, but my fingers are too stiff to play now. Nice idea, though. Never tried carrying one in/on anything but a car.
Have we got time for another cuppa?
Samurray
Posts: 37
Joined: 31 Jan 2012, 11:34am

Re: How to carry a guitar on your bicycle

Post by Samurray »

AntonioCM wrote:Hey guys!

I was wondering if there are many cycle-tourers out there who carry a guitar or another musical instrument on your bicycle.

I carry a full size guitar with this home-made system:
http://www.cyclingelmundo.com/carry-guitar-bicycle-touring/

If you carry an instrument, I would like to know how you carry it on your bike and if you are happy with it.

Thanks!

Antonio

On my current trip I took the opportunity to learn a new stringed instrument and, partly due to its convenient size, carry a mandolin. It's in a well padded gig bag that seems to absorb shocks well enough and then that goes inside an Ortlieb dry bag attached with two elasticated straps across the rear pannier rack. Works well and I dig mandolin as much as guitar now :))
janetpl
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Joined: 27 Jan 2014, 11:01am

Re: How to carry a guitar on your bicycle

Post by janetpl »

Last year met this pair at Wilderhope YHA - LEJOGing with guitars slung over their backs
http://www.teamtroubadour.com/
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