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Tandems

#1
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11/3/09 at 7:44am
  • Joined: January 2003
  • Location: Philadelphia PA
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Jane and I are thinking about a road tandem. I have little experience with them, but we think it might be a good equalizer, especially since she has shoulder trouble which requires regular sitting up to rest. It was actually her idea -- I thought she was a keeper, now I'm pretty sure. Any suggestions to the novice? What about DaVinci? The concept looks intriguing. 
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#2
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11/4/09 at 12:58pm
  • Joined: October 2003
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Demo,  demo, demo.      Find a shop that supports and rents tandems and ride around on flat terrain first.

frex:

http://www.bikesatvienna.com/products#sec-tandems

Starting from standstill is different and requires planning and practice.    Braking is different.    Downhills are way different, way faster.   Climbing is harder. 

The stoker can have serious comfort issues that aren't remotely apparent to the captain whilst riding over the same terrain.

After your purchase, it helps to belong to a tandem club because route planning is often different than for singles.

DaVincis are nice, but you -knew- the gear geek in me would say that just based on the gearing options.



Now on Mondays.

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#3
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11/4/09 at 1:28pm
  • Joined: January 2003
  • Location: Philadelphia PA
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 There's a tandem specialty shop in South Jersey less than an hour from here. Going to check it out.
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#4
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11/4/09 at 2:45pm
  • Joined: October 2003
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Quote:
Originally Posted by evansilver View Post

 There's a tandem specialty shop in South Jersey less than an hour from here. Going to check it out.

1) Bring a strong helping, a spare backpack's worth really, of humor and patience.

2) Stoker comfort is key; everything else can probably be fixed.

3) Don't Bilenky do them also?

Now on Mondays.

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#5
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11/4/09 at 2:56pm
  • Joined: May 2001
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 Make sure you try Sanatana. Have Jane test ride with an experienced captain. Do your first test ride with an experienced stoker who can tell you how to captain, only then try it with Jane. They are amazingly fast.
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#6
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11/4/09 at 3:18pm
  • Joined: September 2006
  • Location: On another Tangent
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More for gear drool effect than possibly a practical option for you, but I checked out a friend's magnesium Paketa when in Boulder this fall:



Watched he and his wife head off on a similar rig to above definitely can make for interesting relationship tests. Good luck. It'd fail miserably in mine. You're a lucky dude.

Best Regards, Terry Be sure to check out our growing ACTIVITY SUPPORT products for your next outing.
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#7
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11/4/09 at 3:40pm
  • Joined: October 2003
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^big red shiny divorce bike, oooh^

Is there a drag brake in that hub?    I'd be *scared* to ride that in Colorado without.

Now on Mondays.

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#8
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11/5/09 at 6:56am
  • Joined: September 2006
  • Location: On another Tangent
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I imagine you can customize the components, but I posted this due to the magnesium frame and comfort claims:

Quote:
The advantages of magnesium really come into play in the V2 tandem. Magnesium is really the only material that can produce such a light, stiff, and amazingly responsive tandem bike. These stout tubes make for a super stiff frame which enables us to eliminate the lateral tubes. As you might have guessed, without the laterals, we can keep the weight to a bare minimum while making the frame stiffer and stronger than any other racing tandem out there. Magnesium's unique vibration damping ability multiplies with the large tubing we use on the V2. With so much material in the right places, a Paketa tandem will be the smoothest ride you have ever experienced. In fact, the ride is so comfortable Paketa stokers never feel the need for a suspension seatpost.


Best Regards, Terry Be sure to check out our growing ACTIVITY SUPPORT products for your next outing.
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#9
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11/5/09 at 7:10am
  • Joined: December 2004
  • Location: Dillon, CO
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Quote:
Originally Posted by comprex View Post

Demo,  demo, demo.      Find a shop that supports and rents tandems and ride around on flat terrain first.

frex:

http://www.bikesatvienna.com/products#sec-tandems

Starting from standstill is different and requires planning and practice.    Braking is different.    Downhills are way different, way faster.   Climbing is harder. 

The stoker can have serious comfort issues that aren't remotely apparent to the captain whilst riding over the same terrain.

After your purchase, it helps to belong to a tandem club because route planning is often different than for singles.

DaVincis are nice, but you -knew- the gear geek in me would say that just based on the gearing options.



 


Yep.  Be sure you get some experience on a tandem before you buy.  Ideally, get some experience captaining with an experienced captain riding as stoker before you try to ride with your lady.  Tandems are fun, but the experience is a bit different.  You don't just hop on them and go--you need a bit of instruction.  Also captaining can be a bit stressful (especially when you are just starting out).  Don't expect to always want to ride your tandem. 

Hopefully you will like the tandem experience, but not everyone does (hence the try before you buy).  I enjoy stoking, but I hate captaining (I'm a lightweight which makes it hard).  My wife and I owned a tandem for a while, but decided it wasn't for us. 

Santana makes a very good tandem as well and they will customize.  My friends have a very cool custom Ti frame from them.
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#10
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11/8/09 at 2:52am
  • Joined: January 2002
  • Location: Denver, CO
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 I have only been on a tandem once (an Erickson), but I had my steel Pinarello coldset at DaVinci (their framebuilding shop is here in Denver). They are very impressive framebuilders, and the bikes are beautiful (as well as having a very cool design to permit the stoker to freewheel while the captain is still pedalling). He also will make frames with the S&S couplers.
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#11
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11/10/09 at 11:12am
  • Joined: October 2003
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Are you going to retro-fit S&S onto the Pinarello?

Quote:
Originally Posted by dp View Post

 I have only been on a tandem once (an Erickson), but I had my steel Pinarello coldset at DaVinci (their framebuilding shop is here in Denver). They are very impressive framebuilders, and the bikes are beautiful (as well as having a very cool design to permit the stoker to freewheel while the captain is still pedalling). He also will make frames with the S&S couplers.


Now on Mondays.

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