Tandem Recommendation
Hello. We were having a similar experience to yours several years ago when we made the "jump to tandem" calculations and went for it. My oldest was 5 and we had toured on a trail a bike but got tired of all of the sway. Bought a used Raleigh Coupe tandem for $560 that had only about 10 miles on it and put crank shorteners in the back for my son. The Raleigh Coupe is particularly good for us because the frame allows the stoker adjustment to go all the way town to fit a 5 year old and all the way up to fit my 5'7" wife (and then some). The Raleigh Coupe is a great deal for the money as it is a reasonable tandem that most are unfamiliar with so the prices are pretty low when you buy a used one. My son is now 10 and we now put the trail a bike on the back of the tandem for my younger son (now 5) and have a poor-man's triplet, We do a 200 - 300 mike tour every summer and a lot of day rides. Our triplet gets a lot of attention which is fun at first but after a few years we really just want to enjoy riding and get on with it. Last summer we rode the Erie Canal route across NY and 2 years ago we rode DC to Pittsburgh on the GAP and C&O trails.
If you keep riding, a used tandem is the way to go. I actually sold our Raleigh this fall (for more than I paid for it) and bought a used Co-Motion, so if you take care of a used tandem you may be able to sell it for near what you paid for it so you have $ tied up but get it back later.
There is no better experience with your kids than touring on a tandem. You have 8 hours with them just a foot away every day and no TV or video games and after you run out of the usual stiff to talk about on the second day it is amazing how the conversation swings around to even more interesting subjects. I just hope I can keep my sons interested when they are teens too.
It took me about two years to learn, but I finally figured it out that it is not at all about the biking part; it is about the time and experience you have with your kids that is why this is the bets thing you will ever do for getting close to your family.[/U]
On a tour we average about 40 miles a day and probably do not start rolling until 10 or 11 in the AM to make everything relaxed and fun.
Just do it and it will be the highlight of growing up for your kids!
Last edited by dwmckee; 11-22-10 at 11:08 PM.
Reason: Adding info