Originally Posted by
rdtompki
5. Remove trunk and rack and find alternate storage for tools and clothes
This is probably the biggest opportunity for weight savings, but I'm at a loss as to
how to store both tools and the clothes that we sometimes have to take off during
rides.
I've often been puzzled by the prevalence for racks on tandems, they seem to be much more common than on singles. Given that most folks on singles are able to make due without a rack, I think with a little experience and discipline you can reduce the amount of gear you carry without compromising your real needs. You have plenty of room to mount conventional large seat bags for both stoker and captain. This is the strategy we use:
Our strategy is easiest in pleasant weather, but we've also made it work in wet and/or cold conditions.
Rear bag carries all the tools: spare tube, patch kit, boot, multi-tool, CO2 with 2/cartridges. Front bag is reserved for stoker use. If I need to lose clothes they go in my jersey pockets: I max out at a cell phone, hammer flask, kerchief, jacket, glove liners, head band, arm and knee warmers and perhaps a couple of my beloved stoker's smaller clothing items. Yes we can look like pack mules.
You also likely can lose some weight with an alternative wheelset, perhaps a good handbuilt set. Unless you can convince your beloved stoker to join you in a weight loss/conditioning routine, I believe you exceed the recommended weight for our Rolfs.