Originally Posted by
tandemchick
Also? You don't necessarily have to go with a smaller wheel size. Our first tandem had 26" wheels, but our current tandem has 700c wheels and I clear the top tube just fine (granted, I have to be careful sometimes with my cleats regarding the paint job, but that's just because I'm a bit clumsy *g*). Like my husband said, where there's a will, there's a way. Every tandem couple is different. :-)
I should state that I'm a short rider 5'4", who rides both a stock 700c and a custom 650c frame.
While I'm not going to deny that you *can* make a larger wheelset sized frame work for smaller riders, my point is that it is much much harder to create a great fit while doing so. I might even go so far as to argue that your case proves the point, you went with a custom frame to get the right fit and you still have compromises. The simple fact is, to achieve the kind of geometry that make for a comfortable & smart handling bicycle while using larger wheels forces the frame builder to make compromises. Compromises that ultimately create problems. It is simply more practical to achieve a great/comfortable fit, to avoid compromises, using a smaller wheelsize. There is simply no advantage to be had with a larger wheelset frame.