We absolutely LOVE our coupled da Vinci. I the last 2 years we have ridden it over 12,000 miles and have taken it with us to 7 other states and 1 foreign country for organized tours or a 700-mile self-supported tour. We did have a "fixed" tandem prior to that and rode it only enough to decide we wanted a high-end tandem that was coupled for travel. I don't see why anyone would consider da Vinci's independent coasting system a good idea "for beginners". It really has no relevance for beginners or experts, specifically. It's for people who enjoy the advantages of being to stand up and stretch while the other one is still pedaling, or momentarily stop pedaling to take a photo, reach for something in the trunk bag, or start on on a steep hill while the captain clips in. If you don't like the ICS da Vinci can lock it so it functions the same as a fixed tandem and you'd be left with a bike that still has more gears and higher ground clearance than a conventional tandem. After travelling so much with our da Vinci the last two years and talking to so many other curious people we've come to learn that the ICS system is the most misunderstood feature of this beautiful hand-built bike. For some reason lots of people think it means you can each pedal at your own cadence--not true.