Originally Posted by Bill G
What your saying is true and can be done, but the question would be is your reach correct if you do what your saying? Yes you may be able to ride up front by only making a seat height adjustment, but if the frame top tube up front is a large and the length is 23" or 58.4 CM due to Cannondales mountain tandems geometry or specs being a little diffrent than the road tandem specs. The road tandem top tube in the L/S is 22.1" or 56.1 CM just a little shorter.
A rider of 5.6" would be too streched out if it normaly fit a pilot of 6.2" tall, even with a shorter stem it would have too much reach for a rider of 5.6". No doubt, a shorter rider could ride it but would the fit be right? I would have to say no.
Again, proper fit is key on any tandem or bike for overall comfort and performance. A tandem team laying down cold hard cash to a bike shop should get a tandem that fits right not one that they can ride that is to big for them. Sure they can make it work just because they can lower the seat height and put a really short stem on it and get by.
Also the rear seat tube length is the same on both the M/S and the L/S and would have no bearing on room for a shock seat post between frame sizes.
The original poster in the orignal thread asked if a L/S would fit him at 5.8" tall as the captain of the tandem team, most feel it would be too big even though he could do what you sugest and make it work
Just my 2 cents, proper bike fit is critical to a cyclist, more than they know.
Bill G
Valid points but to a certain extent- I compromise my riding position on the Tandem, in comparison to my Solo. I sit a lot more upright on the Tandem as stoker- and Changing to the pilots position- is almost identical to the solo. Only difference being that the bars are just a bit higher.
If the M/S and L/S have the same stokers seat tube length- then it would also point to the matter of fitting the bike to you. I presume then that the difference between an S and an M rear cockpit is on seat tube length. The only way to check for comfort is to try the bikes.
I can assure you that I did not just buy a Tandem off the shelf and it was perfect. A lot of adjustment had to go on to get the thing to fit- and a lot of changing of parts aswell. What we did ensure in the first place though- was that the frame would be able to take the adjustments we wanted to make, and was the size that would take the adjustment and be comfortable. Bike fit is as you say-Very important and without that a bike does not work the same.