Any other leads on where I can find other tandems in my area? Start another new thread on this list entitled:
Any Other Tandem Teams Near Los Angeles? There are other teams out your way and they may stumble over this thread, but a more targeted posting will yield better results. You could also subscribe the Hobbes list and make a similar posting there. Subscription info here:
http://www.thetandemlink.com/hobbes.html
He's still getting used to the size of this boat. Tandems actually handle better with a person on the back than just the solo rider up front; it's a weight distribution thing.
it looks like the Cantilever brakes might be in the way Your best bet is to send an email with a photo of your rear brake installation to Precision Tandems (
www.precisiontandems.com) or Tandems East (
www.tandemeast.com) and ask them which child seat they might recommend for installation on your tandems. There are a variety of different work-arounds for mouting racks and child carriers and these are two of the dealers who I would expect to know a lot about riding with children because they raised their kids on the backs of tandems.
Are these types of brakes common on tandems vs. road brakes? Yes, cantilever and the linear-pull or V-brake cantilevers are often spec'd for tandems to allow for larger diameter tires and fenders, similar to touring bikes. Moreover, given that a manufacturer has no idea who will ride their tandems when they're made, the use of the linear-pull / V-brakes became the default as they do have more clamping/stopping power than typical racing bike calipers. About the only placed you'll see calipers is on either custom tandems where the buyer spec'd them, or on racing / performance-level tandems. Again, calipers do tend to limit tire size to maximum of 28mm and preclude the use of mud-guards on anything larger than a 23mm tire.
Also, are there computers that have a single sensor, but two monitors? Can one be rigged? It can be done, but it's neither the most cost effective or reliable way to provide both the captain and stoker with their own computers. If the single sensor's battery goes dead, or if moisture gets into the wire splice, both computer heads go down. Figure out how much you want to spend on your computers and how much functionality you'll need and then do your shopping. You may find that you and your captain may want or need different computers.