Originally Posted by
zurich04
Any comments as to the key differences between the two bikes in question?
Trek made some changes to it's 2nd generation of tandems a couple years back to better accommodate a rear disc, calipers vs. V-brakes and some other things, but the sizing remained the same. The '04 would be a 1st Generation TX000.
Some general things to consider when shopping for a used tandem can be found in the narrative portions of my unofficial used tandem pricing guide:
http://www.thetandemlink.com/tandems.html
As for the differences between the '92 Santana & '04 Trek T2000, there are a bunch: frame material, wheel weight (BIG difference there), 8 speed bar-end shifting with early 90's vintage MTB components vs STI 9 speed Ultegra with ramped/pinned 130mm road bike crank/rings, etc.... Of course, there are also a bunch of differences between a 2004 Santana and a 2004 Trek T2000 too. However, perhaps the biggest difference will be the extra 1" or so of room for the stoker in the back of the Trek.
The Santana seems to be priced about right... too, but a full servicing would be prudent. Once both tandems were tuned up, either would be more than adequate in terms of giving you a good taste of what tandeming is all about. However, unless the '92 has been updated you might find yourself at odds with the bar-end shifting for a while if you've been using STI or Ergo.