Tandem Cycling - I've Got The Burley!

We finally picked up our Burley Tosa last night after a little over 9 weeks since we ordered it. We are really pleased how the bike turned out. The fit and finish of this Burley's middle line aluminum tandem is just gorgeous. It has that custom built look to it.

Good things do happen to those who wait. Now, let's ride!

LB

Yeah, now get out there and enjoy it. I hope you have some nice weather to try it out.

I remember when I first picked up my brand new co-motion tandem. While i was being fit for the bike at the shop, I swung my left foot over the tope tube, and my cleat put a 2 inch scratch it it BEFORE I EVEN LEFT THE BIKE SHOP WITH MY NEW BIKE!!! Moral of the story: enjoy that beautiful finish while you can. :)

I'm jealous! Enjoy it man! My Burley Rivazza is suppose to ship next week. Time will tell.

Congrats LuisB,

When I picked up our new tandem last year. The fellow that put it together was a genuine bike geek (shop owners son) whom had gone out of his way to really do a wonderful job assembling and setting up the bike. Tandems are rare around here and we had special ordered this one. I added some bottle cages while I was there and he was nice enough to put them on while I waited so we got to talk a bit. He was a nice guy, no car (incredibly rare in West Michigan), and had spent years in Seattle. Anyway, as he was wheeling his masterpiece out to the parking lot for me the front sprocket hit the curb and made a sickening grinding noise. I really felt sorry for the guy, he was so apologetic.

Enjoy your Burley!

Told ya you'd love it!
Waiting is the worst part, riding is the fun part!
Enjoy the ride TWOgether!

Rudy and Kay/zonatandem

When My CO-Mo Arrived (12 weeks waiting) My LBS owner called me at work and said, "you gotta get over here and see this thing" (custom paint). Since I work 500 feet from his store I jogged over. I too remember the feeling of "joy" when I laid eyes on "bessie".

mtbcyclist,

FYI, the bike shop told me that the Burleys are shipped about 50% assembled so you may want to work with the shop when cutting the steerer tube, positioning the shift/brake levers, using a different color bar tape, etc. Also, it took about a week to ship the bike from Oregon to Illinois.

Let us know when you get your tandem. If the Tosa looks nice, I can just imagine the Rivazza to look even better.

LB

Thanks for the heads up LouisB. I plan on talking wiht the shop next week or maybe this weekend.

Our Rivazza definitely arrived a good deal less than 50% assembled (I helped the guy at the shop unpack it) and putting it together was a pretty big job. The final step, after cutting the steering tube to the right length (if you're using the carbon fork) is to glue in the metal insert so that the headset can be tightened. We talked the shop into letting us take the bike with the glue still wet, because we were dying to ride it the next morning. The fancy glue they used should have been well set by moring, but when I tried to tighten the headset the metal insert pulled right out. We were in no mood to be kept from riding our new tandem any longer, so my girlfriend reached for her "instant dry" fingernail glue and we used that. I gave it a minute to set, then tightened the headset no problem. It's been working great ever since.

We talked the shop into letting us take the bike with the glue still wet, because we were dying to ride it the next morning. The fancy glue they used should have been well set by moring, but when I tried to tighten the headset the metal insert pulled right out.

For bonding-in the aluminum insert to the True Temper carbon forks, JB Weld is the ticket.

Two other notes on the True Temper forks for those who now have them:

1. If you happen to damage one or both of the aluminum drop-outs (noting that they are VERY soft and will bend if you happen to bang then into something without the wheel installed), True Temper can remove and replace them for $25/ea. Just call customer service and talk with the tech support folks.

2. What was at one time a very liberal approach to warranty support has apparently gotten to be a bit more rigid. A good friend just discovered a nasty pair of cracks migrating out of the steering tube and down into the fork's crown and both legs and contacted TT for warranty support. They informed him that since the fork was outside of the warranty coverage period. While they have a very attractive replacement pricing schedule, they were presently out of stock on the fork model he needed.... Not a good thing.

FWIW, here is the warranty info:http://www.truetemper.com/performance_tubing/warranty.html

Limited Warranty

True Temper Sports, Inc. has unsurpassed quality control and testing standards and we confidently stand behind our bicycle components. Subject to the following conditions, True Temper Sports warrants that each component is free from defects in material and construction when new. This warranty is valid for three years from the date of purchase from an authorized Alpha Q dealer.

This Warranty does not cover:

Normal wear and tear.
Damage caused by accident, misuse, abuse or improper installation.
Any damage caused by stunt riding, off road riding, or similar activities other than road riding.
The original owner shall be responsible for all labor charges connected with the repair or replacement of all parts. This warranty does not include the cost of shipping to or from True Temper Sports or an authorized Alpha Q Dealer.

Crash Replacement Policy

True Temper Sports, Inc. will replace any non-warranty fork (crashed, over 3 year old, AME product) for a discounted "no-fault replacement price" when the old fork is returned with a letter of explanation.

Alpha Q Aero: $240
Alpha Q Sub3: $192
Alpha Q Pro: $172
Alpha Q EX: $135
Alpha Q CX: 240
Alpha Q X2: $210

Well... at least your friends found the cracks in the fork before the cracks found them....

Well... at least your friends found the cracks in the fork before the cracks found them....

FWIW: The couple riding the Litespeed Taliani in the Blue & White jerseys on Friday the Red and White with Blue jerseys on Saturday whom you rode with at GTR...