The Octopus
07-01-05, 08:41 PM
I know there are a million of these threads -- we've read them all! -- but we're all different sizes and shapes using the bike for different things, so here goes:
Captain: 6'1", 34" inseam, 170lbs
Stoker: 5'10", 34" inseam, 130lbs
The idea behind the tandem for us is that it'll allow Mrs. Octopus and me to do longer rides (stuff longer than a century) together more easily and more frequently; our pace is too different for the really long stuff (brevets, namely). On century rides now, Mrs. O will draft me at 18-20 for the whole ride. Might as well be on a tandem, we figure....
As between the two, we're more interested in performance than comfort, but we're not into shaving grams off the bike for the sake of having the lighest ride on the block. (The easiest way to take weight off the bike, we think, is to back off on the ice cream.) That said, we do intend to haul some serious ass on this machine, so something that begs for the extra gas and is solid and stable descending and cornering -- as well as when the team stands to climb or hammers away -- is key.
Today we test rode the Burley Tamburello and a Trek T1000. We both thought the Tamburello was "mushy" and not terribly responsive. We were more impressed with the T1000, which felt like a stiffer ride. Those being the only two tandems we'd been on to date, though, it's tough to tell much. A local shop ought to have a Co-Motion Speedster in during the next day or two, so we're looking forward to trying that out. (Extra bonus points and gold stars if you can recommend an Ohio shop that's big on tandems.)
Oh yeah, on the money issue -- whatever we end up buying is going to last us a while. It's an investment in years of fun rides together. If that's $5K, so be it; if it's $2K, well... that's better. I doubt we'd feel that we were incomplete without the $11K all-carbon Santana, but we welcome any attempts to convince us to drop this kind of cash. Even promise to post pictures if you're successful. :D
So -- fire away with your thoughts, comments, advice, suggestions, etc. And thanks!
Captain: 6'1", 34" inseam, 170lbs
Stoker: 5'10", 34" inseam, 130lbs
The idea behind the tandem for us is that it'll allow Mrs. Octopus and me to do longer rides (stuff longer than a century) together more easily and more frequently; our pace is too different for the really long stuff (brevets, namely). On century rides now, Mrs. O will draft me at 18-20 for the whole ride. Might as well be on a tandem, we figure....
As between the two, we're more interested in performance than comfort, but we're not into shaving grams off the bike for the sake of having the lighest ride on the block. (The easiest way to take weight off the bike, we think, is to back off on the ice cream.) That said, we do intend to haul some serious ass on this machine, so something that begs for the extra gas and is solid and stable descending and cornering -- as well as when the team stands to climb or hammers away -- is key.
Today we test rode the Burley Tamburello and a Trek T1000. We both thought the Tamburello was "mushy" and not terribly responsive. We were more impressed with the T1000, which felt like a stiffer ride. Those being the only two tandems we'd been on to date, though, it's tough to tell much. A local shop ought to have a Co-Motion Speedster in during the next day or two, so we're looking forward to trying that out. (Extra bonus points and gold stars if you can recommend an Ohio shop that's big on tandems.)
Oh yeah, on the money issue -- whatever we end up buying is going to last us a while. It's an investment in years of fun rides together. If that's $5K, so be it; if it's $2K, well... that's better. I doubt we'd feel that we were incomplete without the $11K all-carbon Santana, but we welcome any attempts to convince us to drop this kind of cash. Even promise to post pictures if you're successful. :D
So -- fire away with your thoughts, comments, advice, suggestions, etc. And thanks!