Tandem Cycling - New Guy to Tandems - help

I am interested in purchasing a tandem. I went to a local bike shop and saw one for around 300+ dollars. I was looking on just for cruising (something like a cruiser style). I didn't want to spend a fortune so do you people have any suggestions on where I can look or what brands have the cruiser type tandems.

Any information would be much appreciated.

Thanks,

Branman

I can't offer too much except to say, some people who are quite serious have strong opinions and will say anything less than $1000+ or some other number, will not meet your needs. Others will say only Brand S or Brand C... Others will only say aluminum only , or steel only.

A tandem is an individual (or couple) choice.

I think the answer is,

How much are you going to use the tandem?
How far are you going to ride at a stretch?
How heavy is your team?
How much of a cyclist are you now?
How much do you really have to spend?

If you are going to pull it out 10-12 times a year. If you are going to ride 5-15 miles at a stretch. If you and your partner total less than say, 275 lbs. If you are not a serious cyclist right now. If you have less than $1000.
Just about any tandem would meet your needs.

If however you plan to ride it 5-7 times a week during riding season. If you want to ride 25-50 miles at a stretch. If you and your partner total over 400 lbs. (sorry, to point this one out, but we are in this category). If you own a $4500 tricked out single that you have customized to the max. If you have a budget of $X - $Y.
You really need a should consider a better tandem.

We were not serious cyclists, wanted to ride 3-5 times a week, between 5-the occasional 20 mile ride, we weigh on the north side of 400 lbs. and I was changing careers and taking a 52% paycut...
We looked in the $700 - $1100 range. We went up a step from standard cruiser and bought a Trek T900. Our thought was, if / when we needed to upgrade in a couple of years, we at least were able to afford a nice tandem that currently meets all our needs.

I'll leave it at that, I am sure some people may attack my answer, but in conclusion, take all the advice you can get, then make your own decision. If you are having fun, you made the right decision.

I can't offer too much except to say, some people who are quite serious have strong opinions and will say anything less than $1000+ or some other number, will not meet your needs. Others will say only Brand S or Brand C... Others will only say aluminum only , or steel only.

A tandem is an individual (or couple) choice.

I think the answer is,

How much are you going to use the tandem?
How far are you going to ride at a stretch?
How heavy is your team?
How much of a cyclist are you now?
How much do you really have to spend?

If you are going to pull it out 10-12 times a year. If you are going to ride 5-15 miles at a stretch. If you and your partner total less than say, 275 lbs. If you are not a serious cyclist right now. If you have less than $1000.
Just about any tandem would meet your needs.

If however you plan to ride it 5-7 times a week during riding season. If you want to ride 25-50 miles at a stretch. If you and your partner total over 400 lbs. (sorry, to point this one out, but we are in this category). If you own a $4500 tricked out single that you have customized to the max. If you have a budget of $X - $Y.
You really need a should consider a better tandem.

We were not serious cyclists, wanted to ride 3-5 times a week, between 5-the occasional 20 mile ride, we weigh on the north side of 400 lbs. and I was changing careers and taking a 52% paycut...
We looked in the $700 - $1100 range. We went up a step from standard cruiser and bought a Trek T900. Our thought was, if / when we needed to upgrade in a couple of years, we at least were able to afford a nice tandem that currently meets all our needs.

I'll leave it at that, I am sure some people may attack my answer, but in conclusion, take all the advice you can get, then make your own decision. If you are having fun, you made the right decision.

Thanks for all that information. I was probably planning to take it out maybe... every weekend and possibly some weekday. I am not a hardcore rider, I am just going to ride it for fun and just to get out of the house and exericse of course. I will be able to spend around $1500 for a tandem but would prefer to spend a couple hundred. What is the cheapest tandem you saw on the market???

Thanks again.

Hi

We're new to tandems just this summer. We found a 90 khs sport for $200. You can get a new one for about $770. It's a nice tandem for cruising around town-upright bars, wide tires. Even though we have some nice road bikes, we've been using the tandem for our weekend rides (30-50 miles) and it keeps up with our group just fine. A road tandem would better fit our needs and riding style, but for now its' doing a nice job.

Newbie,

I can't see how anybody would attack such a well-reasoned responce. Very well said.

The fact is it just does not make much sense to go mid-high end on your first tandem. Your Trek is a perfectly good bike.

Would a beginning skier go out and buy a set of skis/boots/bindings for $1,500-$2000? (some wealthy people may do that....that's why there is such a healthy market for slightly used high end ski equipment! At half retail or less!!!). There are several very good tandems out there hovering around $1000 new.

branman, I have never seen a 'cruiser' type tandem any place but the beach and on Ebay. Those things must weigh upwards of 50 lbs. I think they only have 5 gears. If you are just going to ride it occasionally here and there on mostly level roads (like people at the beach) and you don't care how fast you go and that climbing anything steeper that a 2-3% grade is gonna blow your knees out, than buy one.

But, I think if you have any thoughts of expanding your tandem cycling horizons to include longer rides out in the country on rolling terrain, you might want to consider something else.

Here is a shop that has some selection from KHS:

http://gallery.bcentral.com/Gallery/ProductListing.aspx?GID=4038672&Dept=195209&page=1

Here are Raleigh's offerings:

http://www.raleighusa.com/dept.asp?deptid=10

Trek's comfort style tandem:

http://www2.trekbikes.com/Bikes/Specialty_Bikes/Tandem/T_900/index.php

I am sure some other options are out there too.

I am interested in purchasing a tandem. I went to a local bike shop and saw one for around 300+ dollars. I was looking on just for cruising (something like a cruiser style). I didn't want to spend a fortune so do you people have any suggestions on where I can look or what brands have the cruiser type tandems.

For cruisers, there are a couple different marketing companies who are importing house branded tandems that may fit your bill, although they are more like $700 - $800. Some are single speed and others use either Nexus multi-speed hubs or traditional rear deraillers.

Phat Cycles has the Limo & Limo 7. They've gone to a flash Web design that's nearly worthless but you can probably Email for pricing and what not. http://www.phatcycles.com/index2.html

Sun Cycles also markets a single speed & 7 speed model in their Retro line: http://www.sunbicycles.com/03/html_03/retro_tandem.html

3G is another company selling comfort bike tandems: http://www.3gbikes.com/bikes/ddhh.html

For the really inexpensive tandems, head to Walmart for a Kent or search on Tandem Bike at Ebay. These things come in under $350 and are probably fine for beach cruiser duty following a really good going over by a qualified mechanic. Of course, you can always do like another recent poster and seach out one of the classic Schwinn Town & Country bikes on Ebay and do a little resto work.

I hate to come off elitist, but before you buy a $300 cruiser tandem, I think you should try riding it. A tandem at that level is likely to be very whippy, and not much fun to ride. It also is likely to be prone to breaking down. If you want to limit your investment, I'd give consideration to finding a used tandem that originally retailed in the $1,000 range. You should be able to find a used Burley in the $400-500 range that's still in good shape, that will ride better, and last longer than a new $400 tandem.

For cruisers, there are a couple different marketing companies who are importing house branded tandems that may fit your bill, although they are more like $700 - $800. Some are single speed and others use either Nexus multi-speed hubs or traditional rear deraillers.

Phat Cycles has the Limo & Limo 7. They've gone to a flash Web design that's nearly worthless but you can probably Email for pricing and what not. http://www.phatcycles.com/index2.html

Sun Cycles also markets a single speed & 7 speed model in their Retro line: http://www.sunbicycles.com/03/html_03/retro_tandem.html

3G is another company selling comfort bike tandems: http://www.3gbikes.com/bikes/ddhh.html

For the really inexpensive tandems, head to Walmart for a Kent or search on Tandem Bike at Ebay. These things come in under $350 and are probably fine for beach cruiser duty following a really good going over by a qualified mechanic. Of course, you can always do like another recent poster and seach out one of the classic Schwinn Town & Country bikes on Ebay and do a little resto work.

Thanks for all the replies and help!!! I really want to get into riding a tandem so I thanks again for the input.

I hate to come off elitist, but before you buy a $300 cruiser tandem, I think you should try riding it. A tandem at that level is likely to be very whippy, and not much fun to ride. It also is likely to be prone to breaking down.

Sorry, just trying to answer his original question and, yes, test riding anything is always the preferred approach. To your other points...

Actually, the cruisers are built like and ride like the same balloon tires tanks many of rode as kids as well as the early Schwinn Town & Country tandems. However, some of these use aluminum vs. chromoly frames and are a bit lighter than the old cruisers. They are a blast IF all you want to do is cruise around at the beach or vacation property. They are pure hell if you try to use them for transportation or active recreational riding. The one-speed models aren't prone to breaking down if they are properly adjusted to begin with, are properly maintained, and ridden responsibly. Some of the multispeed models use fairly good, but older designs.

The Wally-world and Ebay cheapies are "you get what you pay for" bikes that are on par with all the other $100 bikes sold by department stores. The frame used by the Kent is the same frame used by Diamondback for it's tandem, with some minor differences and completely different components. Most all of these bikes come out of Asia and cost the brand owners / distributors a fraction of what they are selling them for.

Bottom Line: If you're looking for a tandem bicycle, find a regular bike that would be adequate for meeting your riding requirements and then double the price to get a ballpark figure for what you should expect to pay for a tandem of similar quality. If that number exceeds your budget, then try to find -- as some have suggested -- a used example of the same brand/model that is not too old. There is a point of diminishing returns on used tandems where the cost to "realize your vision" by upgrading an old tandem will end up costing you as much as a newer or new tandem with contemporary equipment.

Thanks for all that information. I was probably planning to take it out maybe... every weekend and possibly some weekday. I am not a rider, I am just going to ride it for fun and just to get out of the house and exericse of course. I will be able to spend around $1500 for a tandem but would prefer to spend a couple hundred. What is the cheapest tandem you saw on the market???

Thanks again.

From what we found I would have to agree that the the KHS, Raleigh, and Trek "low end" are good new low cost starter bikes. Starter bikes might meet your needs for years. Whatever you buy, make sure you do get a chance to ride it before you buy. We did buy our first tandem sight unseen from a friend for $80. Literally painful, but it did reinforce our desire to buy a "real" tandem. Ride before you buy, it is a personal choice.

Rather than spending $300 on a brand new tandem, suggest you look for a nice used one in that price range. At the $300 new bike price you'll get a pretty (but cheap) paintjob and flashy decals, but very low end componentry.
Helped some one last year with a spanking just-outa-the-shop Schwinn cruiser. Glossy red paint job but it had a minor problem: stoker's pedal fell off and fell apart! The platform fell off and was only pressed together. Ended up having her put foot on the spindle so they could ride back to the bike shop, that had given them a great deal at only (!) $600! Suggested they ask for a refund.
Anyone can build something cheaper. You get what you pay for.

OK Branman, I'm dying to know....

Where is your head on tandems now? You started off looking for an affordable cruiser tandem. You then allowed that, "I am not a hardcore rider, I am just going to ride it for fun and just to get out of the house and exericse of course..

Are you still in the market for a comfort-bike / cruiser or now considering some other type of tandem, e.g., used 26" MTB with slicks or perhaps a 700c road model?

OK Branman, I'm dying to know....

Where is your head on tandems now? You started off looking for an affordable cruiser tandem. You then allowed that, "I am not a hardcore rider, I am just going to ride it for fun and just to get out of the house and exericse of course..

Are you still in the market for a comfort-bike / cruiser or now considering some other type of tandem, e.g., used 26" MTB with slicks or perhaps a 700c road model?

tandemGEEK!!!

Sorry for the confusion but interested in a cruiser style.