View Full Version : Road Cycling 2006 C'dale MT- Do we need front shocks??
Picking up a 2006 Cannondale Mountain Tandem (no front shocks - just thick tyres) soon for a long European tour mainly on roads and bike paths - no off road stuff (except being pushed into a ditch). Rank beginners in our mid and late fifties - but fit. Sedate sight seeing tour. Short cycling spells of half hour, maybe three to five hours max/day. 280lbs team weight. My wife is the stoker.
Question: Do we need front suspension?
Advice much appreciated (lady stokers too please).
PS: have searched the threads but still not sure which way to go.
Many thanks
No. I have a Cdale road tandem and you should bel be finne. I'd be more concerned about running Mt tires on the road than a suspension fork.
No. I have a Cdale road tandem and you should bel be finne. I'd be more concerned about running Mt tires on the road than a suspension fork.
Thanks Elrey that was my gut feel but needed some experienced corroboration.
Intend replacing the MT tires with Geax slicks or Schwalbe Marathons - any other recs?
You may find folks who disagree, but I've ridden most western european countries and the roads and paths are usually good. Have fun!!! I'm heading to SPain myself in a few months...
merlinextraligh
01-17-06, 10:55 AM
You might want to consider a suspension seatpost for the stoker. A lot of stokers like the comfort, and if you don't ride a lot, the extra comfort might be appreciated.
I think the Cdale comes with a stoker shockpost. My road model did, so I'd assume the Mt one does. But a real good point. As an additional note on that topic, I bought a gel saddle cover to take with me to Spain just in case....
stapfam
01-17-06, 12:47 PM
Picking up a 2006 Cannondale Mountain Tandem (no front shocks - just thick tyres) soon for a long European tour mainly on roads and bike paths - no off road stuff (except being pushed into a ditch). Rank beginners in our mid and late fifties - but fit. Sedate sight seeing tour. Short cycling spells of half hour, maybe three to five hours max/day. 280lbs team weight. My wife is the stoker.
Question: Do we need front suspension?
Advice much appreciated (lady stokers too please).
PS: have searched the threads but still not sure which way to go.
Many thanks
If on the road, front suspension will be a disadvantage- no matter how stiff they are. In fact if only on smoothish offroad trails- front suspension will still put you at a disadvantage. That stoker suspension post is a must though. Plenty of types to choose from, but go for a good one that others here can recommend, if you find it necessary to upgrade from the standard fitment.
We do ride offroad aggressively and that is when suspension does become necessary.We even have the Cane Creek thudbuster, and can recommend it, or at least I can as stoker.
Addition On the tyres-anything knobbly will slow you down, cause drag, andwear you out on the road. Not a roadie myself but I use a 1.4 slick at 100psi when on a road run, and these give some suspension and roll well.
galen_52657
01-17-06, 01:42 PM
You may find folks who disagree, but I've ridden most western european countries and the roads and paths are usually good. Have fun!!! I'm heading to SPain myself in a few months...
Not to hijack...
But ElRey, are you doing a EuroCycler training camp in Spain? I want to do one of those sooooo bad! Just don't think I can swing it this year...
Picking up a 2006 Cannondale Mountain Tandem .............. soon for a long European tour ............Rank beginners in our mid and late fifties - but fit. Sedate sight seeing tour. Short cycling spells of half hour, maybe three to five hours max/day.
Are the two of you new to tandems? If so, you may want to plan to put in some time on the bike before you start your vacation so that you can get accustomed to riding together.
Have fun!
-Greg
galen: no, I'm doing a self-guided tour around the Madrid region. The tour joint is called Bike Spain Tours. They've been very helpful. I'll let you know when I get back.
Merlinextraligh - we might well upgrade the seat post suspension in the C'dale. time will tell. Thanks
ElRey - gel cover sounds like a good bit of extra insurance. We plan on Holland, France and Germany so no overlap in Spain. good luck with your trip. Thanks for tips.
Stapfam - that gives us peace of mind with the decision. no shocks. Will be putting on slicks. A thick Schwalbe Apple has been suggested. Thanks for info.
Gregm - 5 minutes in a car park is our prior experience. Coming from Perth W Australia will not be able to practice until we arrive in Holland with the brand new bike from LA but will be able to ease into it there. Thanks
zonatandem
01-18-06, 09:51 AM
For casual touring if stoker does not have a suspension seatpost, a sprung saddle (with actual springs) will do the trick and be more trouble-free than some suspension seatposts. With the captain sitting comfortably in the middle of the frame, suspension/spring saddle is usually not needed.
Would not suggest suspension fork, just more weight/maintenance issues.
Enjoy your tour Pel!
Pedal on TWOgether!
Rudy and Kay/zonatandem
For casual touring if stoker does not have a suspension seatpost, a sprung saddle (with actual springs) will do the trick and be more trouble-free than some suspension seatposts. With the captain sitting comfortably in the middle of the frame, suspension/spring saddle is usually not needed.
Would not suggest suspension fork, just more weight/maintenance issues.
Enjoy your tour Pel!
Pedal on TWOgether!
Rudy and Kay/zonatandem
The C'dale MT does have a suspension seatpost but if not OK we will try your tip on the sprung saddle too. Good to get more confirmation on not having to go for front shocks and that the Captain will not need any seat suspension. Thanks for the info and good wishes Rudy and Kay. Pierre.
Before you travel, measure your current bikes so that you can replicate your position within a few mm on your new bike. Also take your current saddles (and pedals if you use clipless pedals) and use them on your new tandem. This will mean you go on holiday with equipment you know your body isn't going to react to. You could alternatively chance it as there are plenty of bike shops in Spain, but I'd rather go with a saddle I know and love for 3-5h riding per day
Rode across the Gobi dersert last year on our Dawey Galaxy Twin. No front shock and no need for one. But do your stoker a favour. Go out our and bye a cheap suspension post. Will make the trip a lot better for both of you. She will not get a pain in the arse and you will not get a pain in the neck every time you hit a hole.
One we have I cant rember the name but it was cheap fifteen quid or so, did the job.
Couple of tips for a fun trip as a piolot.
Never clear your nose over your shoulder as you do on a single!
Take some tire boots with you.
Get a brooks saddle
Go light (if you can live without it leave it at home)
Have a great trip.
Before you travel, measure your current bikes so that you can replicate your position within a few mm on your new bike. Also take your current saddles (and pedals if you use clipless pedals) and use them on your new tandem. This will mean you go on holiday with equipment you know your body isn't going to react to. You could alternatively chance it as there are plenty of bike shops in Spain, but I'd rather go with a saddle I know and love for 3-5h riding per day
Good tips. thanks Mrfish. Man have I got a lot to learn.
Rode across the Gobi dersert last year on our Dawey Galaxy Twin. No front shock and no need for one. But do your stoker a favour. Go out our and bye a cheap suspension post. Will make the trip a lot better for both of you. She will not get a pain in the arse and you will not get a pain in the neck every time you hit a hole.
One we have I cant rember the name but it was cheap fifteen quid or so, did the job.
Couple of tips for a fun trip as a piolot.
Never clear your nose over your shoulder as you do on a single!
Take some tire boots with you.
Get a brooks saddle
Go light (if you can live without it leave it at home)
Have a great trip.
Hey Sula what an amazing trip. Ours is tame by comparison. The C'dale has a standard seat stem suspension for stoker. Do you reckon we should both get Brooks saddles? And thanks for the Captain etiquette - forwarned.
The measuring thing? Ok I know that is what it says in the books but does any one really do that? Ok if you have a mecanic on hand and you need a replacement bike in Le Tour but are you going to take a tape measuer. Just wack some insolation tape round your seat pin etc. when you set up in the airport etc just put the tube back to the level of the tape. Take the tape off and take off your self.
Im just a bit of a Brooks fan. For some reason it seams to be a guy thing, took some real perswading to get my stoker on one. Now however woe betide you if you tryed to take it off her. They are hard to start with but then so is any saddle give it 500m miles and you will like it give it 1000miles and you would rather sell your granny than part with your saddle. Great in hot weather as well. Dont want to get to anatomical but gell saddles will get prity sweaty in the heat. A Brooks is hard so air circultes but is the same shape as you.
I have never tryed a sprung saddle but it may be an alternitive to a suspension seat post, lighter to.
Blimey wish I was going for a ride. Stuck here in Kuwait bike less. Thinking of riding home after this contract though. May go mad and get my self a recumbent.
Happy spinning
Sula,
Insulation tape is certainly the answer when you're rebuilding your own bike. I find the measuring tape is definitely necessary when you're riding a new or different bike. Also it's useful if you're a junior and still growing as it allows you to set the bike up to be close to the optimal biomechanical position.
My experience suggests that the measuring tape numbers are only a starting point as you then need to use some feel to fine tune things. You may also find that some saddles sag as they break in, meaning it's a good idea to measure and re-set saddle height every month or so. Flite saddles in particular lose about 1cm in height over the first 6 months so I tend to gradually raise the saddle as it sags.
All this stuff is slightly academic though - Sean Kelly won quite a few races despite looking as if his bike was 4 sizes too small, and his seat height about 2 inches too low! I think the argument is that getting used to the same position for enough time produces adaptations that turn it into the optimum position for you. The key therefore is not ride in different positions too much.
Andrew
We've already determined that you don't need a suspension fork. Here's some things to consider though:
When choosing tires, I'd go with a wider one with smooth tread. Check the max pressures, as they vary widely. You want something that you can air up for the smooth roads, but a big enough bag that you can drop a bit of pressure on the really bad roads.
The shop should offer a basic fitting. Take along a Sharpie or other permanent texter to make marks on the seat posts, rails, etc. Time spent getting a proper fit will pay big dividends in comfort. Seat height, fore/aft and tilt should be done before you leave. The stoker will probably want the most upright position she can get to start out with, as that will allow the most comfort. If the stoker bar is flat, consider a riser before you leave the shop. Same for the captain.
I'm guessing you know the basics of bike maintenance? Make sure you have spare cables, and brake pads. 3000mm tandem cables may not be as readily available as standard cables. A good pocket tool like the Topeak Hummer, coupled with a Leatherman, will get you through most troubles. Your new cables are going to stretch, and at some point you'll need to do some minor adjustments. Prepare for those as well. If you're going clipless, bring some extra cleats and hardware. And always grease the screws that hold the cleats in.
I'm sure there's more, but I need to get a bit of work done now. :D
Thanks for further confirmation on shocks Expatriate. And all the additional tips. All noted. Let me know if anything else comes to mind.
Go well in Utah.
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