My wife and I are seriously considering a tandem. It’s been on our minds for a number of months.

We are a cycling family to begin with, and both feel confidant we’d ride it many weekends in the summer: Day trips to Wisconsin with full weekend trips sprinkled about.

As we’ve gotten more serious I’ve asked advice from various sources. Seems like there is a sound buying strategy that advices buying a lower end tandem first to see how you like it, how much you use it, and what you may want when buying tandem number 2.

I’ve been a racer for many years and have a collection of nice bicycles (all of which get ridden frequently). The tandem will be about smelling roses and not racing. I’m pretty good at making bike buying decisions and would rather buy only one tandem

My question to the group is, how many of you bought 2 tandems in order to get the 1 you really want? And do you think it was a good idea.

My LBS said they could get this bike for us. I think it’s around $4500.

http://www.pinarello.com/main_eng.php
look for tandem under the "bikes" header

We bought two to get the one we wanted because we couldn't afford the one when wanted when we wanted it. Or, more aptly, we couldn't justify affording the one we wanted. If you are confident, and liquid, I would go for it.

If I were buying a single that I would want to ride regularly, I certainly wouldn't buy "less" then my tandem. The reverse would be the same for you. Given your level of riding and current stable, I doubt you would be happy with the starter bike most of us bought first.

Good luck - nice choice of first tandems. I am jealous. :)

I have no experience with Pinarello tandems and the specs on the web are slim.

(no way the frame weighs 4 lbs as the site says. The lightest tandem frames are about 6 to 7lbs)

I do agree, that if you know what you want, that buying a better tandem the first time out can be more rewarding and save money in the long haul.

I would seriously investigate US made tandems such as Co-motion, Calfee, Zona and the custom crowd (insert sales pitch here:D . The pricing would be similar, there is much more choice in sizing and parts spec, the quality would most likely be the same to higher.

BTW as far as I understand almost all Pinarello's are made in Taiwan. Most likely this one too. If pricing is similar and sales, service, quality and choice are greater going with locally made product. I go with the locally made item everytime.

Hope that helps.

Dave Bohm
Bohemian Bicycles

Problem I see with buying a low end Tandem is that it will not "Quite" be there.

I looked long and hard at what I wanted out of a Tandem before I made my decision. I knew that I would be making changes to the spec but that could be an Upgrade at replacement part time. What I looked for was the frame and 5 years later, I have been proved right. The frame is the heart of any bike so if you start with the right frame- You can upgrade as experience requires it.

Incidentally- I went for a Cannondale MT and the frame is probably about the only original part of my offroad beastie that remains.

while the buy 2 philosophy may work for some, I prefer the buying once method.
I have seen too often people buy cheaper to try something out... and because the cheap version did not work well, they do not enjoy it... and there for do not move forward. For example someone buying a department store bike, to see if they like cycling. Some do stick it out and move onto a "real" bike. Many do not.

I am not sure how the lower end tandems of today are, but back 15 or so years ago... there was some scarey stuff out there. Our first tandem "lasted" us 15 years, before we replaced it. [well actually we kept if for early season riding... when our roads are horrible. I have bigger tires on it... and lower early season gears on it.

glenn

Before we bought our tandem we rented one from a bike shop. We didn't like that particular bike, but the experience was enough to tell us that we'd enjoy tandeming. Therefore we went to a local bike shop (the one we'd go to for repairs, not the one we rented from that was farther away) and skipped the entry-level bike & bought the upgrade - a Trek T2000. We knew from the rental that if we bought a cheaper bike to start with, we'd end up selling it & buying the upgrade, which in the long run would cost us more than just buying the more expensive bike in the 1st place. If you're sure you'll use it enough, and can afford to, buy the bike you want.

My buy two to get one was a bit different than your reason.I enjoy collecting and restoring antique bikes so buying my first tandem was "another antique" and tandem secondly---but I did want a bike my wife could ride with me(she never learned to ride a bike so a tandem was our choise).She likes it so now we have a newer used tandem with a lot more gears.And a lot more fun to ride.

Since you are a racer and it is a cycling family, I suggest buying as much bike and bling as you can afford. If it doesn’t work out, sell it on Ebay. I do not think you will be satisfied with anything but better quality tandems and your wife will appreciate it as well. We did not use the two for one approach.

A Pinarello tandem does not seem to fit the smell the roses profile. I know nothing about them other than looking at the pic on the web site and that Pinarello has a racing heritage. I see the road bikes occasionally when riding. However, I suspect that once you experience how well your team can perform on a tandem, the smell the roses idea may take a lower priority.

If you decide on the Pinarello, I suggest talking with the LBS and your wife about the stoker seat post and handlebars. You may want to tweak the selection as shown on the web site to something more adjustable and comfortable.:)

When we bought our first tandem winter before last, we went with the Burley Duet, which many would consider to be an entry level bike. We made the decision based on several factors. First, the Burley was a great value when put into a side by side comparison of the other major brands. Second, the bike was available for a test ride, and ended up being the preferred bike of those that we rode (including bikes that were both more and less expensive). Finally, the bike was a good fit for both of us pretty much out of the box.

In spite of the fact that there are a ton of higher end bikes out there, we are very happy with our ride, and don't anticipate the need to "trade up" any time soon. We have carbon forks, a nice suspension seat post, enough racks and bags to hold our stuff, are fit enough to climb well on the slightly heavier steel frame, and know we can replace components as they wear out. The only potential reason we've discussed for buying a new bike anytime soon would be to get one with S & S couplers to facilitate travel.

I guess what I'm saying is that if you shop around and buy the bike that's right for you the first time, you shouldn't have to buy a disposable bike as your first tandem. You might even find that you don't have to spend an arm and a leg to buy a bike that will last you a good long time. While your experience will probably be much different from ours, I think you won't go wrong by taking your time to evaluate all your options before plunging into your purchase, whether it be a $1500 KHS, or a $4500 Pinarello.

If we knew then what we know now, we would have bought a carbon S&S tandem... but we didn't! We bought a used Burley Duet, then a Santana Sovereign, and then a Santana Cabrio with S&S. The S&S Beyond, Zona or Calfee are still on the wish list.

Couplers are something to very much consider on a tandem. One of the beauties of tandeming is being able to visit new, wonderful destinations and unlike a standard bicycle traveling with a full length tandem is a logistical nightmare. I believe couplers are extra useful on tandems.

As a framebuilder of tandems I have spent an extraordinary amount of time thinking about the details. It's my job. As with any bike the very, very most important thing is proper fit! It might as well be made of spaghetti if it doesn't physically fit or it is not designed for the type of riding you are going to do. Material is often the first on buyers list of importance but it is absolutely at the rock bottom of my list. A great tandem can be made of anything.

Make sure beyond all else that the Pinarello fits both you and your stoker well. If it is even a smidgon off, look elseware. Tandems take extra effort from the captain, therefore neccesitating good fit and can beat up the stoker (you tend not to move around as much on a tandem) therefore comfort is paramount.

Dave Bohm
Bohemian Bicycles

...buying a lower end tandem first to see how you like it, how much you use it, and what you may want when buying tandem number 2.

In short, low-end is relative. If what you ultimately want is an $8,000 = $10,000 tandem, dropping $3,900 could be considered "low-end" by some, whereas others equate "low-end" with a $300 Ebay or Wally World tandem. Let me plagerize my own "Tips for First Time Buyers" (http://www.thetandemlink.com/usedhome.html#anchor948986) to respond to the "lower-end" comment as it provides the proper context for considering second hand tandems.

6. Make sure what ever you buy as your first tandem, its frame fits both you and your partner. You can change everything else about a tandem, but the frame is what makes the difference when it comes to how much you -- and more importantly your partner -- enjoy riding the tandem. A bit too small (except in the stoker's compartment) is better than a bit too big.

7. Recognize from the start, if you and your partner enjoy tandem riding you may find yourselves buying an "upgrade" tandem in a few short years.

Here's the rationale to support these recommendations:

If you are the cyclist in the family and have an affinity for "nice" equipment, you'll find it hard to settle for a tandem that's of a lesser quality (components & ride) than the single bike you're accustomed to riding. That is *IF* you and your partner become very active tandemists who expect to do routine touring, metric or full centuries and the like. If you and your partner only intend to take with an occasional "fun ride" then you may be able to fight off the urge for something better. Therefore, if at all possible, test ride several different types of tandems and find the brand or model that you feel most comfortable on or "like" best. Next, look for a 2 to 4 year old example of that tandem in the classified ads and compare the cost difference. Don't forget to consider the cost for sales tax and essential equipment needed on a new tandem that may come with a used one. If you can find a nice used tandem that suits your needs you may find it's all you need for the first year or two as you refine your skills and further define your needs.

Now, assuming you've purchased a used tandem, here comes the important part. RIDE, RIDE, RIDE!!! If you find that you and your partner aren't cut out for tandeming you may find you'll be able to re-sell it for not much less than you paid for it. However -- and this is the good part -- if you find that you and your partner are "hooked" by tandem riding you'll have a tandem that's probably "good enough" for your first year as you decide whether to upgrade your current tandem or begin to define what it is you'll want to have for your next tandem. Everything about tandems is subjective and you really won't know what you "like" or "need" until you've been able to spend many hour and/or at least several hundred miles on a tandem together.
Full text is here: http://www.thetandemlink.com/usedhome.html#anchor948986

My question to the group is, how many of you bought 2 tandems in order to get the 1 you really want? And do you think it was a good idea..

When we bought our '96 Santana Arriva we thought we were buying a pretty nice tandem. It wasn't the entry level Visa with lesser components, but it also wasn't one of Santana's exotic tandems, e.g., Nivacrom or Ti700. It came with Ultegra bar-end shifters, Araya rims, 700x28 tandem-rated tires, and LX brakes, all of which were replaced within 30 days. In fact, the shifters never made it out of the shop: I even went so far as to do the swap out with the 8 speed Sachs Ergo levers for my dealer while he attended to other patrons. The tires didn't last past the first ride at home and were replaced by 700x23c Vredesteins from one of my single bikes, Mavic T217s quickly replaced the Araya rims, then XT cantilevers with XTR pads replaced the LX models, and of course some better handlebar tape. I put a halt to my upgrading because it was finally "personalized" enough for me to feel like it was "my tandem" and I was already starting to realize that the frame geometry wasn't what I wanted for the long-haul.

This was in August '97 and by June '98, having done cost trades on a custom Co-Motion Double-Espresso vs. a custom Erickson, we put our deposit down an Erickson. It only took me about 4 months of really active riding on the Santana to realize that we liked tandeming enough to pursue a frame that was custom fit to our needs and riding style, not to mention something uniquely different from the rank and file tandems we had been seeing. Both the Co-Motion and Erickson promised to provide handling that was truly spectacular, but the Erickson won out due to his approach to stoker accommodations. The Erickson's final price tag was about $6,900 back in '98 and that included some pretty chi-chi components, Glenn's "signature" finishes, and a three color fade paint scheme. However, everything about that tandem -- which we still ride today with some 30,000 miles on the clock -- was 'exactly' the way I wanted it and took into consideration everything I hard learned about what was good, better, and best pursuant to my wants and needs. Was it "twice" the tandem that our Santana had been? Probably not, but it was clearly a vastly more refined machine that would be the last tandem we ever needed.... or so I thought.

Our third road tandem was another Erickson ordered in the summer of '00 and delivered in early '02. Why a second Erickson? Because I wanted a tandem with S&S couplers that we could use for travel. Why didn't I put them on the first Erickson? At the time we ordered our first Erickson, S&S couplers were still pretty new and not something I was sold on. We had not yet contemplated travel and the cost of the couplers would have sent the price of first Erickson up to nearly $8,000. Somehow $6,900 seemed OK while $8,000 was just nuts. To ease the pain on the second Erickson it was scaled back to a "custom" model vs. the more finely finished "Signature". The frame geometry & components were all the same as our first and this one also came in around $7k. We played around with selling the first Erickson but reality set in as depreciation hits high-end tandems just as it does mid- and entry-level models, only in bigger bites. So, instead, I opted to keep it and extend the life of both tandems by splitting duties, which has worked out just fine. However, in retrospect, it was an expensive lesson that I learned early on and from which I draw my current recommendations.

We have faired better in the acquisition of our off-road tandems where I put my recommendations to the test: our first off-road tandem was a two-year old '98 Cannondale MT3000 acquired for $1850 in 1999. I was replaced by our first Ventana in 2000 and sold for $1850.00. The first Ventana was actually built around a NOS frame found on Ebay for $1000.00 and it was eventually sold for just about what it cost when it was replaced by a new 2002, custom-sized Ventana that we still have. The first Ventana was put on the block because a careful analysis of the cost to upgrade key components -- wheels and brakes -- clearly suggested a new tandem with all new components would be more cost effective.

So, at the end of the day, if we had been a little more patient or if I had done my homework a little better and not jumped into our first custom tandem so fast I would have saved myself about $7,000. Yeah, it's nice to have the spare Erickson as it's come in handy several times. But for our income level, it's beyond extravagant... Our off-road buying experience, on the other hand, has been very cost effective as we've never taken a real "hit" on the money spent on our first two tandems and have just the one, very nice Ventana at our disposal that has cost us pretty much what IT cost with no loss of equity on the previous two tandems. In fact, given the deal I received on the 2nd Ventana and current market conditions I could probably sell it for nearly what it cost me.


My LBS said they could get this bike for us. I think it’s around $4500.

I don't know much about the Pinarello beyond what I've read so I guess I'd be more inclined to ask what other brands of tandems you LBS sells, how much experience they have with tandems, and why they believe the Pinarello is the right tandem for y'all? Moreover, it would be really nice to know who actually designed the frame (Pinarello, a contractor, or 3rd party vendor), who makes the frame (Pinarello or a 3rd party vendor), and who else any 3rd party fab house make frames for.

Ultimately, what you're after is feedback from average Joes with tandem experience who have shelled out their own money for a Pinarello who can compare and contrast the Pinarello to similarly priced tandem offerings with regard to performance, quality, and value. As it is now, most of what I've been reading has been marketing jizz and well, that's hardly unbiased. Anyway, the real question is what else would $4,500.00 buy in terms of a tandem that might meet your current needs and how does the Pinarello (and the support you're LBS can provide) stack up against the other options?

Our suggestion: borrow/rent a tandem to see if you have what it takes to be a tandem team. While you may be compatible on solos, riding a tandem TWOgether is a whole other story!
Bend the ear of folks who own tandems in your area and listen to them: their likes/dislikes.
Then buy the best your wallet can afford.
We started off with a French Follis in 1975 and soon found out what we did/didn't like.
Designed our own first custom tandem, built by Matt Assenmacher (Michigan) that followed by a custom Colin Laing (Arizona and England) then a custom Co-Motion when it was just 3 guys working out of a garage, and now our custom Zona, fully lugged c/f lightweight. All customs were delivered exactly as ordered and all were great handling/riding.
Each time the design was slightly refined/altered for our needs. Experience is your best teacher!
While our tandems have co$t a bit more than off-the-rack bikes, we consider 'em an investment in our good health!
Pedal on TWOgether!
Rudy and Kay/zonatandem

My wife and I rode the Elroy Sparta rails to trails ride in Wisconsin last summer. The small bike rental shop happened to have a beater tandem that no one ever rode. It was old, it was heavy, the frame was bent, but we had a blast. We stopped in each town and had a beer and something to eat, hung out with the locals, smelled the cow pies. It sold us on the idea of tandeming. There is a shop in the Chicago area that rents tandems nicer than that beloved clunker, and I think we’ll spend an afternoon doing that.

The idea of making the stoker happy rings true for me. I’ll ride anything as long as it’s nice, it’s more important for me that my wife is happy and comfortable. I hear you on the issue of fit. Very good advice.

After listening to you guys talk, the Pinarello idea is bagged. As soon as Dave Bohm said buy something American, I thought, hell yes, keep the money here, the job you save may be your own. Then TandemGeek (My man, how many tandems do you have?) asks, who designed the Pinarello?, and I thought, good question, very good question. I race Eddy Merckx/Campagnolo bicycles because they have pure racing pedigrees. What does Pinarello know about tandems? Squat is my answer.

I think I’ll use a $4K-$7K bracket on my research. $4 being good enough to make me happy and $7 if I get goofy. My thoughts on bicycles has always been, I’d rather wait a season and save to get something I really want rather than forcing a decision based on time. Might be too late to get a bike for this season anyway.

You guys are great, thanks for you conversation. I don’t mind tandem builders giving me the sales pitch, I’m all ears.

If we ever meet on the road, first beer’s on me.

...how many tandems do you have?

Three (http://www.thetandemlink.com/Images/gallery/tandemgallery.html)

Just a quick follow-up on the Pinarello tandem. I did a little poking around just to satisfy my own curiosity.

It only seems to come in one size: 50.5/44.5cm (front/rear) with effective top-tube lengths of 56.5 and 49cm (front/rear). It is referred to as a medium, but is closer in size to a small KHS Milano. The fork's unusual crown makes it a dead ringer for a Kinesis T6 with 1.125" chromoly steerer and the frame construction is also reminiscent of what I've seen of late on Kinesis and Raleigh tandems, e.g., welds, derailleur cable routed around eccentric BB using housing vs. guides, although the eccentric BB design appears to be somewhat new. Most Kinesis and Raleigh frames I've seen used a solid BB with two big set screws or a somewhat massive looking set of pinch bolts. This frame has a very clean pinch bolt design. The "Scandium" SC6110 tubing is also a bit of an unusual twist. I'd be curious to know if the entire frame uses the SC6110 tubing or if it's actually a hybrid with perhaps a token SC6110 tube with the rest being 7005 T6 alloy.

It would be interesting to hear an objective review from someone with a lot of tandem saddle time. Perhaps RTR Magazine will offer it up in a future edition. I'd volunteer to do the test ride, but the top tube is way too long for me and Debbie would kill me if I put her on a tandem with a 27" stoker compartment.

Debbie would kill me if I put her on a tandem with a 27" stoker compartment.[/QUOTE]

would she kill you because the compartment is too long or kill you because it's too short? We are talking about top tube lenght, correct?

would she kill you because the compartment is too long or kill you because it's too short? We are talking about top tube lenght, correct?

Too short and, yes, rear top tube length: she's 5'2" and has 31" to play with on the Ericksons + 30" on the Ventana.

This is the review by David Morgan from the now defunct Tandem & Family Cycling Magazine that provided the catalyst for me and several of our friends to investigate and eventually acquire tandems (Ericksons & Bushnells) with more generous stoker compartments: http://www.tandemmag.com/roadtest/erickson97/

There are all kinds of pros and cons to stoker compartment length but, at the end of the day, if you and your stoker are experienced roadies who normally ride bikes that have a traditional road racing fit, getting a proper fit on many stock tandems can be a bit of a challenge.

25" - 27" is not at all uncommon on the older tandems built before Santana started to re-set the benchmarks and ~27.5" became the norm thereafter, some a bit longer and some a bit shorter. Without getting too far into the history, it suffices to say that Glenn Erickson found the extra-long stoker compartment that he built for his taller than average stoker could be carefully executed without compromising the handling of his tandems. He then began to offer tandems with 29" - 32" rear top tubes that allowed stokers to replicate their solo bike riding positions and/or just put some extra breathing room between average size stokers and their captains, initially under the Rodriguez brand when he and Angel Rodriguez jointly owned R&E Cycles in Seattle, and then under his own brand.

To this day, most Erickson and Rodriguez tandems come with ~30" stoker compartments as do a few other brands that have a Seattle connection or whose designers have seen similar benefits for their clients/buyers. Co-Motion has also adopted a slightly longer, 28.5" rear top tube on their tandems which probably puts all but the really tall stokers in good stead for a proper fit, Santana may have flirted with 28" and then gone back to the more neutral 27.75" (someone will have to confirm as I always loose the bubble on that one), and Trek and Cannondale have incorporated proportional sizing into their larger tandems. Interestingly enough and much to my surprise, Ventana's full-suspension off-road tandems were built with 30" rear top tubes which, if you consider the nature of single-track, wouldn't necessarily seem like a great idea. However, it was a welcome feature for Debbie as the fit it afforded as well as the breathing room between her nose and my Camelbak has been great with no ill effects on manueverability.

Now, the other side of the coin. Simply extending the rear compartment requires that the builder address the need for increased frame stiffness to mitigate frame torsion from having the stoker's weight and rear wheel even further from the front end of the bike and may impose some added workload on the captain with regard to bike handling if their stoker is large or doesn't have a clean pedal stroke. If you look at our Erickson tandems (the word "Three" (http://www.thetandemlink.com/Images/gallery/tandemgallery.html) is a hyperlink to info on our tandems in my earlier post) you'll notice all kinds of interesting features that help to stiffen up the frame. Less I digress, and back to handling, let me play the Devil's advocate and also note that a very long stoker compartment is not something that the vast majority of tandem buyers may benefit from or need. In fact, many teams -- for a variety or reasons -- simply prefer the shorter rear top tubes. It's really a matter of personal preference that can only be explored by investigating what's out there and taking a few test rides with a lot of emphasis on how the stoker "fits".

The latter is usually not a major focus item or consideration during the tandem buying experience because dealers are more inclined to sell what they have available to first time buyers... because it's a smart business move as the vast majority of stokers won't be adversely effected (or recognize it if they are). For the those who are cramped and know it, if they stay with tandeming they'll figure out what it takes to get a good fit, to include going the custom route or by simply finding a brand/model of tandem that has already added a few inches to the bike, mindful that "one size" doesn't fit all.

As always, more than you or anyone else wanted to know.

That was an excellent explaination TandemGeek. I too am of the long rear top tube school as I think it has many benefits. I often use the same forumula that was given to me by a once builder of R&E cycles in Seattle.

So one of the design elements of my current tandems is to make a long rear compartment and then use the integrated adjustable stoker handlebar that allows a wide range of stokers to fit easily and still obtain a true custom fit back there.

http://www.bohemianbicycles.com/Images%204/411176564_bd62de06c1_b.jpg

You are correct that some stokers may not need such length and space back there, but I see few downsides and it opens up the possibility of riding with other stokers. I have already had a lot of fun taking various friends on the tandem. I took my girlfriend one day which was a great fun ride of 15mph and the next day a very fit friend of mine and it was like having a V8 in the back.:D

If you are the cyclist in the family and have an affinity for "nice" equipment, you'll find it hard to settle for a tandem that's of a lesser quality (components & ride) than the single bike you're accustomed to riding. That is *IF* you and your partner become very active tandemists who expect to do routine touring, metric or full centuries and the like.

This was my problem as a Mountain biker. If I was going to buy a Tandem- I really wanted an off road one and my main priority was that it had to handle as good as My Mountain Bike. Tandems are not that common over here, and Offroad tandems are even rarer.

I do realise that a Tandem will not handle aswell as a Mountain bike but I had tried a low end "Mountain Bike"Type tandem and that nearly put me off. Luckily My LBS understand Tandems and they understand me. I realise that the frame is the heart of any bike and that has to be good. I also realised that there was not going to be a tandem that would stand up to my use in standard form so upgrades were going to be necessary. I bought a Dale MT for the frame. I got it at a good price and 5 years later the frame is the only original part left. What I now have is a Tandem that does handle as well as my mountain bike and the only limitation is that we do not Take drop offs and we can't bunny hop. We keep trying though.

Twilkins9076:

While some might consider your Burley entry level. It is not the lower end stuff I was refering to. I would consider your bike, a decent bike, safe and serviceable. Perhaps it is all you will ever want or need. I myself was referring to some of the older lower end stuff I have ridden. There were some that were so whippy that I would consider them unsafe. So difficult to ride, that it would be difficult, for someone to ride one and still like tandeming... to want to move up to something better.

I had a customer a few years back. He came in looking at getting into tandeming. He was looking at buying my boss's older [15 year old] used Burley [while not unsafe, not a great bike] or his Barely used Cannondale.

There were various of us at the shop waiting on this guy. I told him if he was going to get into this, to buy the Cannondale. He was used to half bike prices... and was not prepared to pay for the Cannondale. He bought the Burley, and in a couple of months he was back to buy the Cannondale. He would have been much better off financially to have bought the Cannondale to start with.

glenn

while earlier in this thread I suggested buying what you want first. vs trying something out then buying upgrading. I have to admit, that when it came to an offroad tandem, I did not follow this "way".

It was the early 90's. We had ridden our road tandem almost exclusively for some time. No half bike riding.... except for mountain biking. The idea of off road riding on a tandem, interested us. If this was popular then, it was not known to me. I did not know much of what was available.

We bought a Santana Rio, to try out the sport. We found we loved the idea of riding off road, but the bike was horrible.... for our riding. We spend some time, researching. We ended up going custom, We found a builder that rode off road himself, and understood what we wanted. In this situation, there is no way we would have ordered the custom bike, without some offroad experience to start with.

We then used the Rio as a early season "bad" weather road tandem. We got a bit of use out of it, before selling it two years ago when we bought our Beyond.

glenn

Our first and only tandem is a KHS Tandemania Comp (Cro-Mo, 26" wheels, flat bars). "low end" at a bit more than a grand, new. Ain't perfect, but perfectly adequate for our riding. Have replaced bits and pieces over 6 years to make it work better for us and never felt the desire to replace it with something better.
If we get that itch, since we know how much we enjoy tandeming, we'll be more inclined to get what we really want. (The Rans 'bent tandems are starting to catch my eye.............)

We bought a Santana Rio, to try out the sport. We found we loved the idea of riding off road, but the bike was horrible.... for our riding. We spend some time, researching. We ended up going custom, We found a builder that rode off road himself, and understood what we wanted. In this situation, there is no way we would have ordered the custom bike, without some offroad experience to start with.

We then used the Rio as a early season "bad" weather road tandem. We got a bit of use out of it, before selling it two years ago when we bought our Beyond.

glenn

That is the trouble with offroad Tandems. Even once you have decided on a frame-There are still too many Components to deal with in being able to buy off the shelf. To go custom you have to realise what you want and that only comes from experience. Now if you trust the Custom builder and you have an open wallet- then it can be done easily but even then every rider, or team, is different. Forks for one team will not be suitable for others

I was lucky in that I had a shop that knew me and Tandems. They guided me through the choices and so far they have been right. I also went to one of the "Sensible" Chain bike shops over here to see what they would suggest. (Once I knew what worked and had it set up) With the advice they gave me, and the way they were so certain that this is what I wanted, I will never buy anything from them again.

Once agin-I wrote an article for the UK Tandem magazine so details of my upgrade route on the attachment

We bought a lower end Raleigh tandem, rode it for a solid year (or two) then upgraded to a nice co-motion.

If you're used to riding nice bikes I doubt you'll be satisfied with a not-so-nice tandem so you can just add the price of tandem #1 onto the price of whatever you eventually buy for yourself.

When I owned my own bike shop I generally kept 3 tandems in stock: An entry level KHS or Univega, a Burley, and a Santana. Riding one immediately after the other eveybody would feel a significant difference in frame stiffness as you moved up the food chain. Riding the entry level tandem immediately after riding the Santana could be a wobbly, scary experience.

I bought one, so far (see my thread today), and may later buy a better one (probably an used Super Galaxy, rather than a high dollar new rig, though even the Galaxy would be way more expensive than any other bike we own!). I don't regret it a bit. If I want to, I can sell it for as much, or maybe more. What's to lose? Plus, in the meantime, we're having tons of fun, and couldn't afford the better rig even if we wanted to.