Tandem Cycling - Bona fide tandem crew checking in

After a couple of very successful test rides the Missus and I have invested in a new tandem. We plunked some dough on a Cannondale. It's the dark blue version of the bike shown here (http://www.cannondale.com/bikes/06/CUSA/large/6rtblu.jpg).

The Missus and I know that a few test rides, however successful, do not guarantee success in the long run. But we've been around each other long enough and know each other well enough to know that tandeming is a terrific way to spend time together.

We'll take a nice ride tomorrow but then she's off for a few weeks to care for a family member. Then, in early August, she will undergo a foot operation that likely will take her out of action for a few weeks. We'll be lucky if we get in 1 or 2 organized rides this year, probably no more than 60 miles. But that's OK as we see this as a long-term investment. We'll still have plenty opportunities to ride in the fall months and into Nov and Dec.

So, to the Tandem Forums gang, get used to hearing from us more. We appreciate all the valuable input from this community.

Andy

Oh, and zonatandem, we will absolutely enjoy the ride TWOgether!!!

HAHAHAHA!! Beat you to it!

Andy

What a pretty bike! Love the disc brakes. Do you live in hilly country?

I like how you see this as a long-term thing, and aren't frustrated because you can't put hundreds of miles on it right away. Great perspective.

Looking forward to your future posts, pictures and pie. :D

Welcome to the "club".

glenn so has your wife provided you a substitute stoker while she is out of commission? : )

What a pretty bike! Love the disc brakes. Do you live in hilly country?...

Thanks! We absolutely love the dark blue. It's funny how much the color matters.

I live in San Jose so hills are readily available. This is also why we can ride into the late fall with no problems. This doesn't mean that we'll stop riding through the winter months (I commute year round) but longer rides are just more enjoyable in the warmer months. I dread dressing in 5 layers!!

Anyway, I shouldn't complain about the winters in the Bay Area. You're from Vacaville so you get the picture.

Andy

I have one of those too. Here's a few pictures of how you can put a rack on the back with the disc brake:

http://quadesl.com/photoalbums/Misc/CannondaleTandem/albumIndex.html

I also changed how the back brake cable routs on our XS version. The cable housing would rattle so I got rid of it and am running bare inner cable the entire length of the top tube.

BTW, the saddles that came on ours were horrible, I'd rather ride the bare seatpost.


Congratulations on your bike.

Sheldon

Andy & the Missus!
Congrats, good choice and good-lookin' twicer!
Back in the early 80s we did test riding/evaluating for C'dale on their prototype tandem. That was 2 years before it became available to the public. It had no decals of any kind. Got a a lot of looks as there were no other tandems out then with such huge oversized tubing. Because of the tubing we referred to it as 'the Bazooka.'
Since then C'dale tandems have evolved a bit more and now oversize tubing is the norm on most tandems.
If the Missus can't ride due to foot surgery, she can always put her feet up on the lateral tube . . . and then someone is bound to shout . . . 'she's not pedalin' back there!'
But for now . . .
Pedal on TWOgether!
Rudy and Kay/zonatandem

Yeah, Bazooka is about right. The tubing on tandems in general is really cool. I own a Ti and a CroMoly bike so the Bazookas look even bigger to me!

Our inaugural ride today was splendid. We left from our home and went over to Santa Cruz for 45 miles. This was more than maybe we should have gone but it worked out OK except for the Missus' seat. We made a few adjustments along the way but by the time we hit Capitola she wasn't enjoying the bumps in the road all that much.

But she took it all in stride. The bike itself rides like a dream -- very sure and confident with virtually no flex. I love the disc brakes. And I feel much less tired today than last weekend's trip using the KHS Milano over the same hills, even with 15 more miles. It just seems easy to captain this bike than the Milano. Nothing against the Milano, by the way, which we thought was a bargain for the $$$, but this baby is smoother by comparison.

Andy