NewbieIATandem
07-29-07, 11:34 AM
We just went on our first major family ride with both tandems today. (Trek T900 new 2005, and a 1990's Univega we just picked up used) Quite the stares from a couple of runners before we even unloaded them from the top of the van.
We had a blast. The decision to buy a second tandem for the kids was great. Our 14 year old son on his single wants to go fast, our 13 year old daughter on her single wants to go slow. We would rather go somewhere in-between. With the two of them on the Univega they were marginally faster than we are, but we didn't hear the whining and complaining about, "too fast", "too slow", "catch up", "slow down", etc. Smiles all around.
Gotta get the Univega into the LBS for a once over. I am marginally competent with bike maintenance, but no genius. I was happy to get the tires changed back to the original fat mountain bike tires that they original owner still had (the road tires were weather ed). I think I have the tires on backwards, but there is no arrow on the sidewall to let me know the proper direction of rotation. I've adjusted the brakes, adjusted and lubed the chains. It has a tendency to throw the chain off the small chainring, so likely needs to have the shifting adjusted. But will probably take it in to the LBS anyway.
Now if I can just find a vintage single-speed tandem in decent shape, and a work stand so I can make the adjustments more easily, and maybe a triple...
Is this normal, or just tandem insanity?
We had a blast. The decision to buy a second tandem for the kids was great. Our 14 year old son on his single wants to go fast, our 13 year old daughter on her single wants to go slow. We would rather go somewhere in-between. With the two of them on the Univega they were marginally faster than we are, but we didn't hear the whining and complaining about, "too fast", "too slow", "catch up", "slow down", etc. Smiles all around.
Gotta get the Univega into the LBS for a once over. I am marginally competent with bike maintenance, but no genius. I was happy to get the tires changed back to the original fat mountain bike tires that they original owner still had (the road tires were weather ed). I think I have the tires on backwards, but there is no arrow on the sidewall to let me know the proper direction of rotation. I've adjusted the brakes, adjusted and lubed the chains. It has a tendency to throw the chain off the small chainring, so likely needs to have the shifting adjusted. But will probably take it in to the LBS anyway.
Now if I can just find a vintage single-speed tandem in decent shape, and a work stand so I can make the adjustments more easily, and maybe a triple...
Is this normal, or just tandem insanity?