Tandem Cycling - Update on ariZona Tandems from Bob Davis

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TandemGeek
08-05-07, 04:36 PM
Sorry to say that we received an Email from Bob last week with some unfortunately news regarding the future of ariZona Tandems.


Due to my continuing health issues we will cease all manufacture activity by December 31. 2007. All warranty support and repair work will continue as normal. We appreciate the support you have given us,..... Please feel free to contact me about on going work or any other questions. We will continue investigating new approaches and designs. We are presently testing a compact drive system with no crossover drive (third chainring added to the stoker's crank with synchronizing chain running on the right to the captain's chainring). No great invention, but neat way to use single bike components without modifications (except adding the 3rd chainring).

Take care,

Bob Davis


Similar information is now posted at their Website: (http://www.arizonatandems.com/)


Due to health issues we will be discontinuing all manufacturing by December 31, 2007. Current frame orders and stoker stem orders will be completed before we shut down.

All warranty and repair work will continue as normal.


cornucopia72
08-05-07, 08:39 PM
I guess that explains some things... a team friend of ours had ordered a Zona almost half a year ago... we saw them today and they said that were forced to cancell their order and are getting a Calfee instead...

zonatandem
08-05-07, 08:46 PM
Bob Davis had been contemplating scaling back his operations. With continued health issues he has decided to cease building tandems as of the end of 2007.
However, having been a decades long friend of Bob's we are sure he'll continue tinkering/inventing/improving things for us tandemers.
Asides of building some great and beautiful tandems/singles Bob was the first to come up with an adjustable carbon fiber stoker stem and with round carbon fiber stoker's handrest, along with other innovations.
We are a bit on the picky side when it comes to getting a custom twicer built, and Bob was able to oblige us 100%
We had the privilege of being 'test dummies' for some of Bob's ideas and he worked with us closely when we designed our own custom c/f tandem. We pushed him a bit on the idea of making us a one-of custom c/f rear rack too . . . and Bob came trough with flying colors!
We were so impressed with the tandem he built us that Rudy pestered him to build him a custom single. Busy as he was, he said he'd squeeze it in between tandem projects.
While we are sorry to see Bob cease his building operations, we do wish him well and better health in the future.
Thanks for your many contributions to better tandeming Bob!

Pedal on TWOgether!
Rudy and Kay/zonatandem

(Photo of Bob and Cheryl Davis on his first c/f prototype Zona tandem)


zonatandem
08-26-07, 08:06 PM
Visited with Bob Davis (ariZona Tandems) yesterday on our way back home from Idaho.
Bob is finishing up his tandem orders plus working on one of 'special projects' (we can't divulge what it is).
Doctors are still messing around with new meds for him.
He is a typical aerospace engineer: always full of new/novel ideas.
Bet the tandem world hasn't heard the last of him!
Pedal on TWOgether!
Rudy and Kay/zonatandem