Tandem Cycling - tandem with 29 inch wheels

We are looking into a new tandem and are considereing a tandem with 29 Inch (700c) wheels. The difference is that you can put a mountain tire on the larger rim. The hope is that off road riding will ba a little smother and the whole bike will have greater stablility on and off road. Plus you can have a road wheel set and a mountain wheel set ready to go. I'm wondering if it's worth it or not.

Read this thread:
http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?s=&threadid=31987

Bottom Line: If you want a "dual sport" tandem use 26" wheels. If your off-road riding is very limited, e.g., fire roads and double track, build up a set of 700c cyclocross wheels & a set of road wheels or have your road wheels built up to be a bit more robust to enable them to do double-duty and fit cyclocross tires when you head for the trail slicks on the street.

Just my .02.

In terms of store bought, production bikes - I doubt if Gary Fisher is going to include a Two-Niner tandem in his production series of Two-Niner off road bikes. Probably best to look to one of the custom builders who specialize in big wheel bikes to set you up with a frame that fits your captain/stoker 29" needs.

BB

Crested Butte / Willet's is marketing a 29" dual sport tandem, but all of their bikes are customs: http://www.willitsbrand.com/5.html

Yeah we are looking at a Vicious Cycles 29 inch tandem - THey look beter to me than the willits and the Vicious guys can put in the S&S couplings. I'm looking for constructive input to the whole idea of a tandem with 29 inch wheels. It seems to me that technical single track would be more stable on a bigger tire. WHat do you think? Is this a waste of money - Is there anything to be gained by putting more rotational momentum in the wheel of a tandem?

Originally posted by zsqrd
Yeah we are looking at a Vicious Cycles 29 inch tandem - THey look beter to me than the willits and the Vicious guys can put in the S&S couplings. I'm looking for constructive input to the whole idea of a tandem with 29 inch wheels. It seems to me that technical single track would be more stable on a bigger tire. WHat do you think? Is this a waste of money - Is there anything to be gained by putting more rotational momentum in the wheel of a tandem?

I imagine you are aware of all the debates and discussion concerning the 26" vs. 29" wheeled single bikes for off road riding. Plenty of converts to the 29" world can share their real world expeience of big wheels on technical single track to you over on the 29" board at mountainbikereview.com. I have no idea if the subject of a tandem with that sized wheel has been discussed, but it's worth a try for you to buzz over to that discussion board and see what the converts have to say about it. One would wonder with all of the benefits that the big wheels brought to mountain biking single bikes that some of those benefits certainly should also spill over to an off road tandem using the big wheels. For that matter, some of the shortfalls as well.

BB