Buying A Used Tandem Success Stories

[Mayonnaise]

My wife and I have decided we’ll buy a tandem by next Spring. We’re reasonably sure we’re going to buy a used tandem first. Although new to tandems, I’ve got quite a bit of experience with singles and am confidant I will make a good decision if the right bike comes along.

I’ve been poking around on Craigslist and Ebay as well as some of the classifieds from the Tandem Link website group. Most of what I see doesn’t thrill me: it’s too old: prior 2000, or too pricey: I’m sure it’s nice but for that price I can buy something brand new.

Seems to me that many people ask too much for a used tandem without considering how much it’s depreciated since they bought it (I’ve seen early 90’s Santanas for $3K).

I turn to these pages to ask you to post your success stories on buying a used tandem in order for me to learn how to best proceed. Where is the best place to find a good used tandem?

[zonatandem]

A generalization: 'an early '90s used Santana for $3K . . .'
What exact year. . . 1990 or 1999? A bottom-line Santana Arriva or a Santana Titanium, with S&S fittings/cases? Huge difference in year built, tubing, components, weight, quality and resale value.
Have sold a used Velo Schauff a few years ago for only $300 and a 10 year old custom Co-Mo with 57,000miles on the odo for $1,200.
Depreciation is a fact, however make/model/extras etc will affect the price. You can place a bid for what you think it's worth or make an offer to a private owner.
Don't think you'd have wanted the decrepit Velo Schauff (cheap pirce); the Co-Mo still rode/looked great and had the best componentry for its time, filet brazed, chromed forks/rear triangle, custom air-brushed paintjob, etc. A bargain at that price.
But you are smart to be looking ahead . . . check out classifieds in Tandem & Recumbent Magazine, quite a few tandems that 'may' suit you.
Good luck in your search!
Pedal on TWOgether!
Rudy and Kay/zonatandem

[TandemGeek]

Be patient and watch www.tandemmag.com/classified, your local craigslist, and Ebay. Better quality tandems at fair prices will pop up now and again. The trick is being diligent enough in checking the ads so that you can find those better deals as they don't last long. Go ahead and give RTR Mag's classifieds (http://www.rtrmag.com/classifieds.htm) a look see along with the ones at The Tandem Club of America just to see what else is out there. I don't believe the latter two are as close to real-time or as up-to-date as the other resources mentioned earlier, but that can work to your advantage if a buyer hasn't received too many offers.

I've bought two used tandems back in the 90's using rec.bicycle.marketplace which has pretty much been turned into a "hey, go look at my Ebay auction". Both were excellent values: a '98 C'dale MT3000 for $1,850 in '99 and a NOS '98 Ventana frameset for $1,000 in 2000. In both instances, I just got lucky in finding the bikes during my weekly check of the classifieds. We've also sold two tandems via [url]www.tandemmag.com/classified (http://www.tandemclub.org) and one using Ebay, and I'd say that everyone who purchased our tandems got great bikes at fair prices. You'll need to decide what's fair and, yes, there are a lot of folks out there that have unrealistic expectations with regard to asking prices for second-hand tandems. Then again, an asking price is just that... the seller's starting point. If you see a tandem that fits your requirements but it seems to have a higher than reasonable asking price, make a fair offer.

For example, we recently sold a 5-year old Erickson travel tandem for ~59% of it's replacement cost, which coincidentally ties to my own used tandem pricing tool's guidelines (http://www.thetandemlink.com/usedhome.html). I priced it a bit higher than my lowest selling price to accomplish a few things: 1. To weed out shoppers from buyers and, 2. To make sure there was room to negotiate. Sure, I would have preferred to sell it for my full asking price... and I think even at that price our tandem would have been a great value. However, I was more interested in selling it at a fair price quickly -- and if at all possible to someone local -- instead of holding out for a higher price from someone possibly buying long-distance... which comes with all kinds of inherent risks and issues as well as the hassles associated with shipping. I'm sure there are others selling tandem who may be using similar pricing / sales strategies.

Just remember, a 'good tandem' is all you need for a first tandem (and maybe even for your long-term tandem). One of the strongest teams we know ride a tandem they found on Ebay for not a lot of dough. Folks easily spend 3x - 5x what they did on any one of several high-end tandems and will never come close to holding the wheel of that Ebay special, ourselves included.

[moleman76]

My purchase of a used tandem was rather a fluke, based on seeing a posting on the tandem@hobbes list to the effect of "my friend has a tandem he wants to sell". By that time I'd done a lot of looking at eBay and Craig's list, and had an idea of what I was interested in.

I did do some looking at a lot of various Craig's list sites, searching under Bicycles for the word "tandem". And, I had eBay looking for "tandem" in listings (but with filtering set to knock out some of the bikes and other "tandem" objects I wouldn't be interested in ( -twinn , for example! )

If you are thinking of getting a bike shipped from afar, it would do you well to research how to get it shipped. FedEx Ground worked for me, though I've read some reports of bike boxes apparently run over by forklifts! Greyhound has reasonable rates but crummy insurance unless you find a $350 bike. I'd certainly volunteer to pay a LBS to package the bike and perhaps even to get it to the shipper.

Think about the questions you want to ask the sellers, and maybe compose a set of standard questions, from stand-over height for captain and stoker, to condition of the frame, etc., that you can send off to the sellers.

Might want to do some Googling for the basic frame geometries and components for the various makers you are interested in. That way, if the bike has a derailleur installed which was not stock for the model year, you can ask about it; or, if the seller doesn't know the model year, you may be able to come close.

http://www.airfreetires.com/Specs/Default.asp has some usable information on various models.

One thing you have going for you is some time. Winter's coming, so even if you don't land the bike until February, that still will give you time to get it, service whatever you want to, mount new tires, whatever.

[Xanti Andia]

I succeded in buying a used tandem on ebay, a late 90's Trek T100 which won't excite most people on this list, but we were thrilled when we got it. Though we knowingly overpaid (it was the only bike available in a short time window that I had on a trip to the US), it was essentially brand new, years of garage, it fit and it is a very competent bike really. Don't worry about age too much, quality/market price ratios of older bikes are often much higher, look for the right fit, original quality, and signs of decent maintenance or long term garage stories (most of the used bikes I saw fit the ticket of "bought this great bike, rode it a little, stoker gave up, divorce, etc."....). Tandems are often sold with a lot less use than singles. However what is most important is to get a decent frame that fits, components can be replaced, and you can often bring down the price significantly to provide for component replacements when they are clearly worn.

However be prepared to wait. If you want it for the northern hemisphere spring, start looking right now, and when you see the right bike, buy it, overpay if you have to, one thing is the market, and another is the right bike for you avialable from the right seller who you can trust. A few hundred overpaid get amortized in very few good rides. How much are you willing to pay for one good dinner at a restaurant?

[oldacura]

We bought our 1998 Co-Motion Co-Pilot from an ad on Tandemmag.com. We bought it sight-unseen from a couple in Washington State (we live in Colorado). It was about 3 years old with about 1000 miles on it. We paid about 65% of the new price. The bike was in nearly perfect condition as advertised. Since it is a coupled tandem, it was easy to ship. I think it was a fair deal for both parties.

My experience is that tandem enthusiasts tend to be more careful & more honest than bike riders in general. Also, tandems don't tend to depreciate as fast as single bikes. Maybe this is because the ratio of riders to available bikes is higher than with single bikes.

If you consider buying a used coupled bike, it can easily be shipped to you & you can expand your search area.

[masiman]

Spring can start to get late for the used market. People start getting excited with the change in seasons and the market picks up. Best time to purchase (highest inventory) has traditionally been Fall to Winter. I'd think you would want everything finalized by Feb, maybe March.

As others have stated, know your market. Don't be afraid to counter offer. If you look long and frequent enough, you will see the overpriced ones pop up a few times after no bites. If you have a particular make and model in mind, you may have to jump quicker, especially if your size does not come up often. Flexibility of course makes the whole process easier.

Good Luck.

[AXPBallpark]

My wife and I picked up our first tandem from ebay this summer: a 2003 Raleigh Persuit. We are very pleased with the bike and the price we paid. I spent a ridiculous amount of time on ebay, craigslist, and many of the previously mentioned tandem-specific websites, getting a feel for what we wanted and how much it should cost. It took over a month of daily looking to find the right bike. Patience paid off though.

-find out how tall previous riders were and how well the bike fit them
-when you find a bike you like, look online to find out what experience others had with that year / model. This might help you know what questions to ask of the seller.
-When looking for advice online, understand that individual opinions are far less important than the group consensus. Every great bike is disliked by somebody for some reason or another.
-try to get a sense for how much life is left in the components (but recognize that you probably won't get a complete picture)
-budget some money for all the little changes you'll make to the bike after you first get it. We added a rear rack, a mirror, a computer, changed a set of pedals, got it tuned up, and bought a roof rack for the car. These costs add up fast.

Good luck!

[Goldrush]

We lusted over the Co-Mo Supremo that fellow club members purchased new. We even rode it around the parking lot. 2 years and a divorce later, the bike was ours. It had been ridden very few miles and we paid less than 50% of replacement cost. I'm sure it would have brought more on ebay, but we were just down the road with cash in hand.

[zzzwillzzz]

i bought our 2002 burley duet w/ a flight deck computer, rock shox susp seatpost, arai drum brake and rear rack on ebay about 2 years ago for $900 plus $50 for a shop to box it up and $150 to ship. the good deals are out there and winter is coming just keep your eyes open and be ready. it took about 6 months of looking for the right one to show up. i think we got ours cheap because the seller had only one small picture with the front wheel off leaning against a bunch of junk in the garage

i know what you mean about the search though, the old bikes can be tempting for around $500 but the cost to modernize will put them over buying the right one in the first place.

the khs tandem with an alum frame isn't too bad and is pretty cheap on ebay (or was). i didn't get one bceause the size wasn't right and the two sizes offered had almost the small top tube length.

as for craigslist, at least you can deal with the seller on the price, and in the middle of january i'm sure the price will be very negotiable

[Youdelr]

Two weeks ago I purchased a 2005 Da Vinci Joint Venture 10th Anniversary Edition (upgraded carbon fork, King Headset and Avid Read Disc) with Polar Computer including heart rate monitor with less than 300 miles on it for $3K. I did not attempt to negotiate a lower price since I thought it was fair price (1/2 of new) and it is in pristine condition. It was a Craigslist find. Good Luck on your hunt.

[Jinker]

I got a '94 Burley Rock'n'Roll softride for $800 CDN delivered to my door by the previous owner (who lived 150km away, and happened to be coming to town). Found it in a canuck Craigslist equivalent (kijiji.ca).

It is in excellent shape, used a little but very well taken care of. Rack and Arai drum brake were included.

I don't think it was a screaming deal, but a fair one.

Tandems in good shape don't depreciate the way singles do. The relentless pace of 'one more cog on the back' doesn't seem to affect them quite as much. Instead, a solid frame and wheels, confidence inspiring brakes, and a reliable drivetrain are premium items.

[Dayton Duo]

We bought a 94 Burley Bossa Nova on e-bay for $650. We think it was a good deal and have put 700 miles on it this year. It is a great way to find out whether or not you like the tandem experience without sinking a lot of money in the bicycle. You can slowly upgrade items as money becomes available rather than having to spend it at one time (if you have to the latest and greatest).
Took about 2 months of hunting to find our bike. Was pretty much what they advertised and overall was a good buying experience. If you do your own bicycle repair work, that also lessens the used cost. With the tandem and mechanics forums, you can generally find all the help you need.
Happy hunting and let us know how it turns out.

[Mayonnaise]

another question. let's say I find a bike posted on website and have decided to buy it. What keeps people honest. I'm sure there aren't that many scams out there, but sending $2500 to someone I've talked with on the phone and through email scares me.

Does it come down to a leap of faith?

[TandemGeek]

Does it come down to a leap of faith?

Yes...

If you can't build a level of rapport and trust through your 'discussions' with the seller, then you have some cause for concern. Obvious 'red flags' that pop up in your head while making a deal should never be ignored: always address your concerns head-on, e.g., if you suspect that the seller really doesn't have a the bike ask for a photo of the serial number or other 'evidence' that will give you confidence that you're dealing with a real seller. Google their name or Email address to see if they are where they are supposed to be.

[oldacura]

When we were buying our bike, the seller gave us the phone number of the local bike shop to vouch for the condition of the bike. The guy at the LBS said "oh yea - I know the guy you're talking about. The bike is in great condition and the seller is a retired minister."

We bought the bike and have since stayed with the seller in Washington & they have stayed with us in Colorado.

If you have doubts after talking with the seller for a while, see if they can give you a 3rd party reference.

[masiman]

Per oldacura's experience, you can take that a step further. You can involve a bike shop as the third party in a transaction. You can more easily find a good and bad shop via the forums, internet, googling and calling. I have done a few transactions where the shop is hired to give the bike a once over, pack and ship. The pack and ship part is not always something they are willing to do but you will at least have a shops signature on the condition of the bike. I have found the better shops more willing to do this. REI was even willing and had seperate member and non-member pricing for the service. A tandem savvy shop is preferred but no always available. Still more peace of mind than leap of faith trust in an unknown seller.

[djurgensen]

Is the OP from Chicago? There must be a shop in that market that does a lot of tandem business. Ask the owner to let you know when he gets something traded in. I got my Santana Cilantro for $1k this way.

[vtrich]

Like you, I shopped for our first tandem through traditional sources,...however, I was primarily concerned with size. I know I can upgrade various components if needed,..but I wanted to make sure both of us were comfortable for longer rides. I ended up finding an older Bilenky. I think the price on ebay was around $800. The geometry was right for us,..and as a bonus it has some really neat older components,...older Campy high flange hubs etc.

After riding this for a couple of years we agreed we really enjoyed tandeming, so I bought a new Raleigh
tandem which was a leftover at the local bike shop. This was basically a mountain bike,...but it was also about $900 and I love to tinker,...so I slapped some drop bars on it, skinny tires, and since we were sending this one to florida, I changed the gearing. Its a great bike,...well great bike for the money.

I found both to be perfect for the first tandem. Both allow us to ride for longer rides comfortably, which in turn allows us to learn enough to decide whether this is something we really want to pursue. For us, it was a great fit. I still do my normal training for the few races I do each year,...fewer and fewer as I age, and now we are both talking about possibly buying something that we can really customize for the two of us for the long term.

GOOD LUCK,...there are tandems out there lurking,....looking for a good home.

[y2kdad99]

I guess it depends on what you are looking for. We were looking for a solid but inexpensive tandem because my wife was not 100% sold on the idea. Our area is not known as a cycling hotspot, and I was not very hopeful that I would find a used tandem. Craigslist came through for us. We found an early 90s Burley duet for $600 from a local seller. It has fit our needs perfectly. I felt this might be slightly overpriced, but it was well worth it from our standpoint. It was a relatively small investment which has enabled us to try tandemming. So far, so good!

[pocky]

I got exactly what I wanted at a great price: a less-than-200mi '01 Burley Rumba in our size for $600. But it took some "figuring out the system", and a little more willingness to trust "the system" and avoid human contact than some people would probably feel comfy with. See http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=302410
Here's a really long post-mortem that is probably overdue for that thread.

Short answer for me:
1) Get great advice on this forum
2) Fully understand the theory and inner workings of eBay-type and Craigslist-type systems
3) Fully understand how to use inaccessible locations, large items, and sellers unwilling to ship them, all to your advantage
4) Stalk your target areas like a hawk, and be willing to wait (though I didn't have to)
5) Luck helps, too.

Here's everything I know:
My story is I got some great advice on this forum, and then did a LOT of stalking over a fairly short period of time on all sources I could find. I did a lot of work but I also think I ended up being a little bit lucky, though I think others could luck out this way, too. I already had a good deal of online auction experience so I already knew many of the tricks of the trade, but there's something very interesting about difficult-to-ship items like tandems: I discovered that, on auction-based systems like eBay, sellers who advertise that they are willing to ship a tandem at all, even at exhorbitant cost, tend to entice more bids, quickly driving the price up, even well-before "sniping time". Sellers who specifically state that they are NOT willing to ship the bike entice far fewer bids, keeping the price low. This is true for non-auction systems like Craig's List, too, but you won't see the bids. On any ad-based system, someone will often ask the seller if they are willing to bring the bike to a local shop and then they'll pay the shop to ship it. I found lots of examples where as soon as someone asked the seller that question, the seller realized how easy that would be, and posted an addendum saying they'd be willing to do it. Immediately, the bids started coming in.

I also noticed that tandems posted for sale in heavily populated areas, particularly bike-friendly areas, went faster, regardless of whether or not shipping was advertised.

So, my strategy became: to look for bikes in areas of the country that I knew were a little out-of-the-way, to look for sellers who explicitly stated they weren't willing to ship, and to figure out geographic circles within which I'd be willing to drive to pick up the bike, or within which I thought I might be able to convince a relative to drive to pick up the bike, and then coordinate shipping.

That, of course, combined with making sure the bikes were worth what I thought I might end up paying for them, based on what I was willing to spend for the features and geometry I wanted, reality-checked against the Used Tandem Price Estimating Tool from thetandemlink.com. I was willing to entertain frames that I'd have to build up myself as well as full bikes, and I was willing to look at new and older stuff, but I ended up with a nearly-new full bike for very little.

I ended up lucking out by finding, on both eBay AND CragisList, a less-than-200-mile 2001 Burley Rumba in exactly the size I was looking for, all the way in Lake Worth, Florida, with a seller who was unwilling to ship it. I live in Boston. But that was OK, because my mom was visiting my grandparents in Florida, and I knew I'd be able to bribe her to coordinate shipping. The seller had posted to his local Craigslist several times and was starting to look hungry. But, I RESISTED THE TEMPTATION to ask the seller if he'd be willing to bring it to a local bike shop to ship it, for fear that he WOULD, and he'd advertise that, and immediately the bids would start flying in. My theory paid off: I sniped the bike on eBay in the last two minutes of the auction for the reserve price of $600. The thetandemlink.com calculator said it was worth $650 if it was in crappy condition! Belmont Wheelworks Too, a well-respected albeit pricey shop up here, was asking $1,850 for a new-old-stock 2002 Rumba. And after all that, when I called the seller, he ended up being willing to bring the bike to a LBS after all. Glad I didn't ask that earlier over email. It ended up costing about $50 for the LBS to pack it and another $100 for DHL to come pick it up and ship it to me in Boston. So $750 including labor and shipping. Not bad.

[RogerD]

Another craigslist success story: We bought our Burley Duet in wonderful condition and only a couple years old for $1100. It was a local purchase so could do a thorough inspection and test ride and no shipping issues. Just doesn't get any better. (I've bought 2 other bikes on craigslist [had to drive about 500 miles for one, but well worth it] and have never had a bad experience. But, still, I'd never buy sight unseen from anyone, no matter what they say or how honest they seem. Someone might truly not know the condition and there are thieves and frauds out there too.) Just search "tandem" every day on the bikes list for every city you'd be willing to drive to and be patient. And, speaking of thieves, please don't buy a bike that doesn't have original purchase receipts or other documentation that the seller is the legitimate owner, or at least a pretty solid indication that the seller knows the bike from owning it.

[BlueWhale]

Leftovers anyone?
If you don't want to go the used route with all the hunting, maybe look for a shop with a good deal on a leftover model, old stock, or the like.

I got my bike as a leftover, it'd been assembled, maybe tried out, but not much. It's an SnS coupler equipped bike that I got for quite a bit less than MSRP, with rack, panniers, bells, whistles, computer, kickstand, bottle holders, bottles, pedals, some apparel, and rack topper bag all tossed in. I reckon that I must have saved over $1500. Sure, if your flexible about model, brand, and other stuff I guess you could hover over the market and wait for something to drop. Not me... I'm an instant gratification type of guy, and had my eye on this very specific bike, one that is not really all that popular amongst tandem riders. I must have the only one in the whole state, if not the entire east coast. I don't regret it at all.

Eric

[raztaztwo]

We just bought a 2007 C'dale from a local ebay seller. The seller had posted the ad and I contacted the seller to say if there were no buyers to let me know and we could meet up. He did not have any buyers... we met in town.. .and we are now the proud owners of a C'dale Tandem. It was awesome. We have not had any issues and I think buying used (or slightly used) is the way to go. We got the bike we were looking for without all the taxes, add-ons, etc. And we did not have to wait a week or six to get it. Best purchase we have ever made.... Good luck!

[mrfish]

pocky, that was a great story. I learned a lot from it - If you were feeling entrepreneurial you could make quite a nice hobby business out of it. I say hobby because I guess ebay arbitrage on tandems is a limited market.

[special k bike]

I know this is an old thread but may be helpful to re-visit. Word of mouth helps out. I bought our first tandem (Burley Zydeco) from a club member who had it "gathering dust" with 60 miles on it in the garage. Just came up in conversation about wanting to get one.

I sold this Burley 2-3 years later by emailing to a couple of bike club lists and chat groups and the "word was spread". A friend of a guy who got the email ended up buying it. He knew his buddy was shopping for one and wanted an entry level tandem.

[embankmentlb]

We got our tandem of Craigslist. In my mind that is the way to go. My 2005 Burley Rumba originally retailed for
$1800 & i paid $1200. Is that a deal, maybe, maybe not. It's a real tandem with tandem hubs & parts. It can be upgraded to the level of the best steel tandems. The nearest new bike retails for 3k+.
I think the most important thing for a New tandem buyer is to learn all you can before you buy. A tandem is more than a two seat single style bike. Lots of parts are tandem specific for a reason.

[uspspro]

We bought our 1990 Santana Arriva off Craigslist for $900 (California). It was in very good condition, with very few miles for its age.

I spent a lot upgrading it, which to some is not that smart. However I like building stuff, and if I decide to upgrade again, I plan on swapping everything to a new frame. Plus I think neo-old school builds are cool because they have character, yet work well.

Now I am so happy with the results, I cannot foresee upgrading for quite some time.

The bike rides sweet! It's smooth, stable, yet corners like it's on rails, it shifts great and the ergonomics are good. The only time I feel appreciable flex is if I stand and my stoker does not (torsional flex). However when both seated or both standing, the bike is great.

http://i174.photobucket.com/albums/w112/spingineer/Mt%20Tam%20Alpine%20Dam/2a433983.jpg

[blamp28]

My wife and I stumbled into our used tandem purchase luckily. We had fully intended to rent and or borrow a few to learn and make a new tandem purchase in the next couple of seasons. My Brother and Sister in law have ridden a tandem for the last decade or so and their Santana was one we had borrowed a couple of times. When it was stolen last summer just before their annual ride to the Mackinaw bridge from mid Michigan, they were able to borrow a friend's "spare" Santana Rio - a 1993 7 Speed to make the trip and ride while they waited for their insurance company to get things straightened out. They rode it well into the fall and loaned it to us once with the permission of the owner.

The bike was a great fit for my wife and I and has been well cared for. Once my Brother in law's new Santana came, we bought the "loaner" for about 35% of the original cost and made only two modifications. I put a Thud buster ST seat-post in the stoker position and built a new 9 speed rear wheel. I already had a spare XT rear der as well as some spare shifters. We have had the bike out a few times and are still working on our communication but loving every minute of it.

I'm very satisfied that we bought a used bike rather than new. We can learn on this bike for far less money and move up if and when we are ready.

[jimmm18]

Well I have to add my story. My wife and I have been riding tandems for 13 years and for the last 12 on a 1995 Santana Encore. It is a small, 18x15, tandem with 26" wheels designed as a Mountain bike but due to my short stature, 5'3", I am very limited in my choice of tandems.

Now we bought this as a demo at about 1000 off retail but it was the bike shop owners bike so it was upgraded with topline cranks and a couple of other items.

We rode it and loved it and upgraded parts on it as we went along, even repainting at one point. So as used tandem sucess story, this tandem should does qualify. We rode many a rally on it.

But as nice as it was I wasn't completely satisfied. I am a road rider and wanted a tandem designed for the rode but all the 700c bikes were way too big which meant we would have to go custom and buy new and I never had a spare 5 grand lying around to get what I really wanted: a custom made commotion.

And as I refined my position on my single bikes the tandem position was feeling too comprised. The cranks were 175's and I was never willing to part with the topline cranks. I was way behind the pedals and felt awkward. I tried a longer stem, moving the saddle forward, but this quicken the handleing and upset the stable feel that Santana's are know for.

I just got to the point that I didnt want to ride it anymore and my wife was disappointed we weren't riding together as much. My single bikes were so fun and felt part of me. This was feeling like a tank in comparison

I was pretty much resigned to the 26" wheel bike and was thinking of getting a Mocha frame as it is designed as a road bike. Most of the parts would swap out and it would be a cheap upgrade but still a compromise. And all the cool parts such as carbon forks and light weight wheels are only made in 700c size.

So I am scanning craigslist as I wont to do; checking out bikes in my size and what to my wondering eyes should appear--a 49cm by 40cm tandem.

There it was a custom made 2000 Comotion Speedster tandem with 700c wheels designed for a 5'3" captain. Pretty color and in great condition!!! And it was 50% of what a new one would of cost me. And it was in Northern California, in lake tahoe and that weekend we were scheduled to be about an hour away visiting family. I had to look at it and if it worked for us in terms of fit we would get it.

Well it fit and We bought it. Standing on it clinched the deal--I couldn't tell she had stood up!

We have ridden it twice now. I had to remove the shimano shifters and drivetrain and replace it with my campy stuff and the gearing was too tall (does anyone have a ramped and ping 40t 110mm chainring?) so I changed out the chainrings but it is a blast. I have never ridden a comotion as they were never in my size but this is heaven. It does feel like a single bike. The seat angles are steeper and we found that is what makes standing easier and even stoping the bike is easier. The bike both feels stiffer and rides smoother.

We decided at the last minute to go to the NWTR as now I want to ride tandems again. Maybe we will see some of you there.

http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/nn10/jimmm18/P1020943Crop-1.jpg

[lazlo]

We found a used Santana Sovereign on Craig's List for $600. I don't know the year, but I'm guessing late 80's or early 90's. All I've done so far is put new tires and saddles on it, but it does need a good tune up.

[mconlonx]

I had no intention of getting a tandem, but was in the market for a decent road bike. Advertised on craigslist, looking for a cheap 80s 12sp. A guy replied, and when I went to check the bike out, I noticed he had a tandem on a hook in his garage. I like strange stuff, so I asked him about it and he said that it just wasn't working for him, was I interested? No, not at the time, but he said $700 for it, and it got me thinking...

Just short of a year later I emailed, asking about the tandem again. It's an 80s Burley Duet in decent used condition--obviously had many miles on it, but well cared for and maintained, in perfect working order. We went back and forth on it, I was trying to work a trade, and then never heard from him after making a counter offer. Figured he wasn't interested and let the matter drop.

Two weeks later, his *widow* emailed telling me that he'd died doing the other thing he loved in life, running a half marathon. Dang, what a shocker. She was offering the bike at the same price, and by that time, I'd already parted out and ebayed the bike I wanted to trade. It meant delaying a commuter bike I'd planned on building, but after my wife expressed definite interest in the tandem, it was a done deal.

It was a bit strange--you could tell the woman was still very much struggling with happy memories of her husband while dealing with the sale of the tandem, but that was tempered knowing it would only remind her of better times with her departed partner.

So we now ride a 198? Burley Duet. Mid-level SunTour components, Arai drum operated off a stem mounted shifter setup(?!?), rack, computer, extra 40 spoke rear wheel. Fits us well enough, even though I'm the shorter one up front in the captain's saddle.

I don't think we'd have bought a new tandem, and most of the used ones I saw that I'd want to get were north of $1200, which was too expensive for our budget, even though I knew it might be worth it. Here was a decent, vintage, steel bike (me likey!) at a fair price, that just kind of fell into our laps. We've spent the spring getting up and running on it and are having a blast. Haven't felt the need to upgrade anything or consider a newer bike yet.

So for used tandems, check out craigslist in the areas you would be willing to travel for a bike purchase. Look for tandems, but also look for people selling more than one decent older bike--if you see the same location, contact info, or general text style associated with a half-dozen 70s/80s road bikes, query them to see if they have a tandem kicking around that they just haven't gotten around to tuning up and advertising. Also, people looking to sell check craigslist to find some price reference for what they might get for their stuff--if you advertise looking for a tandem, you might get responses from people who haven't even listed them yet.

[Thigh Master]

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3189/2614249048_2aafdb41e0.jpg
We went to Craig's List and got lucky right away.
Here is the captain with the new baby, first day home, December 2006.
Highly recommend one's first tandem is "previously owned."

[PMK]

I had been asking for over a year if the wife might consider riding a tandem MTB with me. She finally gave in and got a little excited about the idea when I found one local on ebay.

The bike was listed for more than I would pay, the owner wouldn't ship. Auction ended, we drove 1/2 an hour, test rode. The owner allowed me to adjust the fit to verify it would fit the wife.

So in the end, after some serious haggling, finally ending with me showing him I had $100's in hand and his wife saying take the money it went home with us.

A 1998 MT3000, still had the nubs on the tires. If it had 10 miles around the neighborhood, I'd be surprised.

Changes were mainly for comfort and fit, Saddles of preference to match or our bikes, good grips, riser bars, Thudbuster, better tires for where we ride, upgraded some Magura brake stuff (salmon brake pads, Johnny T master cylinders and levers, Curve) I've had sitting around since the late 90's.

We've had some great rides in the few months we owned it, and plan on more.

PK

[cyclesteve]

We bought from Craigslist a used 1997 Trek T100 converted to road last July for $400.00. Pictures on http://community.webshots.com/user/cyclesteve999


Steve