Tandem Cycling - Pulled the trigger on a Titanium...

Just ordered our new team titanium Santana. As some of you know I am currently nursing a fractured wrist. Sold our co-motion supremo to good friends of ours. Now just have to wait.

Get my cast removed on June 3rd. Knee surgery on June 4th, acl reconstruct (needed that for some time).

Riding the trainer now. Should be back on the bike in July. Winter training mode now.

Hopefully get the bike in August in time to train for the Diablo Challenge, October 5th.

http://www.savemountdiablo.org/Bike%20Challenge/MountDiabloChallengeHome.htm

I feel like the 6 million dollar man. Will be: Stronger, faster, maybe even smarter :eek:

Where'd you get the bike from, smooooth?

From corporate head quarters- Santana.

Didn't know you were being 'upgraded' with new parts and mending! :D

Post pics when your new toy comes in...

OMG......Holy Moley....new bike and new engine parts. :cheers: The new bike will be perfect for the Diablo Challenge not that you and Sassy need it. You may want to add the Low Key Hill climb series that commences in the fall to your racing dance card. We will be doing the Mount Hamilton Hill climb race which is part of that series on our Santana this year.

The government will be very happy to hear about this. You are doing your part to keep this economy moving.

I'm not the least bit envious. No sir, not me. :(

I get to paint my house this summer so I am also helping the economy. Just not on some frivolous toy. Hah!

Can't wait to see the new bike.http://i173.photobucket.com/albums/w76/cgallagh/Popcorn.gif

Yep, decided to rebuild some of the engine parts while I was in the shop :thumb:

Can't wait to get back on the bike. Riding the trainer tomorrow.

Hermes: Will probably sign up for the low key series.

Go out and have a great time on your bikes, I am jealous :cry:

Hope to see you all soon.

Just ordered our new team titanium Santana. Sold our co-motion supremo to good friends of ours.

Congrats on the new acquisition, sale of your existing sled, and the body make-over.

Just curious as to your decision drivers / goals in making the change given it appears to be more of a lateral shift, i.e., a change in frame material and tandem building philosophy.

Congrats on the new acquisition, sale of your existing sled, and the body make-over.

Just curious as to your decision drivers / goals in making the change given it appears to be more of a lateral shift, i.e., a change in frame material and tandem building philosophy.

The goals:
- tandem that fits us. We had a craigslist purchased 2004 supremo medium/small. I put a 130 stem on it. It was still small for me.
- The cranks were 172.5/170. I ride a 175
- Disc on rear. Had dura-ace caliper front and rear.
- Racing, touring, centuries-light when it needs to be, but VERY durable
- Lighter bike. Supremo was about 33.5 lbs. with pedals-race prepped. Titanium should be about 2 pounds lighter-even with the gigantic disc in the rear. (realize rotating mass is a disadvantage-but the reliable braking will be worth it)

Setup:
- Santana carbon cranks (fsa is out of stock for a while)
- Dura Ace shifters, derailleurs
- Tamer carbon fiber seat posts, suspension for stoker
- Reynolds ouzo pro carbon fork with dura ace 10 caliper
- Winzip 10 inch rear disc

Considerations:

They do have our frame size with couplers (our frame delivery estimated for late september/august). Adds about 1.5 lbs of weight + $1,500 ish. Maybe it would be a good idea to have more travel options for the future.

This will be our tandem for many years :love:

I should be back on the bike in July.

Options considering:
- Get the sweet 16 wheels for racing. build another set for touring, training, centuries

Still working out the final details :twitchy:

Any and all feedback much appreciated.

Good to hear about your plans. They sound ambitious. :thumb: Don't forget to get the best wheels, of course. ;)

Adds about 1.5 lbs of weight + $1,500 ish.

That's a deal on the coupler cost; their catalog pricing has reflected $2,800 for adding couplers to the Titanium frames since last fall.

The weight goal sounds a bit ambitious given the components you have in mind. I would think if you came in at about the same weight as your Co-Motion you'd be doing pretty well given the large-size frame, couplers, Ouzo Pro fork, Sweet 16's, shock post, and rear disc. It's really amazing how those grams quickly add-up.

Regardless, it will be a comfortable ride and the couplers will make the frame a bit more robust feeling than a non-coupled version... Nothing you'd notice unless you rode an uncoupled and coupled version back to back with the same fork, wheels and tires.

Again, congrats and best wishes for an on-time delivery that coincides with your recovery.

Well now it is a "Beyond" :eek: $$

http://santanatandems.com/Bikes/Beyond07.html

The titanium was going to take 14-16 weeks - the Beyond was available right away b/c an order was cancelled. We should get the bike in about 2-3 weeks all built.

I can look and touch it while I recover from knee surgery.

Pretty excited :thumb:

Well now it is a "Beyond" :eek: $$

A Beyond... or a 'Beyond My Wildest Imagination' with the couplers?;)

I bet you'll be happier with the Beyond. Depending team size, riding style, riding preferences, and power output, I'm not sure the Ti is stiff enough.

They had a Beyond in stock last time I was at Crank-2.

Have ridden steel, alu, ti, and ti/carbon combo Beyond; our butts and $$ are on full c/f.
Different materials for different folk . . .
Perhaps you're getting some ti body parts to match the bike?
Enjoy the new bike TWOgether!
Rudy and Kay/zonatandem

This just keeps getting better. :popcorn

Now I definitely need more engine work.:p

BTW, if you have a concern about testing the bike while you are recovering, my wife and I are available to ride it up Mount Diablo and Mount Hamilton and to the coast and report back our findings.:thumb:

All of my fellow Bay Area tandem riders seem to be riding some nice gear. That Beyond probably weighs 10 lbs less than my '90 Santana Arriva (with upgrades).

Every manufacturer is different and every frame material is different but I am extremely happy with my Ti Seven. I just rode it last night after spending 6 days riding my old Cannondale and fell it love with it again. Seven built my custom bike in five weeks!

Enjoy you new bike whatever it is!

The Beyond should be amazing.
I wish you a speedy recovery from the knee surgery. Hopefully, you'll have a great physical therapist.
Now to digress...
A friend of mine had a total knee replacement last summer and was appalled by his "therapy". They just plopped him on an exercise bike with no regard for fit. He gave up on them, bought a recumbent trike and some crankarm shorteners. He started with a virtual 145 mm crank and eventually worked back to 172.5. He firmly believes that he got greater benefit from the trike and massage therapy than he received from the physical therapist. In an odd parallel he rewarded himself with a titanium and carbon fiber recumbent.

Every manufacturer is different and every frame material is different but I am extremely happy with my Ti Seven.

That's all that really counts. After all, the point of diminishing returns on tandems is probably somewhere around $3,500... and it's a pretty steep slope thereafter.

I think we may have set a personal best for downhill speed with our most recent acquisition but did so with our eyes wide open. No, our new tandem is not 3x - 4x 'better' than our '95/'96 Santana Arriva, but we're still quite pleased with it and have no regrets. The same has been true of all of our tandem and bicycle acquisitions. I / we buy them because we want to and have the means.

However, as much as I enjoy tinkering with the hardware, what really makes tandeming special is priceless: the time spent sharing the ride.

Ride what you like, and like what you ride... but above all else, enjoy the ride.

However, as much as I enjoy tinkering with the hardware, what really makes tandeming special is priceless: the time spent sharing the ride.

Ride what you like, and like what you ride... but above all else, enjoy the ride.

Well put :) Some of my best cycling experiences have been tandeming with Sassy :love:

Every manufacturer is different and every frame material is different but I am extremely happy with my Ti Seven. I just rode it last night after spending 6 days riding my old Cannondale and fell it love with it again. Seven built my custom bike in five weeks!

Enjoy you new bike whatever it is!

Is your Seven a tandem?

Is your Seven a tandem?

Yes, we bought it last August before we did Santana's Tuscany tour. I feel Seven did a great build of the frame. Here's a picture.

A Beyond... or a 'Beyond My Wildest Imagination' with the couplers?;)

Just a straight up beyond, no couplers

Yes, we bought it last August before we did Santana's Tuscany tour. I feel Seven did a great build of the frame. Here's a picture.
Very nice rig indeed!

I like the coupler's location. I bet you not have to remove the fork to fit it inside the cases.