Tandem Cycling - Trying to get a road tandem....

I am trying to by a road tandem. After riding a rented Trek 1000 on a MS 150 ride with my wife, we are hooked. For the time being I picked up a Cdale MT800 that has been converted to more of a road bike. It’s a great bike, but it has 26 in wheels and geared a little low for us. It is perfect for parks and nature trails, but we really want more of a true road bike.
I rarely have any luck on Craig’s list or eBay. I have found a couple of used ones that the deals fell through on. I even flew ½ was across the country to look at a Burley only to find that the photo and the actual bike were not the same. I was headed that way on business, but still killed ½ a day. I have about decided just to buy a new one and be done with it.

I would like to stay in the $1500 to $2000 range on a used bike or no more than $3000 if I have to go new. So far I like the Burley Sosa and the Cannondale Road tandem. I would like to have stay with XT and 105 components or better. Am I overlooking another brand?

Locally my only option for a new tandem is a Co Motion. There is only 1 local tandem dealer I have found and that is all the carry. The Cdale and Burley have great reviews from what I have read on the board. Both these bike seem to be the best bang for the buck. I can drive 3hrs north to a bike store in the Dallas area that has Cdales in stock.

Does Burley still make bikes? I see Tandems East has some, but I can’t find a web site for them. If they no longer make them, maybe I don’t want one???

For a Tandem on line it looks like tandems East and tandem Cycle works are about the only choice I see. I will keep watching all the web and checking the classified here, but the wife is really wanting to get back on the road, so if I don’t find something soon, I will have to go new.

Everyone on this form has been very helpful in answering my questions over the last few weeks and I am grateful. I hope I can get my photo up on the Happy Tandem Couple tread very soon!!

Any suggestions

Tandems East = tandemseast.com. Tandems, Limited = tandemsltd.com. Precision Tandem = PrecisionTandems.com. Gear-To-Go Tandems = gtgtandems.com. Tandem Matchmakers = bike123.com.
Mel at Tandems East (tandemseast.com) is one of the few that has any Burley left-overs. Burley has quit the tandem biz but here are rumors . . .
Check out daVinci; they have a new tandem coming out called the Grand Junction (under $3 grand). The prototype was reviewed in Tandem and Recumbent Rider Magazine's Spring '08 issue.
R&TR Magazine has at least a dozen used tandems listed. DoubleTalk (Tandem Club of America Newsletter) has 11 used tandems listed.
Brands vary from Calfee to Trek, Co-Motion, Cdale, 'tana, Bilenky, Burley, Kuwahara, Ibis.
Good luck in your quest!
Pedal on TWOgether!
Rudy and Kay/zonatandem

Thanks Zonatandem!

I have tried the RTR thing and most of the responses I get said the bikes were sold, and they were having trouble getting the add removed.

I will try the others you listed. I have ran across a couple of 10+ yr old Santanas that seem to be in that price range. Most of them have 8 speed cassettes and bar end shifters, which could be changed easy enough. I am just not sure I want a 10+ yr old bike.

Something wrong with a 10 year old bike? The wife and I are still riding our 23 year old tandem. Just like a used car, take the used tandem to a trusted mechanic and ask 1: Is the frame still sound?, and 2: what would it cost to get it into top working order? If the repair/upgrade costs plus the price of the tandem are getting near the cost of a new tandem . . .

Depending on your wallet . . . a 10 year old bike can be real good!
We've been tandeming for 33+ years and are on our 5th tandem; first one was off-the shelf and got rid of it after 2 years. The next 4 were custom builds.
Our first custom we rode for 64,000 miles (3 zeros is correct), our second 56,000, our third custom 57,000miles and the present one is 'almost broken in (18,000+ miles)'. As they say: It's not as much the age as the mileage!
All these tandems were sold and many of them are still being ridden now.
Quality lasts!
Pedal on TWOgether!
Rudy and Kay/zonatandem

You haven't mentioned bike size. My neighbor is selling a 2003 Trek T2000, size medium, ~1200 miles, near new condition, in Utah, ~$2200. Has a new 2007 bontrager tandem aero wheelset and new chains. Hard to find more bang for the buck.

There is probably nothing wrong with a 10yr old well kept tandem. But the technologies have changed a lot in the last 10 years. Most of the bikes that age I have looked at have 8 speed drive trains, bar end or tube shifters. By the time I pay 1200.00 to 1500.00 add STI shifters, 9 or 10 speed drive train and make the other changes that I see in newer bikes I will have $2000.00 or more invested. For about 500 more I can pick up a new Cdale or Burley. Yea I don’t have the big name, but I still have a decent frame with the same level of components.

Its a preference thing that all.

You haven't mentioned bike size. My neighbor is selling a 2003 Trek T2000, size medium, ~1200 miles, near new condition, in Utah, ~$2200. Has a new 2007 bontrager tandem aero wheelset and new chains. Hard to find more bang for the buck.

I am looking for a MED size bike. I would love to see a photo that that bike as long as he interested shipping it. I am in Texas so i cant pick it up. I will be traveing on business this week so my email responce may be slow

Thanks

mjohn, you didn't say where you are located. If you are in the Houston area try House of Tandems at www.houseoftandems.com. The owners used to have run ACME bike shop here in Katy and got into tandems. Ric and I overhauled my old Santana keeping it running smoothly.

Bruce

Thanks!!

I will give them a ring I a in the Austin area so it not too far

You might also try:

http://www.tandemmag.com/classified/

We got our bike from these classifieds. Don't know how much traffic this website gets.

I have a trek tandem ,medium size frame w/300 miles like new.It's a 2006 model t-1000
Any interest?

I have a trek tandem ,medium size frame w/300 miles like new.It's a 2006 model t-1000
Any interest?

Thanks Larry,

I just purchased a new Santana Sovereign SE.

mjohn,

Congradulations! Where did you purchase from? My wife and I just ordered a Santana Arriva SE with the couplers from House of Tandems.

Bruce

Thanks

We were up in the Dallas area over the Memorial day weekend and stopped in at Richardson Bike Mart. They had a great selection of Tandems and just happed to have a 07 left over from last year in our size. We really do like it.

The photo is not the best, all I had was my phone camera. The bike still has the flats and no cages or computer, we had just got back from the shop.