Tandem Cycling - My 7th tandem.

I started out with a custom Cuevas (lugged no less) back in the early 70's. Not bad but the brakes didn't really work all that well and there was the time I watched the front tubular roll around on the rim on a nice steep downhill.

Then a marathon frame Santana back when they only had one model. Not bad at all really but much heavier then the Cuevas ( and a whole lot more comfortable at speed).

Then one of the first Direct Lateral Santanas. The parts were much nicer than the earlier Santana although I don't recall the ride being much different. Did a bunch of Double Centuries on it.

One of the first Trek tandems (nothing like working in the bike business). It was fine really. Did a fun Double Century on it and my whole body was numb at the end.

An Aluminum Soverign. The stoker hated it although we did a nice 500 mile honeymoon ride and a few Doubles on the thing.

One of the first Team Ti Santanas. Much more comfortable, got rid of the suspension seatpost. Rode that one for the last 9 years or so.

We just recently picked up a S&S coupled Beyond. Wow the parts have changed and the bike is noticably lighter than the Team Ti.

We were thinking about just having couplers installed in the TeamTi-air travel was getting harder and harder with a big ol' travel case. Still, there is something about an all new bike and since I left the bike business quite a while ago we can actually afford the Beyond.

We are still having fun, the riding is better than ever but I am starting to think we are keeping Bill in business.

We need pics.

We need pics.

How the heck do I post them here?

up load them to hosting site such as www.photobucket.com

Then in photobucket copy the link, and then paste it into your post here.

We're never going to match zonatandem, but I realized on seeing your post that I and my significant others have also owned seven multi-seat bikes over the years. None have been Santanas, but all have been fun.

We bought 3 tandems in just under 3 years;

-A used early 90's Burley Duet to try and see if we liked tandem riding
-A second hand, hardly used Trek T-2000 when we figured we liked tandem riding at least enough to get a more modern bike
-A brand new coupled, custom Bushnell when we realized we were totally hooked on tandem riding

We'll stick with the one have now for a while.

While being single for 45 years I owned 3 tandems:

Jack Taylor
Santana
An Australian tandem whose name I can't remember now.

Sold them all.


Met my future wife 3yrs ago, got married 2 yrs ago this coming Sunday the 15th and have owned 3 more tandems in the last 2.5years:

Another Santana
Tsunami
And a brand new custom Taylor that arrived a couple weeks ago.

Sold the Santana about 6 months ago and will be selling the Tsunami in the next week or so and for the first time I'll only own 1 twofer.

That's what happens when you're a bike geek and when ya seeum and likeum ya buyem, even if you're single and looking!

If you're interested in a cool, full Campy equiped tandem for amazingly low price let me know!!

KRhea

we're on our 3rd in 14 years. Burley Duet, then a Bike Friday for travel and riding with our daughter, and now a Co-Motion Robusta.

Have ridden 30-some odd brands/models of tandems (that's what happens when you write about 'em, you get to ride 'em); some for a few miles others for 1,000+ miles.
We've personally owned 5 tandems in the past 33+ years of riding as a duo.
1. Follis 1975: Real steel 10-speed typical French tandem, 'bout 46+ lbs. Had an Atom drum brake that 'ate' spokes. Learned a lot from that bike; motivated us to design our own tandems.
2. Assenmacher Custom 1977: Un-typical tandem 60 1/4" wheelbase, bent rear seattube, all Reynolds 531 racing tubing and then novel oval boob tube; silver brazed lugged frame, 36H wheels. Novel adjustable stoker stem. Weight (including pedals) 34 1/2 lbs. Quick, super-light for its day. Put 64,000 miles on it.
3. Colin Laing Custom 1984: a rolling work of art with handmade/chromed ornate lugs/fork/rear triangle ; 531 racing tubing + tandem guage downtube and oval boob tube, 36H wheels. A then novel fastback rear triangle + some unique braze-ons. Stretched the wheelbase out to 63 1/2".
4. Co-Motion Custom 1993: Tange Prestige tubing fillet brazed with custom air-brushed desert scene on the oval boob rube and chrome rear triangle and half-fork. 36H wheels and some ti parts. 63 1/2" wheelbase.
5. Zona Custom 2003: full carbon fiber tandem with some novel features. Full c/f adjustable stoker stem (prototype), ti rear dropouts, full carbon lugs with window cutouts, custom c/f rear rack and some unique glue-ons (braze-ons). WHeels 32H front, 36H rear. 63 1/2 wheelbase. Currently have 19,000 miles on it and still lovin' it!
At ages 75/73, promised stoker Kay that this was our 'last tandem'. Her reply: "You said that last time!'
Well, maybe a 3-wheeled c/f trike . . . ?
Pedal on TWOgether!
Rudy and Kay/zonatandem

No wonder you Americans have to work, work, work. Someone has to pay the bill. ;-)

OK, I have to admit : we (the stoker-wife and I have each a 2004 Cannondale R1000, our 2006 Cannondale mountain tandem, our basic (bad weather&shopping) hybrid Bianchis and a 1994 Cannondale M700 for me. But no more buying new, only replacement parts and all maintenance done by the captain. Nothing better than a well kept, 100% functioning bicycle. Add sunshine and some spare time (Euros work less) = paradise. Just my opinion for what it is worth.

2004: New Diamondback Wildwood--introduced us to tandems and then sat in the garage.
2007: '94 Burley Duet--purchased shortly after we got serious about riding again and realized that the Wildwood was not a good bike for us.
2008: New Co-Motion Speedster Co-Pilot our (ahem...) last tandem. Purchased this once we understood the fit/performance issues with the Burley and decided that we really (REALLY) liked riding together and really (REALLY) didn't want either a boat or vacation property.

...and now we're considering buying back the Wildwood as an evening out/park/concert/introduce friends to riding tandems bike. Hmmm... Would that make it our fourth tandem? Or would we still be at three....???

Cheers!

I'm only on number two (3 if you count a tandem I bought for $80 that had been welded together from a couple of 10 speed Schwins--we rode it once, then I sold it for $115 a week later).

Anyone still own a Santana older than my first:
I thought it was an Elan from the early 80s; per Bill: it was a Solara from the early 80s.
I'm calling the Noventa a 2004...I think the frame may have been older, and assembled with new parts in 2004.

Believe the model name on the older 'tana was 'Solana' instead of Solara.

Believe the model name on the older 'tana was 'Solana' instead of Solara.

You are correct; we'll call that a typo, though I may have been thinking Solara at the time...