Tandem Cycling - Same song, different verse: newbie seeking tandem

Our 10yo daughter and I have enjoyed our trailer bike but she's big enough now that we'd like a tandem as our commuter. Most of our trips are within a three mile radius except for one weekly 18 mile round trip, mostly flat with a couple of rolling hills. We've no plans for club rides, centuries or riding off-road. We're a small (I'm 5'7") and light team.

I've been searching for used tandems but I have reservations since I know so little and we've never even ridden one. New bikes that appeal are the Trek 900T and BF's Family Tandem; I think they would easily fit both of us and the price (especially on the Trek) won't break the bank, however I'm certainly open to suggestions. No tandem shops nearby (we live on the Central Coast of CA) so any recommendations on that would be great too -- a longer drive and higher price for a new bike might be offset by a shop's expertise in fitting and selection. I need to keep it under $1500 but less is even better.

Bike Friday Family Tandem would be a good choice as the bike can sorta grow with the stoker.

I would recommend a shop in Pleasanton. "Crank 2" shop specializes in tandems.
Check out their web page at: http://www.crank-2.com/store/

No tandem shops nearby (we live on the Central Coast of CA) so any recommendations on that would be great too -- a longer drive and higher price for a new bike might be offset by a shop's expertise in fitting and selection.

Not sure where you are on the Central Coast, but the Bicycle Outfitter is a Trek (and Co-Mo) dealer. http://www.bicycleoutfitter.com/bikes/tandem.php

Hello,

I have been operating in a similar regime for about 7-8 months. My 8 year old daughter (85lbs) and I (44, 5'7" 185 - sounds like a singles ad!) ride an old 92 Santana Noventa small frame size. With no water it weighs in at 40lbs fully dressed (pedals, handlebar bag, bottle cages). We ride almost every saturday with the LBS group from RedHawk bicycles in Temecula. The group is very considerate of our power to weight ratio, and although we have improved over the season we are always at the back going uphill. However, we regularly head out for 30-50miles. When we started at the begining of the year I hadn't sat on a bike of any kind in 20 years and we got the tandem to get some quality father-daughter time in before she turns into a teenager and hates her parents. I now ride a single with the group during the week and I am still at the back up the hills, so I am no super hero in lycra. We will be at the Cool Breeze later next month for our first (last?) century.

So I humbly suggest:
1. buy used and buy a good tandem - meaning light. You cant buy light and cheap and new, and lightweight is preferable to a nice paint job. Your motive power is very compromised by having a half pint stoker and there is already a great mass of empirical data on the joys of tandems and hills. Sooner or later you are going to hit one regardless of how hard you try to avoid it.

2. watch out for big cranks and little legs. Normal adult cranks will have the kids knees in their chin at the top of the stroke and their legs fully extended at the bottom. Crank shorteners are important if you are not to damage these soft joints on a growing body.

3. If you are tempted to trundle out for a longer ride, feed and water your child regularly and frequently and make sure that they actually do eat/drink. Their body mass is low (despite thoughts to the contrary when you are floggin up some hill), and they tend to go `up' and `down' quickly. Getting them to fuel and water is key to keeping them happy and pushing. This has been our biggest problem.

4. buy a good pair of kids shorts if you want to go any distance together. Note that on most tandems the seat will be all the way down and there isnt room to put a suspension post in the back...

5. make sure you have a low granny gear...

To be more specific on the tandem itself, and being aware of my limited knowledge of the subject I would suggest an aluminium frame or good cromolly. Cannondale seem a good deal, but be aware of getting a good fit. Tandem frames are built in fewer sizes than singles so there is a little messing about to do with stems and the like. For someone our size the small frames are on the edge of being a good fit, for example the smallest Trek frame seemed a bit big for me. Geometries can be found on the manufacturers website or Gtgtandems seem to have an lot of sizing information you can look up online. Avoid heavier older steel tandems, or cheap new tandems. I paid 1k for the Noventa and it had some good parts on it. I then added the STI 9 speed shifiters etc from ebay and cragslist as you spend an inordinate amount of time going up and down the gears. Upon reflection a newer M/S cannondale might have been a wiser buy for similar money (1200-1500). if you want to spend 2k then a used Comotion periscope is great. We have one and my 5 year old can ride on the back - though her stamina is limited to about 15 miles and then only if there is a coffee/cake/ice-cream shop half way.

A last point on cheap or poor tandems:
Tandems go really fast downhill (I mean really fast), we have no problem hitting 45mph. You don't want a frame that is a bit whippy or bendy. Also you dont need disc brakes with a light team (and they are heavier than rim brakes). I think its worth spending the money on Ultra Gatorskins or some mr Tuffy liners; anything to make flats less likely - this is a worry when you are going fast with yor kid on the back.

It's really great fun and I would also thoroughly recommend that you find a local group that you can get along with - it makes the whole thing more enjoyable.

mike

something else I forgot:

clipless pedals - get some for the back and approporate shoes/cleats. Otherwise when their feet slip off the pedals you will smartly whack them in the back of the calf as you continue to unknowlingly pedal...
also helps to keep them on the bike.

At the front use spd or some similar recessed mountain bike version - it gives you a little more grip when you are standing and trying to hold the bike up with an uncontrolled mass wiggling on the back.
mike

zonatandem: I was thinking along the same lines re: the Family Tandem. I don't think DD is going to be tall but she'll get taller than she is now and the FT seems to fit a wide variety of people which would make it fun to ride with friends as well. I think I read that it has a shorter wheelbase than some other tandems which might make it more maneuverable around town.

billsinger and 72andsunny: Thanks for the shop recommendations as I hadn't yet discovered these two during my internet ramblings. I guess the Central Coast could be considered to stretch from Monterey to Santa Barbara; we're in SLO Co. Will check out those shops when we head north to visit friends. Will also go to Rincon Cycles in Carpinteria, a bit closer and a good excuse to stop by McConnell's Ice Cream in SB. Not that we need an excuse...

Al Bundy: You (and probably everyone else on this forum!) are a much more dedicated cyclist than I am! We're seeking a tandem as a sort of family sedan to get around town so we don't have plans for organized rides but if we did, I think the Cool Breeze would be my pick. Or perhaps Lighthouse, since it's in the neighborhood. Would have to be a coastal ride at any rate since we're wimps when it comes to the heat! Thanks for all the info.

A used Co-Motion Periscope may be another good choice besides the Bike Friday FT; they may be a bit more scarce but may be available in your price range.
Also Bike Friday sometimes has refurbished or demo tandem for sale; they are located in Eugene, OR, as is Co-Motion,

I really like the low standover height of the Periscope but thought that even a used one would be out of my price range. Forgot that Co-Motion was in Eugene -- will definitely stop there if we drive up to Seattle this summer. Must be a great town to shop for used bikes, probably some old Burleys about as well.

Thanks again!