Tandem Cycling - Tandem on order

The wait begins. It's a Bilenky deluxe touring, with custom geometry. While we almost certainly could have found something close enough to our size, stock new or used by the time I added up all the changes that I would need to have a bike I would be happy riding (after >20 years on a Nishiki Continental), the price tag wasn't all that different for going custom. So contrary to lots of advice, our first tandem will be custom. Actually there are two schools of thought, and we're going with the "the most expensive bike is the one in the garage you don't ride" school. We have rented a mountain-style tandem for a multi-day trip some years ago (the mountain-style was supposed to be a road tandem, but the road tandem was stolen the week before we flew in), and test-rode an older Santana Elan. The rental is part of the reason we figure we can do this. My wife/stoker-in-waiting had a great time on the Santana :), whereas I found the handling leaden. Besides not being close enough to the configuration I'm looking for. It would have been much cheaper, even after hundreds of dollars in changes. But it would have been a case of "sell it in one to three years and hope not to lose too much", and then get the right one. I think we're getting the right one now. Componentry may change with time, but not too dramatically.

Estimated delivery: Christmas 08 if we're lucky. January '09 otherwise. :(

P.S. Thanks for all the help, knowingly and otherwise, regarding spec'ing this thing.

Congrats on pickin' a fine tandem builder!
You've had some experience with tandems and found out you did not like the mt. bike setup nor the handling on the Santana Elan.
A make-do fit is just that: make-do.
It's like buying shoes that either are too large or too small . . . you can cut off the toebox on the too small ones or wad some paper in the toes of the too large . . . yup, you'll be able to sorta walk in 'em (better than being barefoot?) but a proper fit is the best solution.
Enjoy the Bilenky in '09!
Pedal on TWOgether!
Rudy and Kay/zonatandem

Congrats on ordering the new Tandem....Christmas will be here before you know it.
Bill J.

Got the call.


We pick up the bike this coming Monday morning. Now to see how long until the weather is nice enough for my stoker. Shiny new bike may help with that...

Wow, more than six months of waiting! I'll bet the anticipation is intense. Hope you like the handling better than the Santana you tested. Enjoy.

This thread needs pics
Duppie

Yes, Please post some pics!

Hey, I said we don't pick it up until Monday.

Once we have some pics I can figure out how to attach them...

Well, At least I have something to look forward to on Monday besides the stock market.....

Hey, I said we don't pick it up until Monday.

I did read that. It's just that this (http://www.bilenky.com/lugged_tandem_pics.html) Bilenky, is without doubt the best looking tandem I've ever seen. So I'm just curious what else they have to offer.
Duppie

As promised, herewith some pictures. Not the work of art of the artisan model, but a nice piece of work nonetheless. If the head tube looks long, it's because it is. I'm 6 1/4 feet tall.

DaVinci cranks

Weld detail at capt bottom bracket.

View of the front section.

Another shot of that head tube.

So we picked it up. Quick recap is that we ordered it through Geneva Bike Shop (in ... Geneva, NY). Bilenky lists them as a dealer and they're an hour's drive away, rather than 10 hours. That was August, and yes it has been a long wait.

Thursday I got email that it was ready, and we should make an appointment to pick it up and get the S&S lesson. 9:00 we got there, and it was after noon by the time we were done checking the fit, disassembling, packing, unpacking, re-assembling. After lunch we still picked up some tools, accessories, and clothing. Not quite done with that yet.

Part of the dis-assembly lesson was about how to remove and reinstall the drum brake. Before the brake came off it was 35 pounds even. As a bike large enough for me, (six and a quarter feet, fourteen stone), and strong enough for moderately loaded touring, I'm happy with the weight.

During the lesson it was snowing lightly (on what had been dry pavement). Just as we were about ready to load it into the car, I noticed the snow had stopped, the sun had come out, and the road was dry again. So we went out for a 7.6 km/20 minute spin. Stoker had fun. That's the important part, yes? The bike felt stable, fits perfectly (of course), and now I get to learn how to operate this bus. Not my first time on a tandem, but it's been a while. Failed to negotiate one U turn. Starting/stopping worked all right.

Next time perhaps it'll be above -10C, and I won't have to pick the ice from my beard afterward. :)

Very nice.
I've seen seat tubes shorter than that head tube. (A small stretch of the truth.)

Before the brake came off it was 35 pounds even.

:twitchy:

Please elaborate, as that's a phenomenal outcome.

That's so cool that the wife had a great time. I guess that means your failure to "negotiate one U turn" did not end in disaster, but that you just had to stop. Try making a turn with a triplet. I honestly don't know how some people can maneuver a quad or quint +
I guess you'll have to get added to the "happy couples pictures" posting.

:twitchy:

Please elaborate, as that's a phenomenal outcome.

Well, it's hard to elaborate much. The short answer is when we went to pick it up I asked Chad (at Geneva Bikes) what the weight came out to, and he said "thirty-five pounds even", I asked if that was including the drag brake, and he said yes. Of course it only goes up from there. Add: 2 computers; 1 pump; five water bottle cages, and bottles; a rear rack; a seat (tool) bag, and its contents; two fenders; a rear light. And that's without planning to go anywhere much, since there's no water in the bottles and no panniers on the racks.

The frame was designed with the understanding that we're a 290 pound team, and that the budget allowed for some careful tube selection, but not the lugs in that award-winning tandem. It was "Deluxe +". Because we want to be able to put on low-riders, the front fork is steel, not CF.

The components are selected for weight and reasonable but not low price. In other words there are a few components where you could save a few hundred grams for substantially more money, but where it isn't astronomical, the components are lighter.

My wife has the final list of components, but what I can recall includes

Velocity Aeroheat 40H rims on Shimano hubs (the good ones); Continental Travel Contact tires. (26").
DaVinci cranks; Race Face rings. Don't recall the sizes; they're likely to be replaced with something bigger for local riding.

Bontrager Race bars
Campy Veloce brifters
Shimano Deore XT rear w/JTek shift-mate. Deore front.
I think it was an SRAM 9 speed cassette, 11-34.

Shimano cantilever brakes.
Shimano bottom brackets (as I recall).

Terry Titanium Fly saddle (captain); something similar in Selle Italia for the stoker (shop had had bad experience with stitching on women's model). I had not spec'ed titanium, instead had a $100/saddle budget, but they upgraded to Ti ($145) without an extra charge. Thompson Elite post (captain); Thudbuster (ST?) for the stoker.

Headset: ACROS AH-06.

There was a certain amount of "if you have it in the shop already, and it's of similar or better quality than spec'd, substitutions welcome". This meant I got a particularly good deal on a number of parts, and paid LBS retail on all the rest, but design, assembly, and fit costs came out of the markup.

That's so cool that the wife had a great time. I guess that means your failure to "negotiate one U turn" did not end in disaster, but that you just had to stop.

Yes, it was an unintended full stop as we almost made the turn. I could have done that U-turn in the Prius, but it doesn't have balance issues at low speed. It was her second time getting into clipless pedals (the first time being when we got on); as she unclipped when we didn't make the turn.

Try making a turn with a triplet. I honestly don't know how some people can maneuver a quad or quint +
I guess you'll have to get added to the "happy couples pictures" posting.
I would never try a triple without substantially more experience on a double. I never thought I'd prefer left turns before, but traffic permitting, they do give a larger turning radius.

Very nice.
I've seen seat tubes shorter than that head tube. (A small stretch of the truth.)
Made me measure. 31 cm head tube from top to bottom of headset. 49 cm stoker seat tube. It actually looks like they are closer to the same. I bet a Bike Friday will come with a seat tube shorter than 31 cm.

That is one nice-looking bike! I like that color.
The angle from which that first picture is taken made me believe for a second that those where 20" wheels, given the BF-sized headtube :)
Happy riding

Duppie

Before the brake came off it was 35 pounds even.


I'm thinking it would weigh in the mid 40s without the water bottles and seat bag. Our Cannondale weighs a bit over 40 and it's a fairly small tandem.

The frame is the heart of any bike/tandem. Components are less $$ than getting new frame.
Great looking twicer!
Enjoy the ride TWOgether!
Rudy and Kay/zonatandem

he said "thirty-five pounds even.

He was being charitable, that or he needs a new scale.

Seriously, the only way it would have weighed 35lbs would have been with the wheels off, noting your wheelset is nearly 10lbs, closer to 10.5lbs with the cassette installed and then about 11.7lbs with the drum brake. (the tires alone are 3lbs and the drum is about 1.2lbs).

So, once you factor in the lugged steel fork with the super-long steel steerer (probably about 3.5lbs - 4lbs), the Thudbuster seat post which is about an extra pound vs. something like a Thomson seat post you're well on your way to 40lbs. If you then factor in the couplers (which precludedthe use of the more exotic steel tubes) and the extra large size frame, you're probably looking at perhaps another 4 lbs vs. a medium, non-coupled steel frame.

Therefore, I'd manage your expectations around something closer to 45lbs before you add your racks and other accoutraments: perhaps 50lbs once everything is attached and the bike is ready to ride.

Now, to be fair, that's about what I'd expect for a robust, steel touring bike with all terrain tires and while it won't the the fastest bike off the line or climb like a Gazelle, it will probably be about as plush and stable as can be which is ideal for touring.

Enjoy it...

He was being charitable, that or he needs a new scale.


Enjoy it...

I'm thinking he got the first digit wrong. I'm going with 45 pounds minus the drum brake, plus all the other stuff. Speaking of which, it's all on now, so I should weigh it again.

While your headtube looks a bit on the tall, that's not bad. . .
Designed a tandem for a couple a dozen years ago: He 6'7", she 5'3". Always threatened to buy that stoker a periscope . . .

While your headtube looks a bit on the tall, that's not bad. . .
Designed a tandem for a couple a dozen years ago: He 6'7", she 5'3". Always threatened to buy that stoker a periscope . . .

I think I had an equal or longer head tube on my 27" before it was stolen. After that I got a 25" with the stem at max.

6'7" is a lot of wind resistance. As for the periscope, I've learned that my wife can see the road signs about when they disappear into my periphery... she can only see what's behind the line from my normal eye position to the brake hoods. I think it may have been my son (six and a half feet), who suggested she just hold the digital camera above my head and look at the display...