Tandem Cycling - Anyone here riding a 26 inch wheel tandem

Here's my problem. I'm short. I need a short tandem frame with a standover of less than 30 inches.
I ordered a Tsunami off road frame with a stanover of 28inches.
Any reason I can't just build this up with slicks and use standard road components on everything else?
Thanks

No reason I can think of. I would suggest you gear a little higher--12T to start, and 11T as soon as you know you need it. If you are going to ride with groups on the road, you will need an 11T small cog with 26" wheels. Water bottle boss location could interfere with the placement of a front derailleur in the proper location for a 53T large ring on a typical 53-39-28 road triple.

My wife & I have a 26" wheel road tandem. We are somewhat new to the tandem scene & not as experienced as most who lurk here. We are running out of gears at about 40mph! That's plenty fast for us! I am 5'10" & my wife is 5'3" ,the low top tube makes for easy starts and stops.

You guys have any pics of you 26inch tandems?
I'm just wondering how different they look compared to 700c's.

Any reason I can't just build this up with slicks and use standard road components on everything else?

None. And, in all honesty, it's probably a better wheel size but cycling trends & marketing here in the states in particular have simply driven consumers towards the 700c wheel size.

Thus, often times folks come away with the impression that 26" wheeled road tandems just look out of place when surrounded by their taller-wheeled cousins and that makes for a tough sell given the power of conformity.

A worthwhile read on 700c vs 26" wheeled tandems: http://www.precisiontandems.com/artbillwheelsize.htm

Disclaimer: Our road tandems are, alas, 700c: guilty of following the herd / road racer bike mentality. However, we also have always had a 26" off-road tandem in the stable.

Yes, we have a 26" wheel tandem. It was sold as a mountain tandem, but we've got huge smooth-tread tires on it for "hybrid" duty.

My build-up thread is here: http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=445039

Sadly, we haven't ridden it enough to really get a feel for it yet. 26" wheels do have the advantage of being stronger, due to the shorter spokes, so that's a good thing.

You guys have any pics of you 26inch tandems?
I'm just wondering how different they look compared to 700c's.

Here are some apples to apples pictures from two different builders:

26" Co-Motion Mocha & 700c Co-Motion Speedster




26" daVinci Grand Junction & 700c daVinci Joint Venture




Note: I would have included Santana's 700c Sovereign / 26" Encore; however, they use very different frame designs and have the Encores (as well as the steel Fusion) set up with off-road tires such that the 26" bikes look like off-road machines... not 26" road tandems.

We have a Co-Motion Moca with 26 inch wheels. Pictures of ours can be seen at http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/?o=3Tzut&doc_id=1875&v=Cv

You can see ours from my signature link.

Also, years ago Burley offered an optional road gruppo/drop bars on their 26" wheeled tandems.

None. And, in all honesty, it's probably a better wheel size but cycling trends & marketing here in the states in particular have simply driven consumers towards the 700c wheel size.

Thus, often times folks come away with the impression that 26" wheeled road tandems just look out of place when surrounded by their taller-wheeled cousins and that makes for a tough sell given the power of conformity.

A worthwhile read on 700c vs 26" wheeled tandems: http://www.precisiontandems.com/artbillwheelsize.htm

Disclaimer: Our road tandems are, alas, 700c: guilty of following the herd / road racer bike mentality. However, we also have always had a 26" off-road tandem in the stable.

Does anyone make 26” road wheels, or 26” x 23 mm tires? This would make a 26” wheeled tandem much more attractive for road cycling.

Does anyone make 26” road wheels, or 26” x 23 mm tires? This would make a 26” wheeled tandem much more attractive for road cycling.

Narrow Rims are easy...


Velocity's 26" Fusion (http://www.velocityusa.com/default.asp?contentID=640)rim uses the same 19mm width extrusion as their 700c rim which is ideal for 23mm - 28mm tires, and the AeroHead (http://www.velocityusa.com/default.asp?contentID=639) with it's 22mm wide extrusion is also a good choice.
daVinci makes its own 26" V-22 rim (http://www.davincitandems.com/comp.html#rim)that has a 22mm width that works fine with 25mm - 32mm tires, but is probably marginal for 23mm.


Narrow Tires are the problem... 26 x 1.1 (28-559) is standard fare, although Continental makes the Grand Prix in a 25mm width (25-559), both folding and wire bead. I also want to say that Tufo makes a 23mm (23-559) Tubular.

Unless you're a very light team, 23 mm tires aren't likely all that great an idea anyhow. Rolling resistance depends on the amount the tire is deflected when in contact with the road. Narrow contact area means longer contact area means more deflection. The main advantage of narrow rims and tires is aerodynamics. Tandems are already advantaged wrt aerodynamics, but disadvantaged wrt rolling resistance. Hence wider tires (to a point) are faster. It's not that you want super wide tires, just that the optimum tradeoff between rolling resistance and wind resistance happens at a wider point for tandems.

And 26 inch wheels are widely recommended for touring, especially if you want to take it internationally.

You guys are a wealth of info.

Another question. Where can I find a good quality 26 inch rear wheel, disc compatible with 145mm spacing?

You guys are a wealth of info.

Another question. Where can I find a good quality 26 inch rear wheel, disc compatible with 145mm spacing?

I would almost ask where can't you. Quick search yielded DaVinci Designs, Peter White, Precision Tandems, Tandems East, Freewheel Bike, the list goes on.

Its looking much cheaper to go with a non disc rear hub.:(

Good place to start Precision Tandems (http://www.precisiontandems.com/catframepart.htm)

Unless you're a very light team, 23 mm tires aren't likely all that great an idea anyhow. Rolling resistance depends on the amount the tire is deflected when in contact with the road. Narrow contact area means longer contact area means more deflection.

Deflection is also dependent on pressure. Some 23 tires can handle 145 lbs/in2. We use 135 with 25 tires.

When I went to order our tandem I had been expecting to get 700c wheels, but was talked into 26". The folks at R+E seem to like 26"-wheeled tandems for most people, especially for coupled tandems since they're smaller and easier to pack. Mine has 36h Velocity Aeroheat rims, Phil Wood hubs, a SRAM 11-32 cassette and an Arai drum brake. R+E's favorite 26" tandem tire is the 26x1.25 Serfas Barista; it's a 310 gram, 100 psi "pavement" tire. They're a fast tire that I like pretty well except that I'm only getting about 900 miles or so out of a rear tire (the fronts last 3x as long), but they're fairly cheap at $25 per tire so it's not that big of a deal to replace them. If I were touring, I think that I would install heavier tires. I don't know what a comparable 700c wheelset would weigh, but this these wheels are pretty heavy - the rear wheel with everything on it weighs 7 pounds!


Narrow Tires are the problem... 26 x 1.1 (28-559) is standard fare, although Continental makes the Grand Prix in a 25mm width (25-559), both folding and wire bead. I also want to say that Tufo makes a 23mm (23-559) Tubular.

The Primo Racer is 26 x 1 (20-559) and rated at 110 psi, but I don't think it's tandem-rated.

Thanks for the advice, I ordered a pair of the Serfas Barista tires.

Deflection is also dependent on pressure. Some 23 tires can handle 145 lbs/in2. We use 135 with 25 tires.
Pressure and weight. If you and your bike (and any gear) weigh (say) 200 pounds on a single, and your team, tandem and gear are 340 pounds, you're looking at 70% extra weight. It isn't distributed the same, but you could still be increasing the downward force by 50%. So if you like 120 psi on a single, you need 180 on otherwise identical tires to have the same contact patch. Or you can compensate with a combination of somewhat higher pressure and somewhat wider tires.

This is my Burley with a XS frame & 26" wheels. I use a 130 extra high stem for proper fit.

SWC7916 wrote "R+E's favorite 26" tandem tire is the 26x1.25 Serfas Barista; it's a 310 gram, 100 psi "pavement" tire"

I looked on the Serfas website and it said that the tire is max of 65 psi. Is the website incorrect? I ask because I am looking for faster tires for our Mocha. The Schwalbe Marathon Racers are great touring tires but are heavier and the tread probably offers some resistance. I have also looked at the Schwalbe Kojak, has anyone tried them on a tandem?

Thanks!

SWC7916 wrote "R+E's favorite 26" tandem tire is the 26x1.25 Serfas Barista; it's a 310 gram, 100 psi "pavement" tire"

I looked on the Serfas website and it said that the tire is max of 65 psi. Is the website incorrect? I ask because I am looking for faster tires for our Mocha. The Schwalbe Marathon Racers are great touring tires but are heavier and the tread probably offers some resistance. I have also looked at the Schwalbe Kojak, has anyone tried them on a tandem?

Thanks!

Serfas' website is in error.

I run a pair if Schwalbe Stelvio 26 Inch High Pressure Tires 26x1.1 Folding Bead (28-559, 115 Max. PSI, 250 grams) no flats to date on them tuff tire about 2k mi now these have no tread strictly road tire.

I run a pair if Schwalbe Stelvio 26 Inch High Pressure Tires 26x1.1 Folding Bead (28-559, 115 Max. PSI, 250 grams)

+ 1 on the Schalbe Stelvios. We have run these for the past 4 years on our DaVinci and have had great results. I have tried other 26 inch tires and keep coming back to the Schalbes.

I'll also say that the DaVinci V-22rims mated with White hubs have been FLAWLESS! 8k miles and true as the day we purchased the bike.

Santos Dual Travel Rohloff, with SON front hub, Magura HS33 front brake, Magura Louise Disk, Avid V brake as a drag, Middleburn chainsets, Royce bottom brackets.

We are another happy couple on a Co-motion Mocha Copilot. We bought it as a heavy duty reliable beast that we can travel with easily. We have clocked up 11,500 kms in the last three years since buying it from Mel at Tandems East. Only changes from standard is FSA wing pro handlebars up front and a Fizik Arione saddle which I find more comfortable than the Terry.
We're just about to replace the front rim as it's getting a bit worn and the BB are also past their use by date.

Here is another Mocha Co-Pilot owner, very happy, only change to the bike after 3000 km is the original IRD 11-34 cassette for a Shimanno 11-28 as reported earlier.

I went for 26" wheels on account of tire availability in Argentina. A fringe benefit is that 26" wheels on a coupled bike are easier to pack into the suitcases.

Its looking much cheaper to go with a non disc rear hub.:(


There are a number of threads about whether you need a disc. Depending on team weight, terrain, and the type riding you'll be doing you may well not need disc brakes.

And you can save weight, money and some complexibility going with rim brakes.

Also saved money by using a set of Campy brake levers I already own and using bar end shifters.

Frame arrived in excellent condition. Headset was included. No insert for the front bottom bracket shel, not even sure what to call that thing. I wrongly assumed it would include this part.

"Eccentric" is the term you were looking for.

Is there a standard size for eccentric bottom bracket thingies? I don't know which one I need.

Is there a standard size for eccentric bottom bracket thingies? I don't know which one I need.

There is no set standard and they vary a bit both in terms of design and size by manufacturer.

As noted in the reply to your new thread, the eccentric should have come with the frame from Chucks, who is the OEM for their house-branded frames.

Just found it in the box. Thanks so much.

There is no set standard and they vary a bit both in terms of design and size by manufacturer.

Won't the Bushnell eccentric fit most tandems? (except Santanas) It seems to fit Cannondales and newer Calfees fine.

Bushnell specifications:


General Specifications:

Weight - 140 grams
Construction materials - aluminum and stainless steel
Diameter of part - 2.118 inches
Can be used in BB shells from 2.120 ~ 2.125 inches
Ideal bottom bracket shell width - 66mm

Won't the Bushnell eccentric fit most tandems? (except Santanas) It seems to fit Cannondales and newer Calfees fine.

Moreso today than in the past; however, that wasn't the question...


Is there a standard size for eccentric bottom bracket thingies? I don't know which one I need.

Back to the Bushnell eccentric, following R&E's acquisition of everything Bushnell a while back to include the eccentric they have finally started to leverage the design for all it's worth. Therefore, with the introduction of some new shims even Santana owners can replace their grub-screw eccentrics with a Bushnell if they are so inclined. Going the other way, Calfee changed (enlarged) their eccentric shell's OD last Spring to be compatible with the Bushnell OD.

But, be that as it may, the point was Cannondale, Santana, Co-Motion, Burley, Calfee, etc.. have all used different eccentric designs... some favoring split shells / pinch bolt, while others use the aforementioned grub screws, and still others used a wedge-type design while Calfee favors a very light two-piece design and all of these have had slightly different ODs.

The Bushnell remains, IMHO, the best engineered but it's also the most expensive to produce.

Great info. Thanks

I knew that there we're many different designs. However, I thought most builders were going to a similar diameter in the shell. I didn't realize that shims were required for fit.