Tandem Cycling - Upright and recumbent tandem?

http://www.hasebikes.com/150-1-tandem-pino-tour.html

Anyone ever see or ride one of these?

Looks like a rear captain.

More in this flash presentation.
http://www.hasebikes.com/56-1-pino-fast-flash.html

This really looks cool.

I've seen one around where I live. Looks like a great way to compromise between two very different riders who want to share the same passion and spend time together.
I haven't had a good long look at it, though. Always flying in other direction it seems.

I have the less expensive Taiwanese version:

http://velospace.org/files/SUC50229.jpg

My wife and I put about 500 miles on it annually.

The first bikes of that design I'd seen were called "Counterpoint". I think that the company went out of business and sold the design rights.

The original was interesting in that the stoker, who was the front rider, had their own derailleur and freewheel. Consequently they could choose their own cadence or even coast independantly of the captain.

The first bikes of that design I'd seen were called "Counterpoint". I think that the company went out of business and sold the design rights.

The original was interesting in that the stoker, who was the front rider, had their own derailleur and freewheel. Consequently they could choose their own cadence or even coast independantly of the captain.

The Counterpoint is now the Bilenky Viewpoint: http://bilenky.com/viewpoint_main_page.html

Did some test riding on a Counterpoint 20+ years ago. Rode it both as stoker and as pilot.
Stoker (up front) had an uninterrupted view of what's up ahead, a nice 'lounge type' position and her own shifting for independent cadence. Stoker's riding position allowed for some hard pushing on pedals by leaning back into the seatback. Tandem was easily used to do some shopping (minus the stoker) and just putting the stuff on the recumbent seat and tie it down with a bungee cord. Stoker also acted a a 'bug windshield' compared to standard stoker position.
Pilot sat upright, like on a mt. bike, and could whisper 'sweet nothings' into stoker's ear very easily. Rear rider had own freewheel/cassette and controilled the triple chainring shifting.
Bike was a bit on the hefty side and ran some typically long/convoluted chains.
The Hase Pino was made from of titanium that weighed around 30 lbs and price was in the $9,000+ range.
Have never ridden/seen the Taiwanese version.
Just our input.
Pedal on TWOgether!
Rudy and Kay/zonatandem

The Hase Pino and Bilenky Viewpoint are both upward of $4-5000, I test rode each prior to purchasing the Taiwanese version. They are both great bikes, independent pedaling action between the stoker and captn is nice feature, but at significant weight/price penalty. The Bilenky Viewpoint not only heavier, but also seems to be longer overall, more difficult to transport.
The Taiwanese version of semi-recumbent tandem cost about 1/3 of the money and shipped directly to my driveway. It is not meant for long distance, self-supported/heavy load/extended touring, but for cherity rides (60 miles) it's up to the task even without the independent pedaling action.

This is where I bought my tandem:

http://www.performer.com.tw/2009/product_info.php?cPath=30&products_id=46

The stoker is recumbent and the captain is upright. There is something about the looks of this. It reminds me of a guy with a bicycle delivery cart, but in this instance his wares are the recumbent stoker with her feet flying up in the air.


http://www.hasebikes.com/files/pino_tour_07.jpg http://www.hasebikes.com/files/pino_tour_08.jpg

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_NRsSmc8gBDg/SUaflkoqtXI/AAAAAAAADB0/Aukpf4WOIDI/s400/deliverybike.jpg

Amsterdam is famous for using bicycles for everything, right? I hope their establishments with windows don't learn of this, and go mobile.

Years ago on TRIRI, a week long touring ride, a father-daughter team rode a Counterpoint. The daughter in the front recumbent position would read a book as they rode along. It was funny to see her reading as they rode.

No pedals for this stoker. Actually a Dutch tandem called the 'bakfiets' (bicycle with box).

We have a Pino, tour with it with my wife and now two daughter (one 18 months one 11 weeks). Last year we rode across Germany, Austria, Slovenia and down to Budapest in Hungery. Bloody great machine. I have toured on DF tandems which is good but these are more stable, handel better, easier to ride as a stoker, carry a load well, etc. Just a great family touring machine. We are off next week on our fisrt tour with four not three of us. Starting with a three day loop through the Scotish Boarders.

Only down side of the machine is that the Pilot is quite up right position. Fine for the sort of family touring we do (100 - 120 KM Max days) but if you want to really kick it it might be a bit limiting.

Go bye one.

I've seen quite a few of this type tandem. I don't know - as captain they'd make me nervous. Precious cargo and all that. It we hit something, I want to hit it first. Probably a stupid reaction. Other than that, they seem very slow, but like most recumbents, it may just be that the people who choose them aren't interested in speed.

How fast any homan powered vehicle can travel is mostly depended on the rider or riders.

Aerodynamically, a semi-recumbent tandem will travel faster than a regular tandem.

Safety wise both captn and stoker have full field of vision on a semi-recumebent tandem, less likely to have two riders miss road hazzard than one rider alone able to see traffic ahead.

Besides, would you (captn on a regular tndem) rather have you head or someone's feet absorb the first impact when bad things happen?

<snip>
Aerodynamically, a semi-recumbent tandem will travel faster than a regular tandem.
<snip>Maybe. I haven't seen any test data on this. If you know where there's some drag data on various tandem positions and arrangements, I know I'm interested. I think these tandems climb more slowly than regular tandems. And like I was trying to say, my observation is that for whatever reason, I've never seen one that I didn't go by on my single with a major difference in V. OTOH, it is kind of hilly where I ride.

But the only thing that really matters is "does it turn your crank?"

Maybe. I haven't seen any test data on this. If you know where there's some drag data on various tandem positions and arrangements, I know I'm interested. I think these tandems climb more slowly than regular tandems. And like I was trying to say, my observation is that for whatever reason, I've never seen one that I didn't go by on my single with a major difference in V. OTOH, it is kind of hilly where I ride.

But the only thing that really matters is "does it turn your crank?"

I've never ridden one, but I'm told by folks that have them not to think of them as fast. However, these guys are no taller than 5 1/2 feet, while I'm 6 1/4 feet tall. I've got to believe that a recumbent would put me close to the same height as anyone else - levelling the playing field. Beyond that, it becomes a question of whether the drag coefficient is worse, and it may be that it is - at least without a fairing - since the body is in a very different position, and if you don't completely block the seat, it catches some wind too.

I'd be terrified of any non-standard framed tandem.

All those images of recumbent Vision tandems breaking in half still haunt me.

Double Vision Recumbent tandem, hardly the same as a semi-recumbent tandem:

http://www.bicycleman.com/recumbents/vision/images/vision_r82_tandem_lg.jpg

That single long tube is simple too weak to support two riders, when their weights add up.

I test rode one a couple weeks ago, indoors on a 1/10 mile track. While I liked the overall feel, my wife felt very freaked out by it, made her feel like a battering ram. Since it's based on a SWB (short wheel based) recumbent, you have to lead the stoker around obstacles or corners, before you turn. I could tell really quickly that it wasn't the bike for us.

FYI, we have a Santana Sovereign right now, and are making the switch to a recumbent tandem soon.

Forgot to mention, one of the other reasons I decided against this, is I am switching over to recumbent bikes instead of "wedgie" bikes.... depends on what you are planning to do on a tandem. My wife is not a serious biker, so our tandem rides are more "fun" rides that hardcore speed rides. I'm in process right now of ordering our new recumbent tandem, check out Longbikes Jetstream at www.Longbikes.com (http://www.Longbikes.com) . Once you ride a recumbent, you will realize how much more comfortable and enjoyable your tandem ride can be!

BTW, my newest ride is a Greenspeed GTO trike; www.greenspeed.com.au (http://www.greenspeed.com.au) .

Check out what Wike is working on:

http://www.wicycle.com/

By the way Wike makes the best trailers going.

I've owned a Schwinn Joyrider, Burley D'Lite, and currently have a Chariot Cougar 2. If I had it to do over again I'd just get the Wike Softie.

Don't believe the hype, a Chariot is cheap junk, just like the Burley. Its amazing how much bike you get for around $1000 and how little trailer. The Chariot does'nt have adequate ventilation to be considered safe on anything but the coolest days.

Also if you don't have a Chariot with suspension or a Wike softie read this before riding with your kiddies (a Burley has suspension in theory only):

http://www.bhsi.org/little1s.htm

It is staggering how much road vibration gets passed along, and how severe the bumps are. There is a reason its called 'Burley trailer syndrome' when children of parents that are cyclists present with symptoms that resemble 'shaken baby syndrome'.

I have a Counterpoint Opus II, like to ride it with my wife as stoker, and have toured with it with my daughter (10) and son (12) (not at the same time). The know the Counterpoint is a lot longer and heavier than Cat0020's Performer; we haven't had a chance to compare the two side-by-side. But the Counterpoint is a very comfortable bike, very stable, probably overbuilt. My son and I hit 46.5 mphon one nice downhill; I know, that's nothing to you tandem people, but we were pretty pleased. And my point is, the bike felt perfectly safe at that speed.

The advantage of this type of bike is (1) it allows a strong rider and a weak rider to ride together comfortably, each working (only) as hard as they wish; and (2) it is a lot of fun for the stoker and therefore fun for both (because: if Mama ain' happy, ain' nobody happy).

It works for me!

My girlfriend and I are part-owners of a fire engine red Pino. It's a hell of a bike. We bought it sight unseen (the LBS wasn't going to stock one, ever) and have been totally happy with it.

You might want to read the Pino Forum (http://translate.google.com/translate?u=www.pinoforum.de&langpair=de|en&hl=en&ie=UTF8) (german, translated) for some more stories/tips/photos.

Oh - you might also like the Globecyclers (http://www.globecyclers.de) who are/were touring the world on a Pino. They made it from Germany -> Australia via Iran & Tibet, but have gone on hiatus due to pregnancy! :love:

Another semi-recumbent, two-wheel-drive model. (http://www.twbents.com.tw/HTM/2010new.htm)

http://www.twbents.com.tw/20100315/2010bt2.jpg

Two wheel drive really is an interesting idea. I worry the second drivetrain would add a fair bit of extra weight to the bike. Overall, I think this design is pretty cool and would allow for excellent comunication between captain and stoker.