Tandem Cycling - New ride

I just unpacked our calfee tetra frame today when I got home from work. I was hoping to have it most of the way built up, but the headset that was supposed to be installed before shipping was nowhere to be found. After a quick phone call, it was located, on the desk upstairs from where assembly occurs. Hopefully it can arrive in VT by Saturday so that we can ride Sunday.

There is a bit of mess in the background, as well as a couple singles, but here is a picture of the new ride (sans fork, headset, handlebars, cables). If the stoker compartment looks long...it is 32" The captain's area is quite short 50cm TT. Standover 73cm. We discovered that the ideal place for the stoker's handlebars was right in the middle of my seat/hips, hence the need for longer stoker compartment.

Stoker 5'5.5" Captain 5'4"

There will be more pics to follow once I can finish the build.

Betcha the name of the tandem could be 'Envy' . . . as green with envy!
Nothing like a custom fit for both riders.
With us pilot is 5'7", stoker 4' 10 3/4" . . .
Hope headset shows up for this weekends' test spin!
Enjoy the ride TWOgether!
Rudy and Kay/zonatandem

It took a toss of a coin to decide between the blue or green custom paint on my Calfee. I ended up with blue, but it looks like the green would have been just as pleasing! Enjoy your new toy!!!

That is a sweet color! Can't wait to see the complete bike.

My wife's favorite colors are green and purple so we went with green. Mike at Calfee says that they don't make too many green tandems.

Zonatandem, I think that you may have named our bike...ENVY

Man that is super sweet. Nice looking ride.

Ya know, I just don't think there are any bad color choices when it comes to a Calfee so long as it's either translucent or non-existent.

Congrats on the new ride and as others have noted, looking forward to hearing more about your initial impressions and what not over your first few hundred miles of ownership.

Nice! Very beautiful emerald color! The longer stoker compartment visually makes it look sleeker and "faster" for some reason...

.

Absolutely beautiful!! Congrats.

Bill J.

Looks very nice. Congrats! Build it up and post more pics for our viewing pleasure.

Ya know, I just don't think there are any bad color choices when it comes to a Calfee so long as it's either translucent or non-existent.

As much as I think those are cool.. and I really do.

We both wanted white, and white only works as opaque.

Something like this rendering (something the sales guy had on his computer). Except we had the fork painted white also.

Our frame is supposed to be done soon. We will go pick it up sometime in early July (after our wedding and honeymoon).

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3658/3468919038_24e94024d0.jpg

As much as I think those are cool.. and I really do.

We both wanted white, and white only works as opaque.

Something like this rendering (something the sales guy had on his computer). Except we had the fork painted white also.

Our frame is supposed to be done soon. We will go pick it up sometime in early July (after our wedding and honeymoon).

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3658/3468919038_24e94024d0.jpg

Congradulations on the Wedding and Honeymoon. The bike is essentially a 3 year aniversary present from us, to us. I'm sure that the white will look really sharp.
~Joe

We both wanted white, and white only works as opaque.

It will be eye-catching to be sure.

You might want to consider putting some 3M clear mask or Avery Stoneguard (both are non-yellowing) to protect the rear stays from getting nicked-up by chain slap and the rear disc rotor (assuming you'll be getting the rear disc). You may even want to think about putting some along the bottom of the downtube and back of the seat tube to guard against kick-up from the road.

I make mention of this only because compared to the alloy framesets carbon is a relatively soft material and nicks in the finish seem to grow. At some point the clear and color coat begin to lift around the nick and then flake off, leaving the underlying carbon exposed. It looks like acne on the translucent finishes and you can keep it at bay by using clear nail polish as a touch up. My '98 Tetra Pro was in pretty rough shape and I finally sent it off to the James Gang at Calfee to be stripped and, well, evaluated as a potential finish for our Calfee tandem. White nail polish will likely work on your finish, but that'll be something the folks at Calfee can advise on.

I just unpacked our calfee tetra frame today when I got home from work...
There will be more pics to follow once I can finish the build.

We understand that you hurriedly took pics just as you got the tandem yesterday, and that you will eventually have pics when you finish the build, but this does not relieve you of your obligation to post more detailed, better quality photographs today. ;)

How does one post high quality pictures? It looks like the attachment size is limited to 100kb. Also it started raining here yesterday and until I get more light the pictures will not be great, being that the bike is in the basement. When it is done there will be an abundance of pictures posted.

you need to host them on a photo hosting service, like flickr, photobucket, or your own server

Then put the url location of the image in these tags

insert_url_here_

I am on vacation this week and it looks like the HS will not be here until Tuesday or Wednesday (so I probably would not be able to ride until Wed/Thurs). My wife and I are very antsy to get out riding on the new bike. Does anybody have a good reason (other than $$) not to purchase a cheap HS and have it installed at the LBS, only to have it removed a week/month...later when the Chris King arives? What are the chances of frame/fork damage by changing the headset. I have already called around and there are no black CK headsets at any of the bike shops around here.

As much as I think those are cool.. and I really do.

We both wanted white, and white only works as opaque.

Something like this rendering (something the sales guy had on his computer). Except we had the fork painted white also.

Our frame is supposed to be done soon. We will go pick it up sometime in early July (after our wedding and honeymoon).

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3658/3468919038_24e94024d0.jpg

White does look nice, My Trek 5500 is white, but what a pain to keep clean.
For that reason I would not get white again.

What are the chances of frame/fork damage by changing the headset. I have already called around and there are no black CK headsets at any of the bike shops around here.

Popping headsets in and out isn't a big deal and neither is installing and removing base plates, especially when you have your own tools. Taking it into the LBS invites opportunities for frame nicks due to the extra handling and what not at the bike shop.

However, you'd need to be mindful of any differences in stack height between your temporary and the CK headsets so that you have the necessary spacers on hand to make the final installation. This is because you'll have to cut your fork steerer to give you the correct stem / bar height to use the temporary headset and unless the two different headsets have the same stack height (+/- a few mm) you might need to juggle headset spacers when you install the fork in the CK headset.

FWIW, I think I had the headset in and out of our Calfee about 4 times during the first few weeks. The initial installation, then twice as part of chasing a creaking noise that turned out to be the stoker's stem, and then one more time to switch out the polished CK headset for a black one.

Thanks TG. Now to figure out the difference in stack height from cheap HS vs the CK and then cutting the steerer tube. I have many tools, just no HS installation/removal tools. $10 wasn't too bad to have the HS pressed in.

Ahem.

Tinypics (http://tinypic.com/)

The bike is built, we will probably go out for a 20-30 mile ride in a little bit. I took more pictures and rode up and down the street a bit. First impressions (based on sandals street cloths). It feels light. WOW, this is the right amout of reach and drop (I think that the specialized 110mm stem (left over from my road bike when I was racing in college) is the right length). Yikes, that is a lot of toe overlap. When in the bike stand I thought that maybe I would be able to see the inline gear indicators (c-dale had flightdeck computer), but once I got on I realized that the inline indicators were competely hidden by the handlebar. I may have to stick them right into the cable stops in the headtube and use Nokon cables or something that will make a very tight bend (there is not a lot of space from the bottom of the handlebar to the cable stops in the headtube.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/39386031@N02/3626268284
http://www.flickr.com/photos/39386031@N02/3626305076/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/39386031@N02/3625492957
http://www.flickr.com/photos/39386031@N02/3626310826
http://www.flickr.com/photos/39386031@N02/3626269270
http://www.flickr.com/photos/39386031@N02/3625483289
http://www.flickr.com/photos/39386031@N02/3625462959

I don't know why the images are not loading. Here are the direct links. If anybody can get them to post, feel free.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/39386031@N02/3625492957
http://www.flickr.com/photos/39386031@N02/3625491259
http://www.flickr.com/photos/39386031@N02/3626306234
http://www.flickr.com/photos/39386031@N02/3626305076
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http://www.flickr.com/photos/39386031@N02/3626301766
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http://www.flickr.com/photos/39386031@N02/3626298392
http://www.flickr.com/photos/39386031@N02/3626285722
http://www.flickr.com/photos/39386031@N02/3625462959
http://www.flickr.com/photos/39386031@N02/3625462113
http://www.flickr.com/photos/39386031@N02/3626269270
http://www.flickr.com/photos/39386031@N02/3626268284

When in the bike stand I thought that maybe I would be able to see the inline gear indicators ... I may have to stick them right into the cable stops in the headtube and use Nokon cables or something

First off, here's a link to osurxbiker's Flickr photostream slideshow in case y'all are also seeing little question marks:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/39386031@N02/show/with/3626268284/

As for the gear position indicator, here are some photos of the one that I installed for my front derailleur.

http://www.thetandemlink.com/Images/Calfee/adjusters.jpg

http://www.thetandemlink.com/Images/Calfee/inlineadjust.jpg

Installation notes:

1. Don't forget to put a ferrule on the end of the cable housing that goes down into the head tube cable stop.
2. It took a little playing around with the cable length to control the bend so that everything would line up and to keep the XTR indicator caps from popping off or breaking. As you can tell, there's only enough housing between the bars and stops to allow the bars to turn through a nominal 160° arc in front of the tandem, noting that there's no practical reason to have any more than that.
3. I didn't bother with the rear indicator because if I know which chain ring I'm on it's pretty easy to guess if I'm in the bottom, middle or upper cassette sprockets and having the in-line adjusting barrel in that spot was more important.

I don't know why the images are not loading. Here are the direct links. If anybody can get them to post, feel free.

Flickr is kinda weird in that you need to post a link to the photostream (http://www.flickr.com/photos/39386031@N02/), slideshow (http://www.flickr.com/photos/39386031@N02/show/with/3626268284/) or right click and get the actual photo URL by right clicking (PC) on the photo in the photostream to open the photo in a new window and/or using the properties option to grab the direct URL, which is what I just did to lift these two photos:

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2438/3626268284_4f5b05f533.jpg?v=0

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3369/3626285722_579593db44.jpg?v=0

Any particular reason that you use your right brake lever to control the front brake vs. the left lever????

One more question / observation, this time regarding the rear brake cable routing. I see where your frame also has the rear cable stop positioned in the optimal position for the rear disc.... which is to say in a sub-optimal place for the rear caliper.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3595/3626310826_6e91205acc_b.jpg

I also ran my cable around the seat post to deal with the close positioning of the frame's cable stop and the brake caliper's stop, but found that snaking the cable housing between the brake bridge and seat mast provided the most direct routing...

http://www.thetandemlink.com/Images/Calfee/brake_cable.jpg

I don't know why the images are not loading. Here are the direct links. If anybody can get them to post, feel free.

Geez, I hate to be picky, what after you've gone to the trouble of photographing and uploading and everything, but since the bike is in the shade, in front of white siding in the sunlight, all we can see is essentially a shadow.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3406/3625462113_427e05963d.jpg

The bike looks TOO LIGHT! If you want, I could send you some of the excess poundage from our KHS.

Right vs. Left brake control: Back in my early teens I did that to be different. Everybody said you want your strongest, most coordinated hand grabbing your back brake. I thought that was silly because you stop with your front brake... It was also funny to watch friends hop on my bike and grab a fist full of front brake and almost fly over the handlebars...(boys at age 12-15 are amused by things like that).

TG: on the brake routing in the back, I got the idea from your pictures and it seems to work. I may shorten it by going between the seat stays and brake bridge.

TG: How long is your headtube and how many spacers do you have under your stem? It looks like I have less vertical space for the cable bends than you do.

As for the photo in the shadow. Sorry I didn't have anything that I could lean the bike up against in the sun. I will surely take more pictures.

As for the first ride: 25 miles, 80 minutes. It feels smoother. The bumps don't feel as sharp. I don't wince as much when I do hit a bad bump. Also the c-dale had 28mm wide tires @ 100-110psi where as the calfee had 23mm tires @ 120-125. I seem to be able to place the bike on the road where I want it to be (bumps are also easier to avoid) where on the cannondale I would come across a bad section of pavement and steer to avoid it and the front would kinda go where I wanted it to and the back was lagging behind vs calfee, think left flick the bars left/lean left and the whole bike just avoided that pothole. The only time there was any problem with toe overlap was on a u-turn to rescue a waterbottle that jumped ship.

The only time there was any problem with toe overlap was on a u-turn to rescue a waterbottle that jumped ship.

Interestingly enough, I've only experienced toe overlap on the Calfee when I resumed riding in late April after breaking my ankle in February and had to resort to wearing Shimano sandals with their extra large soles vice my Sidi Dominator MTB shoes which have a few mm of clearance. Toe overlap even in my Sidi shoes was simply an accepted condition on both of our custom-built Ericksons and most of my custom and stock single bikes: consider it a by-product of being vertically challenged @ 5'7" (I've apparently lost an inch of height in the last year based on my recent physical; yet another reality of the aging process). Anyway, less I digress, I simply learned to pedal with my heels up / toes down whenever I was negotiating U-turns or other slow-speed turning maneuvers.


It looks like I have less vertical space for the cable bends than you do.

No doubt, as I suspect my seat & head tubes are at least 2 cm taller and my bars have continued to get closer in height to my saddle ever since I passed the age of 45: I think they may only be about 6.5 cm below nowadays.

http://www.thetandemlink.com/Images/headset_dimensions0.jpg


How long is your headtube (12.3 cm) and how many spacers do you have under your stem (3 x 1cm = 3 cm) ?

See below for all of the pertinent dimensions.

http://www.thetandemlink.com/Images/headtube_dimensions1.jpg

In this photo the dimensions between the bar-tape end point where the derailleur & brake housing exit out from under the bars is measured in a straight line to the integrated cable stops in the headtube, noting my brake's cable stop is further forward on the frame than is yours.

http://www.thetandemlink.com/Images/headtube_dimensions2.jpg

It was the first nice morning in quite a while up in here. We took the cannondale out to see how different the ride really is. I was once again reminded that the reach was too high and a little bit too long on the cannondale. The handling was no where near as good and the road vibration through the bars was much more noticable. Before this ride Kayla was not sure how big an improvement in ride quality the calfee is. She finished the one hour ride a little bit sore when she wouldn't have been on the new bike. Also because of the short stoker compartment she was unable to use most positions on the handlebars comfortably and her hands were getting numb after 15 miles. Actually another reason for taking out the cannondale was that the insert in the alpha q fork did not bond well (it wasn't a problem with the cheap headset, but after the bike shop changed out the cheap HS for the chris king the headset could not be made tight). Upon futher inspection I found that the insert was slipping and when I pulled it all the way out there were only a few spots where the epoxy looked to have bonded well on the inside of the steerer and on most the insert the epoxy just flaked off. A new insert should arrive from true temper early next week.

It is nice to look at the bike and reaffirm that it was money well spent.

Actually another reason for taking out the cannondale was that the insert in the alpha q fork did not bond well (it wasn't a problem with the cheap headset, but after the bike shop changed out the cheap HS for the chris king the headset could not be made tight). Upon futher inspection I found that the insert was slipping and when I pulled it all the way out there were only a few spots where the epoxy looked to have bonded well on the inside of the steerer and on most the insert the epoxy just flaked off.

Welcome to the 'what the... club'.

I believe the problem lies with the lousy 'epoxy-like-substance' True Temper sends along with their forks. On my previous 3 Alpha Q's I used good old JB Weld and never had any trouble. When I built up our Calfee I made the mistake of using the aforementioned stuff that came with the fork and made the same discovery that you did: the darn insert didn't bond and started backing out. I discovered mine when I was chasing a creaking noise that I thought was coming from the headset. So, about 5 miles from home I loosened up the stem clamp so that I could increase the pre-load on the headset. Imagine my surprise when the preload-bolt didn't seem to offer any resistance.... Son of a gun, the insert was coming right out!

Fortunately, somewhere along the way I was sent an extra 1.125" insert for an Alpha Q fork so I chucked the one that was covered with whatever it was that came with the fork, re-prepped the inside of the steerer and installed the 2nd insert with JB Weld. As always, the JB Weld has held up just fine.