Tandem Cycling - New carbon tandem, thanks to regular posters.

Thanks to all of you regular posters on this forum. I spent last winter reading threads and learning more about tandems so I could make an informed decision. I made a personal commitment to post a thank you with pictures when we got a new bike, so you all could see how your knowledge has benefited others.

Our previous bike was a Trek T1000 that treated us well. We have about 1000 miles on the daVinci since we got it in May and we can not believe what a wonderful bike it is. The bike weighs 33 pounds with the heavier saddles, cages, pedals, bag and computers. The only non-standard spec on the bike are 12, 18,21,26 (=24,36,42,52) chain rings and a 12-23 cassette to bunch up the gears.

I plan to assemble my thought on the daVinci ICS and post them at a later date.

More than nice . . .
daVinci design and Calfee c/f construction!
Enjoy the ride TWOgether!
Rudy and Kay/zonatandem

Very Nice! That would be my dream tandem bike: a c/f Calfee with DaVinci ICS.


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Great bike. Pretty close to TG's but many individual choices. I hope you enjoy your new ride and look forward to hearing about your choices and reasoning in more detail when you post more here.

Very Nice!

I realize that different people have different needs and priorities. My question, though, is why spend a lot of money for a high end, light, performance tandem, and then add weight, complexity, and reduced performance, by putting the Da Vinci system on it?

I realize that different people have different needs and priorities. My question, though, is why spend a lot of money for a high end, light, performance tandem, and then add weight, complexity, and reduced performance, by putting the Da Vinci system on it?

In our case, it was ride quality and anything else would be even more heavy and more sluggish. Our Calfee now weighs just a bit under 34lbs. We do not have ICS but we do have discs and couplers which brought the weight up.

Great looking bike..nice work....you did your homework well!

Bill J.

I realize that different people have different needs and priorities. My question, though, is why spend a lot of money for a high end, light, performance tandem, and then add weight, complexity, and reduced performance, by putting the Da Vinci system on it?

I agree.

I realize that different people have different needs and priorities. My question, though, is why spend a lot of money for a high end, light, performance tandem, and then add weight, complexity, and reduced performance, by putting the Da Vinci system on it?

Good question to ask Greg Lemond.... a long time Carbonframes / Calfee & Calfee tandem owner.

Greg was the guy that called up Craig Calfee and requested what was essentially the first Calfee tandem with daVinci's ICS; it was the prototype that launched the new daVinci-branded carbon ICS tandems.

I realize that different people have different needs and priorities. My question, though, is why spend a lot of money for a high end, light, performance tandem, and then add weight, complexity, and reduced performance, by putting the Da Vinci system on it?

The best performing bike is the one that makes you want to get out and ride, if it happens to be high end, light and performance oriented, oh well..... you just learn to adjust.

Kinda like asking why would you buy an SL63AMG and let them put airconditioning, power seats retractable roof etc on it.

The best performing bike is the one that makes you want to get out and ride, if it happens to be high end, light and performance oriented, oh well..... you just learn to adjust.

Kinda like asking why would you buy an SL63AMG and let them put airconditioning, power seats retractable roof etc on it.

:thumb:


Well, for me I would want the DaVinci ICS on a Calfee tandem because I wouldn't be seeking the carbon fiber frame for the purpose of saving on weight. I ride with multiple stokers including little kids and ICS would be the ideal set up for certain stokers. You might as well ask why anyone would even want a Calfee tandem just for tooling around the neighborhood, to which the answer might well be...just because! :D


:roflmao2:


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Great looking bike and I'm sure you're going to have a fabulous time with it.

I occasionally have these types of discussions with my brother-in-law. He starts to explain why he HAD TO BUY a specific brand of (insert item here). I look at him and say...
"Repeat after me - I wanted it. I bought it and it makes ME happy that's all that matters."

I realize that different people have different needs and priorities. My question, though, is why spend a lot of money for a high end, light, performance tandem, and then add weight, complexity, and reduced performance, by putting the Da Vinci system on it?

Merlin,

You are certainly among the "regular posters" I intended to thank. I understand why you asked this question, I have multiple answers:

1) My first thoughts were of a Calfee Dragonfly and a 25 Lb. target. Then I remembered that the new bike would have two seats, and an ultra light sacrifice everything else for speed bike (like my single) is not who WE are. WE are more like the club riding five and a half hour century type team who will never race or time trial. I decided more comfort and enjoyment for the stoker meant more miles for the captain.

2) It's still ten pounds lighter than the old bike.

3) Even with the ICS we have to fill the water bottles to break 300 Lbs.

4) Can you imagine how hard it would be to put her 2000 gram saddle on a 25 pound bike?

And now the truth...

5) The stoker paid the bill, so any captain as lucky as I am better spend a lot of time thinking about what makes the stoker happy.

Your stoker is a 'keeper!'