Tandem Cycling - Tandem, man's or womans bike/style/color

Basically, should the tandem be more man's rather than woman's bike, or other way around?
Who usually decides on the color and style, captain or co-pilot.

Draw a line down the Captains seat tube and let her paint her half of the bike the color she likes and you paint your half of the bike the color you like. :thumb:

You should make that a poll. I'm thinking the nagivators generally get their way.

You should make that a poll. I'm thinking the nagivators generally get their way.

Yes. That is why our tandem is "Cranberry".

What do you do if your stoker is a Summer and insists on pink? I won't be seen on a pink bike it just doesn't match my Spring skin tones, maybe a nice plum paisley but not pink!...;)

Timely subject...we're about to have our new'ish Trek T2000 painted...Probably white to match our old C'dale.

But...I like my stoker happy and 'in the deal'...which fortunately she has been for the last 20 years.... I want to keep it that way.
I'll be sure that she makes, or really likes, the final choice on the new color...I may try to sell her one or the other but I'm "experienced" enough these days (AKA.. learned the hard way in other relationships) to know what's important and what is less so. If she wants a pink Tandem so be it....I just want to ride and enjoy the time with her. Fortunately.. I know her well enough to know that she would never put me on a Pink one...

Bill J.

Pink would be the only color which suggests "womens bike" - I would not have an issue with any other color on a bike.

Pink would be the only color which suggests "womens bike" - I would not have an issue with any other color on a bike.

Agreed. I may have my preferences but I'd ride any color bike but pink.

Draw a line down the Captains seat tube and let her paint her half of the bike the color she likes and you paint your half of the bike the color you like. :thumb:

You mean like this?

http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i165/bobstewart/zipp2.jpg

Timely subject...we're about to have our new'ish Trek T2000 painted...Probably white to match our old C'dale.
Bill J.

Our tandem is white and always looks dirty, the bike fit so we had to live with the color.

As for riding a pink tandem... I hate to break it to you tough guys, if you're riding a tandem the color doesn't really matter :rolleyes: And if your wearing matching jerseys, well :lol:

You mean like this?

http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i165/bobstewart/zipp2.jpg

hmm, kinda. It looks like you got to paint the top and she got to paint the bottom. Pretty bike either way!

I was given only one request when ordering ours. ANY COLOR BUT WHITE!
I like white and all our cars have been white for 20 years so I gave in on this one and chose
Santana's Clear over bare frame Prizm effect. It doesn't show the dirt as bad as my white Pinarello does.

What about flowers on the headtube?

Our tandem is white and always looks dirty, the bike fit so we had to live with the color.

As for riding a pink tandem... I hate to break it to you tough guys, if you're riding a tandem the color doesn't really matter :rolleyes: And if your wearing matching jerseys, well :lol:

My father-in-law (age 66), can hold his own in a pace line, and rides a pink road bike (long story, but it fits him well). They say, "Only real men wear pink" - well, real men then (apparently) probably wouldn't mind riding a pink bike.

My opinion? Well, the sooner you figure out you really shouldn't care what other people think, the happier your life will be.

Our tandem isn't pink - perhaps I'm not truly 'happy' yet.

Pedal on,
D

I agree about not caring what other people think. I just don't like pink.

Pink would be the only color which suggests "womens bike" - I would not have an issue with any other color on a bike.

In the spring of each year they have this little race over in a quaint little place called Italy. If you are the leader of that race you get to wear the maglia rosa, (the pink jersey), and your team usually also has pink shorts and shoe covers for you to wear, and a pink bike for you to ride.

Lance calls ANY bike with a sloping top tube a "girl's bike". That would encompass the majority of production singles and almost ALL tandems. So ..... if you're already riding a "girl's bike", and the strongest/fastest men in the world consider it a privilege to wear/ride pink ........ :D

Saw a young couple on a trail ride one day with a pink Gitane tandem with black trim. Pretty cool.

Saw a young couple on a trail ride one day with a pink Gitane tandem with black trim. Pretty cool.

Actually you are correct - I have seen a pick/black combination in a vehicle which I thought was pretty cool. No plans to repaint any of my bikes just yet.

Maybe one could say that a MTB is a "man's" bike, while a beach cruiser might be a "woman's" bike, but the "gender" of a tandem bike is almost bi-sexual given the usual male/female pilot/stoker combination.

I would say that the color is similarly a logistical choice (i.e. it is what it is) modified by deductive consensual choice (e.g. "anything but...white, pink, lavender, etc...).


.

I think the Petervary's must have taken Homeyba's suggestion ("Draw a line down the Captains seat tube and let her paint her half of the bike the color she likes and you paint your half of the bike the color you like." The front half of their tandem is blue; the bottom half of the tandem is pink.

http://www.jaypsdirt.com/blog/60-complete-tandem-and-then-some

It seemed to work out okay ... they became the first couple to complete the Great Divide Race on a mountain tandem.

When I was in school in the Bay Area, I found the Recyclery in San Rafael which sells used/donated bike equipment to fund bicycle trips and projects for inner city kids (pretty cool program). I found a Bianchi frame which I thought was blue: being as I was (am) color blind, I should have checked and double checked. When my wife got home, she asked, "Why'd you get a purple bike?" Turned out it was Bianchi's lovely lavender. That's gone on to be one of the family jokes.
Having just purchased a used Burley - Rock n'Roll; it's red. There are some scratches scuffs, and we're planning to paint this winter.
In walking through the local "Thunderstruck" custom bike show - found some great paint schemes -found the black cherry was likely the color for us (me) to shoot for.

I really do not care what color my bike is. My wife, on the other hand, would not want to have anything to do with a pink bike much less one that I would be on.

Red bikes are faster.... :D


.

Most of our tandems have been black with highlights/accents.
Currently: black c/f tandem with the lugs in black/gold.
With black tandem you can wear any color jersey! Yes, we do have a matching pair of vary-shaded pink jerseys . . .

Forgive me if this should be a new thread,

We have a Trek T-1000, silver. I would like to have it repainted. I have a friend who is the paint and body mgr. at a car dealership. My question is, is there anything special to painting a bike frame that the dealership could not handle or be aware of messing something up?? ( I would have all parts removed so they would just have the frame/fork) They have done great on my cars and I get quite a deal thru my friend. Is painting a bike frame a "specialized" job??

Thanks

Is painting a bike frame a "specialized" job??

About the only difference is making sure you have the tools to re-chase the threads on the bottom bracket, derailleur hanger, etc. to remove overspray... OR, take the time to protected cover up the threads during the prep process so that paint doesn't adhere to the threaded surfaces.

My question is, is there anything special to painting a bike frame that the dealership could not handle or be aware of messing something up??

Yes and no. Painting is painting, but .... painting lengths of small, round, (or oval), tubes that frequently intersect each other is trickier than painting a reasonably flat surface like a car.

Prep work is also much trickier. You can't use an orbital sander on a bike frame ... if they can't bead blast it, it's all hand sanding. Plus, do they know what to tape off and/or otherwise seal from the paint?

For instance, you DON'T want paint inside the eccentric shell, but you can't tape it off easily because you DO want paint on the lip or "face" of the shell. The rear bottom bracket shell is the opposite ... you DON'T want paint inside OR on the faces. The head tube, seat tubes, and fork crown all have some of the same "special" considerations.

Most bike painters that I have known were also proficient mechanics, and therefore had the tools to fix anything they accidently painted. For instance, if they got paint in the rear bb, they would re-face the shell and chase the threads for free. If an automotive painter made the same mistake and you didn't have a complete Campy toolset, you'd be paying a shop $50 or $75 extra to do that! (OK, OK, a Park toolset will work too, but it ain't NEARLY as classy!)

So, I guess you pays your money and you takes your chances. For my money though, I'd rather have a painter who speaks bike.