Tandem Cycling - Freewheeling/Clutched Crankset?

Hi All,

I'm not a tandem cyclist, but someone suggested that tandem folks might be able to answer this question. Are there any freewheeling/clutched stoker cranksets out there? Ones that allow the stoker to keep his/her feet still while the captain pedals?

Any information on this would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks very much.

Sincerely,

Forbes Black
Editor, Cycloculture.com

They do exist if you look around. http://tinyurl.com/yhlbxzu

Are there any freewheeling/clutched stoker cranksets out there? Ones that allow the stoker to keep his/her feet still while the captain pedals?

Not that I'm aware of ... which doesn't mean there isn't. The stuff Ryan linked to is not applicable to the stoker position on a tandem. That's why the tandem manufacturer da Vinci (http://www.davincitandems.com/) goes to the added trouble and extra weight to manufacture their ICS (Independent Coasting System), the way they do.

The Vision IPS crankset might still be available though recumbent dealers.


Not that I'm aware of ... which doesn't mean there isn't. The stuff Ryan linked to is not applicable to the stoker position on a tandem. That's why the tandem manufacturer da Vinci (http://www.davincitandems.com/) goes to the added trouble and extra weight to manufacture their ICS (Independent Coasting System), the way they do.

Hi All,

Are there any freewheeling/clutched stoker cranksets out there? Ones that allow the stoker to keep his/her feet still while the captain pedals?


Yes, as onegun noted, systems do exist to accomplish this effect, most famously:

da Vinci's Independent Drive


http://www.davincitandems.com/images/Drive.jpg http://www.davincitandems.com/images/drive2.jpg

http://www.davincitandems.com/dv2.html

Are you looking for a tandem bike that will allow a stoker to freewheel independent of the captain or a kit that you can retrofit to an existing tandem bike?

Try this.

http://www.hostelshoppe.com/atp_archives/ips_instructions.pdf

These folks offer them as an option on some of thier bikes so they would know where to find them. I heard that a company was producing the original Vision System since Vision is no longer around.

This company

Well, they used to. I remember runnign across some for sale @ BikePartsUSA a while back. They are aparently no longer carrying them as the link I had is dead. Here (http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?532050-SS-w-FG-wheel-and-freewheel-cranks&highlight=) is a link to a thread I started that related to freewheeling tandem cranks in an unrelated FG/SS thread. It looks like one of the two original links is dead so maybe they are no longer in production but someone was at some point making a freewheeling tandem crank.

http://www.hostelshoppe.com/atp_archives/ips_instructions.pdf <Edit: sorry, i just noticed this link was already posted.



http://www.bikepartsusa.com/mas_assets/full/01-98472.jpg