Tandem Cycling - Still tweaking...

We've been doing most of our rides on the Cannondale, but took the Santana out today. It always takes a few minutes to get used to the difference! Going from the aluminum bike with straight bars to the steel bike with narrow, drop bars makes the Santana's handling seem a bit sluggish. Then we settle in and I enjoy the more compliant ride.

Being a relatively recent acquisition, we're still trying to tweak the fit of the Santana. We swapped out the saddles that the original owners used and have the tilt & height where they need to be. I think we've got it all dialed in now -- except the front bars.

The drop bars are about 2" narrower between the hoods and don't have the comfortable grip in that position that my road bike has.

So, as I contemplate swapping out the bars I'm torn between 1) different drop bars or 2) bullhorn bars. We have bar end shifters.
Any suggestions from the WOTL?

I like the way ITM drop bars are shaped, and I like more hand positions.

What width bars do you have on the tandem and what width bars do you have on your Stelvio? Typically the Santana tandems come with wide bars and my experience is that the geometry that Santana uses makes them feel a bit sluggish. There is a significant difference between the handling of our old Santana and our new Calfee. The Santana felt like a bus and the Calfee feels like a Sports Car.

I would suggest trying to set up both road bikes the same, as best you can.

Wayne

What width bars do you have on the tandem and what width bars do you have on your Stelvio? Typically the Santana tandems come with wide bars and my experience is that the geometry that Santana uses makes them feel a bit sluggish. There is a significant difference between the handling of our old Santana and our new Calfee. The Santana felt like a bus and the Calfee feels like a Sports Car.

I would suggest trying to set up both road bikes the same, as best you can.

Wayne

The bars on the Stelvio are Deda Big Piega, 44cm (17.3 in.) The SR bars on the Santana are 39/40 cm (+/-15.5 in). In addition to being wider, the brake hoods are larger.

Just put on your favorite drop bars.
I find that wider than normal bars are not necessary on a tandem.
I use the same the same bars as on my road bike and the steering and comfort are good.
I like FSA wing pros because they have a perfect flat top and shallow drop, the reach is on the short side so may require a longer stem.

I agree with normal sized bars for the captain. If a team rides well the bars are not used to man handle the bike. You should be able to ride with the same light touch as a single. If a team rides poorly the bars can't be wide enough to handle the bike. I use 40 cm bars on singles and tandems.

Wayne