Tandem Cycling - Anyone have or know of Paketa tandems?

Got a couple friends potentially interested in getting a go-fast Paketa tandem for some racing adventures. They're very, very fast road riders. I know less than zero about Paketa, and was talking with my buddy today and apparently the one they're looking at is 21.5lbs. It's set up with regular road crank and other very light do-dad's.

Suggestions on what to look out for are appreciated. :thumb:

Paketa will exhibiting at the North American Handmade Bicycle Show (http://2012.handmadebicycleshow.com/exhibitor/paketa-magnesium-bikes/) in Sacramento this week. I'll be attending on Saturday. Let me know of any questions, I will ask, and post the answers here!


Got a couple friends potentially interested in getting a go-fast Paketa tandem...the one they're looking at is 21.5lbs. It's set up with regular road crank and other very light do-dad's.


So sad :( that your friends' a light tandem is somehow fast bubble is about to burst by the most august of tandem authorities!



SPECIAL EVENT! (http://www.facebook.com/cupertino.bike/posts/10150584193469773)

Santana Tandem night at Cupertino Bike Shop, Monday March 5th, 6pm.

Bill McCready, founder and owner of Santana Tandems will be at our shop giving a talk about "Are Lighter Tandems Faster?" Wine, beer and hor d' oeuvres will be served. Call to reserve a seat!

So sad :( that your friends' a light tandem is somehow fast bubble is about to burst by the most august of tandem authorities!

You can read my take on this in a separate thread where this first came up: http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php/801385-Santana-Tandem-Night-at-Cupertino-Bike-Shop?p=13912810&viewfull=1#post13912810

Suggestions on what to look out for are appreciated. :thumb:

I captured some of the feedback I've received from Pakata owners in a June blog entry:
http://tandemgeek.wordpress.com/2011/06/22/paketa-hearing-lots-of-good-things/

From all accounts, while not everyone's experiences with Paketa have been perfect -- noting the same is true for every brand of tandem -- on the whole the Paketa has proven to be a very well-liked tandem by the folks who were in search of a lightweight racing tandem. It is a boutique tandem frame, much like a Calfee, Seven or a custom Co-Motion that is made to order and designed around a given set of geometric parameters to deliver the builder's desired ride qualities.

If we were in the market for a high-end racing tandem, it would be on our short list.

Thanks Ritterview and TG. I did some browsing on Paketa site and it looks like on their priciest frame they put a gates belt on the drive side inside of the inner chainring (which presumably is limited to a double road crank). I'm guessing Paketa has sorted out the required crank spider bolts to do that on various crank manufacturers, but it would be good to know what brand limitations there might be in that regard, if any.

If anyone knows of a good shop in south Orange County, CA area that has strong experience in building/servicing tandems, that'd be helpful. Thanks!

You can read my take on this in a separate thread where this first came up: http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php/801385-Santana-Tandem-Night-at-Cupertino-Bike-Shop?p=13912810&viewfull=1#post13912810

TG's comment on this thread is a good one.

Wayne

Swamptandem on here has a Paketa.

I'd pm them. From their comments, I think they like it a lot, and they certainly are fast on it.

I believe they had some issues getting it set up with lightning cranks, and the belt drive, but I think they were more attributable to the cranks than the frame.

Our dealer has/had a Paketa on the showroom floor. Gates belt on the right side, Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 with modifications from the makers of K-Edge (long-cage RD, custom buttons) so it's full electronic shifting on the aerobars. I think it was sold, but a week before pickup the buyer wiped out and I think busted a collarbone...haven't heard anything else since then. They said it was an extremely nice ride, but they preferred their daVinci.

We've owned one for several years and it has been terrific. Set up the old fashioned
way, triple and chain synch. Still the bike is really light, somewhere around 26lb., and
has a vey subtle ride. I don't have much to compare it to, but it rides better than our old
steel Bilenky. Has a titanium feel, but for me, livelier.

Let me know if you'd like to chat further. For additional reference, we are a 260lb. team
and I am a pretty active old man racer(master).

Rich

Thanks everyone for the posts & PM's.

Swamptandem on here has a Paketa.

I'd pm them. From their comments, I think they like it a lot, and they certainly are fast on it.

I believe they had some issues getting it set up with lightning cranks, and the belt drive, but I think they were more attributable to the cranks than the frame.

We do love our Paketa V2r! Feel free to drop me an e mail > bigfly43@gmail.com with any questions.

I can tell you it's a great bike. We love the Mag ride. And the people at Paketa are outstanding! A real pleasure to do business with.

Rick

What's the Russian connection? "PAKETA" in Cyrillic transliterates as "RAKETA" in Roman, and means "rocket" in Russian. Не знаю!

What's the Russian connection?!

Around 2001 "Paketa" started business as an importer of magnesium racing frames that were produced in Russia by a firm that was extruding their Mg tubing from the same raw stock previously used to make Russian missiles during the Cold War.

After importing for a few years, Dave Walker moved fabrication in house and began sourcing Mg from Timminco.

What's the Russian connection? "PAKETA" in Cyrillic transliterates as "RAKETA" in Roman, and means "rocket" in Russian. Не знаю!

Paketa is also the name of a collectible Russian watch (http://www.m-watches.com/index_en.html).

http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5097/5488177505_d1d943335f.jpg

Russia make big hairy bikers, da.

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_K14eyBOufFo/TPOB9icFYJI/AAAAAAAAAA4/11JAvOjw2tk/s1600/Sports+on+Screen+American+Flyers+opponents.jpg

Your friends probably wouldn't particularly mind this Di2 equipped Paketa (http://paketabike.wordpress.com/2012/03/02/paketa-is-at-nahbs-booth-133/#respond), exhibited at NAHBS (http://www.flickr.com/photos/twotone666/6947609411/sizes/o/in/photostream/).

http://www.paketabikes.com/files/v2r%20evo%20orange.jpg

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7052/6947609411_126cb8d3a1_o.jpg

(I note that Paketa has caught on to Lightning cranks :thumb:)

That is a great looking bike and I would certainly like to have it, but why would they set it up with such a crazy long handle bar stem for the stoker? I can't imagine a stoker that size (going by saddle height) would want such a short reach to their bars.

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7052/6947609411_126cb8d3a1_o.jpg



That appears to be a late-model bike with lightweight stoker pegs. Does anyone know where people are getting these? Not so interested in where they were purchased in the past, but where can they be purchased today?

It is hard to tell from that picture but I wonder how much tire clearance between that skinny tire and the chain stays?

It is hard to tell from that picture but I wonder how much tire clearance between that skinny tire and the chain stays?

They probably have clearance for 25's or maybe 28's. My tandem won't fit larger than 25's.

It is hard to tell from that picture but I wonder how much tire clearance between that skinny tire and the chain stays?

They call it a "racing tandem".

They call it a "racing tandem".

Yeah that is why I wondered if it assumed a 23 or at most a 25 tire. Even the lightweight pros sometimes use bigger on rough roads. Looks like Garmin used the wide tires today in Italy.

http://www.cyclingnews.com/races/strade-bianche-2012/strade-bianche/photos/210040

Wayne

The carbon fiber round stoker pegs are made by Bob Davis (Zona Engineering and Development). 623/566/1165.
Stoker Kay's been using them since 2003 on our Zona tandem.

Paketa tandem getting some press at CyclingNews/Bike Radar (http://www.cyclingnews.com/features/photos/nahbs-2012-part-2-black-sheep-to-wheel-fanatyk).

http://cdn0.media.cyclingnews.futurecdn.net/2012/03/03/2/paketa_tandem_1_full_view_600.jpg

Paketa says this Ultegra Di2-equipped magnesium road tandem weighs just 23 pounds as seen here.
Photo: © James Huang/Future Publishing

Also, won NAHBS award (http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10150589043123315&set=a.157712333314.118277.75188008314&type=1&theater)for Best Alternative Material.

http://a7.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/429620_10150589043123315_75188008314_9015621_748904605_n.jpg