Cooney

Hello,

I am new to the forum.

I ride a Santana Rio tandem with my 8-year-old daughter. The Rio has drop bars and inverted tread tires on 26" wheels.

Sometimes we also pull my son along in a Winchester trailer.

I need a bit of advice. It is a pain in the butt to pull the tandem out into the driveway and then hook up the trailer because there is nothing nearby to lean the tandem against to hold it upright while I hook up the trailer. So, I am looking for a stand that I can use to hold the tandem upright, preferably by just the front wheel.

So, if anyone knows of a brand or model that is heavy-duty enough to hold up an entire tandem please let me know. Or if you know where there are some plans or do-it-yourself ideas I'd love to have a look at those also, as I do have a welder and the will to use it.

Any and all help appreciated.

-Cooney

PS I am a cartoonist and illustrator.
My site is at https://www.DavidCooney.com

Cooney

A teensy correction: I just took a look at our tandem and it is a Santana Vision and not a Santana Rio as previously stated.

TandemGeek

You have a couple options:

1. There are two or three different models of wheel stands that folks use but the one I'd recommend is the all-metal one by Dimension with wheels. The less expensive plastic ones are ok, but not as sturdy -- almost marginal for tandems. https://www.gtgtandems.com/parts/pics/DS0014.jpg

2. You could install an Esge Tandem Kickstand that travels with you so that you don't get caught out without your wheel stand. These are really a nice accessory for tandems that are used with trailers and tag-a-longs. Not light, but very sturdy and they work just like a motorcycle's centerstand. https://www.tandemseast.com/pictures/doublekick.gif

Any of the tandem-specific dealers carry these:

Gear-to-Go in Elmira New York (Rich Shapiro): https://www.gtgtandems.com
Several are listed on line: https://www.gtgtandems.com/parts/stands.html

Tandems East in New Jersey (Mel Kornbluh) - https://www.tandemseast.com
Mt Airy Cycles in College Park, MD (Larry Black) - https://www.bike123.com/
Tandems Limited in Birmingham, AL (Jack & Susan Goertz) - https://www.tandemsltd.com
Precision Tandems, Kansas (Mark Johnson) - https://www.precisiontandems.com

Cooney

Hi Mark,

Many thanks for your advice. I didn't think those wheel stands would support a tandem but I defer to your expertise. I see that Tandems East also offers a crankarm style stand called the "Standit". Any thoughts on that?

https://www.tandemseast.com/parts_frame.html

-Cooney

PS I see you are from "near Atlanta." While I was in college I worked three summers at the Centers for Disease Control on Clifton Road in Atlanta and also spent a lot of time at the CDC location in Chamblee. I lived with my sister in Stone Mountain.

TandemGeek

I don't personally use one but see them all the time, hear owners rave about them, and have worked on a few tandems that have them and they seemed to work quite well. Installation can sometimes require "field engineering" such as using a longer bolt for tandems with fat chain stays, grinding off some of the left side clamp materials to prevent interference with the smallest chainring or rear derailleur cable routing -- but nothing that's insurmountable. If you call and talk with any of the dealers listed and tell them the year and model of your tandem they all will know which, if any, field mods you might need.

It has been my experience -- even with single bikes -- that these are awkward to use for anything other than displaying bikes. You must lift the bike/tandem up 12 - 15" off the ground and then guide one of the crankarms and pedal axle into the slotted stand opening. At least to me, it's the least desireable / user friendly of the lot.

Cooney

Thank again for all of your advice. I went to the local bike shop but they only had the not-too-sturdy plastic wheel holders and they were $19.99!!!

So I took matters into my own hands and raided my scrap metal bucket and welded my own stand. It is simply two uprights welded onto a heavy steel plate. The only thing I had to purchase was the carriage bolt going thorough the top. It was 25 cents.

You can see it here: https://home.sunlink.net/~dcooney2/TandemStand.jpg

Thanks again.

-Cooney