ROJA

We bought one of these bags:


but it won't fit with our suspension seatpost (post moderne--sp?)- it hits the rear wheel. Should I just ditch the suspension seatpost?

Thanks.

SDS

Some stokers prefer a suspension seatpost, and some do not. Some would rather have a really solid pedaling platform. There's no requirement for a suspension seatpost unless the stoker says so. Seems to me your problem could be addressed either by your proposed solution, or by getting a bag that attaches some other way.

masiman

Maybe, but stoker comfort is much more important than any saddlebag you may want . You'll have to try the stoker(s) on a non-suspension seatpost. If no go, you could get a plusher saddle but that has it's own problems if you do distance.

There are plenty of other bag options that if the suspension post is needed you are not out of luck.

Hermes

Cool bag and connection…

I asked my stoker about shock absorbing seatposts – we have one. Initially, she thought it was silly, she did not need it and it added weight. Now she likes it and commented that the ride on the tandem is more comfortable than her road bike. She would keep the seat post an opt for an alternative bag solution.

TandemGeek

I think "you" should ask the other half of the "we" who bought the bag if "they" are willing to give up their suspension post instead of "us" who really have no way of knowing what to recommend.

Personally, if it ain't broke don't fix it... In other words, if your stoker hasn't complained about the suspension post or indicated a desire to go to a rigid post, I certainly wouldn't make the change to accommodate a particular seat pack.

Of course, if you want to hemorage $$, this is almost a sure thing. Lets see, you spend $X on the funky seat bag that doesn't work with your stoker's seat post. So, you end up buying a rigid post for $X, only to learn that your stoker finds their saddle to be uncomfortable on the new seatpost. So you end up buying another saddle for $X and that creates more problems instead of solving them, making you realize that the suspension post just worked better. So, you ultimately go back to the suspension seatpost and find a different solution for carrying your gear -- either another seatpack for $X or perhaps even a rear rack with a trunk for $XXX. Sitting in your parts bin are the funky pack, a rigid seatpost, and new saddle.. any one of which could be sold on Ebay for about 75% of what you paid. Of course, once you're out looking at Ebay you find a really neat second hand tandem and, well, $3,500 later, you wish you'd never seen that first saddle bag.

zonatandem

Put a couple 'Bento Box' bags on top tube of tandem. One for pilot, one for stoker.
Return pictured bag for refund. Keep stoker's tush saver.

DBC Steve

In addition to Rudy's Bento box idea, check out Topeak quick-release bags. They come in three different sizes and clip to a mount attached to the saddle rails. Available at most LBS and on line.

I also feel compelled to reiterate the first rule of tandeming: the stoker is always right.

Lakes and River

Er...ummm...yup. I'm really fond of my suspension seat post. I MIGHT be willing to give it up when my beloved captain is more skilled at communicating (because I get annoyed when I bounce so much at high cadence but dang those city bumps are nasty), but I'd sure want to test that hypothesis before swapping permanently. Can't imagine that a seat bag would drive that decision. Love the Bento box. It's on my Christmas list. Currently we have a rack with a Jandd bag for locks, spare tires, etc., but my dear captain has designated himself the mule and carries everything that might be needed at hand during the ride (glasses, alternate gloves, arm warmers, lip stuff, asthma inhaler) in his back jersey or jacket pocket. He's looking forward to the Bento Box as well!

twilkins9076

Man, you wouldn't catch me asking such a question! My stoker's comfort is what allows us to rack up the miles. We had to spend significant dollars on a suspension post that had a short travel distance to get one that was usable, but they're the best cycling related dollars we've (I've) ever spent. Our mileage went up noticeably from the day we put the thing on.

It's already been said, but nothing should ever interfere with the stoker's pleasure and comfort. Return the bag!

mtbcyclist

I have two sayings:

Happy wife=happy husband.
Happy stoker=happy captain

Stoker=wife

(hows that for complex algebra!!! )

Consult the stoker on this. Even if she agrees to ditch the susp seat post, do a shorter ride to make sure she is cool with the lack of suspension. Remember when stoker complains it goes right in your ear, when you complain you have to turn your head to give her an ear full.

tandemracer

Be cautious about using the bag in that photo - the velcro can come loose and cause a crash.

We had the exact same bag on the back of our tandem and it came loose during a ride. We didn't realize what was happenning at first, we just couldn't quite keep up with the team in front of us. Then the rear wheel locked up and we skidded to a halt when the bag finally jammed between the tire and frame. We are just glad that it did not happen 10 minutes earlier when we were hitting 50+ mph on a descent.

There is a newer version of that bag that attaches to the support with plastic clips instead of velcro. DO NOT use the older style bag.

rjberner

Suggest you bolt on a lightweight rear rack and strap that puppy to the rack. It's a nice size and can be used as a "purse" when you stop for eats. I can't get anything but small pocket bags under the seats, strapped to the seat rails, and once on, they stay. I didn't want to put a rack on our tandem, but now we wouldn't be without it.

stapfam

Buy a smaller frame or fit a rack. No way will I ride without a suspension post- and I am the stoker

TeamTi700

My stoker rode with a suspension seat post for 5 years because she assumed it was needed on a tandem. It was always making noise but I couldn't figure out why. We bought a new one and it was just as noisy. I picked up a second captain's post on eBay for $10 to use and verify that the problem was the suspension post. It was, but the funny thing we discovered was that the suspension seat post was causing more discomfort than it was supposed to be relieving. We never put the suspension post back in and several thousand miles later, my stoker couldn't be happier.

Retro Grouch 

I think that you're asking the wrong people.

zonatandem

While most stokers like a suspension seatpost, they are not always 'needed' as Team Ti700 indicated.
Stoker Kay has ridden for over 31 years on tandems and has not had suspension posts on any of our personal twicers. While we have test ridden many tandems, a few with suspension posts, the only suspension she liked was the carbon fiber Softride beamer.
It does help that captain communicates the unavoidable bumps/rough road.
If your stoker really wants to try riding with a standard post, that option is relatively cheap; but hang on to the suspension post, just in case she changes her mind!
We do have a rear rack with a trunk bag on it in cooler weather or on trips, to carry extra clothing/what ever. Also, we carry a plastic container in a water bottle cage for extra tools/tube.
There's all sorts of ways to carry 'stuff'!
Pedal on TWOgether!
Rudy and Kay/zonatandem

ElRey

Man oh man... change out teh post and don't tell her. See what happens. P dub Pdub Pdub

BloomingCyclist

I have that bag on my single. We have a similar nonexpandable version on our tandem. It's thinner and it doesn't extend down as far below the frame as the expandable one does. Even the thinner one hit the rear wheel on our tandem so I just bent the bag frame up enough so that the bad didn't hit (I put it in a vise and pushed - it's aluminum which doesn't like to be bent cold very much but I didn't move it very much). Both bags are the older style that fasten with velcro that another poster warned you about. The thinner model has never loosened up in 4000 miles on the tandem this year but I rode over 10,000 miles two summers ago including a cross country trip on my single and the bigger - heavier bag did loosen up - every day I would check it multiple times. My wife had the thinner one on her single for the same trip and it never loosened up. As another poster mentioned, they have now improved / changed the attachment.
https://www.detours.us/ is the company that makes and / or markets the bags in the U.S.

The company that makes the KlickFix attachment mechanism for these bags is Rixen Kaul from Germany. They make a wider variety of bags and may very well make the bag for detours to their specifications but I like the Rixen Kaul designs better - at least from what I can tell from looking at images on the computer. If you go to the Rixen Kaul site and look at New products you will see a bag that is suppose to come out in 2007 that doesn't extend much below the frame - it is for low clearance situations. Here's the English language versionlink:
https://www.klickfix.com/neue.htm

They have all sorts of bags that use their quick release mechanism. They make a Bento box style bag with a quick release for example - good stuff in my opinion. To order an actual Rixen Kaul bag instead of a detours one, I think you may have to go to an online United Kingdom shop - I haven't seen them at any U.S sites but maybe I just haven't looked hard enough.

My wife loves her Tamer Pivot Plus stoker seat post. She has a tender lower back with a sciatic nerve which gets pinched - no extra shocks if we can help it. On our bumpy roads (bumpy from lumpy repairs to winter freeze and thaw damage) she would not be able to avoid problems without the post because I wouldn't be able to see and call out in time all the bumps we hit. Her single Klein she rode cross country has a little shock absorber mechanism in the seat stay up near the seat post. It's used by Trek now on some of their bikes - I believe they also used it on the bikes for the Paris-Roubaix race. My wife definitely wants her shock absorption seat post. The Tamer Pivot plus can be fine tuned in addition to the mechanism not taking up as much room as the regular thudbuster mechanism but I believe that thudbuster also makes a model with a smaller mechanism intended for road bikes.

You could buy a very cheap non-shock-absorbent stoker seat post ($20) to let her try out.

Good luck.

ROJA

Thanks for the advice so far. I know that the most important thing is to keep her happy. The real question was whether her comfort would be decreased much if we moved to a rigid seatpost. Anyway, I think the posts above basically indicate that I need to give it a try and let HER decide.

Oh, and this has a secure mount that is definitely not velcro.