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Quarter ton when fully loaded

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Quarter ton when fully loaded

Old 05-13-07, 03:39 PM
  #1  
Dr.Deltron
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Quarter ton when fully loaded

Just did the first tandem ride with the kids yesterday. And I got a picture of it!

Uphills are NOT recommended.

Downhills, we're a runaway freightrain, so don't get in our way!

Total weight = 515 lbs
Total gears = 72
Top speed = 42.6
Smiles per mile = MANY!
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Old 05-13-07, 06:28 PM
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WhoooHOOOOO! An orange Greenspeed?!
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Old 05-14-07, 05:32 PM
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I would say with that load...that you are probably mighty happy to have 72 gears..

I really like your bike, I have looked at them for some time. It may be our next tandem. How do you like it?

glenn
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Old 05-14-07, 07:05 PM
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Nice! My kid tandem caravan is 500 lbs too
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Old 05-14-07, 11:16 PM
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Originally Posted by Fenlason
How do you like it?
I love this rig!!! It has performed flawlessly for 4 years now.
You just have to like talking to people though. You can't go anywhere without answering questions!
And comments are a million per mile along the bike trail!

Recently I have taken to letting my 6 yr old pilot the beast. (affectionately known as Tigger; orange and a tandem, get it? Tee Eye Double Gu Rrr.) I have a piece of rope that has loops on both ends. I hook the loops over the brake levers and use them like reins from the stoker seat. So my 6 yr old can steer & brake, but I have control, if he heads in the wrong direction. He did pull a quick turn the other day and nearly flipped us, but I corrected quickly and on we went.

And of course we get even MORE looks & comments when he Captains!

I highly recommend getting one, if you have the space to park it!
I have a motor winch & pulley system for parking ours in the rafters.

I had to make a special tool for tightening the Captain/Stoker chain. The owners manual said to adjust the Captains boom first, and then the Stokers cranks. I do just the opposite. I adjust the Stokers cranks and then use my tool to tighten the Captain/Stoker chain. If you get one and have questions about this, PM me and I'll elaborate with more words & pics.

As for transporting it, I use a 3 bike Hollywood folding rack on my '91 Honda Accord. Takes less than 5 minutes to load/unload it, And it's good to 90+ m.p.h. (don't ask how I know this)
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Old 05-15-07, 08:45 AM
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Down 10# and 11 inches
 
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Wow.
That is b@d @zz!
I'd love to see that in person and I'd have a million questions for you in the mile!
Looks like a lot of fun!
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Old 05-15-07, 02:05 PM
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Now all you need is another trailer with a big dog (Boyer style), a couple of racks with surf boards, and a Tiki Bar. How do you make it around the hairpin where the Ft. Ord bike path begins?
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Old 05-16-07, 10:16 AM
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Originally Posted by K&M
Now all you need is another trailer with a big dog (Boyer style), a couple of racks with surf boards, and a Tiki Bar.

I'm working on the rack idea, but I don't have a dog.

Originally Posted by K&M
How do you make it around the hairpin where the Ft. Ord bike path begins?
I start at Beach Rd in Marina!
I live about 4 blocks from there.
 
Old 05-16-07, 03:40 PM
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Thanks

I am at this point probably a few years away from one of these. We just bought a very expensive new tandem last year. Also another couple we regularly ride with, [who want a recument at some point also] just bought a new Paketa.. so they will be a little while also.

It has been on my "list" and will be in my "collection" at some point.

It is nice to know someone on "here" has one.

I am sure with your son riding up front ... gets a lot of attention. I bet it will have a lasting impression on him also.

So hauling this on your car... the only thing holding it is the hollywood rack?

glenn
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Old 05-17-07, 02:36 AM
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Originally Posted by Fenlason
So hauling this on your car... the only thing holding it is the hollywood rack?
Pretty much.
The feet of the rack actually sit ON the rear bumper.
The other key part is the pair of tie-downs. They are hooked inside the car on the "OH S**T" handles and stretched across to the opposing side and up to the Stoker handles on the tandem. They're red, and visible in the picture if you look closely.
I use old toeclip straps and cross lash them around the frame/rack prongs.
So the Hollywood, 2 tie-downs & 2 toeclip straps and that's it. 5 minutes on or off.

I load it by lifting the rear wheel and setting it on the trunk, next to the rack.
Then I humph the front end up, and push the whole thing so the rear wheel rolls up the back window & onto the roof. With the crossmember of the trike sitting at the bend at the tips of the rack prongs, the rear wheel sits just behind the edge of the sunroof.

Only thing missing are some seat covers. At least the bugs are on the backs of the seats!
 
Old 05-20-07, 08:00 PM
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Here is an alternate rack

We ordered a rack from Cyclesimplex. It's good, but the bike is too heavy for my wife and I to put on top of the car. Some mechanically inclined friends came up with a great simplification. They made the back wheel-well rotate. We load the back tire on first (front of bike points to the rear behind the bike). I then pick up the front of the bike and swing it around to the front. We then place the two front wheels into their wheel-wells. Much easier. We can actually take the bike places.

Glenn in Omaha


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Old 05-21-07, 11:24 AM
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Saw what looked like a Greenspeed tandem in action at the Strawberry Fields Century yesterday. The stoker looked like she was reading a novel and working on her tan. Awesome.
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