1990s Santana Sovereign
05-24-09, 01:17 PM
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1990s Santana Sovereign
Hi-- New to the forum and relatively new to tandeming. Was hoping to get some feedback from those with wisdom out there about a tandem we're thinking of buying-- our first after several years of renting/test-riding. Is a cromoly Santana Sovereign (1990s) at around $1300 a reasonable first tandem to own? It's in good shape. There's a photo attached. Thanks for the input! --ABD
05-24-09, 06:04 PM
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Are you sure it's "1990s"? By then, Sovereign frames were being made of aluminum, unpainted and rolled in a big vat of ball bearings that give them a slightly pebbled finish that stained awful with sweat and dripped sports drinks. (Friends of ours had one.) We have a 1989 Targa that used the same frame as the earlier Sovereigns -- you can see the Columbus decal on the fork --, just cheaper parts to make a more affordable mid-entry-level package. At a Midwestern Tandem Rally a few years ago, we saw "our" Sovereign, and the couple said they had bought it in the mid-80s. Very nice joinery on our bike and theirs -- no weld beads so I think it is fillet-brazed.
1300 U.S. dollars is a bit steep for a bike that old, I agree. Ours weighs 42 pounds (ready-to-ride) in a smaller size that that one. Even if it's a piece of classic craftsmanship in great shape, it's still a lot heavier than a modern tandem and that should reduce the demand for it. We upgraded parts on ours until we bought our new one, and we still ride it occasionally, but I can't imagine anyone giving us 1600 Canadian dollars for it.
1300 U.S. dollars is a bit steep for a bike that old, I agree. Ours weighs 42 pounds (ready-to-ride) in a smaller size that that one. Even if it's a piece of classic craftsmanship in great shape, it's still a lot heavier than a modern tandem and that should reduce the demand for it. We upgraded parts on ours until we bought our new one, and we still ride it occasionally, but I can't imagine anyone giving us 1600 Canadian dollars for it.
