Resurrecting the Santana!
 

So we have our Calfee pretty much dialed in now, and think that it's a great bike.

BUT... we wanted to start doing some touring, and also do our errands/shopping on a tandem rather than half-bikes. So, I decided to bring our old 1990 Santana Arriva back to life!

I borrowed some parts for the Calfee build, so it will be a bit frankenstein for the time being. I need it all together fast for a trip we are taking soon, and want to do it on the cheap (hey this is the "beater tandem")!

- Frame/fork: Steel Santana Arriva 1" steer tube, newer replacement fork (threadless).
- Headset: Chris King (installed when we replaced the fork).
- Handlebars: Original (Cineli Giro d'Italia).
- Stems: Stoker is original fixed stem, Captain is Thomson X2 (installed with replacement fork)
- Wheels: Davinci rims, White Ind. hubs, 40h rear, 36h front (from our original upgrade build)
- Brakes: Shimano BR 550 (from our original upgrade build)
- Shifters: Original Suntour (set to friction mode)!!
- FD: Original Suntour (if I can find it, otherwise buy a new one)
- RD: Sram X-9 (Davinci modified version)
- Cranks: Original Suntour swap 32t inner for a spare 30t ring (creating 53/42/30)
- Brake levers: Original Shimano 600
- Cassette: Sram 9spd 11-32 (from our original upgrade build)
- Pedals: Spare look Keos (captain), Spare Shimano SPD (stoker)
- BBs: I think I have a couple extra IRD square tapers. (EDIT, need a wider one for the Stoker cranks).
- Saddles: we have some extras (will change out eventually)
- Seatposts: Originals (or spares)
- Cables: Have spares
- Rear rack: same one that has been there since we owned it.

The only thing I think I need is bar tape and this thing is ready to rock.

I need to have a bike that I am not afraid to lock up for several hours while we go hiking, running errands, etc... This fits the bill!

Looks like it was a fun project!

When you see a Frankenbike, you know the owner is a bike fanatic for being able to piece together parts from so many different eras.

Pretty nice parts spec for a "beater bike." Davinci rims, White hubs, etc. I'd call it your "everyday tandem" rather than a beater.

If you really want to tour - unless you're talking strictly credit card - you'll need some smaller chainrings. And fenders.

For this first "tour" is not really an uber-loaded tour, but it is not CC-touring either.

Basically we are taking off on (Labor Day weekend) Saturday, riding one-way out to our destination. We will camp there that night. Then we will lock up the bike at the campgrounds and go hiking for the day, and camp again that night. Then we will ride back on Monday. The route doesn't have too much climbing. 130 miles with 5,100 feet on the way out (4,000 feet on the return trip).

So we are bringing gear in our panniers (including tent, etc) but will be packing as lightweight as possible.

Eventually the bike will be better equipped for touring, but for now we are kind of diving into this one trip as-is.

It used to be our only tandem, which we upgraded the parts on, and then we got our Clafee. When we got the Clafee, the Santana was robbed of many (of the new) parts to build the Calfee without spending too much.

So the Santana is getting back many of its original parts, while retaining a few upgraded parts that weren't transfered over to the Calfee :)

The Santana hasn't been riden since mid-July 2009.

Last Ride: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A4gTpsB5A2Y

who's the music artist?

It's in the youtube description once you expand it.

Coltrane Motion - I Guess the Kids Are OK

Would love to see a photo....(of the bike. The video was great, though!)

You may find that your stoker balks at riding the Arriva if she has more room in the back of the Calfee. We toured extensively for 15 years on our Targa, same vintage as your Arriva, but as soon as Rear-Adm. Conspiratemus took her shakedown ride on the Erickson she realized what she had been doing without all those years. The 'tana corners faster and climbs better out of the saddle even though it's 6 lb heavier but after 80 km or so she's pining for the fjords. Not only does she have more room, but the bumps don't rattle her as much and she gets better air-cooling on really hot days. Don't know if your Calfee is as much longer than the Arriva as the Erickson is than our Targa, but be prepared for some squawking from the back if it is. :love:

Hi,

We just bought Santana Sovereigh steel frame tandem in very good condition from our neighbors, gray color. Pre-1992 (my research determined period of 1984-1992), I think it is newer one since it has oval shaped tube (prev. owner said it's 1990). Mostly original, friction shifting. Rear wheel was replaced to Mavic, front is original, 27" with Continental 1000 32mm tires. Drive train was upgraded to Shimano XT 9-speed (from 7?). Looks like rear spacing must be reset to 145mm (from 140mm)? Cantilever + drum brakes. 2 spare spokes on a chainstay - very cool. Pump under stoker's top tube. 4 bottle holders. Stoker handlebars replaced to bullhorns. Saddles not original. I will add pictures later.

Does anyone knows where I can find more information on older steel Sovereigns? Catalog? Other owners of steel Sovereigns out here? We just loved the ride and decided we should get our first tandem. We can make 3 different teams which was another deciding factor. Very excited to get ready for the first long ride (200km brevet).

Calfee has much more room in the rear, but we don't plan on using it very much. Most of it's use will probably be rides to the grocery store, or other local errands. The Calfee is our main bike. I just don't want to take it on our camping/touring this weekend, since the bike will be out of our sight for a long time while hiking the trails. Plus the Santana is just sitting there, which is a waste, so I am giving it a new role. ;) Also, it is easily equipped for touring and carrying stuff (provisions for F&R racks, drum, etc).

what sort of pace do you hold on a ride like that? We're one week out from a 750 mile portland, OR to SF, CA trip, and we took some overnight camping test runs about 84 miles+ 1300 ft of climbing and we were dead. We were averaging about 18 with the wheels turning, and about 15 overall. Is there a particular way you approach distances over 60 miles, or is it really just a function of fitness/time in saddle (I ask because we can do regular 40 mile training runs at 21+MPH, yet feel dead once mile 80 rolls over on a long distance ride)

I suppose this is really hijacking the thread, but the answer we found worked best was to take a break every hour, whether we needed it or not (the first one or two are harder to motivate). Speed varies: fully loaded, we run from 18 km/hr to 22-23 (full days), depending on the wind, and assuming relatively little terrain effect. Distance in a day is 6 hours, possibly stretching into 7. But not two days in a row. We now have Brooks saddles and will see what a difference that makes, but for us it was saddle time, not mileage, that determined what worked for a day. Figure one or two rest days in a ride of that length. For your itinerary, there are supposed to be tailwinds.

Try http://bulgier.net/pics/bike/Catalog...na_tandems-85/

Pretty sure our Targa used the same frame as some older steel Sovereigns. The 1989 line-up (we bought ours new in spring 1990) showed Sovereigns with aluminum frames so I don't think yours can be 1990. Sizing for 27" wheels also "smells" older -- late '70s maybe, unless a special order? At a Mid-Western Tandem Rally in the mid-2000s (Springfield, Indiana) we chatted with owners of a steel Sovereign from the mid-late 1980s that matched our Targa's frame in every detail that I could notice, even the colour: GM's Torch Red is the automotive touch-up paint that matches closest. Columbus "Tandem" tubing (whatever that is -- must be thicker than SL because the seat posts are 26.8 mm -- never thought to ask the Sov. owners about that), oval keel tube, "tight" rear geometry: the rear tire comes very close to the stoker's seat tube, closer than on the Arriva of the same and subsequent years and, I notice, closer than the Sov. in the 1985 Bulgier scan shows, too. Eccentric secured with two grub screws through the BB shell that, contrary to assertions by Santana-bashers, do *not* punch holes in the eccentric because they have concave recesses cut into the screw ends. Oval chain stays made from fork blades with those little brackets to carry two spokes on the right stay. Original spacing was 130 or 135 mm, don't remember. Very very nice fillet brazing. It's still an attractive frame. Oddly, cantilever brakes but not enough clearance under fork crown or between chain stays even for 28C tires, much less fenders. Granted ours is a small frame -- I'm only 5'6" -- but interesting that yours would fit 27" x 32mm!

My theory is that when Sovereign went to aluminum for 1989, Targa got the left-over Columbus tubes while they lasted, probably with a down-graded gruppo (compared to the specs. in the Bulgier 1985 catalogue) to make it come in a bit cheaper. Granted technology has come a long way since then at all price points. The rear freehub was a 7-sp. Suntour MTB unit -- Suntour was dying its slow death by then -- which gave up the ghost after (fortunately not during!) a hard tour from Toronto to Vermont through the Adirondacks, cheerfully replaced under warranty even though over a year old. (Giving credit where credit it due to the good folks at Santana.)

As I invited the OP, do post a photo of your bike, too.
(Sorry, just noticed that you will be!)

Pretty much. Last year we did 3 double centuries, plus Everest Challenge and associated long/hard weekend rides.

You have to ride distance in order to get used to it. Also time out of the saddle, while it is relaxing, makes your day much longer once you add it all up. Also, our rides typically have 100ft of elevation per 10 miles (eg. 70 miles, 7000 ft climbing) so our average speeds are lower. But lots of climbing is the only way to get faster/better at climbing, really.

This year has been a slow start for us, but for an example this would be a typical weekend ride for us: http://www.strava.com/rides/158299

That ride was a steady, non-hammering pace, illustrated by my HR data, my max is around 198, this ride was avg 147. Last year we would have gone a bit harder/faster!

Thanks for the link and info.

1985 catalog pretty much describes our Santana Sovereign:
- 27" UKAI wheels;
- Columbus Tandem steel (that puts it at 1984 according to Bill McCready), oval bottom tube;
- Suntour shifters;
- SR Laprade seatposts;
- Specialized stem, handlebars;
- Stronglight Super headset;
- New Modolo Pro-Tandem levers;
- Shimano Deore XT canti breaks (BR-MC70, 1983-1986), Arai hub brake.

I contacted Santana Cycles since I have serial# DB 320. But they were not much of a help.
The all information so far points to 1984-1986 period.

That's a literal ton of climbing. Awesome ride you have there.

We leave for our trip saturday, and I've got t say that I'm pretty worried, since teh stoker worked the trip to leave us with an average of 75 mi a day down PCH, which looking at topo maps is pretty nasty.

Sovereign went aluminum in 1992 according to guy on the phone at Santana Cycles (phony guy?) and 1993 according to posting made by company's founder.

bike worked out well. The whole lot (bike + gear) must have weighed about 75 lb!

Camping was fun, but hiking in 105 deg F, and riding in 100 deg F was definately "trying." We still had a great trip!

I will post pics later.

Here are our route data (battery died on the Garmin around 8 miles from home during our ride back, no chargers with us.)

San Mateo, CA (Home) -> Pinnacles National Monument (Hilly route): http://www.strava.com/rides/177377

Pinnacles -> Home (Flat route, but with more intersections, and horrible hair-dryer headwinds!): http://www.strava.com/rides/177379

The bike still did well on the climbs despite the weight...
For the locals, we did fine going up the likes of Mt. Eden, Pierce and Kennedy.

The route says something. On the way there, you are scenic, along the West foothills, past reservoirs, nice towns, a few climbs. On they way back, it is get me home! As direct as possible, heedless of scenery and traffic.

How is it that Strava figures your power, and then low balls you with a measly 123 watts?

This is true. We did 8 miles of hiking in direct sunlight with 105 deg temps on Sunday. Monday (heading home) the temps were also around 100 deg F with direct sun. Ruthie was having saddle issues so, we opted for the "quick" way home. But impedance from traffic lights, and wind may have not helped too much in that regard. However the ability to get water/cold drinks/food pretty much anywhere along the route was nice. On the west side, you pass by all those suburban sub-divisions, in the middle of the route, but NO facilities what-so-ever. The long/hilly route was like a million times nicer, and is one we had done before, but yeah we wanted to get home sooner ;). On the way home, after the crap section of Monterey Rd. We cut cross-town in SJ, so we could rocket up Foothill, and didn't stop anywhere from Homestead/FH all the way to our house.

Traffic lights kill this touring rig. It's like a train, it can go fast but needs time/effort to accelerate back up to speed. Got caught by so many lights on the way home, it was becoming comical.

Oh yeah... one pic, there's more once I get home tonight.

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-..._6257604_n.jpg

Our doggie wanted to come too, but they are not allowed on the trails at Pinnacles... She even put on her panniers too! ;)

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-...1_368529_n.jpg

More pics:

Gear:

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4151/...a1c7cdaf_b.jpg

Front:

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4150/...b5d8c099_b.jpg

Top of Mt. Eden:

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4129/...bde57174_b.jpg

Laundry hanging, plus our tent:

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4131/...e65d0318_b.jpg

On our way home!

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4113/...56566cc8_b.jpg

Great ride! You were a bit unlucky with the weather, but September as we all well know can have some nasty, hot days. That ride back from the Pinnacles (and up Monterey) can be very windy, but it's certainly the beeline up to San Jose. My wife and I were headed back toward Morgan Hill on Saturday and even with a tailwind we opted for the bike path because of the condition of the shoulder and the heat coming off the road. Every time we ride Foothill we hit all the lights - must be something about our slow pace.

An interesting Fall ride with your range would be to head over to Coalinga on the old road (splits off of Hwy 25). You could stay at an inexpensive motel and get a great dinner at the Harris ranch. Of course, you'd have to cycle back!