Demand for custom tandem framebuilding workshop (Build your own custom tandem!)
#1
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: Boulder County, CO
Posts: 1,511
Bikes: '92 22" Cannondale M2000, '92 Cannondale R1000 Tandem, another modern Canndondale tandem, Two Holy Grail '86 Cannondale ST800s 27" (68.5cm) Touring bike w/Superbe Pro components and Phil Wood hubs. A bunch of other 27" ST frames & bikes.
Mentioned: 8 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 110 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 4 Times
in
4 Posts
Demand for custom tandem framebuilding workshop (Build your own custom tandem!)
Okay, Sanner Cycles has a framebuilding workshop where cyclists come in and build singles. Building your own frame yourself seems like an incredible way to connect with your bicycle and the sport.
My thought here is, considering the cost of tandem frames nowadays, and the fact that most stock tandem frames are a complete compromise in terms of fit for the stoker and captain, how much demand would there be for a "Build your own custom tandem workshop"?
If it required two weekends, five days and around $1000-1200 how many of you would sign up to build your own custom tandem frame?
Thoughts? If there is enough demand, they just might do this.
My thought here is, considering the cost of tandem frames nowadays, and the fact that most stock tandem frames are a complete compromise in terms of fit for the stoker and captain, how much demand would there be for a "Build your own custom tandem workshop"?
If it required two weekends, five days and around $1000-1200 how many of you would sign up to build your own custom tandem frame?
Thoughts? If there is enough demand, they just might do this.
#2
Riding Heaven's Highwayson the grand tour
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Tehachapi Mtns, Calif.
Posts: 737
Bikes: '10 C'Dale Tandem RT2. '07 Trek Tandem T2000, '10 Epic Marathon MTB, '12 Rocky Mountain Element 950 MTB, '95 C'dale R900, "04 Giant DS 2 '07 Kona Jake the Snake, '95 Nishiki Backroads
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
Pretty interesting..........If I thought for a minute that I could build a frame as good as our original (and still our favorite) old C'dale, but only lighter by a pound or pound and a half for that little money, I would do it in a heartbeat.
HOWEVER, while I have a fair amount of mechanical aptitude, I am certain that I don't have the talent to design or weld up such a frame.....never the less, kudos to you or Sanner for the idea to offer up such an fun opportunity.
Bill J.
HOWEVER, while I have a fair amount of mechanical aptitude, I am certain that I don't have the talent to design or weld up such a frame.....never the less, kudos to you or Sanner for the idea to offer up such an fun opportunity.
Bill J.
#3
Likes to Ride Far
I would think that building a tandem frame requires a lot more skill and precision than building a single bike. I might consider giving it a try for a single bike, but I'd be far more wary doing so for a tandem. You'd have to work hard to convince me otherwise.
#4
Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Just outside Kitchener, Ontario
Posts: 623
Bikes: Nishiki Continental, Bilenky custom travel tinker, home built winter bike based on Nashbar cross frrame
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
Even if it doesn't take more skill and precision (although I suspect it does, even if only slightly), the investment is greater. So if I spend $500 and 4-5 days and get a single frame, and the best I can say about it is I built it myself, Oh, well. But would I want to spend double that, and have something of equal or lesser quality?
#5
hors category
Join Date: Jan 2002
Posts: 7,231
Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 8 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 5 Times
in
5 Posts
Sounds more like a class in how to use someone else's tooling and equipment to assemble a set of tubes vs. the amount of time someone would need to spend figuring out how to actually design the frame around a team so that it had the proper fit, tube selection - placement - shaping, and a whole bunch of other considerations to yield anything that was as good as a fully-assembled and ready to ride $1,200 KHS tandem.
Seriously, United Bicycle Institute's $2,500 two-week long course is about as basic a course as I can image for building just a single bike under the very watchful eye of a master builder, noting the UBI's frame building courses were most likely the catalyst behind the surge in hand-built bikes over the past decade... just check out their alumini list. Build about a dozen single frames that you're willing to put your wife, children, parents or best friends on, and then... maybe then you'd be ready to tackle a tandem, IF you could find a shop that had the right size jigs and alignment tables + someone who has successfully built tandems to help guide you through the design and fabrication process.
Seriously, United Bicycle Institute's $2,500 two-week long course is about as basic a course as I can image for building just a single bike under the very watchful eye of a master builder, noting the UBI's frame building courses were most likely the catalyst behind the surge in hand-built bikes over the past decade... just check out their alumini list. Build about a dozen single frames that you're willing to put your wife, children, parents or best friends on, and then... maybe then you'd be ready to tackle a tandem, IF you could find a shop that had the right size jigs and alignment tables + someone who has successfully built tandems to help guide you through the design and fabrication process.
#6
Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Tucson, AZ
Posts: 11,016
Bikes: Custom Zona c/f tandem + Scott Plasma single
Mentioned: 3 Post(s)
Tagged: 1 Thread(s)
Quoted: 77 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 19 Times
in
11 Posts
You'd need someone who has successfully built tandems and has the proper jigs/equipment + patience/teaching skills.
Would suggest you try designing/building a single first before tackling a tandem.
It ain't as easy as some folks think . . .
Would suggest you try designing/building a single first before tackling a tandem.
It ain't as easy as some folks think . . .
#7
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: Boulder County, CO
Posts: 1,511
Bikes: '92 22" Cannondale M2000, '92 Cannondale R1000 Tandem, another modern Canndondale tandem, Two Holy Grail '86 Cannondale ST800s 27" (68.5cm) Touring bike w/Superbe Pro components and Phil Wood hubs. A bunch of other 27" ST frames & bikes.
Mentioned: 8 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 110 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 4 Times
in
4 Posts
Pretty interesting..........If I thought for a minute that I could build a frame as good as our original (and still our favorite) old C'dale, but only lighter by a pound or pound and a half for that little money, I would do it in a heartbeat.
HOWEVER, while I have a fair amount of mechanical aptitude, I am certain that I don't have the talent to design or weld up such a frame.....never the less, kudos to you or Sanner for the idea to offer up such an fun opportunity.
Bill J.
HOWEVER, while I have a fair amount of mechanical aptitude, I am certain that I don't have the talent to design or weld up such a frame.....never the less, kudos to you or Sanner for the idea to offer up such an fun opportunity.
Bill J.
As I think about trying to have a custom built (69cm/57cm) I always get frustrated when I realize nothing will be as stiff/strong as our C'dale...
#8
Senior Member
If you haven't already seen it, there's a nice write-up on CrazyGuyonaBike.com from a guy who took the Sanner framebuilding class. Interesting read.
https://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/?...ng&context=all
https://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/?...ng&context=all
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
chojn1
Tandem Cycling
109
02-24-14 07:32 AM