Bike Friday Project Q
 

I am in the process of buying a Bike Friday Project Q Tandem (Sport). This bike converts to a single bike friday. I plan to use it on vacations, etc as it travels well. I also thought my wife and I would use it to tandem around the surrounding hills of upstate New York, instead of going on our single bikes. Anyone with any thoughts or experiences with the Project Q?

We don't own any of the Bike Friday products but we have test ridden them and have several friends who either own or have owned Tandem Tuesday's and Bike Fridays. Overall consensus is, yeah.... they look funny but they ride quite well. The gearing compensates for the small diameter wheels so that there really isn't much of a compromise in terms of potential performance.

The only negatives I've heard -- aside from aesthetics -- are that given their dimuntive size the tandems still require two suitcases. Assembly of the Tandem Tuesdays (I think it's the Tuesdays that fold) was also cited as a bit more complex than you'd expect. In four cases the folks that we knew who owned these bikes have since sold them and purchased full-size travel tandems equipped with S&S Machine Bicycle Torque Couplings (aka. S&S BTCs or S&S couplings). The least expensive S&S equipped tandems (Burley makes several models) are about $400 to $1000 more than the Tandem Tuesdays. However, at least for these folks, they either opted to use their travel tandem as their full time tandem or had a 26" travel tandem built as a second tandem. Regarding the latter, this gave them an enduro tandem for light off-road use at home or as a touring or off-road tandem away by merely swapping out tires.

You might also find this of interest and it was just posted to:

http://www.tandemmag.com/classified/

so it's likely to still be available. Sounds like a REALLY good value:

FOR SALE 04/14/02: Tandem Two’sDay with Travel Cases & Trailer $2,500 Replacement cost with all included accessories is $4,000 +shipping This bicycle was purchased new in August 1997 and has about 2000 miles on it · Gear range is 15.6 to 120.6” (63 gears) · Triple chain rings with Shimano 105 derailleur ± · Sachs 3-speed hub · 7-speed cluster with Sachs Centera derailleur and roll-a-majig · Shimano RSX STI shift/brake levers · Sugino Fuse crank set · New men’s & woman’s embroidered saddles ± · Giani stoker shock post ± · Fenders ± · Front rack ± · Rear rack ± · Kick stand ± · Sachs front drum brake hub (It works better than the Arai drums on our other bikes) ± · Shimano LX V-brakes · XT headset ± · Captain/stoker drop bars w/stoker pegs · Adjustable stoker stem · Trailer with suit case stacker ± · 2 suit cases ± · Bike packing material ± · Spare tire ± · Spare spokes (we never broke one) ± · 7 spare tubes (we occasionally got flats and some are patched) ± · Tool kit & step by step instructions w/photos · Captain Position: Center of handlebars (where attached to stem) to top of saddle at center of seatpost: 27"; Saddle height (from top of pedal to center of top of saddle up the seat tube): 34.5 to 40" · Stoker Position: Center of handlebars (where attached to stem) to top of saddle at center of seatpost: 23" plus or minus a few inches (its adjustable); Saddle height (from top of pedal to center of top of saddle up the seat tube): 31.5 to 36.5" ± Indicates extra cost items if you were to buy this bike new.
Bob Harvey
Home Phone: 603-898-5285
Bob-LindaHarvey@att.net

Bob Harvey is someone who's name I recognize as a member of the Tandem@Hobbes list so no worries about dealing with him.

>I am in the process of buying a Bike Friday Project Q Tandem
>(Sport). This bike converts to a single bike friday. ...

Will it also convert to two unicycles?