Originally Posted by waynesulak (Post 13145697)

For us I want a greater margin of safety than single wheels provide however if I were riding a flat 20 mile time trial on a good road and we were highly motivated I can see taking the risk to buy just a little more speed. The questions are: what is your risk tolerance and at what price speed?

Originally Posted by diabloridr (Post 13146461)

Actually, for a *FLAT* 20 mile time trial, safety vs. speed would not really be a consideration, since the design must be optimized for aerodynamics, not weight.

Designing for hill climbs, rolling terrain, crits, etc is whole 'nother proposition.

Originally Posted by diabloridr (Post 13146461)

Actually, for a *FLAT* 20 mile time trial, safety vs. speed would not really be a consideration, since the design must be optimized for aerodynamics, not weight.

Designing for hill climbs, rolling terrain, crits, etc is whole 'nother proposition.

Originally Posted by Jason Woznick, Fairwheel

I’ve done some pretty light tandem wheels, the lightest being a King 145 on Enve 45 tubulars with 28 DB spokes in the rear. This is for a pair weighing about 280 pounds. But again these I wouldn’t recommend for most people.

I also wouldn’t feel comfortable recommending your wheels [ENVE carbon clinchers] to others. It’s not necessarily a strength issue that I have with them so much as a braking issue. I still really think carbon clinchers with rim brakes is not a good thing on a single bike, but can be really dangerous on a tandem. The King/Enve 45 set we built was tubular rather than clincher and used disc brakes rather than rim brakes.

Originally Posted by Dean V (Post 13146853)

The number, type, and shape of spokes influences the wheels weight and aerodynamics. To make the wheels stronger with more spokes and/or round spokes will also cost you in aero drag.
What you say would be true though for wheels like discs and tri spokes.

Originally Posted by Ritterview (Post 13157120)

Fairwheel has a Flickr site, and some new tubular tandem wheels were just posted in their gallery. This may be the wheels Jason refers to, although the spokes are Sapim CX.

http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6004/...60f6cbdc_z.jpg

Chris King/Enve tandem wheelset

The rear hub is a 28h 145mm spaced King disc hub laced 3x with Sapim cx-speed spokes. The front is a King Classic hub 28h also laced 3x with cx-speed spokes. The cx-speed spokes are stiffer and stronger version on the cx-ray.


http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6198/...dc561c15_z.jpg

Chris King 145mm Tandem disc hub

Cool finned disc mount


http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6020/...d6f50934_z.jpg

Chris King 145mm Tandem disc rear hub, Enve 45mm tubular rim and Sapim cx-speed spokes.



http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6087/...0ebc40cf_z.jpg

Chris King Classic front hub, Enve 45mm tubular rim and Sapim cx-speed spokes.