RedShoedRider

Good Afternoon, All:

Long time lurker.....first time poster!

My wife and are I are looking to purchase our first tandem; we've settled on a pre-2010 Cannondale Road Tandem 2. The question we're having is about sizing. We can do either a Large/Small or a Medium/Small, as I basically split the difference in terms of size (I'm the captain), and she can fit either one of the Small frames. In looking at the frame, there's obviously a very large difference in construction, as the Large/Small is a conventional design while the Medium/Small has the top tube joining the boom tube at about the midpoint of the captain's cockpit rather than at the headtube. We're leaning toward the M/S, as I've read in numerous places that going a little small is better than going a little big (as is the case in most of roadiedom, I guess).

I'm a little concerned that the M/S setup isn't as rigid as the L/S setup and might result in an excessive amount of headtube flex, causing the steering to be less-than-precise. We're a midweight tandem team; combined weight is about 330lbs.
Do I have anything to be concerned about if we decide to purchase the M/S, or is it plenty stiff anyway?

Thanks a lot, all!
-Chris

Dean V

We have a M/S and there are no issues with flex. I would however prefer the L/S frame but only because I think it looks better. So if you can get the correct seat/handlebar reach without going less that 90mm on the handlebar stem get the L/S.