fastcarbon

I am new to Tandems and my wife won't ride a single. I have raced road singles for 25 years. If I knew she would like this I would bite the bullet and get a carbon fiber tandem. I am 6'1" she is 5'5" to 5'6". I can get a deal thru my club on a T900 Trek but am concerned that this tendem is too small on the captain end. Also I would like 700c wheels. I am concerned about the brakes I see on some tandems as maybe not adequate for 6-8% Sierra descents. I am looking for suggestions. I would spend up to $2k on a first tandem and would be happy with a quality used tandem. Any suggestions would be appreciated. Also, is there a tandem specific shop in Orange Co. CA?

vtrich

We started tandeming on a used Belinky, since, like you, i was unsure of how it would go.
We both liked it so ended up buying a Paketa a couple years ago. For me size of the first bike was most important. Not sure about sizing of the Trek, but I'd think they'd have a lg. or xl that would give you adequate top tube. We also have a Raliegh mtn tandem converted to road. I put skinny tires on it, changed the gearing, drop bars etc. and it works pretty well, and was pretty inexpensive.

There have been lots of threads on brakes with no apparent conclusion. I have traditional calipers on our Paketa and they are fine. We are not particularly heavy, 260lb.
or so, but we do ride lots of hills. Not the super long descents you have, but we have plenty of sustained steep descents.

OK probably not much help for you, only I wouldn't discount the Trek because of wheel size, I would pass if the top tube is too short.

Good luck, it's a great way to get wifey on the bike.

Rich

hockey

We picked up a used Cannondale Road Tandem, 3 yrs old for `1500. I put another 300 into it to get it up to scratch. Aluminum frame, rides fast and does fairly well on the hills in the Canadian Shield. Certainly not a carbon frame but both of us ride carbon singles, but have absolutely no problem with this frame. Get one as current as possible for the best price. Then if you really like it, spend the wad and custom order a frame.
Hockey

zonatandem

Our suggestion:
Rent . . or . . .
Buy one used.
Get one that fits both of you properly.
IF spouse still likes to tandem 6 months later, then you can buy what your want/need.
If you have the $$, buy carbon fiber; be advised you are looking at a $10,000+ investment new.
Been tandeming since 1975, still love it!
Pedalon TWOgethert!
Rudy and Kay/zonatandem

waynesulak

If it all works out then the tandem you buy will only be the first tandem you buy. Can you imagine buying one single road bike and never buying another? Buy a used Santana or Comotion or Trek T1000 or T2000. Those bikes will not hold you back and if you are happy with it then you can buy a dream tandem and keep the original for a rain/ backup tandem.

Wayne

2frmMI

Zona just gave you great insight (as usual) - heed it. Buy in at the lower end and you may determine that you love the whole deal and then from an experienced perspective you can upgrade when the time and finances are right. On the other hand, if you buy low, but end up with a bad fit you may get the totally wrong impression and reject a sport that would otherwise be a sustaining activity for your partnership. Fit can make the difference, so take care.

DubT

This is exactly what we did. We had a really nice Santana Targa several years ago and ended up selling it because of a family tragedy. We decided to see if we would like to tandem again and bought a 1989 Santana Visa for $600, I then spent another $500 on it to update it. We rode it for 6 months and found out that we were hooked. We then placed our order for our Calfee.

fastcarbon

Thank you all for the advice. I am wondering if there is a cutoff date separating "vintage" from current tandems. What I mean is were there major changes bringing tandem weights from say 45 lb. down to say 35 lb.? or from clumsy shifting to quick/positive shifts? Again thanks for the advice. I will keep watching Craig's List.
fastcarbon

diabloridr

Our 1999 Co-Motion Speedster is 36 pounds and the 9-speed STI shifting, though not flawless, meets our needs.

Just a data point.

waynesulak

I would want indexed shifting regardless of brand. We shift a lot on the tandem. This will also take care of the stoker compartment being modern sized. 68-70 cm or above and rear spacing wither 145mm or 160mm. These bikes would have sold with eight speed indexed or above.

This would put you in the mid 1990s. I have a 1993 Santana Noventa team edition, top of the line in 1993 with frame similar to current offerings except a more horizontal top tube. The lower Santana models in 1993 were older style frames but in a few years all Santanas converted over. Other brands likewise went to wider rear end spacing and longer stoker compartments about the same time.

Oh yeah and on a tandem a few lbs is not a big deal. The whole package will most likely weigh 350+ . Better to add a 1% weight if it keeps the stoker putting out power and smiling. For example a spring Brooks saddle or suspension seat post are often used and they add about 1-2 lbs in weight. They do soak up some bumps that the captain neglected to call out so many like them in spite of the weight. If you decide to get a second tandem you can decide how light to go on the bike and your pocket book.

Wayne

DubT

Your original post stated that you have raced singles for years, therefore I would believe that you know the drill. Frame material/weight, wheels, components. You typically get what you pay for. Our 1989 Santana weighed around 40 pounds with Ultegra DR and Ultegra Bar end shifters (8 speed) it was a great test bed but there is no comparison between it and our 2011 Calfee Tetra that weighs 27.4 pounds with pedals and 4 water bottle cages.
But there is a major difference in the price of the two bikes.

Wayne

jimmuller 

Last winter I rebuilt this '82 Peugeot, definitely C&V, and weighing in at 40.0 lbs without the panniers. We've started riding it steadily in early October but since then we've put in nearly 500 miles. We are fairly light team, total 275 lbs. After a brief learning curve, as much for me to learn the bike's handling as for my sweetie to learn to be a pure stoker, we have been having a great time. Sometimes we stuff the panniers with more clothes, a large lunch, big Thermos with hot tea, etc. A camera always fits.

The moral of the story is that you don't (or at least we didn't) need the latest, greatest bike to start riding and get pretty comfortable. Enjoy!

From yesterday's ride:

ncbikers

My wife/stoker/RPU (rear power unit) and I had the same question: Why doesn’t your wife like to ride a solo? And what is going to be different about riding a tandem? Or is it she wants a quiet slower ride than you do? There may be some conversations about this tandem riding thing needed before you get to what bike do we need.

jnbrown

This is a good place to look for a used one:

https://www.tandemmag.com/classified/

Be aware though this web site has been infiltrated by scammers so make really sure you know who you are dealing with before sending any money.

fastcarbon

My wife crashed on a single years ago and as I was into 200 mi. single rides and then TT's and crits I didn't push her. After all who would watch the kids and sag for me? Now I am 69 and semi-retired and she 67, almost no races beyond USCF 50+, so it is time start seeing the scenery. That is why I want to get a cheaper used tandem in case she hates it. I expect we will get more involved in the social aspects of cycling with tandem groups and the ability to ride weekday rides.
fastcarbon

akexpress 

I think we did this backwards with our tandem purchase. My wife is a stronger rider by about 5% then I (younger, has more time to train and more natural ability). We both raced in the past but the last number of years just for fun. We did Cycle Oregon in 2007 and the long days and a 5% difference means you only see each other at the beginning and the end. We saw quite a few tandems where they appeared to be having fun. We checked out the Co-Motion booth at the event and it seemed like a solution. Over the fall we talked and decided to take the plunge. We had both been thru all the frame materials on singles and ended very happily with carbon and since I tend to jump in with both feet we went for a carbon as our first tandem. Upon delivery on the first ride (which was a tandem rally on the San Jauns) within 100 yards my wife informed me we (meaning I ) had made the biggest mistake of our biking history. I think that day she asked half the stokers she talked to how they could stand riding back there. Over the course of those four days she became more relaxed as stoker and we had some fun. The best part she and I both discovered was the people who ride tandems are the most friendly. Fast forward to today, we have over 8000 miles on our Calfee, have traveled the world with it. Some of those couples we met the first day are now some of our closest friends, travel together, visit each other homes and plan trips together all based on the common interest in tandems. We did Cycle Oregon again this year with the tandem and tandem friends, had a blast and my wife didn't drop me on the climbs once. We have since added a full suspension Mtn tandem to the stable. We climbed Mt Ventoux,Mt Lemmon ,did the Tour de Tucson all this year and they were all better because we did them as a team. Even celebrated our wedding anniversary climbing Ventoux. I guess my point to all this no matter what you buy it will evolve into something quite unique and extraordinary whether you start with a used tandem or buy a new carbon. Get ready for the ride!!!

ponti33609

We too are new to tandem riding and read all I could during our search. Quickly decided on a quality used tandem. Made sense for us. For just over $2K we bought a 2002 Co-Motion Big Al. You can pretty easily save 50% off new and to me easier to upgrade or dump later with ought getting whacked on original depreciation. We had loads of options around $2k. Speedsters, Arrivas galore on Craig's-List.

I am recovering from shoulder surgery so sidelined for the moment.

Best of luck,
Bob

specbill

...get a good quality used Tandem that fits so you will both be comfortable. Get something at a quality level as near as possible to the level you ride on your singles so you won't feel like your stepping down and riding sub-standard equipment. Do your homework on how to make it fun for your stoker and you from day one.
If you hate it... you should be able to get back almost all of your investment. If you love it, you'll have a good tandem to enjoy as long as you want or a good Tandem for resale or upgrading.
Take the time to do things right this first time to give you both the best chance for success. Good luck!

Bill J.

mwandaw

In your original post you asked about the Trek T900. My wife and I ride one of those and we like it. I think it is the least expensive, good quality tandem. However, even though we have replaced the original dual-purpose tires with road tires, it is still more of a casual, sporty tandem than a go-fast, racy tandem. That's fine for us, but may or may not be fine for you. In any case, the advice about getting a decent low cost tandem in order to try it out is good. If you enjoy tandem riding, you can always sell your first tandem and move up.

Also in your original post you asked about a tandem-specific bike shop in Orange County. I'm pretty sure there is no such thing. In fact, there are only a few tandem-specific shops in the country. That's a fact of tandem life, but it's not too bad. This forum and your own experience will offer good advice. If you want mechanical help, tandem components work the same way that solo bike components work, so any good bike mechanic should be able to do the job.

fastcarbon

Just curious. Do you know about how much the T-900 weighs? Do you think it is big enough for a 6'1" captain and 5'6" stoker? Thanks.
fastcarbon

teamdonterri

After riding a borrowed Trek1000 for a few weeks that was too big we were hooked. We were in the same boat looking for a used tandem that fit us and would not need a lot of mods to update and be safe on. This was quickly getting to be a +2k affair... We ended up buying a new KHS for $1695 +$4.95 for shipping from Crank2 in Pleasanton,Ca. The fit made all the difference, teamwork came together with a happy comfortable stoker and after a year and a half we placed an order for a new Calfee!

Fit is critical...

ncbikers

Our stock T900 weighs 43 pounds. As you probably know there is a lot more to fit than height including things that can't be measured like favoriate position. There are a lot of adjustments built into the T900 and more are possible by swaping parts. That said, I am 6'2" and my wife is 5'5". One day we were able to get it adjusted so she was comfortable as captain and I was comfortable as stocker which is not how we normally ride. With the wide tires it has a very smooth ride and will roll easily over things people on road bike have to avoid. We like ours a lot.

fastcarbon

I am happy to hear you both fit. Because I can get one of these at a pretty good discount thru my club's sponsor

teamdonterri

We are also in Orange County Ca and there isn't a tandem shop that I know of. There is a Santana dealer in Ramona we visited once but the selection on hand was limited to about 4 bikes at the time. Crank2 in Pleasanton which is east of Oakland has a large varaity to chose from for purchase but of course is too far away for service.

I have had good luck with a mechanic working on my tandem from time to time named Davio at Rock-N-Road bike shop in Irvine. He seems to know his stuff and has helped with our fit and function on the KHS. Good luck!

And you should come ride with us some time, we have several tandem teams that ride regularly and have a good base of knowledge. Check our rides here www.ocrebels.com

fastcarbon

This may end up as my first and maybe last tandem if it doen't work out. With my club discount the purchase won't kill us and if it doesn't work out the financial loss won't be too high. How long have you had yours? Are you satisfied with it or do you expect to trade up?
fastcarbon