2006 Burley Tosa Tandem
 

Hello all! I just found this forum, what a great resource. My husband and I are newer to the tandem world, we have enjoyed riding a mid-90's Burley Rock n Roll for the past few months and are ready to buy something of our own. I saw an ad for a 2006 Burley Tosa for $999, reportedly in excellent condition with low mileage. Would this be a good possibility for a first tandem, and is the price fair? Thanks in advance for any advice!

http://www.bikepedia.com/quickbike/B...e#.UEa5vOIgjC8

This the bike?

I would say thats decen't, but there is no way for us to tell you what a good price would be. The market for tandems, and bikes in general, varies greatly from place to place.

It is most certainly a possible.... we came into tandem riding and "missed out" on a Burley very similar to the one you are considering at a very similar price.... in the end we picked up a 'dale instead.

Just a couple of things to consider (others may give you more informed advice) - I personally would not compromise on fit. Having done so with a solo (and regretted it somewhat) I would NEVER do so with a tandem. So make sure the frame is built to take both your builds.

The next thing to consider is mileage/condition. I say this because when we bought our 'dale we had to budget for a spend which was equal to the bike because we needed to swap out the whole transmission (worn out) and upgrade the shifting system to "future proof" our ride. Since then I discovered an equal further spend was needed for a rear hub upgrade. By and large I would LIKE to imagine tandem sellers are pretty honest folk and will tell you the mileage. Do not make the mistake of thinking the wear will be the same as for a solo though - tandems naturally put more strain on the rear chain and transmission / wheels as a whole.

Not sure what more I personally can offer, it is all a bit personal from there on in. Burley is a fine make though. My main advice is that this is going to be a purchase you stick with and invest in if you're sticking with tandem riding.... so despite any eagerness to get started do your best to hold out and make the best purchase you can. Any feeling of "not quite sure" then back off, though if you are anything like as keen as I was when discovering tandems that will be hard advice to take!

Welcome to the forum and, moreso, to the wonderful world of tandems!

As me and my fiancee often joke - wherever your relationship is going, it gets there faster on a tandem!

So, you don't own the Burley Rock 'N Roll? Because if you did, it isn't clear the Tosa would be much of an upgrade. The Tosa has an aluminum frame, the R&R steel. As a proud owner of a early 90's Rock 'N Roll, I think this tandem is just fine for a new tandem team. With the wide tires, it sure is comfortable! We use it now for urban tandeming, as in here, going out to dinner.

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7128/7...e19f60c1_z.jpg

I think it would make a great 1st Tandem for the money.... that is, if it is the red one that is for sale on E'bay and if it is as stated. Burley was a solid builder, nice aluminum frame (should be a bit stiffer ride than the R&R), the component are quite good and it sounds well maintained. I don't see a downside for the money. Worst case, if you hate it, I don't see how you can loose much money on resale...good luck in your search.
Bill J.

Disclaimer...I'm not the seller of this Tosa nor connected to it in any way.

If it fits both of you, go for it!

A grand for a used Burley sounds about right to me, the question is of course the condition and what components, if any have been upgraded/swapped out. As others have said fit is important so depending on your access to the Rock & Roll try to keep focused on fit instead of price/availability.

Thanks for the good input to this newbie everyone...We are borrowing the R&R for now and the fit is a bit off for me, so I think we will make sure during our search that we get that right. After all, we want to be able to enjoy it as much as possible!

Nice bike Ritterview! We are borrowing the one we are using now. We do a lot of urban riding as well, great way to get to some nice restaurants without fighting for a parking spot :)