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New tandem tale...

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New tandem tale...

Old 05-15-02, 10:11 PM
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New tandem tale...

It all started Feb 14 (valentines day). I decided that for valentines day that I would borrow a friends Schwinn Duo sport tandem and take my noncycling but athletic girlfriend out for a day of cycling and a lunch at a small cafe here in seattle. The day went really well and we had covered maybe 20 miles and had a great time. My girlfriend and I being first timers with a tandem had 20 minutes of instruction on how to operate the "big bike". We decided not to return the schwinn to it's rightful owner just yet, we deciced that it would be fun to hit some of the longer trails and maybe putts around on it for a few days. It didn't take long (there goes that Klein Quantum that I wanted) for us to decide that we REALLY enjoyed the rides and we needed to find a tandem for us! We started looking around and talking to people and gathering as much information as we could. Briana (my girlfriend) came home with an article out of a magazine that featured a Raleigh tandem and the price was "too" good. So we went and rode one... It did not go well, every time we put power to the cranks the rear chain would jump. With a stoker aboard it was just irritating, with just me on it became fairly dangerous throwing the bike violently to one side. The LBS tried in vain to fix it, new chain rings, cassette, chain, and finally the cranks. Nothing could repair it's woes. Cya... We decided that we were not going to get off that cheap so we visited a dealer that sold a number of nice tandems. Unfortunately it was a very busy sunday and the place was a mad house with a large sale. We rode a Burley softride. I liked it, Briana didn't (too bouncy). I could hardly tell she was there. More research and more rides on the Schwinn.. We found a local shop that sold Cannondale, performance wise we thought this to be a good "package" all the way around. We put a deposit down and ordered a black 2K2 MT800 (at 37yrs I wanted the flat bars), delivery date 3 weeks. We make some plans for some summer tours and maybe some local bike club rides.. A week later we find out that it will be almost 7 weeks before we will see our bike. Now that we know which bike we want and not wanting to wait until mid summer to get it we start calling, we find a black 2K1 in portland and decide to make the trip down to get it. Come to find out it's BBQ black which is the matte finish black and not the gloss, that's ok. We rode it and fell in love with it. All the red stuff I have for my other bike goes well with it and I have bought Briana some matching stuff. We also had the shop install some specialized nimbus 26/1.5 tires that I favor on my other bike.
So we have had our Cannondale for just a few days and have put a few miles on it and so far it has been flawless. We are looking foward to the journey that the little Schwinn has put us on. And thanks Roger for knowing that you would not see your bike again for several months
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Old 05-16-02, 08:20 PM
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Nice story. Welcome to tandem world!
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Old 05-20-02, 05:56 PM
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Cool story!
Many Happy Tandem Miles to both of you!

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Old 08-06-02, 10:07 AM
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great tale hope you have a load of fun....

i remember when our first tandem arrived...

we were both so excited that we put it together and rode in the snow... to the end of the pier in girvan....

hope to hear re upcoming tours ect

start to get worried when your partner starts reading cycling
magazines lol

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Old 08-06-02, 10:22 AM
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We've had a cannondale "Los Dos" since 1997 and love it. It has been a very good reliable bike, you guys should love yours. Ours has not gotton much use in the last 2 years, but my 7 year old son and I just started riding it a few weeks back - and we're having a load of fun.
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Old 09-11-02, 11:46 PM
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I liked your story. Our introduction to tandeming was very similar as my wife's birthday is Feb. 20 so I combined the two dates, borrowed a Crestline (by Dyno) just to try it and three weeks later there was a shiny KHS Tandemania Sport in the garage. We tested a Burley that felt "flimsy" and flexible. The Dyno is out of production and the KHS is really comfortable. I installed semi-slicks on 26" MTB wheels and for sunday rides it is a blast. And the stoker is never wrong
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Old 09-12-02, 07:46 AM
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Hello there Fellow tandemists, I'm new to this posting stuff, but I have been reading this forum since about springtime.I ride tandem with my mom on our cannondale MT800, it's such a blast and I really like when I get to read stories like PVt. cowboy's here..It's always good to hear about people who come over to tandeming like I did..I also ride my half bike as tandem enthusaists reffer to them, but recently I've been doing a lot of tandeming to get ready for the recent Midwest tandem rally (MTR) that my mom and I attended this past labor day weekend...So both of us have taken quite heavily twards the tandem and are enjoying every minute of it...So with that, I wish you PVT. cowboy a great time in the world of tandeming..You certianly in my mind have a great bike to do it on, as I'm a big fan of cannondales, 2 of my single bikes are cannondales also, so good choice and I'll also wish you many happy tandeming miles in the future..
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