cap'n_Rob

anyone know of a used track tandem around? really don't want to spend the bux for new to play around on the velodrome w/girlfriend

ultraman6970

well if girly is a lot smaller than u ull be in troubles anyways... I think it will be better get a bike for herself u know... besides... what if she doesnt like the track?? U'll be stucked trying to sell that stuff... or what if the relationship ends??? u can get the bike back or give it to her or sell it or sometihng.. wt-hell r u going to do with a tandem as a statue in the garage?? think in those things 1st hehehe... If she was my wife i would think in the posibility of getting a tandem... but nah! my wife wont ride in a track ever! hehe...

um

good luck

11.4

Sizing? Tom Kellogg had one at one point that he built for Mike Beers. Davidson also has a used one right now in his shop that may be for sale (Elliott Bay Bicycles in Seattle). I think Bill Ron has one. And Marcus at Yojimbo's in Chicago was looking for some, I believe for a paraolympic competition -- he'll certainly know where they are at the moment and might have his hands on a few.

Besides the fact that it's a fairly pricey experiment, even used, there's also the issue that they are quite squirrelly to ride. They flex, creak, and do all kinds of weird things that single bikes don't do. Most people don't like them. I used to race tandem with Leusencamp, Ash, etc., and this is one event I'm not sad to see go away. On the track they're completely different critters from road tandems. The market for track tandems is very very small, mostly for blind or deaf stokers and others who can't compete on a single. I'd encourage you to find one and try it before you plunk down money for one.

cap'n_Rob

good advice,
ult, sizings prob not an issue, i race tandem on the road and off and i can usually fit the rear for a fairly wide range of sizes, she also races on the track so her bailing on me shouldn't be a prob. i'v also captained some local blind athletes in races and figure there's pretty good interest there as well. although, if it gets around how hard i crashed at the short track championships in london this weekend, there may be second thoughts.
11.4, i've ridden an old cinelli track tandem around our 200m and it flexed, creaked, and did all sorts of wierd things a single doesn't. but i'm hoping something more modern, stiffer, just plain old better, wont be all that bad.

anymore insight out there?

11.4

The only two track tandems I've ever ridden that didn't flex and creak like crazy were one by Tom Kellogg and one by Mario Confente. If you want one today, I'd certainly look to Tom. There's a special art to making them, and Tom's the master.

11.4

A track tandem just showed up on the Seattle Craigslist:

https://seattle.craigslist.org/bik/137026409.html

I don't know it, but the price is pretty good.

zonatandem

Co-Motion also builds track tandem$!

cap'n_Rob

yea, i'm a co-motion dealer and ride/race co-motions on the road and in the woods. coolest thing would be a matching track tandem but like i said, i just don't want to lay out that much coin. maybe down the road if i found a stoker that was interested and competitive.......

CafeRacer

That was you on the NAS Track??? Dude I was on my rollers, listening to my headphones warming up for the senior race and I could hear that crash! I ignord it so i wouldnt think about it. But it was hard to ignor it after seeing what happened. Props to getting up man! Hope your healing up. Theres a couple nice photos of you and a void in your shorts, hahaha

J

cap'n_Rob

yeah, i saw the one photo of me laying at the bottom of the track in a pile of hurt, track rash in plain view, nice. actually rash wasn't that bad but the impact put a huge bruise on my entire thigh. just now able to sit reasonably comfortable. prob. a real good thing we were a bit off the front so the pack didn't pile on. still, blew my disc up though.

cap'n_Rob

thanks for the tip there 11.4, pretty sure i saw and bid on that bike last year on ebay. missed it as i went out of town at just the wrong time, looks like an ok deal but i think i remember it haveing a disk on it and it selling for a bit less than it's listed.