Just catching up a bit...
Originally Posted by
waynesulak
You make a very good point but I would add the weight with the team including personal gear is what is really hauled up the hills.
Exactly... that's the logical end point where folks need to go. But, as cycling enthusiasts and equipment freaks we tend to focus on the weight of the machine not the gross vehicle weight when calculating our weight savings.
Originally Posted by
DubT
This is very true however, the difference between a 40 pound tandem and a 27 pound tandem is still 13 pounds even when you add all of the aforementioned items, it is still 13 pounds less weight to haul up those hills. There is absolutely no way that I would want to go back to our old 40 pound bike.
No doubt. Lighter wheels and lighter bikes always "feel" better and more lively. But, at the end of the day and at least while riding Wayne makes the real point on bicycle weight reductions: If your team weighs 350 lbs and your tandem weighs 40lb, going to a 27 lb tandem reduces the weight you must haul up hill by 3%, far less than the amazing 32% weight reduction that was achieved with the change in tandem. It's kind of the same story on adding aero wheels to a tandem. By themselves, some of the low-drag wheels can really demonstrate amazing reductions compared to conventional wheels in a wind tunnel. However, when you put them on a tandem where the biggest source of drag is the riders, those stand-alone drag reductions attributed to the wheels are quickly marginalized. It's just the way this stuff works once you look at the entire package.
All that said and getting back to the original theme of the thread, the quality of the ride we enjoy on our Calfee can't be matched. With over 12k miles on the clock since getting it sorted-out there's not a thing about it that I'd change. Our Topolino wheels have redeemed themsevles after the front wheel's teething pains were solved and have provided close to 5k miles of trouble-free service. The '07 Rolfs have also been fun given the placebo effect they provide, but we could sell those off and never think twice about not having them available. The 36h conventional wheels are still bomb-proof and available if needed for tours and have even been pressed into service on our triplet. Again, the ONLY nit that I've found with the Calfee design is the minor aero drag penalty those really big frame tubes yield once you get into the mid- to upper- 20 mph range. But even that is hard to quantify as sport / recreational cyclists.
Originally Posted by
twocicle
Here is a pic of what you suggested... PC991 (9spd chain) + 3/32" half-link. While the half-link is the same length (1/2") and roller width (3/32") they appear to have no desire to match the height of regular chains.
Yeah, that's what they look like... definitely not the sexiest-looking solution, but no ill effect on a direct drive chain's function as you've discovered. I finally opted to remove the 1/2 link from our Calfee and, instead, put it on the Erickson such that both bikes still have the same saddle set-back over spindle... which is that I'm sensitive to.