Originally Posted by
speedevil
My wife and I are interested in trying out a tandem, but I have not been able to find a used one with a small/small cockpits. There are a number of chinese bikes on ebay but I would likely be very disappointed with them. I ride a Cannondale CAAD8 50cm with Campy Veloce, and she rides a Trek hybrid.
Are used small tandems available, or is it just uncommon enough that I haven't been looking in the right places?
I'm a decent mechanic (I built the C'dale including the wheels), so I could probably work through most issues but I have zero experience with tandems.
Suggestions welcomed. We are in western Kentucky, if that info is helpful.
KHS size small (Milano, Cross, and Alite) tandems might fit the bill for you. The frame reach is pretty close to your 50cm CAAD8, and they have fairly low standover (especially the Alite). They're entry-level, but nicer than a Giordano. Not sure about used ones, but Tandems East has a few in stock:
KHS Tandem offerings from Tandems East
Bike Friday Family Travelers have a decent repuation, too. I'm not sure about the top tube lengths, but they look highly adjustable. I recently built a wheel for some tandem riders who prefer their 20" wheeled Bike Friday Family Traveler to their 26" wheeled Burley Rock n Road of similar vintage. I see one listed at Tandems East:
Tandems East Closeouts
Others have mentioned getting an MTB tandem and installing drop bars. That is the exact opposite of what you should do. MTB frames have longer top tubes than road bikes. Installing drop bars increases the reach relative to flat bars. You might be able to make a too-large road frame work as a hybrid by installing flat bars.