Originally Posted by
cyccommute
Passionate? Yes. Hostile? No.
I, like many others, think that bike fit is important. Unlike many others, I don’t think some people should just have to settle for whatever is available. I’ve been through 40 bikes in my life because I’m seeking a better bike each time. My wife has been through 24 bikes over the same period seeking one that fits properly. There’s a huge difference between those two goals. When someone says, “oh, the fit really doesn’t matter”, they are seldom referring to their own bikes.
I must be who bikes are designed for, because I've never owned a bike I couldn't ride all day without physical issues other than getting tired. In the past 70 years, I've owned and ridden 10 bikes, only 2 of them bought new.
Before deciding on a tandem, we took a test ride on a display tandem which was a different model and fit. That was a complete disaster, but I went ahead with my purchase plans anyway because I knew it wasn't right. I knew from a catalog exactly what model and size of tandem I wanted. I searched for a used one for a couple years, finally found one in Texas and had it shipped. It fit both of us perfectly with the usual adjustments.
When I bought my carbon single, I had the salesperson mount the size I guessed at on a trainer and loved it. I did change out the stem later on. For the 2 new bikes, I picked out about the right size from a catalog and adjusted it. The used bikes I just swung a leg over.
Originally Posted by
cyccommute
I’m not following your point. The bottom bracket tube on a tandem is seldom anything but level. I’ve seen a few that might slope upward but I’ve never seen a downward sloping bottom bracket tube. You probably don’t want a downward sloping bottom bracket tube because it would result in the rear bottom bracket being lower and more likely to either drag on bumps or to result in pedal strikes in corners or even pedal strikes on level ground.
I’m also seeing how a level bottom bracket tube results in a greater standover height for the stoker. A higher rear top tube, yes, but not a level bottom bracket tube. The reason it is more difficult for the stoker to mount is because the rear of the bike is too large. In other words, you are asking the stoker to settle for what they have and make the most of it.
That’s not what anyone should have to do on any bike…single or tandem. If you think that “just making do” is acceptable, then, again, I suggest you go get a bike that is several sizes too large for you and go for a ride. I have done this during test rides at my local co-op. It’s illuminating.
It's not the standover height, which we both have. Stoker and I both mount by swinging a leg over the saddle, which as I've said now a couple times is comparatively higher for my stoker than for me. The older one gets, the higher that saddle seems. I've seen too much paint lost of top tubes to like that method. The stoker's compartment is a perfect fit, i.e. Stoker is short enough to fit in a standard Gates belt length compartment.
Originally Posted by
cyccommute
I happen to agree that my stoker “rules” as you say. That’s why I went a very long way out of my way (three days and 2200 miles out of my way) to ensure that she has a tandem that fits her and she doesn’t have to compromise. I’ve also gone out of my way to ensure that her single bikes fit well.
For my wife, I bought a 7-speed MTB conversion many years ago, all stock MTB except with drop bars and brifters. It's a positively brilliant solution for short folks. She runs 1" tires on it. I'm not that familiar with all the mix and match possibilities for such conversions. I suspect that later Shimano components won't mesh like that. She had owned a mixte before that, an OK bike but heavy and clumsy.