Originally Posted by FarHorizon
Since I'm not positive that she'll go for this long-term, would I do better to shop for a used Worksman coaster-brake, single-speed tandem?
If your LBS has one of the Trek 900's in stock that is sized well enough to allow you to safely operate the bike and that you can test ride, by all means do so. You'll want to first test ride it with a sales associate from the store and then, after you're comfortable with how the tandem handles, with your wife as stoker. The Trek T900 is an excellent entry level tandem that seems to be very popular in areas that have bike paths, outselling the premium Trek tandems by a very large margins. They're also well-made and have Trek's brand/warranty/dealer network behind them which means a lot in terms of "added value" to you the buyer and at resale time. I'm also liking the Trek retro-cruiser tandem with Nexus hub... Perfect for the bike path and casual riding... Not what I'd choose to ride for more than 5 or 10 miles on anything but relatively flat roads at very casual speeds, but well suited for the target market.
Once you have a test ride under your belts, re-evaluate if there's enough merit to purchasing a tandem. If the extent of your riding will be purely recreational and not "fast recreational/sport riding" the T900 or similar models will be more than adequate.