We are talking tandems here! Our $2200 tandem is rock solid at 56 mph. It has 48 spokes and HUGE hub flanges compared to a regular roadie. The bike was super steady but our glasses and helmets were shake rattle and a rollin'! I was more afraid of my helmet evaporating than I was about the wheels.

And Homey's tandem is a little more expensive than mine, $10 maybe?

Thank goodness our hill was only one mile long. Although I was not scared at the time, I still get nightmarish flashes of what might have happened to my wife if something had gone wrong! A dog, a squirrel etc ....I won't do it again!

BTW, I have read articles in Bicycling mag about velodrome racers reaching speed of 60 mph on tandems. I don't think they would lie and that's on a track with no downhill. One crashed and the rider was in a coma. Not for me!