Just wanted to share a pic for those who don't visit the tandem section . .
our beloved Electra Hellbetty -

I've never ridden a tandem bike. Is it that difficult to get used to?

Didn't know electra made a tandem

Pretty bike! I like the top tube bends and the bobbed rear fender.

The Electra Hellbetty is a pretty cool retro-styled tandem. I'm sure it is great for casual riding and with that fat rear tire must give a really cushy ride. How long have you had it?

I have three tandems, a 1984 Davidson, a 1961 Fiorelli and a 2003 Burley Rivazza. Pictures below natch.


Davidson Tandem Bicycle - 13 by Sallad Rialb, on Flickr


Fiorelli Tandem - 16 by Sallad Rialb, on Flickr


Burley - 02 by Sallad Rialb, on Flickr

Interested to see how that Shimano three speed hub holds up to tandem duty.

I'll be interested in longevity and reliability with that Shimano hub in tandem duty also. Ditto the Sturmey AW that's on my Fiorelli. The hub on the Fiorelli has seemingly held up over 50 years of riding, though, so it may not be an issue ultimately.

That Electra tandem hurts my knees to look at it. How short are you two?

fify

Fair enough. I suppose that's not a polite question to ask anyhow.

It's a lot like riding a single, but with nagging.

Colonel, I am 5' 11", my beloved stoker "Turbo" is 5' 5". It really fits us perfectly for the casual riding we do.

Waphz, the tandem was surprisingly easy for us to learn. I ride a 24" BMX cruiser a few times a month, but my wife/stoker hadn't been on a bike for several years. The Betty is not a performance bike, but it is well designed for comfort and doesn't wobble half as much as the similar looking Schwinn tandem.

WNG & Photogravity, thanks -we are in love with her. We purchased the Betty about a month ago after strongly considering a Trek T900. We decided on style, comfort, and easy maintenance over performance based on our anticipated style of riding. The only thing not super great about the bike is the PWA brake system.

Love your stable of bikes Photogravity!

+1 That is a true fact!

When we were first looking for a tandem we considered a Trek T900, but decided we didn't like it that much. Ultimately, we decided to go to the used market. The Burley was our first tandem and is great for faster rides, but is not too horribly comfortable for riding on the C&O canal towpath which is a crushed stone/dirt surface. I changed to MTB bars on the Davidson, to ride it on the C&O, but it still isn't that great for that purpose The Davidson is great for longer rides, but I refuse to put it on the towpath since it only has one scratch on it and I intend to keep it that way for as long as possible. The Fiorelli is very laid back and will be the first choice for riding on non-paved surfaces. It needs tires and a shifter cable before we can ride it, but that'll be happening soon. You mentioned the PWA brake system. Is that the Shimano roller/drum brake system?

Oh, and thanks for the compliment on my stable of bikes. Other than perhaps 3 or 4 of the bikes in my collection, it's really pretty pedestrian, but it's all mine and I like it, so that's all that matters!

That is the "Plan Well Ahead" system
They call it a "roller brake", as far as I can tell that means it keeps rolling when you brake. At least it doesn't skid out. . .