ozroller

I found a Schwinn duosport Tandem online...I haven't looked at it yet, but I believe it may be too old and need much work to make ride able for distance. I like that it is steel and lugged...for softer stoker ride....my wife can't withstand rough ride. All the newer ones, in my price range, are aluminum. Anyway I fear that it may be too much work with 27 inch wheels.....old components.....I'm not a mechanic, either. thoughts ???

Ironfish653

If you have little faith in your mechanical abilities, then buy a new (er) bike. Since you say the bike looks like it needs a lot of work, it may be hard to find parts. Things like stoker stems and cranks can be difficult to find in mainstream parts supplies.

The ride qualities have more to do with frame geometry than frame material. A vintage tandem will be steel, because most vintage bikes were made of steel. A modern tandem will be Aluminum, because most modern bikes are made of aluminum.

Are you looking for a bike for touring/racing/distance or just pootling around town? For a townie / path bike, a beach-cruiser or MTB based bike would be enough. Single-speed, 1x7 or 3x7, on the heavy side, not fast, but 26x2.0 tires could provide a plush enough ride.

For a more sporting mount, you could fit a shock-absorbing post like the ThudBuster, or seek out an old Burley or Co-Motion that uses an Allsop-Softride beam. Those are really smooth riding.

JanMM

You might get more feedback if you post this on the Tandem forum.
I have no direct knowledge of the Duosport model but agree that 27 inch wheels could create issues sooner or later.
Sounds as if a suspension seatpost should be considered for your stoker. Pretty common for tandems to have that for the stoker.

thumpism 

The DuoSport was a nice '80s bike, much better than the older Peugeots and Gitanes that were what was usually found in that price range. I had a Gitane and would much rather have had the Schwinn with its longer rear cockpit. Read up on the bike's specs and check it over carefully to be sure of what you're getting, and just because a bike and its components are old does not mean they do not work. If the bike is cheap enough it might be worth buying to see if you two even like tandeming. Good luck!

Darth Lefty 

fietsbob

Putting a suspension seat post under the stoker's saddle is a common build in tandems..
you can find a several low cost posts, and also expensive ones..

Duo

well i have been riding Schwinn DuoSports for perhaps 10 years.

Verdict: Great Bicycle!

Very Durable, easy to work on and fun to ride. the 27" wheels and tires are better for us and cheap to find. the first one i bought was a clunker and had to learn bicycle mechanics to bring it back to life. worth every hour of work, everything was taken apart and greased. i replaced the junk wheels on the bike and installed cheap aluminum wheels, no problem.

found another one in better condition and bought it too. this one needs some over hauling, but i enjoy riding more than wrenching, as my time is now limited than before.

if money is no object then used high end tandems are easy to be had on Craigslist. we may eventually get one, but i have a feeling that they will probably be no better than the Duo Sport. these old tandems may have been hand assembled by Schwinn in their chicago factory. the tubing says Paramount tubing if mem serves, so they didn't scrimp on that either.

i got a couple bicycle repair books and just spent days lubing and replacing things. glad i did as now i can handle a boat load more of repair work than before. some days i ask my handicapped friend who rides tandem with me if we need a newer higher end machine. he has a 'what's the point' attitude about that.

in the end, you can learn tandem mechanics and find out if tandem riding is for you on the cheap. normally i would not ride tandem, but for a handicapped person, this makes a World of difference, riding a bicycle they could never do by them selves.

i have tried other tandems, funny though, this Old Schwinn beats out the 'higher end' bikes...it just feels right. we use drop bars for handlebars, the old components are quite beefy and don't wanna break. my newer bicycles, well all i gotta say is: 'where's the beef'.