With grand kids getting older (range in age from 1 to 8 years old), I had the opportunity to pick up a fairly new tandem at a flea market last fall. For the grand kids that are still a little too short to reach the pedals, I was wondering if "pedal blocks" actually work, or if there's a better option? I don't want to make a major permanent change to the bike, as oldest grand child can ride the bike as-is.
Here's the product I was looking at, or is there a better option? https://www.amazon.com/SunLite-pdh411.../dp/B000MK29H0

Pedal blocks do work, but only in a limited way. Because the force i applied so far above the spindle, there's a tendency for the blocked pedal to spin out from under the feet if there's any forward force (not through the spindle) applied. This is fine with children's tricycles, and kids adapt, so it may be fine for the tandem if you're not expecting a ton of help from the rear engine.

Tandems East sells crank shorteners which will work much better although they are considerably more expensive.

I recommend crank arm adaptors. I have used them on two tandems and a triplet with my daughters, and they work great. They are adjustable, as the child grows taller, and are easy to remove when no longer needed. They are not expensive, and are not very noticeable, from an esthetics perspective.

I think that's more what I had in mind, instead of the the "pedal blocks". Is that what you are talking about? Amazon.com : Ride2 Crank Arm Shorteners for up to 43mm wide 9/16 arms : Bike Cranksets And Accessories : Sports & Outdoors

Back in the early 80's I fastened blocks made from two-by-fours to a set of pedals and then screwed toe clips and straps to the top of the blocks and our daughter put many a mile on the back of the tandem. Goes to show how resilient kids are, we rode a significant overnight ride on the Sparta Elroy trail using this primitive method. With poverty comes ingenuity. :-)

For the cost of those adapters, couldn't you do one of the adjustable bottom brackets? That bolt on higher up on the frame? That is what I run.

They do look well made, but man I bet I could offer something like that for less.

The block are nice and affordable.. so the rubber band tension holds them in place?

That's the way it looks to me, rubber bands holding them together.

Good idea. I understand the "poverty" situation..... :-)

I have used pedal blocks. They are okay. Not as good as proper kiddy cranks but a light lighter and substantially cheaper.

I drilled holes through some jarrah (wonderful WA timber) and used zipties to attach the blocks to the pedals (threaded through the reflector and toeclip holes). Much more durable than rubber bands of any type, and cheap.

Then I attached some nice short metal toeclips (could only find them retail in London so snapped them up on my trip there in 2014) to the blocks with timber screws.

The toeclip strap ran thru the pedal itself in the normal way.

Next, I used occy straps (you may know them as bungee cords?) running from the back of the captain's pedals to the front of the stoker's pedals to keep the stokers pedals in the upright position so The Young Bloke (TYB) could get his feet in easily. Even so due to the lack of grip on the pedal block his feet would often bounce out over bumpy sections when offroad. I could have remedied this I guess by adding something grippy to the pedal block...


I attach a snap of the MTB tandem set up with rear blokes, you may be able to zoom in for detail. This tandem is very leeeetle at the back and there was no room for kiddy cranks. Now TYB is big enough and I have removed the pedal blocks. Have also taken the kiddy cranks off the Fuji road tandem recently.

Should be good when TYB starts on clipless pedals (SPDs).


Good luck, post photos!


Will

5k; The different adapters can work assuming the seat at its lowest setting gets the feet down to the pedals. I had went down that route way back and failed at it. I ended up getting a CHILD STOKER KIT which simply mounts a bottom bracket further up the rear seat tube. It worked well for many years and was easy to adjust as kids, grandkids and guests came and went. Just kept a small cloth bag of pieces of chain and a couple of required tools wire-tied into a bottle cage. Noting also that one of the Tag-a-Long's can work for most circumstances. I keep on hanging in the shop just in case.

By coincidence; the next post in this forum titled "fixing up my "new" old burley duet" shows an installed Child Stoker Kit.