I have had this bike probably 10 years, I have never ridden it. We have a couple other tandems so hasn't been a high priority, but I think its time to get on this thing.. If it is a '76 it would be a 50th anniversary bike :-). It needs a good cleaning, the paint may not look as good as it really is in these images since it has been hanging in the garage for years. I didn't want to just get after it and scratch the paint with the dust. I will get it outside and give it a good bath this weekend hopefully.

I would like to learn more about this, I know it has the not so desireable disc brake for a drag brake, of course the bar tape will be changed, assuming an early bike like this came with cloth tape originally?

Appreciate any and all input from those who know these bikes.







I have had this bike probably 10 years, I have never ridden it. We have a couple other tandems so hasn't been a high priority, but I think its time to get on this thing.. If it is a '76 it would be a 50th anniversary bike :-)

Santana should be able to tell you the year from the serial number. The marathon frame, Suntour friction barcons, Grab-Ons, and TA cranks indicate late 1970s to early 1980s. The rear hub brake looks somewhat like an Arai drum, not a disc.


Barely-relevant side comment: Grab-On still makes and sells handlebar grips (drop and flat bar) out of their Walla Walla factory / warehouse. I just bought a bunch for local nonprofits, at a price lower than Asian competition.

It’s definitely the early disc brake on the rear (I will get some pictures of it). might look more like a drum because the caliper is not mounted in any of these images.

I will get the Ser# off of it and reach out to Santana as well and report back what I find out.

I had a 1980 for some 30 years and loved it. It had an Arai drum for a drag brake. I never put that many miles on it as i never had a stoker who loved riding as much as I but I did do a fully loaded tour from Jasper to West Glacier on it in 1982. I also used it to deliver kids to birthday parties etc. The only issue I can remember is that I wanted to raise the bars higher than the existing stem allowed. I visited Santana about that and was told by Bill McCready the steerer was some weird size (BMX??) and stems not readily available. He tried to sell me on a new bike instead but I didn't like their tig welded frames nearly as much as my fillet brazed frame. McCready actually agreed the old ones were prettier. I lived with what I had.

Icefields Parkway


Logan Pass


Santa Barbara to San Diego - 1999?

Looks like a Phil Wood hub. Santana did use their early disc but they didn't have a big rotor. Maybe that was used to cool it down?

Thank you for sharing, I dig the color of your Santana, I have 2 early ones, they are both blue.

Funny, my bike came from San DIego, I bought it sight unseen, somehow got it to Washington state where I lived at the time never really unpacked than got moved to Socal where it has been hanging out until the last few days that I thought, I need to get this thing put back together and out for some rides.

Interesting info about the stem quill diameter, there was a 21.1 bmx size, but I recall mine having a fairly standard road stem on it. I will double check this tonight and see what I find.