Best "all sport" tandem?
 

The wife and I are holding off till spring to buy our tandem (actually will get it in March to avoid the rush). In the fall we always get the itching for some off-road riding (not technical stuff, but fire roads, two-tracks, etc), while in the spring and summer it's almost all road riding we do.

Is there one tandem that can satisfy our pavement and rock pounding ways? We are looking at the Burley line of bikes.

I'm thinking maybe of a mountain tandem, and possibly getting a 2nd set of wheels/tires for riding on the road, and maybe a set of drop handlebars?

I dunno...it's a tall order, I know that. Any suggestions?

Thanks!
Vickie (and Andy - who is in Louisiana right now).

Santana makes a 26" wheeled tandem with drop bars that would fit the bill:

http://www.santanatandem.com/fusionse.html

Burley's off-roaders Samba and Rock 'n Roll have a drop bar option . . .
. . . and you can swap tires: take off trail knobbies and put on slix for road . . .

Just saw the drop bar option on the Burley's...looks like that's what we'll be getting...!

Thanks.

If you are thinking of Fire roads and tracks,I would think about straight bars. This sort of track does lead to a stray on the offroad tracks, and hopefully onto full offroad. On the bike front- No need to go to suspension front- Until the offroad bug gets you, but a stoker suspension post will be a must.

Plenty of manufacturers out there, but look at one that is the right size for the pair of you, and do try to look at the quality of wheels, as even fireroads will hammer them. For that reason, think 26" as they are inherrantly stronger. If mainly fireroad with the odd foray into road, then something like a semi-slick mountain tyre will be ok. Good enough grip on loose fireroad surface, and not too much drag on tarmac.