First tandem - rethinking
 

I previously posted that I was considering the purchase of a used Burley Duet as my first tandem. We decided that it was too much to spend considering I've never actually been on a tandem. (I'm convinced I'll love it, and my wive previously has enjoyed tandeming).

Found another tandem on Craigslist, this one an unamed model for $300. At that price, I could rent a Trek Cruiser tandem for less than 6 days. Any idea what this thing is?

http://chicago.craigslist.org/wcl/bik/405101619.html

Looks like a Micargi Tandem:

http://www.amazon.com/Micargi-Tandem.../dp/B0001UXJMK

If so, then the price they are asking is very similar to the price of a new one, e.g.:
http://cgi.ebay.com/26-Tandem-Bike-S...QQcmdZViewItem

There was a thread about those a while back.

Go for the Duet.

Andy:

We are new tandem owners- less than a month now. We bought ours on craigslist.

I do not know what brand that one is but it looks to be in very good condition. You can probably sell it for what you pay for it if you don't enjoy the experience.

It will be a great bike to learn on if it fits you fairly well. You can get your tandem coordination down on this bike and upgrade later.

Our first ride was on a wider tired tandem. We rode it for about 2 hours. We had such a good time that I immediately searched on craigslist and found our current bike. We now have a co-motion supremo which is a road bike. Every time we ride together we become more of a team. The little things which we had to think about on our first rides now come naturally.

Be sure to search this forum and the internet for information on "how" to ride a tandem. It will make your experience much better.

Good luck

It's a Peerless...
 

Owner messaged me back and said it was a Peerless, which based on another thread I came across, is basically the same thing as a Micargi.

Maybe we'll just rent one or twice and then see what we want to do.

I agree, if you later want to sell it and you should be able get your money back, you won't find much of a market to resell the Micargi

Looks like the dept. store tandem. Depending on what store as to what name they put on it. Sears calls the aluminum frame version a Mongoose and the steel frame a Pacific. I think walmart and target also used those names(along with others) when they had them. Sears list the steel frames for $179 and aluminum are $249. I think they all use the same low end components.

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http://i19.tinypic.com/4tu2k2w.jpg

I was in a similar situation as you.I am am avid cyclist and racer...my girlfreind just likes to ride(slowly...nothing wrong with that, it's just hard to do together)
We talked about getting a tandem...and ended up renting one just to see if it would work out.
We had a lot of fun...but both of us were a little uptite about plunking down the bucks ( I can get a great team deal on a Cannondale) and having the thing just sit there.
We kept putting it off...and I kept my eye on craigslist ( I found Ebay way over priced). A really nice Co-motion showed up but sold before I could get to it. Then a Cannondale Mt800 showed up....the thing was mint with upgrades...got it for $800...I figured I could easily sell it if things didn't work out.
I wanted a road version....but put slicks on the MT and we've put 600 miles on it in the past 2 months.I get the workout I want. she gets the workout and scenery she wants. and we get to do it together..which is the big bonus!

So rent one...maybe a couple of times.
Then decide if it's for you...all while keeping your eyes on the classifieds...the deals are out there ( and I don't think that one your looking at is a deal)

There's a multitude of under $300 tandem look-alikes for sale.
Just be aware, you usually get what you pay for.
Quality lasts . . .

Don't buy a $300 tandem. You will quickly break something on it, or you, and it will be a waste of time and money to fix it and resell it.

don't buy cheap
 

it's better to buy a quality used tandem than cheaper newer one. tandems put 2x the stress on the components and i prefer not to put myself and my partner at risk. my thought s are to buy a quality used tandem w/26" twheels (that way you can use either skinny or fat tires). one last thought, when you buy a tandem online don't forget about the shipping. it can be as much as $300 so you need to figure it in total price. i agree with the "renting first idea" i've seen some smokin' deals on quality used tandems on e-bay just don't forget to add the shipping cost.
good luck
i have 3 tandems, it's a great experience with the right partner

joel