The_Schwill

This is a serious question, where would I be able to find a three or four person tandem?

I know that Kozy's in Chicago has one at the store, but don't know if it is for sale. Is this a custom job for a frame builder or something that I could find at an LBS or online.

Thanks,

Dan

MB1

Santana cycles keeps plenty of triplets in stock. I believe quads are custom.

TandemGeek

Some questions:

1. For what type of riding: family fun, organized rides, epic journey?
2. How often will it be used: weekly, monthly, special occasions?
3. What size riders: adults, adult with kids or both?
4. How much are you budgeting?
5. How would you rate your skills when it comes to working on your own bikes?

merlinextraligh

Not sure of your intended use, but if the 3rd and 4th person are small children, then a tag along bike with a conventional tandem is a viable option.

Also BikeFriday makes tandems that are convertible from 2 to 3 riders.

Stray8

Or if you're just looking for exercise for a foursome you can try looking for a surrey:




Or a more modern roadster version:




https://www.incredicycles.com/kernel/...OADSTERWEB.pdf

Roadster - 4 Person Cycle

The Roadster 4 pedaler is a four person quadracycle with four pedaling stations. It has 3 gears, with two independent shifters on each of the front seats.

Price: $ 2,695.00

https://www.incredicycles.com/product...son_cycle.html

TandemGeek

Actually, that would be better characterized as a cheap knock-off of Dr. Ruedi Frey's Zero Emissions Machines (ZEM), which he developed back in the mid-90's and then introduced to the market in '99.



You can read more about it here: https://www.zem.ch/bilder/08_download...ke_culture.pdf

'Double' magazine (which only survived for two issues in the Spring & Summer of '02, included a feature in their inaugural Spring issue. MSRP for the real McCoy 4-seater version was $5,900. We ran an item in our Bulletin Board at www.thetandemlink.com back in Jun of '02 after Justin Benham of Alternative Vehicle Distributors in Tempe, AZ, contacted us about gaining access to one of the two-seat models as a demo for a few months. However, that never came to pass as the US market -- at least places outside of boardwalks and resorts -- just weren't conducive to a quadracycle.

The ZEM's were really quite exceptional in their quality and components. The thing being blown out by Overstock.com of Canada appears to be lacking in many, many ways.

More than anyone wanted to know, but since we're already headed off topic I figure what the heck: let's at least make it informative.

zonatandem

Did see one of those surrey-type bikes (with a fringe on top) in a local cycling event. The folks riding it were having a ball, but no way could they get the darn thing up on the first rise in the road.
Great for flat boardwalks and family photo-ops.
Suggest The Schwill check with Kozy's in the windy city of that multi seater is indeed for sale.

Stray8

Very informative indeed.

Well, I suppose that the cheapness of knock offs at least has the effect of lowering the cost barrier to wider adoption for these unusual vehicles...










.

TandemGeek

So long as it's not represented to be anything more than a boardwalk surrey without the top, I have no problem with it. The concern becomes creating the impression that consumers are buying something that's not what it pretends to be.

The ZEM-4 is / was a very safe (two channel, 4-wheel hydraulic Grimeca discs), very stable (nearly a 5' wheelbase with elastomer suspension), quadracycle that uses mulltiple (4), premium grade 7 speed drivetrain.

The 'Roadster' is a much heavier machine that uses marginal brakes (2 rear drums, no front brakes), a very narrow wheelbase (32") with high CG, no apparent suspension aside from the tires, and a pair of 3 speed Sturmey Archer internally geared hubs which are also marginal for anything but completely level terrain on anything with the kind of weight the machine is purportedly designed to handle.

In short, the ZEM would be analogous to a high-end road or off-road tandem, whereas the Roadster is more like a 3 speed cruiser tandem you'd find at a big box store: you get what you pay for... and sometimes less.

However, neither of these is a viable alternative to someone looking for information on a 3 or 4-seat tandem bicycle.

WSGS

There was a Meridian triplet recently listed at:
https://www.tandemmag.com/classified/