PMK

When we recently bought this Speedster it was advertised as a medium 2002, but turned out being a 2000 model and a small. After some digging through the vintage parts boxes, I wound up building what seems to be a hot rod hybrid speedster.

Most important thing is the wife / stoker is comfy, and we're pretty close. Being a MTB girl with no road experience, this has been a good compromise. With bar ends it's good for me too.

So for now this will be how this one rolls.

FWIW, I did go with downtube shifters, and just yesterday modified an adjustable 1 1/8 cheapy stem by boring it to 29.8. This made me feel better knowing that chrome tube of the Co-Mo adjustable stoker stem was gone, and not there to inflict injury in mounting or if we were to drop it.

So from our original buy, we are using the frame, seatposts, captains saddle, wheels / tires, chains, cranks, BB's, brakes and derailuers.

The changes included going with flat bars with bar ends, XT V brake levers, downtube shifters, rack, lights, Terry for the stoker and SPD 747's.

The bike rolls fast, rides smooth, and is comfortable plus fun.

So please don't tar and feather me for building what seems like a Corvette, with an Impala body.

After seeing the recent ebay White Cannondale with Aerospokes and flat bars, I didn't feel quite as guilty.

Thanks to everyone that offered advice, either from current or old posts.

Jeanne and Paul

zonatandem

Enjoy the ride TWOgether!

oldacura

My only concern would be with the stem. Boring out a stem - even a little bit - could weaken it significantly. This could be very dangerous in either position. You might be OK but it could break unexpectedly at any time - soon or in the distant future. If it is going to break, it will break when under the most stress.

Be very sure this modification is OK.

I doubt that many on this forum are concerned with how your ride looks if it suits you.

Good luck & have fun.

Chris_W

I'm all for customization, and not worrying would someone else might say based on aesthetics. However, I have to agree with oldacura - the bored out rear stem is very worrying. I would have kept the stem you like as it was, then found a seat post that fitted the stem without any modification, then used a shim to make the new seat post fit in the frame correctly. Anyway, enjoy the riding, it can be even more enjoyable when you have it dialed in just right for you both.

Elkhound

As long as you're happy, that's all that matters.

PMK

We will and do.

Thanks
PK

PMK

Guys, I agree that boring the stem may not be ideal. I spent a while looking for a 1 1/4" stem of appropriate length and angle, non were found as of yet. I'll keep an eye open for one.

In regards to boring this stem I used, it was resized from a 28.6 to a 29.8 mm ID., which removed .6mm (.0236") from the wall thickness. In the major support areas this was about 10% of the available wall thickness, in the reduced areas it was closer to 15%. I plan to keep an eye, and eddy current inspection on it.

I'm still optimistic, a non adjustable 1 1/4 stem will Ebay for me to find. Just a waiting game being careful while we wait.

PK

PMK

We don't mind the hybrid look, just odd posting about a hybrid on a road oriented site.

FWIW, the look of the bike is not bad, it does slice the middle between road and mountain. This site is more road oriented, which is this bikes origins. Getting the wife on paved surfaces has been a new first step. The position and feel for her, riding with flat bars is making the transition easier.

With each year that passes, her allergies and asthma seem to get worse. This was a big factor in me wanting the tandem mtb. As ZonaTandem always says ride twogether, and this makes that happen, with no guilt just pure fun.

The Co-Motion was decided so as to allow us to ride twogether after work in these short daylight months. Where we live there are some parks with miles of paved winding bike paths. With lights we can ride for a couple of hours a few times a week.

By riding less in the woods her breathing doesn't get as fouled up, and we are able to ride more.

With luck, and a puffer, hopefully we will be riding MTB's till we can't. It is something we truly enjoy, be it on our singles or more so on the tandem MTB.

As for this road and paved riding, she is starting to enjoy each ride more, be it for training, to go to dinner or for groceries.

She knows, but won't admit knowing that ultimately we will get a drop bar tandem. We were eyeing the 2009 C'Dale RT2, then this Speedster came along. Granted it was not exactly perfect when we got it, but so far it's been fine and is getting better with each small adjustment.

One other goal we may set, and we are finding out more details, is Team in Training. In the last few months our 16 year old nephew was diagnosed with stage 4 Lukemia. If our participation can help in some way, we will likely focus some attention in that direction also.

So thanks for the kind words about our Hot Rod Hybrid Speedster, and I will keep a close watch on the stem.

Thanks
Riding Twogether
JK&PK

Smokinapankake

How will you be performing regular eddy current inspections? Do you have the equipment? As a level 2 UT inspector I find this an odd statement to make....

PMK

Plan was to fire up the Hocking, and scan the modified section. If you have access to the equipment and know how to utilize it, well, checking bicycle frames or parts is fairly easy, sometimes scary too.

As a non current level II, I find it a lazy way to get good results with no fuss.

PK

zonatandem

As for PMK stoker's breathing/allegy/asthma issue, have you considered moving to a less humid climate?
We moved to the drier state of AZ from MI over 30 years ago due to spouse's family history of arthritis. Was a great/beneficial move for us. Now in our mid-70s we are still doing great.
Nice conversion to a semi-hybrid . . . whatever floats your boat!
This is a tandem forum, so you-2 fit right in!
Pedal on TWOgethert!
Rudy and Kay/zonatandem