Tandem curious.

[Cicli]

Anything to look out for?
The wife and I an looking to do Ragbrai together next year and thinking it would be fun on a tandem. I found a nice Santana that will take 32’s with cantis. No discs but are they really necessary for non mountain tandem riding?
Anything to look out for? Are they really noodley and flexy?
Thoughts?
This is what I am looking at.

[weisan]

no disc? - not a major problem. Braking is about technique, anticipation and paying attention.

worry about noodle/flex? - don't be. It's about finesse and synchronized pedaling.

I say "Go for it" but make sure y'all got ample time to ride together and gel as a unit, don't just show up with the bike the next day. :eek: :p

[Cicli]

no disc? - not a major problem. Braking is about technique, anticipation and paying attention.

worry about noodle/flex? - don't be. It's about finesse and synchronized pedaling.

I say "Go for it" but make sure y'all got ample time to ride together and gel as a unit, don't just show up with the bike the next day. :eek: :p

Well, there is not a level piece of road arounf the house for 40 miles. Plenty of roads to train (die) on around here. We will be ready. Thinking of buying it and building with mini v’s and Etap.

[Bradford]

Discs are not necessary, even for mountain riding. I live in Colorado and have a Co-Motion with rim brakes and a drum brake and everything works perfectly.

The only disadvantage to drum brakes is weight and they offer several advantages over discs. I operate my drum brake with a bar end set to friction and use it as a drag brake to keep the bike under 35 MPH.

I think there are two things you are looking for with a tandem, and to figure them out, both of them require test rides. First, you need to figure out if you are a tandem couple. My wife and I loved the tandem, and in the last few years when she has been replaced by first my son, and now my daughter, the kids love the tandem also. Having been a stoker once myself, I can attest to the fact that it is a different kind of riding. So, make sure she likes being on the back. If my wife had her way, she would never ride her half bike again and only ride on the back of the tandem.

Second, Santanas and Co-Motions ride differently. I have not been on other tandems, but I wouldn't be surprised if they all have a different feel. For us, the Co-Motion gives the ride we were looking for. The Co-Motion feels more like my other bikes, which means it is more responsive and less stable. We felt the Santana was more stable but less sporty. In car terms, the Santana rode like a big SUV and the Co-Motion rode like a little SUV or a nice sedan...neither rode like a sports car.

I liked the Santana and would have been happy to ride it, but liked the Co-Motion better. Neither were noodley.

Two last bits of advice after you buy the bike. First, talk to some people who have done a lot of tandem riding and learn the tricks of keep your stoker happy. Second, get out and ride it a lot before a big event. You will need to learn how to ride it, how to communicate with your stoker, and most importantly, how to ride in a way that makes her enjoy the time on the bike. I ended up making a lot of little changes that I didn't expect, like changing the stoker bars and adding brakes for hand rests, adding a stoker computer, and adjusting the setting on her suspension seat post. We also learned that yelling at each other was a pain in the rear, so we picked up some headsets and that made everything much better. I also learned the hard way that calling out absolutely every thing is imperative...no surprises are good to a stoker.

Get the bike, or get another tandem like it, and go do Ragbrai. There are few things in my life I have enjoyed more than ours.

[Bentley]

Anything to look out for?
The wife and I an looking to do Ragbrai together next year and thinking it would be fun on a tandem. I found a nice Santana that will take 32’s with cantis. No discs but are they really necessary for non mountain tandem riding?
Anything to look out for? Are they really noodley and flexy?
Thoughts?
This is what I am looking at.

Not sure if you and your wife have ridden a tandem before, but I have limited experience with my brother. Bottom line you better make riding that thing a priority. It takes a lot of coordination (Captain/Stroker) to make it safe and enjoyable.

My brother and I did one two day ride together and its been for sale ever since. There is a reason they call a tandem a "divorce".

Good Luck

[thunderworks]

+1 on all the comments so far . . . but want to reiterate the importance of doing a lot of riding before RAGBRAI. My wife and I had nice tandem years ago. We had two different types of experiences . . .

1. The ride was fantastic and fun. We loved it.
2. The ride was the worse ride of our lives

In the end, for us, #2 won out. We did not enjoy the bike enough to continue to ride it so we sold it before it wrecked our marriage.

YMMV

[blakcloud]

Of course you will get better advice from the tandem experts, so take mine with a grain of salt. I have rented tandems twice with my wife for all day excursions and we just got on and rode the bike. Never had a problem, just a fun time. We have contemplated buying a tandem for recreational rides but space for storing it is our issue.

My advice rent if you can and see how you both like it.

I don't think you can go wrong with a Santana if you decide to buy.

[SPOKE]

Id have to agree with this comparison between the Co-Motion and the Santana. I spent about 10 days in Germany with the newest version of Santana's Ti Journey model with Z-couplers. The bike was extremely stable and comfortable riding over some pretty bad cobbles and even some dirt trail riding thru a few sections of Forrest. The Co-Motion would have been a bit more of a hand full in this environment.
All said and done if I was going to be riding on mixed terrain I'd go for a bit more stability....and did. This week I pulled the trigger on Santana's latest carbon tandem the Evolve. It will have the Z-couplers and disc brakes front & rear along with DA Di2. Should be a fantastic bike for my Sweetie to take on adventures all over the world!!

Discs are not necessary, even for mountain. I live in Colorado and have a Co-Motion with rim brakes and a drum brake and everything works perfectly.

The only disadvantage to drum brakes is weight and they offer several advantages over discs. I operate my drum brake with a bar end set to friction and use it as a drag brake to keep the bike under 35 MPH.

I think there are two things you are looking for with a tandem, and to figure them out, both of them require test rides. First, you need to figure out if you are a tandem couple. My wife and I loved the tandem, and in the last few years when she has been replaced by first my son, and now my daughter, the kids love the tandem also. Having been a stoker once myself, I can attest to the fact that it is a different kind of riding. So, make sure she likes being on the back. If my wife had her way, she would never ride her half bike again and only ride on the back of the tandem.

Second, Santanas and Co-Motions ride differently. I have not been on other tandems, but I wouldn't be surprised if they all have a different feel. For us, the Co-Motion gives the ride we were looking for. The Co-Motion feels more like my other bikes, which means it is more responsive and less stable. We felt the Santana was more stable but less sporty. In car terms, the Santana rode like a big SUV and the Co-Motion rode like a little SUV or a nice sedan...neither rode like a sports car.

I liked the Santana and would have been happy to ride it, but liked the Co-Motion better. Neither were noodley.

Two last bits of advice after you buy the bike. First, talk to some people who have done a lot of tandem riding and learn the tricks of keep your stoker happy. Second, get out and ride it a lot before a big event. You will need to learn how to ride it, how to communicate with your stoker, and most importantly, how to ride in a way that makes her enjoy the time on the bike. I ended up making a lot of little changes that I didn't expect, like changing the stoker bars and adding brakes for hand rests, adding a stoker computer, and adjusting the setting on her suspension seat post. We also learned that yelling at each other was a pain in the rear, so we picked up some headsets and that made everything much better. I also learned the hard way that calling out absolutely every thing is imperative...no surprises are good to a stoker.

Get the bike, or get another tandem like it, and go do Ragbrai. There are few things in my life I have enjoyed more than ours.

[Bradford]

...This week I pulled the trigger on Santana's latest carbon tandem the Evolve. It will have the Z-couplers and disc brakes front & rear along with DA Di2...

Oh man, that sounds sweet? :banana:

[David Kirk]

I would rent one first and check it out. Some couples are "tandem compatible" and some not so much.

I worked at a shop when I was a kid that sold lots of them and no small number came back to use asking if we would buy it back. One guy called it a "divorce machine" and that name stuck around the shop.

If the riders are good with each other and comfortable they are wicked fun and a rental test ride would inform you of that quickly.

dave

[Cicli]

I would rent one first and check it out. Some couples are "tandem compatible" and some not so much.

I worked at a shop when I was a kid that sold lots of them and no small number came back to use asking if we would buy it back. One guy called it a "divorce machine" and that name stuck around the shop.

If the riders are good with each other and comfortable they are wicked fun and a rental test ride would inform you of that quickly.

adev

We had one once before. It was an old Schwinn Twinn we cruised the beach with. Not sure if that counts though.

[weisan]

Not sure if that counts though

errrr....no.

https://fsb.zobj.net/crop.php?r=fOew6w2bQs21YDJrImAKxW6dzEEECDNoDUKRTka QJzAYBwpKeM0ukol3iGl4twChRfkB1kJBRJcx3fyWrkemlKFiD 80OTgSOt7DTkjH4agvnVMjEyiMg3_wABOg0akf2uSz3kVuKGaF 78mPWxQaaKQ9QXfegcfZBgXpC7Q

[Bentley]

We had one once before. It was an old Schwinn Twinn we cruised the beach with. Not sure if that counts though.

I think riding a Schwinn Twinn is a different riding experience. More importantly riding a multiple day ride, with long segments with other riders is the complicating factor. You go out for a ride on a Schwinn Twinn for coffee and fresh air, not the same.

I think riding RAGBRAI with the boss is a good idea, just do it on two bikes, my guess is you will enjoy it more.

Ray

[pinkshogun]

I picked up both a Schwinn Twinn Deluxe (5 speed) and a nice early 90's Univega 21 speed this year. A tremendous difference between the 2...most noticably about 40 pounds

[palincss]

Anything to look out for?
The wife and I an looking to do Ragbrai together next year and thinking it would be fun on a tandem. I found a nice Santana that will take 32’s with cantis. No discs but are they really necessary for non mountain tandem riding?
Anything to look out for? Are they really noodley and flexy?
Thoughts?
This is what I am looking at.

For decades cantilever brakes were fine for tandems, with the addition of a third drag brake, usually a drum, in back to control speed on long mountain descents. As far as I'm concerned, they're still fine. And "noodley" and "flexy" are the last things you'd say about any Santana I've ever ridden. Stable and steady as a rock - 65 mph downhill and you feel like you could sit back and read the Washington Post, if it wasn't for the wind making it hard to fold the paper.

[zap]

Santana's are mostly fine. We tested several tandems in the early 90's (yr of Santana in op?) and the Santana was the boulevard cruiser of the bunch. Also the stoker tt was the shortest.

CoMo back in the day was the race bike. Still are. Cannondale the best value and the longest stoker tt.

We still have our '92 CoMo with canti brakes.......no drum. Fine for all but 2 miles or longer twisty descents. We did much longer back in the day but that was nutz.Lucky we only suffered 2 front tire blowouts resulting in one crash.

As other posted, rent first. Take the rental tandem on a group ride.

Oh. One more item. Bill spec'ed weak cheap **** back in the day that didn't last......like the bb's. Keep that in mind.

[marciero]

Agree with most of what's been said, particularly Bradford's remarks. 1000% on keeping the stoker happy. Rule #1. The world is a beautiful place when this happens. You build up trust. My stoker is SO cautious descending on her single bike that I never imagined we would be able to descend very fast. But now she pretty much lets me let it rip. Be prepared to spend a lot of time and many miles getting your stoker dialed in and comfortable on the bike. this may require different stoker parts to get the bars where she wants them. It's just like on a single bike. Without having the fit and position right it can be a miserable experience.
Unless stoker absolutely hates the experience, this is where you may not be able to judge from just a test ride or renting whether you are a "tandem couple" or not.
If you have a chance to get a decent bike (like the one you are considering) at a decent price then it may be worth the risk to just buy it.

Assuming you decide to buy a decent inexpensive bike, I would not let the different handling characteristics of different bikes be an overriding concern. If you stick with it, it may take you many, many miles to figure out exactly what your preferences are for a tandem.

Edit: We also have a Comotion-a 2005- that came with cantis and travel agent force multipliers, and drum brake. I removed the drum brake and replaced cantis with Paul Mini V. Both of these setups had/have more than adequate stopping power and we ride in mountainous terrain (ME, VT, NH). The drum is not for stopping power but rather to keep speed in check on long descents. In fact the stopping power with either rim brake set up is as good as our mechanical disc- 2015 Cannondale.

[carpediemracing]

On the "riding the tandem before the event" thing... My now wife and I did a tandem group ride (6 tandems), I think it was a metric century. Anyway, we did it without much prep specifically for the ride. However we did do some pretty tandem specific training rides. We also set up the bike to the stoker's preference.

Before you ride... the stoker's saddle takes huge hits when riding over the littlest bumps. A tiny crack in the road can send shockwaves up the stoker's post. Although I'm a pretty good person about calling out stuff and avoiding the bumps, we got a Cane Creek Thudbuster about as fast as we could. It made a huge difference in comfort for the stoker, more than anything else we could have done. At the time I was a reasonable Cat 3, she was a C rider in a local cycling club.

Position adjustments for both captain and stoker. My side was easy, longest lowest stem, a back up saddle, and a bar. I put a 42 cm bar instead of a 40 cm, a bit more leverage in case of a front wheel issue. Campy Ergo 10s levers for consistence across bikes, rest of the bike is Shimano 9s (no adapters needed, works great). For her it took some experimentation. A second saddle for her (Terry Butterfly?), bars that had a wide-ish top (not too wide else my legs hit), and some extra brake levers I had for a "hoods" position.

First few rides - for us it was the first real ride. We rode for an hour around a block with four stop signs. I put my foot down at every stop sign (captain supports the bike, stoker stays clipped in). Then we'd practice getting under way. Then in 100-200 yards I'd unclip again. After something like 100-120 clip-ins and clip-outs I felt reasonably proficient, and the Missus felt much more comfortable while I was easing the bike to a stop and while getting underway.

It was maybe 15-20 rides later that we did the metric century. Some of the tandem couples were very experienced, 10+ years on the tandem. They assumed that we'd had similar years of experience on the tandem. They were shocked to learn that we'd gotten the bike just a couple months prior and had less than something like two dozen rides on it.

Other random notes. I put a cyclocomputer on to track cadence. The Missus prefers a slightly lower cadence so I try to keep an eye on it. I also put longer cranks on for me, because I use longer cranks but also to reduce my cadence relative to foot speed. You'll lose some rpm going to a longer crank, but if you're pedaling together it may help a less experienced stoker.

Downhill speed seems higher than flat speeds. The Missus gets uncomfortable at 35-40 mph on a downhill but when we do a massive effort on a flat road we can go 45 mph and she's thrilled to pieces to do that, asking what our max speed was (I was planning on getting a second cyclocomputer for her bars). There was one time before that where we were semi-drafting a truck down a hill at almost 50 mph, and I realized at some point that she'd gone from a bit nervous to scared. I eased off quickly. Having been a stoker a few times I realized that there's a tipping point where suddenly I put full faith in the captain (for me that translated into spinning as fast as possible on a downhill to see how far we could get into the 60 mph range, and averaging a solid 45 mph for a few miles of slightly downhill roads). She had not gotten to that stage yet.

Drafting/riding in a group of single riders is difficult for me as a captain of a tandem. I'm not naturally aerobically fit and I learned that I really bank on short, sharp efforts to stay on wheels. I'm talking 1/4 revolution pedal punches to close minor gaps. On the tandem that translated out to 4-5 revolutions, not a little snap, and I quickly blew us up trying to stay on wheels (total tandem weight was maybe 370-380 lbs). I think that more aerobically gifted riders would do well on a tandem since they can dictate pace on the flats (by going 250-300w steady) whereas I wasn't strong enough to do so.

I had the privilege to ride with an extremely experienced tandem couple on a group ride in Florida. The stoker (the wife) would get out of the saddle instantly, helping power the bike forward, and they'd stand together as well. No talking, no verbal cues, just knowing one another on the bike. I was in awe of their coordination.

Unfortunately for me the Missus and I haven't ridden the tandem in a while. Heck, I barely ride the bike myself. But those tandem days were great. The other day was an unusual one for the Missus and myself. We both had a weekday off together. We needed to prepare the house for overnight and dinner guests so we were working together on that for much of the day, cleaning, organizing, sorting, etc. We worked our strengths, supported the other's weaknesses. The whole time we shared little jokes and giggles and such. It was an amazing day and reminded me of why we're married. The tandem was, for us, gave us a similar experience.

[weisan]

Great write up, carpediem pal.

[Tandem Rider]

We have that same tandem from '92. We have a ton of miles on it, it's a little short in the rear cockpit, but not by much, we have a couple of others for reference. We've done RAGBRAI's on it, it didn't explode or anything in spite of stock canti's. TOMRV is another great ride for couples in your neck of the woods.

Mechanically the bike is not a noodle, we've been well over 50mph on it, solid. It came with a 140mm rear and freewheel threads, I spread it to 145 (standard) and switched out the hub to get a cassette. If you get it, buy a thudbuster right away, the Rear Admiral takes every bump the hard way. Buy good heavy duty tires and keep them fresh, we use Gatorskins.

As far as riding it, lots of practice, communicate everything to the Rear Admiral, bumps, hills, turns, etc. Learn to stand, together, it makes everything better.

[bikinchris]

Actually, Santana built the modern tandem. They were the first bike built to be reliable day in and day out. I know people who have been riding bikes built in the early 70's without a single repair, only a swap of the rims to 700c.

The best way to characterize tandem is relationship accelerators. Whichever way you two are headed, you will get there much faster. Whether that is to join you together more closely or drive you apart.
Like a good marriage, you have to be worthy of trust, honest caring and communicate well together. When we do group rides, the map and cue sheet is pinned to my back and she uses her computer to keep us on course. Every decision we make is done together. Everything I intend to do with controlling the bike is communicated to her as early as possible and taking the smoothest line possible is really important.

One thing you might notice is that every once in a while, the bike might jiggle at slow speeds a little and it happens bothvwith and without the rear admiral on the back.

[GregL]

Great information in this thread! As a very experienced tandem rider, I'll add one more suggestion. Make sure your tandem is in excellent mechanical condition. Two lives are on the line if the bike fails. If your stoker doesn't trust the safety of the bike, they likely won't be too interested in riding with you. Tandems go through consumable items much faster than single bikes. Tires, chains, cassettes, chainrings, and brake pads should be checked very often. Bottom line: make tandem riding safe and fun for your stoker!

Greg

[lzuk]

our tandem is a CoMotion. It's been from the flats of Florida to the mountains of the west. It's been on gravel to the ferry in NOLA with just a change of cassette and tires. We argue less while riding it. Great way for riders of different fitness to enjoy cycling.

[Polyglot]

When it comes to noodley, you should also be aware that the two sets of pedals that are effectively counterbalancing each other will generally remove any feeling of noodleyness apart from when starting up or applying absolutely full power. I used to own a short wheelbase Bob Jackson racing tandem that any experienced tandem rider would immediately deem as noodley when getting on and comparing to their own tandem(s), however, once they rode it even a relatively short distance, they fell in love with the fantastic handling and all thoughts of noodleyness disappeared. Back in 1985, did a 111 mile ride in 4 hours 5 minutes with it. On the other hand, I was given a Trek tandem that was as rigid as you could possible imagine and it rode like a truck (later greatly improved when I installed quality tires).

As far a brakes go, I have ridden all over the place on tandem and triplets and never felt overly worried about brake power and even removed the two drum brakes on my triplet when I used to ride with my wife and daughters.

Anybody interested in a triplet? my daughters have outgrown it long ago and are off in college. Just sits around now.

[zap]

edit


Drafting/riding in a group of single riders is difficult for me as a captain of a tandem. I'm not naturally aerobically fit and I learned that I really bank on short, sharp efforts to stay on wheels. I'm talking 1/4 revolution pedal punches to close minor gaps. On the tandem that translated out to 4-5 revolutions, not a little snap, and I quickly blew us up trying to stay on wheels (total tandem weight was maybe 370-380 lbs). I think that more aerobically gifted riders would do well on a tandem since they can dictate pace on the flats (by going 250-300w steady) whereas I wasn't strong enough to do so.


As you found out, when riding with a group of singles it's best (and experienced single riders learn this quick) not to keep up with the sort of accelerations typical of strong single riders. Best to ramp up speed more gradually in order to close the gap. I find that experienced single cyclists that want to work with you (the tandem team) catch on quickly and a tighter rotation occurs.

One has to work tandem strengths to take some of the snap out of single riders. If the pace is 25mph, take it up gradually too 27. Same on gradual climbs......crank it up and then pull out at the top and coast down.

[Bostic]

Six years next month. Just got a major tune up done. Both timing rings had to get replaced. One of our best purchases.

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/1024x768q90/924/lIOmBS.jpg

[Cicli]

Thanks all.
Thanks. carpediemracing, that was the longest post I have ever read. Helpful. :banana:

[jke.4132]

I’ve tried to get my wife on a tandem but she did want to be staring at my ass all the time. I searched for and found an alternative that might work for cyclists of different skill levels.

Bilenky Viewpoint Semi-recumbent (http://www.bilenky.com/viewpoint)

http://www.sandsmachine.com/p_bilt58.jpg

The drive trains are independent so sync is not a problem. Plus, the view is definitely better.

[Ti Designs]

One guy called it a "divorce machine" and that name stuck around the shop.

The perfect example of someone who can't make something work voicing their opinion loudly. Why does this always remind me of the Mayor in Blazing Saddles (Mel Brooks) claiming that the paddle ball game is defective 'cause he couldn't hit the ball with the paddle?

My shop is one of the larger tandem shops in the world, we do what we call a "tandem education", which is where we go over how tandems are different than single bikes and what the role of each rider is. The most common scenario is the man as the captain who wants to ride with a slower woman, and the tandem is how they're going to ride together. He's all enthusiastic, she's wondering what she's getting herself into... My job is to put her on the back and do everything perfectly. From there it's his job to learn how to be a good tandem captain, and if he wants it to work he'll have to work on it.

The bottom line is don't blame the instrument.

[David Kirk]

The perfect example of someone who can't make something work voicing their opinion loudly. Why does this always remind me of the Mayor in Blazing Saddles (Mel Brooks) claiming that the paddle ball game is defective 'cause he couldn't hit the ball with the paddle?

My shop is one of the larger tandem shops in the world, we do what we call a "tandem education", which is where we go over how tandems are different than single bikes and what the role of each rider is. The most common scenario is the man as the captain who wants to ride with a slower woman, and the tandem is how they're going to ride together. He's all enthusiastic, she's wondering what she's getting herself into... My job is to put her on the back and do everything perfectly. From there it's his job to learn how to be a good tandem captain, and if he wants it to work he'll have to work on it.

The bottom line is don't blame the instrument.

I couldn't agree more. The shop I worked at in Florida sold a good number of tandems but frankly they didn't do a good job at educating before and after the sale.

dave

[jwalther]

Whichever direction your relationship is heading, the tandem will get you there faster.

[carpediemracing]

Six years next month. Just got a major tune up done. Both timing rings had to get replaced. One of our best purchases.

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/1024x768q90/924/lIOmBS.jpg

That's basically our bike. Stock it had a Shimano 9s drivetrain, I put 10s Ergos on and put the cable on the wrong side of the pinch bolt on the rear derailleur, works perfectly with the stock cable/housing (I filed down the head of the shifter cables to fit the Ergos). Front shifter is basically ratchet so works with any front derailleur.

Other mods to the bike that I recall:
1. Close ratio cassette - 11-25? With the small ring and the shorter hills around here we didn't need the 32T that came with the bike.
2. Zero set back post for me.
3. Look pedals for us (I moved the Missus over to Keos specifically so we could use the same pedals, plus I'd have a number of back up pedals if I broke one of my own... same reason to put a 10s Ergo lever on the tandem, in desperation it would be a spare set of Ergos).
4. I bought a set of tandem rings (55/44) because even a 53x11 is a low gear for a tandem - you can easily roll at over 30 mph on the flats, and get deep into the 40s in a fast effort. I ended up using them on my road bike when I ran out of 130 BCD rings. Ended up breaking a tooth off the 55 so not really useful now. If I were to get the tandem out on the road again I'd probably get another set of those rings, or similar.

Brakes - I've ridden an earlier version of the same frame with cantis, with a stronger racing teammate. Both of us are best at sprinting, we both wanted to try and hit high top speeds, so we were sprinting everywhere, flying down descents, etc, and soft pedaling between efforts to catch our breath. We never really had any braking issues. With a tandem you can really brake hard with the rear brake so you have two usable brakes, not just one.

The only thing that scared me was a front tire blowout (on the canti bike with the racer captain). I was the stoker, we were going maybe 40-45 down a short hill, and suddenly the captain stopped pedaling. I held on, waited for him to do whatever he needed to do, and he ended up stopping the bike on the shoulder.

Currently we have cable actuated discs, apparently they're larger than a regular brake (or, as the shop owner said when I was building the bike, "Dude, you have downhill brakes!"). There's some pictures of a more experienced racing tandem from another forum where they have some enormous rotor in the back, like a foot in diameter. Apparently it gets so hot on extended mountain descents it gets wavy.

[zap]

edit

There's some pictures of a more experienced racing tandem from another forum where they have some enormous rotor in the back, like a foot in diameter. Apparently it gets so hot on extended mountain descents it gets wavy.

If this is correct, then the disc brake is not being used properly. Discs are not meant to be a replacement for drum (drag) brakes.

[AngryScientist]

just make sure you have a place to store it.

sounds silly, but they take up an odd amount of space.

[54ny77]

by all means, rent one first and try it together.

(i mentioned this on another thread with similar question.)

otherwise you might end up with an expensive 30-speed clothing rack that laughs at you and says, "hey, suckah!" each time you look at it in the basement.

ask me how i know.

[Bostic]

The bike isn’t stock as we swapped out a fair amount from when it was bought new in Jan of 2012. It’s a 2009 frame, the last of the made in USA Cannondale tandems.

42cm FSA New Ergo to 40cm Shimano PRO Ergo Vibe Captain bars
44cm Cannondale bullhorns to 42cm Shimano Round Vibe Stoker bars
Specialized 143 Power saddle (This took MANY saddle attempts to find a happy one)
Selle Italia woman’s saddle (forget the model, on the 2nd one after the first wore out)
170mm SL-K captain cranks as my knees don’t like 172.5mm FSA Gossamer it came with
Shinano Deore Rear Derailleur that replaced the medium cage Ultegra 6700 that I had to reverse the B screw on to work with the 32t cog
Shimano XT 11-32 cassette. The IRD 11-32 it came with shifted poorly on hills and I didn’t like the ratios as much.
Compressionless housing for the mechanical discs BB7’s with sintered metallic pads instead of organic.
Bushnell eccentric instead of the poorly designed stock one
Control Tech adjustable stoker stem. The stock one has little room for adjustment.
Ritchey WCS -17cm 10cm stem instead of the 9cm stock model.
I switched from Look Keos to Shinano Ultegra pedals and it made my feet so much more happier on the Tandem with the wider platform.

The bike along with the Honda Odyssey have been our best purchases as a couple.

[Gummee]

I have told people that a tandem can be the best thing for your relationship ...or the worst. Sometimes both on the same ride!

Suspension seatpost of some flavor is mandatory for the stoker.

Call out bumps. Call out bumps you don't think are going to be bumps. AMHIK Riding the back of the tandem is like riding a jackhammer. All those little shocks are going straight up the stoker's seatpost. See my last point.

The basic rule of 'if Momma ain't happy, ain't nobody happy' applies (see point #1)

Good luck!

M

[josephr]

edit
If this is correct, then the disc brake is not being used properly. Discs are not meant to be a replacement for drum (drag) brakes.

just curious --- is there a rear drum brake hub with disc brake mounts or would this be problematic since the cables/lines are both left side?

I'm really enjoying this thread....my girlfriend started riding last year and thinking it might be fun to try a tandem in a few years when 'life settles down.'

[marciero]

The bike isn’t stock as we swapped out a fair amount from when it was bought new in Jan of 2012. It’s a 2009 frame, the last of the made in USA Cannondale tandems.

42cm FSA New Ergo to 40cm Shimano PRO Ergo Vibe Captain bars
44cm Cannondale bullhorns to 42cm Shimano Round Vibe Stoker bars
Specialized 143 Power saddle (This took MANY saddle attempts to find a happy one)
Selle Italia woman’s saddle (forget the model, on the 2nd one after the first wore out)
170mm SL-K captain cranks as my knees don’t like 172.5mm FSA Gossamer it came with
Shinano Deore Rear Derailleur that replaced the medium cage Ultegra 6700 that I had to reverse the B screw on to work with the 32t cog
Shimano XT 11-32 cassette. The IRD 11-32 it came with shifted poorly on hills and I didn’t like the ratios as much.
Compressionless housing for the mechanical discs BB7’s with sintered metallic pads instead of organic.
Bushnell eccentric instead of the poorly designed stock one
Control Tech adjustable stoker stem. The stock one has little room for adjustment.
Ritchey WCS -17cm 10cm stem instead of the 9cm stock model.
I switched from Look Keos to Shinano Ultegra pedals and it made my feet so much more happier on the Tandem with the wider platform.

The bike along with the Honda Odyssey have been our best purchases as a couple.

Our Cannondale T2 is also similar to this bike. We wound up acquiring both this and the Comotion around the same time in 2015-long story. Similar upgrades too-compressionless, Spyres, ice-tech, sintered pads, etc. The Bushnell on yours is a nice touch though! The major change for us was the rebuilding the hubs onto 650b Aileron rims. The ability to swap was big appeal of disc for me. I typically run 42 Compass with Berthoud fenders but midsummer had tubeless 47 WTB when we were doing lots of gravel. Recently the frame was replaced under warranty due to a weird weld job on the bottom bracket that I noticed one day when the cranks were off. so now we have a squeaky clean new bike.

Between the two this is the bike we ride the most for sure.
We also never ride single bikes when we ride together-I cant think of a single time in the two years we've owned them.

BTW if you still have the Gossamer 172.5 captains I may want to buy them if you are willing to sell.

[cderalow]

When it comes to noodley, you should also be aware that the two sets of pedals that are effectively counterbalancing each other will generally remove any feeling of noodleyness apart from when starting up or applying absolutely full power. I used to own a short wheelbase Bob Jackson racing tandem that any experienced tandem rider would immediately deem as noodley when getting on and comparing to their own tandem(s), however, once they rode it even a relatively short distance, they fell in love with the fantastic handling and all thoughts of noodleyness disappeared. Back in 1985, did a 111 mile ride in 4 hours 5 minutes with it. On the other hand, I was given a Trek tandem that was as rigid as you could possible imagine and it rode like a truck (later greatly improved when I installed quality tires).



As far a brakes go, I have ridden all over the place on tandem and triplets and never felt overly worried about brake power and even removed the two drum brakes on my triplet when I used to ride with my wife and daughters.



Anybody interested in a triplet? my daughters have outgrown it long ago and are off in college. Just sits around now.



If you’re just looking to get rid of it for free and were local I’d be all over that having three kiddos who are interested in riding.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[donevwil]

Boy, I'm jealous of y'all.

Both my wife and I ride a lot and raced when we met. We've wanted to try a tandem for 16 years, but never found one (to try or buy used) that was close to fitting (I'm 6'5", she's 5' 11" with same inseam). We tried many that didn't fit (usually her), did more harm than good.