bikefriday tandems ??

[stickville]

I have a custom CIII that was designed by Smiley and LOVE the bike/fit. I appreciate a great fit !
I also have a Cannondale road tandem(aluminum). I have traveled once to PEI with this bike and it was difficult. I am considering a custom Bikefriday tandem because they are about one half the price of a full size custom S&S coupled tandem. The Bikefriday is 2500+ and full size S&S coupled tandems are 5000+ depending upon the components on these bikes.
All Bikefridays look odd (bikes ridden by clowns ?). Has anyone had any experience with Bikefriday ? I met someone who has a tandem Bikefriday and will take it for a spin. Is it crazy to consider a ride with 20 inch tires to save a couple of grand ?

[RPS]

Is it crazy to consider a ride with 20 inch tires to save a couple of grand ?
Not for most people short of Bill Gates IMHO. I'd consider one.

P.S. - I also have a Cannondale tandem, but have thought about checking out a XLQ type to take on road/camping trips since it would give me the option to go on solo rides without taking multiple bikes.

[Bradford]

When I dropped $5K on my Co-Motion with couplers, it seemed like a ton of money. Now, 4 years later, it seems like a bargain. The joy to expense ration is the most favorable of any item I have ever owned. We went with the least expensive option, a Primara, and it has been flawless.

I never think it is crazy to try to save money, especially with bikes, but having a Tandem that performs well is too important to me. We have had several close calls on the tandem, some in traffic, some just riding along, and one when my wife did something stupid while we were going 45 MPH down a mountain on Cape Breton Island. My Co-Motion handled so well that we are still in one piece. I think it is a lot easier to pull out of a problem with a half bike than a Tandem, so the handling is much more important on the big bike.


So, if the Bike Friday handles as well as a full size, why not get it. I've never tried one, so I don't know. But, if you are sacrificing just a little bit of handling, I wouldn't consider it.

[Smiley]

No Freaking way would I decend at + 50 mph on 20 inch wheels! Its bad enough at those speeds using 700 wheels and 28 mm wide tires. Aside from fast decents those Fridays climb like a banshe as evidence by our trip to San Juans with a Santana tour where we'd shake this team on a Friday on every decent only to see them out climb us on every hill. If your committed to tandeming then bite the bullet and buy a custom Co-Mo !

[RPS]

Aside from fast decents those Fridays climb like a banshe as evidence by our trip to San Juans with a Santana tour where we'd shake this team on a Friday on every decent only to see them out climb us on every hill.
Smiley, are you sure it was the bike? They weigh about as much as a standard tandem and other than possible lower gearing due to smaller wheels, why would they climb any better?

[stickville]

If one calculated the gear inches (front chainring teeth/rear cog teeth)X(wheel diameter), the low gear on a Friday is (30/32)X20 inch wheel = 18.75 gear inches. My Cannondale is (30/32)X27=25.3 gear inches. A typical mountain bike is (24/32)X26 inch wheel= 19.5 gear inches.

The conclusion is the granny gear on a Friday has lower gear inches than the granny gear on a mountain bike. A Friday would effectly require less effort to climb than a mountain bike.

However, the top end gear, the Friday has fewer gear inches in the typical 30/40/52 configuration and will not go as fast on the flat.

[Ray]

The conclusion is the granny gear on a Friday has lower gear inches than the granny gear on a mountain bike. A Friday would effectly require less effort to climb than a mountain bike.
A lower low gear will make it easier to get over a really really tough climb, but it won't make anyone climb faster - except on those super steep climbs that you might not be able to get over without the lower gear or a nearly as tough climb where you might be able to spin with the lower gear vs lug up the hill with a higher gear. But if they were consistently being passed on climbs (many of which, we have to presume, didn't put either tandem at the edge of their gear range), it wasn't the lower low gear that made 'em faster. Either the riders were stronger or something else was at work (edit - like inclusion of the kitchen sink on the rear rack, as Zap alludes to below - THAT could do it!). Based on my experience with Bike Friday singles, the little wheels do spin up really easily, but that only matters on accelerations - not during steady state climbs. I'm betting on the riders (or kitchen sink).

-Ray

[RPS]

Ray is absolutely right. How many times does anyone use gears that are much less than 30 inches of so? Neither of my tandems are presently set up that low; although I can convert them if needed.

Passing single riders on a tandem on a climb is quite a treat, and it's not likely to happen if you need a 20-inch-gear.

[zap]

If Smiley and Copilot were equiped as I last saw them, luggage space to carry enough stuff to furnish a vacation home, then they are going to be slower on the climbs.

Anyhow, the Bike Friday tandem is going to need at least a 62 front ring to make it decent on the flats.

So you need to decide what you want to do with the tandem (other than packing it in a small box) and figure out if the 'fday can do it.

[zap]

snipped

Passing single riders on a tandem on a climb is quite a treat, and it's not likely to happen if you need a 20-inch-gear.

Especially if their wearing that polka jersey :banana: