Any tandem experts out there?

[hypnos]

I decided that I just must have tandem bike. I ride as much as possible, but all those miles/hours mean less time with kids. One of my partners at work recommended getting a tandem. He works his butt off up front, while his 10 year old enjoys the ride in the rear. I don't know much about tandems; however, this bike seems like what I might be looking for.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=98084&item=7158428019&rd=1

Does Burley make a good product? Is this a good price? What other companies would you recommend?

Thanks,
Jeff

[FATBOY]

Who will be your stoker? Is this individual an experienced rider on a single or a novice? I ask this only because the Burley's tend to be built on the relaxed side of things and with an experienced stoker you may find yourselves wanting for a quicker, more aggressive handling bike (like a Co-motion). The Burley bikes are a great value and they are cool company ( a co-op) but they are not always the first choice among performance riders. The Paso Doble does use neat tubing and should have a smooth ride and a reasonable weight and the price this individual is seeking seems reasonable.
As a side note, has your potential stoker ever been on a tandem? Howsabout you? I would see if a local shop has a tandem that will fit and see if a rental is a possibitlity. If only a test ride is possible I would recommend that you go to a shop that is willing to take you out for a ride with you on the bike and someone else as captain. Once you get a sense of what your stoker will experience without controls you will communicate your intentions more readily to them and increase their trust in what you are up to. This trust and communication can be paramount to a positive experience for the both of you on the tandem. Make sure this exists before you find yourself with a two person bike that only one of you wants to ride.

[dave thompson]

There's quite a few forumites that are tandemers, tandemees....oh hell people that ride tandems!

Burley is well known for their tandems, but maybe you should get your feet 'wet' with something less costly, to see if tandeming is the answer to your question. With experience comes knowledge and you will be able to make better judgments later on.

Tandems are fitted a little differently than solo bikes, so get some expert help first.

A good source of tandems for sale is here: http://www.tandemtour.com/eclass/fstandems.html

[FATBOY]

Since I seemed to not really read your post before responding (too many Spaten) take a look at Co-motion, if you are interested in getting younger kids to ride with you the Perriscope is a model they make with a telescoping back-end that will fit riders from 3' 6" up to 6'. Their products are very well made and riders of high quality singles will appreciate their quicker handling. These start in the $3000 range but would allow you to get the whole family out. The also make a 3 seat version of this machine called the Trident that can be uncoupled and recoupled into a tandem or coupled into a triple. Super cool! :banana:

[Climb01742]

jeff, if you'd like to talk to someone, ask a bunch of questions, a good person to call is doug mckensie (sp?) at belmont wheelworks in boston. doug knows tandems. he sells a bunch. he's at the shop fridays and saturdays. very nice guy and knowledgeable.

[keno]

Two very knowledgable tandem guys on the forum are Too Tall (raced internationally (Paris-Roubaix-Paris) and Smilely. If they don't respond here, I suggest that you PM them. I know that Too Tall is off racing down south this weekend, so he most likely isn't readily available. Don't know Smiley's whereabouts.

keno

[Smiley]

Hypnos , Fatboy has some good points for the Periscope , I would add take a closer look at the Co-Mo Beam bike too since it will accept a wider range of stokers due to the adjustability of the rear stoker saddle on the beam . Many other companies like Burly also make a beam bike too . Its Co-Mo's TOP selling tandem for a very good reason . I will be at Open House so come look over our rig . I have a website that sells nothing but used tandems so before you get on e-bay you may want to check this site out , e-mail me at magoo252@comcast.net . Whatever you do buy a tandem used as like high end bikes there are many good deals to be had .

[wwtsui]

Agree with the suggestions above, especially the one of trying to find a bike shop or a cycling buddy who'll let you try a tandem before you buy to make sure you and your intended stoker like it.

I just bought a tandem last year for similar reasons and highly recommend tandeming as a way to spend quality time with family while cycling -- for us, it has been much more enjoyable than biking together on single bikes.

Here's what I recall about specific bikes/makes/etc, fwiw:

1. It seems to me that if the Burley can be had for a price that is acceptable to you, it's a reasonable bike with which to get started in -- and may suit you for many years to come (assuming it fits, of course). From what I understand, their tandems had been perceived as outstanding value for some time (being priced above "entry level" models from Trek & Cdale, but below more "higher end" makes such as Co-motion and Santana), but in the last 2-3 years, their pricepoints have gone up, so they're no longer viewed as quite the bargain they were. That said, they make a solid product (we have a Burley trailer bike for years that we're very happy with).

2. I've seen many posts on various forums of people being pleased with Cannondales as a good starter tandem for people to see if they like it. (I personally haven't ridden one, so can't comment.)

3. Co-motion and Santana seem to be the biggest "enthusiast" makes. They were the main tandems Wheelworks seems to sell (we bought from Doug McKenzie there and can also recommend him highly, though he might be a bit far away from you...), so we had the chance to try both. To me, Co-motion steered a bit faster and felt more similar to my road bikes, whereas the Santana seemed to feel a bit more like a touring bike. fwiw, we wound up with a Co-motion because my stoker preferred a soft-ride beam to a suspension seatpost, and Co-motion seems more committed to the softride models.

Finally, fwiw, I found these other web resources helpful:

tandem@hobbes email list -- http://www-acs.ucsd.edu/home-pages/wade/tandem.html -- daily email digest of tandem posts, plus searchable archives -- not the greatest UI, but some useful info
Pamela Blalock's tandem page -- http://www.blayleys.com/articles/tandem/ -- some good info for getting started
Sheldon Brown's tandem articles -- http://www.sheldonbrown.com/tandem/

I think all the above also include links to other sites that are worth exploring.

Hope this is helpful -- feel free to ask follow-up questions. Good luck!

[93legendti]

That's a nice bike at a nice price. I bought a Santana Arriva when I got engaged. My wife had not cycled at all and the bike was great for getting her used to cycling and then for fitting in on fast group rides. Between Burley, Sanatana and Co-Motion it is hard to go wrong.

[vaxn8r]

1. It seems to me that if the Burley can be had for a price that is acceptable to you, it's a reasonable bike with which to get started in -- and may suit you for many years to come (assuming it fits, of course). From what I understand, their tandems had been perceived as outstanding value for some time (being priced above "entry level" models from Trek & Cdale, but below more "higher end" makes such as Co-motion and Santana), but in the last 2-3 years, their pricepoints have gone up, so they're no longer viewed as quite the bargain they were. That said, they make a solid product (we have a Burley trailer bike for years that we're very happy with).

I have to agree here. Burley "used" to be a good entry point on a solid, no nonsense tandem. They are now priced just a hair under a Co-Motion. I can unequivocably tell you a Burley is not a Co-Motion. That's like comparing a Trek 1200 to a Colnago C50. It's not that I'm down on Burley, hey they're both made in my hometown, but it's apples and oranges.

If you are serious about a well built, nice handling tandem, if you are strapped for cash get a Cannondale. Their rear compartments have sloping TT's which make it easy for any adult or kid to ride. They don't handle quite as nicely as a Co-Motion but they are prettty darn good and they resist lateral twist if you like to jam out of the saddle. I have a hard time getting over the aesthetics of those mega tubes and fork but the bike works! It is a tool for the job.

I've ridden several Santanas. IMO they are geared more to the enthusiast that doesn't trust their handling skills. They tend to be heavier, a bit overbuilt and want to go straight. Try a Co-Motion and a Santana back to back and you'll be amazed at how different they handle.

Co-Motions are speed demons. Light, balanced, they ride as much like a race single as you could hope for. At the same time, I would never call a Co-Motion squirrely. It's just perfectly balanced. If you like the way a Serotta handles, you'd love a Co-Motion.

If you want stable, safer to start out on, get a used Burley (new ones are WAY overpriced) or a Santana. If you want to have fun for years to come, a Cannondale would fit the bill on a budget and if you opt for a Co-Motion you'll own it for the rest of your life. You'll never have a need to upgrade anything but components. Gauranteed!

[vaxn8r]

BTW, there are some smaller, custom builders who know a thing or two about tandems but you will pay a premium. Bill Holland, Bill Davidson, Erickson, Tom Kellog etc.

In my view if you're getting one of these you've logged so many tandem miles you know exactly what you want.

[spiderman]

having just purchased my first tandem last week
for many of the same reasons...
...there's actually one on ebay right now
that is almost a carbon copy of the one we have.
...hard to know what the reserve price is.
even though it has captured a great deal of interest...
...if it goes for anything close to what the price is now
it's a great deal
and potentially the ride for your family life!

http://search.ebay.com/ibis-tandem_W0QQfkrZ1QQfromZR8

[vaxn8r]

Ibis made a fine tandem. Agree that would be an excellent bike depending on price.

[hypnos]

I was looking at that bike. The front end looks too small for me.

Many very helpful replies thus far. Thanks everyone!

Jeff