Tandem bike question - Page 2 - Cycling Mob: Road Cycling, Mountain Biking and More

07-16-2004, 12:15 PM

"Eric Gunnerson" <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote in message
news:40f833a0$[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]...
> Burley makes some reasonable tandems that start around $2000 (perhaps
less).
> Most tandems allow a lot of adjustment in the stoker position, but you
will
> want to make sure there's enough front and back adjustment to put the bars
> in a comfortable place for her.

She's actually the taller of us two. She's 6'3" and leggy. I'm assuming
she'll be up front.

> I'd recommend that you give her a picture of the bike, and then go and
find
> one that fits well together.

That's a good idea.

07-16-2004, 12:30 PM

On Fri, 16 Jul 2004 12:37:43 -0700, "Scooter the mighty"
<[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote in message
<[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]>:

>I was thinking of getting my wife a tandem bike for her birthday. I have
>two issues with this.

>1) We have a 6 inch leg length differential. Is there going to be a problem
>with this?

No. The only thing is it reduces your options if you both want to
take turns as captain.

>2) I notice that the majority of tandem bikes cost in the $5,000 range
>(athough I have not been looking very long).

Wow! Those are big ticket tandems. You can get an Orbit tandem over
here for around the $1,000 mark, which is your budget, and of course
there's always the second hand market.

I can recommend the Thorn Voyager from <url:http://www.sjscycles.com>,
a very well balanced bike from a firm that now supplies more tandems
than any other in the UK (yes, they sell to the US as well, but there
won't be any dealers).

I have to say, though, that the Bike Friday Family Tandem was a
delight, and adjustable enough to accommodate the significant
disparity in heights between my wife and myself (so we could both have
a go at captain). Plus IIRC it can be split down for air travel or to
fit inside a (biggish) car.

<url:http://www.bikefriday.com/bikecat99.cfm?cat=10>

Probably towards the top end of your budget, but a great bike.

Guy
--
May contain traces of irony. Contents liable to settle after posting.
[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]

88% of helmet statistics are made up, 65% of them at Washington University

07-16-2004, 12:30 PM

On Fri, 16 Jul 2004 12:37:43 -0700, "Scooter the mighty"
<[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote in message
<[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]>:

>I was thinking of getting my wife a tandem bike for her birthday. I have
>two issues with this.

>1) We have a 6 inch leg length differential. Is there going to be a problem
>with this?

No. The only thing is it reduces your options if you both want to
take turns as captain.

>2) I notice that the majority of tandem bikes cost in the $5,000 range
>(athough I have not been looking very long).

Wow! Those are big ticket tandems. You can get an Orbit tandem over
here for around the $1,000 mark, which is your budget, and of course
there's always the second hand market.

I can recommend the Thorn Voyager from <url:http://www.sjscycles.com>,
a very well balanced bike from a firm that now supplies more tandems
than any other in the UK (yes, they sell to the US as well, but there
won't be any dealers).

I have to say, though, that the Bike Friday Family Tandem was a
delight, and adjustable enough to accommodate the significant
disparity in heights between my wife and myself (so we could both have
a go at captain). Plus IIRC it can be split down for air travel or to
fit inside a (biggish) car.

<url:http://www.bikefriday.com/bikecat99.cfm?cat=10>

Probably towards the top end of your budget, but a great bike.

Guy
--
May contain traces of irony. Contents liable to settle after posting.
[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]

88% of helmet statistics are made up, 65% of them at Washington University

07-16-2004, 12:30 PM

On Fri, 16 Jul 2004 12:37:43 -0700, "Scooter the mighty"
<[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote in message
<[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]>:

>I was thinking of getting my wife a tandem bike for her birthday. I have
>two issues with this.

>1) We have a 6 inch leg length differential. Is there going to be a problem
>with this?

No. The only thing is it reduces your options if you both want to
take turns as captain.

>2) I notice that the majority of tandem bikes cost in the $5,000 range
>(athough I have not been looking very long).

Wow! Those are big ticket tandems. You can get an Orbit tandem over
here for around the $1,000 mark, which is your budget, and of course
there's always the second hand market.

I can recommend the Thorn Voyager from <url:http://www.sjscycles.com>,
a very well balanced bike from a firm that now supplies more tandems
than any other in the UK (yes, they sell to the US as well, but there
won't be any dealers).

I have to say, though, that the Bike Friday Family Tandem was a
delight, and adjustable enough to accommodate the significant
disparity in heights between my wife and myself (so we could both have
a go at captain). Plus IIRC it can be split down for air travel or to
fit inside a (biggish) car.

<url:http://www.bikefriday.com/bikecat99.cfm?cat=10>

Probably towards the top end of your budget, but a great bike.

Guy
--
May contain traces of irony. Contents liable to settle after posting.
[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]

88% of helmet statistics are made up, 65% of them at Washington University

07-16-2004, 12:30 PM

On Fri, 16 Jul 2004 12:37:43 -0700, "Scooter the mighty"
<[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote in message
<[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]>:

>I was thinking of getting my wife a tandem bike for her birthday. I have
>two issues with this.

>1) We have a 6 inch leg length differential. Is there going to be a problem
>with this?

No. The only thing is it reduces your options if you both want to
take turns as captain.

>2) I notice that the majority of tandem bikes cost in the $5,000 range
>(athough I have not been looking very long).

Wow! Those are big ticket tandems. You can get an Orbit tandem over
here for around the $1,000 mark, which is your budget, and of course
there's always the second hand market.

I can recommend the Thorn Voyager from <url:http://www.sjscycles.com>,
a very well balanced bike from a firm that now supplies more tandems
than any other in the UK (yes, they sell to the US as well, but there
won't be any dealers).

I have to say, though, that the Bike Friday Family Tandem was a
delight, and adjustable enough to accommodate the significant
disparity in heights between my wife and myself (so we could both have
a go at captain). Plus IIRC it can be split down for air travel or to
fit inside a (biggish) car.

<url:http://www.bikefriday.com/bikecat99.cfm?cat=10>

Probably towards the top end of your budget, but a great bike.

Guy
--
May contain traces of irony. Contents liable to settle after posting.
[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]

88% of helmet statistics are made up, 65% of them at Washington University

07-16-2004, 12:30 PM

On Fri, 16 Jul 2004 12:37:43 -0700, "Scooter the mighty"
<[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote in message
<[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]>:

>I was thinking of getting my wife a tandem bike for her birthday. I have
>two issues with this.

>1) We have a 6 inch leg length differential. Is there going to be a problem
>with this?

No. The only thing is it reduces your options if you both want to
take turns as captain.

>2) I notice that the majority of tandem bikes cost in the $5,000 range
>(athough I have not been looking very long).

Wow! Those are big ticket tandems. You can get an Orbit tandem over
here for around the $1,000 mark, which is your budget, and of course
there's always the second hand market.

I can recommend the Thorn Voyager from <url:http://www.sjscycles.com>,
a very well balanced bike from a firm that now supplies more tandems
than any other in the UK (yes, they sell to the US as well, but there
won't be any dealers).

I have to say, though, that the Bike Friday Family Tandem was a
delight, and adjustable enough to accommodate the significant
disparity in heights between my wife and myself (so we could both have
a go at captain). Plus IIRC it can be split down for air travel or to
fit inside a (biggish) car.

<url:http://www.bikefriday.com/bikecat99.cfm?cat=10>

Probably towards the top end of your budget, but a great bike.

Guy
--
May contain traces of irony. Contents liable to settle after posting.
[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]

88% of helmet statistics are made up, 65% of them at Washington University

07-16-2004, 12:49 PM

Scooter the mighty wrote:
> I was thinking of getting my wife a tandem bike for her birthday.

Ha! Nobody gets a tandem as a gift for someone else...they get it as a gift
for themselves and hope the other person perceives it as a gift to them.

OTOH, it may be the only way you will get her on a tandem is to give her
one!

Austin (thinking about wife's birthday coming up...I wonder if she'd like a
tandem bicycle...)
--
I'm pedaling as fast as I durn well please!
There are no X characters in my address

07-16-2004, 12:49 PM

Scooter the mighty wrote:
> I was thinking of getting my wife a tandem bike for her birthday.

Ha! Nobody gets a tandem as a gift for someone else...they get it as a gift
for themselves and hope the other person perceives it as a gift to them.

OTOH, it may be the only way you will get her on a tandem is to give her
one!

Austin (thinking about wife's birthday coming up...I wonder if she'd like a
tandem bicycle...)
--
I'm pedaling as fast as I durn well please!
There are no X characters in my address

07-16-2004, 12:49 PM

Scooter the mighty wrote:
> I was thinking of getting my wife a tandem bike for her birthday.

Ha! Nobody gets a tandem as a gift for someone else...they get it as a gift
for themselves and hope the other person perceives it as a gift to them.

OTOH, it may be the only way you will get her on a tandem is to give her
one!

Austin (thinking about wife's birthday coming up...I wonder if she'd like a
tandem bicycle...)
--
I'm pedaling as fast as I durn well please!
There are no X characters in my address

07-16-2004, 12:49 PM

Scooter the mighty wrote:
> I was thinking of getting my wife a tandem bike for her birthday.

Ha! Nobody gets a tandem as a gift for someone else...they get it as a gift
for themselves and hope the other person perceives it as a gift to them.

OTOH, it may be the only way you will get her on a tandem is to give her
one!

Austin (thinking about wife's birthday coming up...I wonder if she'd like a
tandem bicycle...)
--
I'm pedaling as fast as I durn well please!
There are no X characters in my address