Tandem bike question - Page 4 - Cycling Mob: Road Cycling, Mountain Biking and More

07-16-2004, 04:14 PM

"Scooter the mighty" <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote in message
news:[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?

I have ridden with my kids with a greater leg length differential.

> 2) I notice that the majority of tandem bikes cost in the $5,000 range
> (athough I have not been looking very long). This is way outside my price
> range. I can go a bit over $1,000, but much higher just isn't in the
cards.

Both of our tandems were bought used. The first one we paid just under $1000
for; the second I think was $1300. These are both beautiful custom-built
bikes.

It seems like tandems come up on the market fairly frequently around here,
so finding a used one that would generally fit isn't that hard. A friend of
mine in a more rural area says this is impossible. He's looking at a $250
(!!) tandem at WalMart to see if his wife can stand tandeming. I guess if
they like it, they can then look at upgrading later.

--
Warm Regards,

Claire Petersky
Please replace earthlink for mouse-potato and .net for .com
Home of the meditative cyclist:
[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]
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07-16-2004, 08:48 PM

Scooter wrote:
> 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?
>
> 2) I notice that the majority of tandem bikes cost in the $5,000 range
> (athough I have not been looking very long). This is way outside my price
> range. I can go a bit over $1,000, but much higher just isn't in the cards.
> Assuming that we are just going to ride it and not enter races or anything,
> is this enough to get something decent?

Where do you live? Tandem nuts are happy to do group rides, share
ideas, offer test rides.
I have two tandems. The one was less than $500 brand-spanking new
(GT Crestline, and it's a major step up from a Schwinn Twinn).
Counterpoint was, er, higher (used).
HTH

--Karen M.

07-16-2004, 08:48 PM

Scooter wrote:
> 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?
>
> 2) I notice that the majority of tandem bikes cost in the $5,000 range
> (athough I have not been looking very long). This is way outside my price
> range. I can go a bit over $1,000, but much higher just isn't in the cards.
> Assuming that we are just going to ride it and not enter races or anything,
> is this enough to get something decent?

Where do you live? Tandem nuts are happy to do group rides, share
ideas, offer test rides.
I have two tandems. The one was less than $500 brand-spanking new
(GT Crestline, and it's a major step up from a Schwinn Twinn).
Counterpoint was, er, higher (used).
HTH

--Karen M.

07-16-2004, 08:48 PM

Scooter wrote:
> 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?
>
> 2) I notice that the majority of tandem bikes cost in the $5,000 range
> (athough I have not been looking very long). This is way outside my price
> range. I can go a bit over $1,000, but much higher just isn't in the cards.
> Assuming that we are just going to ride it and not enter races or anything,
> is this enough to get something decent?

Where do you live? Tandem nuts are happy to do group rides, share
ideas, offer test rides.
I have two tandems. The one was less than $500 brand-spanking new
(GT Crestline, and it's a major step up from a Schwinn Twinn).
Counterpoint was, er, higher (used).
HTH

--Karen M.

07-16-2004, 08:48 PM

Scooter wrote:
> 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?
>
> 2) I notice that the majority of tandem bikes cost in the $5,000 range
> (athough I have not been looking very long). This is way outside my price
> range. I can go a bit over $1,000, but much higher just isn't in the cards.
> Assuming that we are just going to ride it and not enter races or anything,
> is this enough to get something decent?

Where do you live? Tandem nuts are happy to do group rides, share
ideas, offer test rides.
I have two tandems. The one was less than $500 brand-spanking new
(GT Crestline, and it's a major step up from a Schwinn Twinn).
Counterpoint was, er, higher (used).
HTH

--Karen M.

07-16-2004, 08:48 PM

Scooter wrote:
> 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?
>
> 2) I notice that the majority of tandem bikes cost in the $5,000 range
> (athough I have not been looking very long). This is way outside my price
> range. I can go a bit over $1,000, but much higher just isn't in the cards.
> Assuming that we are just going to ride it and not enter races or anything,
> is this enough to get something decent?

Where do you live? Tandem nuts are happy to do group rides, share
ideas, offer test rides.
I have two tandems. The one was less than $500 brand-spanking new
(GT Crestline, and it's a major step up from a Schwinn Twinn).
Counterpoint was, er, higher (used).
HTH

--Karen M.

07-16-2004, 08:51 PM

"Scooter the mighty" <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote;
>
> She's actually the taller of us two. She's 6'3" and leggy.

You know that's just not fair.

There are not enough women that tall for every man to have his own, so
you shorties should leave them alone and not distract them from
finding their rightful tall mates. Hmph.

Chalo Colina

07-16-2004, 08:51 PM

"Scooter the mighty" <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote;
>
> She's actually the taller of us two. She's 6'3" and leggy.

You know that's just not fair.

There are not enough women that tall for every man to have his own, so
you shorties should leave them alone and not distract them from
finding their rightful tall mates. Hmph.

Chalo Colina

07-16-2004, 08:51 PM

"Scooter the mighty" <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote;
>
> She's actually the taller of us two. She's 6'3" and leggy.

You know that's just not fair.

There are not enough women that tall for every man to have his own, so
you shorties should leave them alone and not distract them from
finding their rightful tall mates. Hmph.

Chalo Colina

07-16-2004, 08:51 PM

"Scooter the mighty" <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote;
>
> She's actually the taller of us two. She's 6'3" and leggy.

You know that's just not fair.

There are not enough women that tall for every man to have his own, so
you shorties should leave them alone and not distract them from
finding their rightful tall mates. Hmph.

Chalo Colina