Tandem - should I?

A few threads in shopping and travel, but not a huge amount on info on tandems. No doubt a quick google and sheldon will sort me out which is my next stop.

Just wondering if anyone on here has much experience of riding and working on them? I know i'll have a rear drum brake, possibly a 40h rear and the timing chain to deal with but everything else is normal i take it?

I have sort of got my eye on one, can almost afford it but my gf is not cool with the idea at the moment, can fit it upright in the alcove in my hallway thus moving my tourer to the lounge along with her bike. Not really an issue now i've moved a couple of frames under the bed and i think getting rid of the stack of manky 27" wheels might be in order...

If it does happen i may need a stoker/navigator to help me get it back from st albans to stokey. Beer and other expenses covered.
So, i'm off to troll tandem forums but any advice is welcome

make sure you persuade her before you get it. theres nothing sadder than a depressed looking man riding a tandem on his own

haha thats a situation i've already considered. in that case it'll probably be turned over to the forum for any duties that may be required of it.
also had plans of tandeming around the uk with a mate next year so it'd suit for that as well.
luckily we're talking less dorrah than a lot of people on heres bikes so it wont be the end of the world...

You look neat upon the seat of a bicycle made for two...

before i was born my dad had a custom-made touring tandem built for him and my mum. they used to go touring around on it, and when i was a kid i went on a few tours with my dad. it was freaking awesome.

i say do it if your missus is keen.

i dont think she has a problem with tandems per se, more that we're saving so we can move and i've got 2 projects(easily mothballed). The tandem i want is a complete runner just needs sprucing up so barely a project at all....

barely a project at all....

make one!

thats easy for you to say sir!

i say get it, if for nothing else you can pretend your spooning while flying across London. :)

MY dad and his wife rode a tandem from malaysia to hong kong, pulling a trailer with all their stuff in.

Amongst others, my favourite diy repair was he had motobike pillion footpegs welded on at the back, so the wife could rest!

I have an old classic tandem frame (50s at a guess) and most bits for sale. Cottered cranks, eccentric b.b, seat posts, stem, bars (crap) and some old 27" 36 spoke 5 speed weinman aluminum rimed wheels (random rear wheel in there at the moment but 27" lent up against it). Needs gears and brakes.

If I had the space i'd get a tandem, no questions. it is so much fun go for it if you can.

I have an old classic tandem frame (50s at a guess) and most bits for sale. Cottered cranks, eccentric b.b, seat posts, stem, bars (crap) and some old 27" 36 spoke 5 speed weinman aluminum rimed wheels (random rear wheel in there at the moment but 27" lent up against it). Needs gears and brakes.

Considering I can't quite afford the Rohloff'd Thorn I've been looking at, this is really tempting. Do you have any measurements?

If I had the space i'd get a tandem, no questions. it is so much fun go for it if you can.

well, thats pretty much my mind made up!

Tommy - i think i'll pass on your classic beast, nice as it is i've got my eye on summat a little racier! Also as its not in london i hopefully wont have to pay hipster tax on it come the end of the auction...

Been chatting to rob at sargent and co just now about em, apparently tandem prices are lower than they've ever been, he has an AMAZING jack taylor racing frame at the mo that he got for a song. A little out of my legue and is so short the stoker is right up yer arse so not quite what i'm after but worth popping in just to gawp at, it looks fast, damn fast.

Considering I can't quite afford the Rohloff'd Thorn I've been looking at, this is really tempting. Do you have any measurements?

It's at my parents and I'm off tonight on a little trip tonight so will not be back to their house for about 10 days - 2 weeks. I would estimate it at a 54- 56 cm ish.

I've had it up and running s.s for a few yards down the road for fun.

I'm just shy of 6' 2" and kind of fitted n the front but it would be better for someone a bit smaller. My girlfriend is 5' 3" and was fine on the back, as was my mum at 5' 2".

I started restoring it but just have not been able to find time. I've regressed the b.b and headset and given it a rough respray. What you get is really a frame, chainsets and wheels with some other random bits such as handlebars that you may be able to use or may want though in a skip.

It's in New Forest at the movement so I would need to bring it up to London. I can measures it when I go back down and take more photos if you want. I have no room to store in London.

PM'd.

**I Did.

**Just got back from my pickup run to st albans to collect the tandem i won off ebay. For the record, thameslink or whoever if was do not like tandems. After sweet talking the station mistress i was allowed on where i throughly got in everyones way back to kentish town.

Lots of work to do, new cables, tyres and handlebar tape all round just to get it livable then strip it and repolish it part by part.
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=260478666863&ru=http%3A%2F%2Fshop.ebay.co.uk%3A80%2F%3F_from%3DR40%26_trksid%3Dp4712.m38.l1313%26_nkw%3D260478666863%26_sacat%3DSee-All-Categories%26_fvi%3D1&_rdc=1

rides like a dream and racks up speed nicely. Drum brake is freakin sweet.

excellent work man, looks nice. I'm really jealous. hope you enjoy it.

Nice one, Ed. Beautiful machine!

Will start posting pics and crap in current projects when i get started. Just about the place an order on sjs for a ton of consumables. Might need to find a slightly longer pair of seatposts, standover is ok but the posts are made for midgets...

Started striping it down. It's a bit daunting at the moment. Brakes and all cables first then the drivetrain. Luckily everything works and i haven't come across any stuck bolts yet so a good clean and a fresh set of chains might do the job.

I just bought a touring tandem. Mixture of excitement and embarrassment right now. It's in Devon, and we're planning to take the train out there, and ride it back (did the same ride, minus 30 miles, this time last year, except road from London to Devon. Will be nice to revisit it). Seems to be in good condition (recently upgrade to mostly Deore bits) and the right size for the two of us.

The excitement is beating out the embarrassment.

Hahaha. Brilliant news !!

We need to see some pics .......

Ha! I'd love to see the end result! make sure Do do a little practice on some quite roads first. Only ridden a tandem once and it was strange.

Hahaha. Brilliant news !!

We need to see some pics .......

Ha! I'd love to see the end result! make sure Do do a little practice on some quite roads first. Only ridden a tandem once and it was strange.

Yeah, been reading about the awkwardness of riding a tandem (just mounting one seems like a hassle!), so we'll need to do some laps of a parking lot, or up and down a small road for a while. But, the only way to learn is to do! By the end of the three days, we'll be in perfect sync ;)