Tandem - should I?

I suppose I can consider this like the "tandem" general thread on the forum?

There's this on too:
https://www.lfgss.com/thread36379.html
Might be an idea to merge

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Thanks, funny I did not find it, I did a search for tandem in title and within bike and bits... Ah got it, no "s" at the end!

Will post there too...

Picked up a Tandem project earlier today, looks a fair bit of work needed but overall could well be worth it if can get it rideable. Slow burner so don't wait for updates....

Had first look yesterday, besides a broken sturmy coupling chain thingy and some rust patches on the paint everything else was easily tweaked back into running fine. Short test ride out front went ok, longer ride solo planned this morning.

Here's a rough "before" pic

Here's an after pic, "dead rats Alex" tells me it's a Velo Schauff. Hub says '87. Rides beautifully.

summer is here, sort of. tandem ride anybody?

Forum tandem ride

http://www.lfgss.com/events/345/

Considering buying a tandem I've seen advertised but slightly concerned about sizing. It's approx 57cm square at the front, with a rear seat tube of about 50cm.

I usually ride a 62-64cm (with 56-58cm top tubes); my girlfriend's bikes are 54-56cm. Do I just buy it and stick in two longish seat posts? That should work, right?

It'd guess that it's a 70s frame upgraded with new wheels and rear mech. Probably needs new brakes and maybe a drive chain overhaul if I can find a matching set. Also needs a front mech to be installed.

Advice gratefully received.

I reckon you'd be ok. Mine is definitely too small for me, but a good chunk of seatpost and a 140mm stem later I'm good to go.
Reach for your girlfriend on the back may be an issue as you can only go so short on the stoker stem before the bars wil be interfering with your legs, but if she's happy with an upright position then you can make it work.

you can only go so short on the stoker stem before the bars wil be interfering with your legs

Depends on how fat the captain's legs are, in the olden days tandems had short back ends and the stoker bars sat under the pilot's saddle

But look how far forward the saddle is! And the ST angle! A different beast to what I'm familiar with.
With an 80mm stoker stem and my saddle very much forward on the rails the backs of my thighs can still snag on stoker's fingers if she's holding the tops.
#fatclub, I guess :(

Here's something a little more modern. I think the skinny legs are a requirement of SWB tandems which 21st century cyclists struggle with :-)

The guy at the back is the one looking where they're going! Ace. He could totally get lower for some cheek-to-cheek action though.

The tandem I'm considering is currently set up with swept-back bars for the stoker and drops for the captain. This should help avoid the fat-leg problem above. Also, I'm hardly Robert Forstermann.

Seems that any tandem will be a bit of a compromise, so my enthusiasm isn't yet diminished. Still haven't bought the thing, mind.

I picked one up this Friday in horrible state. A good measure of WD40 later and it is rideable-ish. Rear derailleur might be lost, but as I couldn't wait set up as singlespeed for an introductory lap around the square behind my house. Thoroughly terrified.