Tandems of the forum

Turns out the bosses are for direct mount centrepull. The new ones of these are eyewateringly expensive (Paul & René Hearse), so I’m looking at Magura hydro rim brakes. Assuming these use the same height boss>rim measurement.

edit ohhhh no I’m not. not the same mount type. Was originally Campag Euclid. Eek.

Would a pair of Weinmann centrepulls work? Available for about twenty of your English pounds on eBay. Second-hand MAFACs will be more, as they attract the Compass Cycles randonneuring tax, but last I looked you could get a used but workable pair for about fifty quid.

Possibly. What I can’t figure out is whether you can convert the stirruped crown/bridge mounted ones to direct mount. I actually have a pair of Mafac knocking around... with the centre bolts.

Someone on Retro MTB thread has just offered some old U brakes. Might have to investigate.

stoker is a lovely weird one

To be fair, most tandemists area little bit weird.

SR MTE-100 adjustable setback seatpost, on the other hand, isn't weird, it's just retro.

Thanks for the ID, Herr tester

As far as I'm aware, you can - I don't think Weinmann made a different version for direct mount. With the stirrup removed, the pivot bolts should have enough thread left to screw into a boss. I don't know what the boss spacing should be, but I can measure my (crown-mounted) ones to figure out what it is likely to be?

The first-wave MTBer with everything would have had the MTE-100 and the Hite-Rite. I'm not sure why modern dropper posts don't move the saddle back as well as down. Maybe they want everybody to buy at least one starter and one upgrade of droppers that move in the wrong direction before coming up with a revolutionary product that actually does the right thing so that they can sell people £200 seat posts all over again.

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Just measured a mafac racer, spacing is ~62mm. Spacing on the frame+fork seems to be ~90mm. I’m going to need an off-road specific centrepull it seems. The mounts have no spring plate/hole thingy either, on the mafac the stirrup seems to have a hole for the spring-end.

I think I’m going to have convert it one way or another. Maybe just get bloody discs on there.

Rene Herse are 75.5 mm apart. Too narrow.

Right; as an Instant Google Expert it looks like 90mm spacing was MTB U-brake specific.

(Despite the faff it looks like an awesome biek - Dave Yates + Tandem = much jealous!)

Yep! I’m just getting my head round it all.

With a 30mm rim + Maguras required brake-surface of 29 each side, 90mm is about right.

I was thinking about 27.5 but I reckon I’m going to stick with 26r, we have three other 26r bikes in the household so tyres & tubes can be shared more easily.

Finally settling on hacking the bosses off, and putting V-brake/magura level ones on. Phew what a headfuck.

100 quid ladyback MBK frame
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/MBK-Tandem-Bike-Frame-Mixte-Rear/274389213695?hash=item3fe2df21ff:g:rhIAAOSwnEde20~R

Magura hydro v would be my first choice by far, HS22/33 are so nice to use

Would really like to, but the increase in repair costs means I think I'm going to go with another rim brake on the existing mounts and a drum drag.

I've been wanting Maguras for ages. Maybe one day on a tourer.

Isn't hydraulic a no-no on tandems? At least Thorn seems to think so

Sheldon Brown, on the other hand, is all for it

Oh I see, Thorn says no hydraulics for drag. Carry on, nothing to see here.

Amazing bike btw!

Have heard the argument that you should use cable discs so that there's not a risk of boiling the fluid.

Ha, seems like me the last two days... answering me own questions.

I’m using cabled rim brakes, found some old sick Suntour rollers.

@6pt I would like to take you up on that Arai, the only hubs I can find have the thread so I may as well try fitting one.

It’s yours. It’s hanging up in a garage in Sidcup right now but I’ll inevitably have to head over there soon-ish. It’ll come on a knackered wheel, hope that’s ok. Vital part of the decluttering process.

Arg a knackered wheel, my nemesis! ;)

Great thanks Tom. I have frame repairs to do, and frame spacing may be an issue, so perhaps I should check it out sooner rather than later. I’ll ask Winstan for advice in case he knows exactly, if we’re not sure I may have to get hub & arai down there pronto.

I’ll hit you up shortly.
B

Couldn't resist taking this home yesterday.

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Thorns 💥💥💥

Hey @Mat-CR look what turned up in the post. Suntour XCD, minty fresh 80s wierdness...

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