Tandemonium

Comment

Comment by H3N3 on July 14, 2010 at 11:44pm

Who's up for a Tandem crew on the July 30 Critical Mass?

Comment by Jerome Hughes on July 14, 2010 at 11:25am

one other point forgot to inclue - have talked with another Tandem Topper owner who wasn't aware of the webbed strap which should be used to lock the steering of the tandem straight

it loops over the captain's brake hoods and travels back to loop over the captain's seatpost, then gets tightened with the sliding plastic buckle on the strap

if you don't have one, look into it, as it makes loading/unloading much easier, and really a one person operation

Comment by Christopher Burke Ellis on July 14, 2010 at 11:07am

Thanks Jerome. I ended up getting the ATOC Topper. It is working great, though I het kinda worried driving through strong side winds on the highway. Bugs do make a mess, especially traveling through Iowa as my wife and I often do. Good tips. My wife keeps whining about all the bug guts on her bars.

Comment by Jerome Hughes on July 14, 2010 at 9:57am

@Christopher seldom drive much anymore ;) but once had a Yakima rack for the Cannondale tandem, it used a quick release up front and supported the back of the bike in a "saddle" with two of their straps over the "boom tube" (horizontal tube between the two bottom brackets)

this could be pretty tough to lift the bike into at times, and it's not the kindest thing for the bike's finish, so eventually got an ATOC "Tandem Topper" rack which was much better, includes a pivot with a pin you pull out so that the front quick release can be rotated toward the side of the car, allowing you to lift the fork up and attach it while the back wheel remains on the ground, then once it's attached, you lift the back of the tandem and swing it over into place, securing it with a wheel strap - the rear section of the rack also comes off with a pin holding it, and you can transport a single bike on it at the same time

ATOC racks were remarketed by Thule for a while, in addition to the Tandem Topper (which ran about $400 then) they make one that doesn't have the rotation, it goes for about half the price

also, they make them with a taller front attach for those who run front lowrider racks, if you think you might do so at some point, it makes sense to get this option (didn't and have had to remove/reinstall racks a few times)

also, if you're transporting the tandem short distances during buggy hours, you'll want to protect it, as bugs hit at high speed are more than difficult to remove - while the "b-string" sort of thing will work then, for longer distances it will show up a bunch in increased fuel usage (decreased mileage)

for longer distances, covering up the fronts of the fork blades and head tubes in tape will cause less mileage decrease and still allow easy bug removal - also a good idea to remove whatever else you can (saddles & stoker bars, pedals, etc.) to cheat the wind better

Comment by Duppie on July 14, 2010 at 9:48am

Nice! That tandem looks in good shape. All you need is Brooks leather saddles in honey to match the bar tape ;)

Comment by Kelvin Mulcky on July 13, 2010 at 9:36pm

Ok a month later, i took a picture. We've been riding it a ton. love it.

Comment by allison on June 27, 2010 at 11:36pm

I'd love to go, but it must be before july 17

Comment by H3N3 on June 27, 2010 at 6:36pm

Good question. My Twinn is up and running again, and I have a second (single-speed) that just needs air-- have there been any organized rides yet?

Comment by Sarah Urbansky on June 27, 2010 at 6:27pm

So when is the tandem parade? :)

Comment by Christopher Burke Ellis on June 18, 2010 at 12:29pm

Does anybody have any experience with car-top bike racks that are meant to accommodate a tandem? Seems like a specialty item that I'll have difficulty getting much information on at any of the bike shops in town. I have no idea what to look for.

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