TANDEMS

Posted Apr 26, 2001
1,799

If you're a first-time tandem shopper, understand this: A tandem isn't just a Siamese-twin combination of two single bikes. Almost everything changes when a frame and two wheels must carry two people. To be a good tandem shopper, you'll have to toss out most of your single-bike notions.

Don't shop for a light bike. You don't want unnecessary pounds, but shopping only by weight could get you a flaccid frame and components that don't hold up. Lose your concern for a precision fit. It isn't essential to duplicate your single-bike position (this is especially true for the rear rider, or stoker, who can see better when sitting more upright). The only hard and fast rule is you must hit your ideal saddle height if you're to pedal in comfort and with power.

Every tandem needs a triple crankset and a mountain bike-like cassette that goes from 11 or 12 teeth to 30 or more. Tandems can be reluctant climbers, so you'll appreciate a 30x30 low gear. And they descend like missiles, so you'll need lots of top-end gearing as well. On a tandem, it's nearly impossible to have a gear that's too big or too small.

Almost all tandem frames use oversize tubing for strength and stability. Chrome-moly steel alloy is still popular, but aluminum rules the mid- to upper-price range because of its high stiffness-to-weight ratio. Titanium remains rare and rich. If you need to ask the price, you can't afford it. For casual riding, shop in the cruiser category. Padded seats, upright handlebars and low frames for easy on/off make these budget tandems comfortable for local rides in unchallenging terrain. Tourists and fast recreational riders will find the right stuff in models from just over $1,000 to around $3,000. Beyond that come the exotics, with state-of-the-art tubing and possibly goodies such as built-in suspension and disc brakes.

Keep in mind this list isn't anywhere near all-inclusive. We've picked good tandems that showcase features or characteristics you should look for while shopping. Look them over, figure out what works for you, grab your best friend and go for a ride.

--Ed Pavelka