Tandem bike advice

Weasler

New Member
Apr 22, 2022
2
0
Miami, USA
I've never ridden a tandem before & am now considering one for me (male) & my partner (female). can anyone give me some basic advice on what to look out for when selecting the right one?
 

markloch

Active member
May 14, 2021
124
117
NorCal
I prefer non electric but electric also okay..

Moustache makes a nice Bosch-powered tandem e-mtb. Not sure who else does mtb e-tandems, if anyone.

If I could get my hands on an old tandem mtb that my wife and I could fit on (I'm 6'4", she's 5'10") I'd take on the conversion project, slap on rear hub motor, maybe a bafang mid-drive if feasible. Or maybe a 700c frame I could squeeze wider rims/tires on, and some kind of suspension fork in front.

Wonder if any of the Asian frame makers that have bafang-ready frames do tandems?
 

duk916

Member
Jul 12, 2018
61
44
New Zealand
I've had a couple of mountain and road tandems.
I would say fit is important the right size for you and your stoker. We had great fun on ours, riding all the trails that i could do solo.
Speak to MTB Tandems in the US. MTB Tandems | Website
That's where i purchased mine from and had them shipped to New Zealand.
 

GrahamPaul

E*POWAH Elite World Champion
Nov 6, 2019
1,127
1,087
Andalucía
I've never ridden a tandem before & am now considering one for me (male) & my partner (female). can anyone give me some basic advice on what to look out for when selecting the right one?

I've got a Santana. Made in the USA but we bought it in Germany.

As mentioned above, it's critical that you get the sizing right. Santana have an excellent range and you really do need to have a try out on one at one of their open days.

Get it wrong and you'll really regret not being able to get any distance from the noise coming from the engine room... :oops:
 

Funkeydunk

Well-known member
Subscriber
May 28, 2019
379
280
Uk
consider how you'll transport it, if you're taking it somewhere to ride, how wilt fit on your vehicle?
 

GrahamPaul

E*POWAH Elite World Champion
Nov 6, 2019
1,127
1,087
Andalucía
I've never ridden a tandem before & am now considering one for me (male) & my partner (female). can anyone give me some basic advice on what to look out for when selecting the right one?

One thing to keep in mind is your terrain. We spent years touring in Germany on river valley routes. Tandems are great on the flat or on mild inclines. But they really hate going uphill.

Where we now live, it's all hills and the tandem hangs on a wall while I think about how to add a motor.
 

Barbara_Reed

Active member
Oct 18, 2020
147
197
FR
Pino Hase might be of interest. Indépendant pedaling, front rider recumbent. Performer do one similar, a good deal cheaper.
 

GrahamPaul

E*POWAH Elite World Champion
Nov 6, 2019
1,127
1,087
Andalucía
Pino Hase might be of interest. Indépendant pedaling, front rider recumbent. Performer do one similar, a good deal cheaper.

The Hase tandems were really popular on the German tandem meets we went on. Their owners loved them.

However, the stoker needs nerves of steel: they're exposed at the front with no steering control and no brakes. I realise that the stoker on a traditional tandem also has no steering or brakes, but there's that psychological/physical barrier in front. We went the traditional route to save the screaming...

The Hase Pino Steps is the ebike version. Around €10k.
 

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