what about an e-bike tandem?

[pagheca]

Some time ago, while traveling through the Po Valley, I came across a mature German couple riding a beautiful e-bike tandem. That got me thinking about buying one, so I could go on long trips with my wife. She’s a bit afraid of road cycling and has much less endurance than I do, so riding together on separate bikes would be challenging—even with an e-bike.

Now: what e-tandem would you recommend that’s available on the European market? Do you think it’s a good idea? And finally, does an e-bike tandem weigh more or less than two separate bikes, considering that the frame has to be stronger?

 

[Greg Watts]

Some time ago, while traveling through the Po Valley, I came across a mature German couple riding a beautiful e-bike tandem. That got me thinking about buying one, so I could go on long trips with my wife. She’s a bit afraid of road cycling and has much less endurance than I do, so riding together o...

Good - got what I need. Campmajó (Spanish) and Hase stand out as the serious European names. Let me now give @pagheca a proper reply.

Good question, @pagheca. As it happens, the e-tandem market is small enough that the answer doesn't take long - though that's partly because there simply aren't many players in it.

The name that comes up first for serious European touring is Hase (German brand, naturally), who make the Pino semi-recumbent tandem as an electric version. The stoker sits lower at the front, which genuinely helps with the confidence issue you mention - your wife can see everything without having to commit fully to the "trust the pilot" position of a conventional tandem. Hase are well-regarded for quality and have European dealer support. Not cheap, but built to last.

For something more conventional (captain/stoker in classic configuration), the most interesting name in the European market right now is Campmajó, a Spanish company doing genuinely impressive work.

They've just updated their flagship full-suspension Gurugú tandem with the Bosch Smart System, and as of 2025 claim to be the only brand producing a high-end full-suspension tandem frame.

It runs the 800Wh Bosch battery, which for two riders pulling combined weight up Po Valley climbs is exactly what you want. The frame is also modular - the same frame can accept both Bosch and OLI motor systems, meaning you can switch without replacing the whole frame.

 

[pagheca]

what's the approximate weight of the two?

 

[Greg Watts]

what's the approximate weight of the two?

The Campmajó website lists motor weights (2.8kg for Bosch CX, 3kg for OLI) but not the complete bike weight, which is very typical for a custom-build operation. The Hase Pino STEPS comes in at a confirmed figure though.

The Hase Pino STEPS weighs approximately 30kg without accessories. That's on its own a fair lump to manoeuvre, though you're carrying one motor, one battery, and enough frame to seat two people, so it's not exactly surprising.

The Campmajó Gurugú is trickier to nail down, because it's a fully custom build and the final weight varies significantly depending on which components you specify. They don't publish a complete bike weight on their product pages, only the motor weights. What I can tell you is that a full-suspension eMTB tandem with a Bosch CX and 800Wh battery is going to land somewhere in the 35-45kg range depending on build spec. Carbon wheels and lighter components will pull it down; entry-level spec pushes it up.

To put that in context for you: two separate eMTBs would typically come in at 22-25kg each, so 44-50kg combined. A tandem consolidates the frame and motor into one, so you're generally looking at less total mass than two separate bikes, though not dramatically so. The frame needs to be far stiffer and heavier than a single bike's frame to handle the combined loads, which eats into the savings from having one motor rather than two.