So it occured to me a few mo's ago that my wife and I would have a great time on a tandem and it would help to balance the disparity in cycling condition between us (even when outa shape from not ridin', my legs just remember how to go!). She has been wanting to get into shape and I thought this the perfect answer.
There were some interesting factory builts available for > $.5k which seemed reasonable. But most of them were going to need attention to the rubber and cables etc. Meaning they're more like > $.6k, again, seamingly reasonable but creeping up and out of my ue'd student budget quick.
I kept going back to look at this ad for one that looked pretty beat up and had been made from 2 butted frames. W/ a pair of gm grey 27" Mavics being the only matching pair of anything unless you count the lavender griptape and bottle holders (ew!). 3 right side cranks and 1 left were getting the drive done but it all worked and this couple had done the STP (Seatown To Ptown) on it several times. Clearly road hard and put away wet, this thing would need some serious going over but the price made that possible. So I paid two bills for it and got to work.
Wish I woulda takin before pics but I didn't. First things first, tyres, tubes, cables, a seat, bars (interesting story I'll tell shortly), grips, shifters, levers, pads etc. I don't like flats so I went w/ Gatorskin Conti's, picked up a ladies Avenir seat for, well.. the lady and found a used matching mens for $10 GrabOn's were the wifies grip choice. I (and my back) have no use for drop bars so I set out on the hunt for some moustache bars (The Discerning Cyclist's Bar of Choice!); ' quickly found a residential boneyard where i arranged to do some pickin'. After purchasing the bars I discuss the project w/ the boneyard guy only to find out that he'd sold the tandem to the guy I bought it from; said some Russian guy had built it! This isn't even unusual as far as I'm concerned, when stuff like it happens I just smile knowingly (as if I have an inkling to the significance of the synchronous nature of things; but it's there and I know about it so I smile). W/ the new bars had to come shifters and levers, twist shifters are cheap and plentiful in the used bin and will work for my app, they will also allow me to use my favorite levers, Avid V-brake levers (I use'em on everything).
I stripped it mostly down and blackwashed it w/ some industrial gloss black and put it all together. We've been riding it happilly ever since and just a few days ago I went through and "fixed" the driveline.
Anyway, I think I may have $.5k in it, done, finito, just maintenance now!
Cheers!
tan 001 by RainCityRacer, on Flickr
tan 002 by RainCityRacer, on Flickr
I'll post pic's of the new driveline shortly!
P.S. I know this is about the bikes but tandems can be great for a marriage!
There were some interesting factory builts available for > $.5k which seemed reasonable. But most of them were going to need attention to the rubber and cables etc. Meaning they're more like > $.6k, again, seamingly reasonable but creeping up and out of my ue'd student budget quick.
I kept going back to look at this ad for one that looked pretty beat up and had been made from 2 butted frames. W/ a pair of gm grey 27" Mavics being the only matching pair of anything unless you count the lavender griptape and bottle holders (ew!). 3 right side cranks and 1 left were getting the drive done but it all worked and this couple had done the STP (Seatown To Ptown) on it several times. Clearly road hard and put away wet, this thing would need some serious going over but the price made that possible. So I paid two bills for it and got to work.
Wish I woulda takin before pics but I didn't. First things first, tyres, tubes, cables, a seat, bars (interesting story I'll tell shortly), grips, shifters, levers, pads etc. I don't like flats so I went w/ Gatorskin Conti's, picked up a ladies Avenir seat for, well.. the lady and found a used matching mens for $10 GrabOn's were the wifies grip choice. I (and my back) have no use for drop bars so I set out on the hunt for some moustache bars (The Discerning Cyclist's Bar of Choice!); ' quickly found a residential boneyard where i arranged to do some pickin'. After purchasing the bars I discuss the project w/ the boneyard guy only to find out that he'd sold the tandem to the guy I bought it from; said some Russian guy had built it! This isn't even unusual as far as I'm concerned, when stuff like it happens I just smile knowingly (as if I have an inkling to the significance of the synchronous nature of things; but it's there and I know about it so I smile). W/ the new bars had to come shifters and levers, twist shifters are cheap and plentiful in the used bin and will work for my app, they will also allow me to use my favorite levers, Avid V-brake levers (I use'em on everything).
I stripped it mostly down and blackwashed it w/ some industrial gloss black and put it all together. We've been riding it happilly ever since and just a few days ago I went through and "fixed" the driveline.
Anyway, I think I may have $.5k in it, done, finito, just maintenance now!
Cheers!
tan 001 by RainCityRacer, on Flickr
tan 002 by RainCityRacer, on Flickr
I'll post pic's of the new driveline shortly!
P.S. I know this is about the bikes but tandems can be great for a marriage!
