Viewing 28 posts - 1 through 28 (of 28 total)
  • RP23 – DIY remote ProPedal
  • tandemwarriors
    Full Member

    Since getting the Ventana tandem we’ve always had the problem that Sandy can’t reach the Propedal lever while riding, which leaves us either bobbing up the hills, or getting bounced around on the downs.
    So, in the spirt of Messers Heath and Robinson, here’s the solution, a remote Propedal control. No sticky backed plastic or corn flakes packets, but you’ll need:
    An old Gripshift,
    Avid Rollamajig (or similar cable roller),
    Some stainless tube to fashion the lever extension,
    A pinch bolt,
    Araldite & superglue,
    Gear cable & outer,
    The coil springs from the master cylinder of two Hope C2 brake levers.

    The spring pressure is taking a bit of fine tuning to get a consistent action but bench trials seem promising. We’re off to the Lakes next week, so it’ll get a good test there.

    andrewh
    Free Member

    Love it. Well done. 😀

    PeterPoddy
    Free Member

    Superb bodge of epic proportions! Well done, I hope it works! 😀

    Zoolander
    Free Member

    Quality !

    ooOOoo
    Free Member

    Excellent to see it done, something I have thought about many times.
    If I could do a remote floodgate switch to I would never have to stop!

    Shorty121
    Free Member

    Might try that but make it look abit tidier

    Ax3M4n
    Free Member

    Wow – a full sus tandem bike. Do you do jumps and drops on it too?

    neil853
    Free Member

    That looks very well thought out and effective! well done!

    tandemwarriors
    Full Member

    Ax3M4n – Member
    Wow – a full sus tandem bike. Do you do jumps and drops on it too?

    Not a great pic, but you get the idea. The freeride park at Glentress.

    So, err, yes we do, as much as the laws of physics will allow a 50lb bike and 2 people to do 🙂

    ddmonkey
    Full Member

    Love the bodge but can’t get my head around why anyone would want to ride a tamden off road. What do you get out of it compared to riding solo? Doesn’t it just hold you back in terms of what is rideable? Is it just a another different challenge?

    allmountain76
    Free Member

    Not much good for a “normal” bike with 2 shifters already on the bars tho? Wonder if a RS / Manitou remote forks switch could be bodged in?

    tandemwarriors
    Full Member

    ddmonkey – Member
    Love the bodge but can’t get my head around why anyone would want to ride a tamden off road. What do you get out of it compared to riding solo? Doesn’t it just hold you back in terms of what is rideable? Is it just a another different challenge?

    Can completely understand what you’re saying, and tandems certainly won’t suit everyone and not everyone will ‘get’ it.
    We went for a tandem over 10 years ago mainly because Sandy didn’t want to become ( and I didn’t want her to become) a biking widow. There’s a 15 year age gap between us, and at 40 she’d hardly ridden a bike since childhood, nevermind off-road. The main reason was that she suffers with ME, so that would always limit how much and how long she could ride. The tandem allows us to ‘share’ energy so she gets to join in in a way that she never would on a solo. It’s also a great leveller – forget most things about riding solo, they don’t work on a tandem!

    Does it hold us back? Well not really. I ride solo to do more techy stuff, and we choose tandem routes that suit a tandem. For example Nan Bield is great but on a tandem would be insane, but we’ve ridden most of the Peak District trails, red routes at GT & Kirroughtree.

    So the answer to ‘is it a different challange’ is yes, a completely different challenge.
    For example the red route at GT on a solo is enjoyable, but (IMHO) not that challenging. Try getting a tandem to climb the switchbacks and each corner is a victory! Stuck in a rut? Forget trying to bunny hop out of it, tandems don’t hop, or wheelie, they just do brute force!

    Bit of a long winded answer, but hopefully makes sense 🙂

    Cheers,
    Rob

    ddmonkey
    Full Member

    Nice, cheers Rob.

    jeb
    Full Member

    really nice job 🙂

    singlespeedstu
    Full Member

    can’t get my head around why anyone would want to ride a tamden off road. What do you get out of it

    If you ever get the chance have a go do it. It’s both challenging and rewarding.

    Fantasic fun when you can work together and get it right.

    We’ve riden stuff on ours that Mrs ssstu wouldn’t ride on her own bike then she’s gone back and done it on her solo.

    Oh and you wouldn’t believe how fast the accelerate on descents. 😯

    Any old excuse to post this up again. 🙄


    [/url] by sheldonattwood, on Flickr

    sofaking
    Free Member

    a wokwagon made for two

    thekingofsweden
    Full Member

    Hey I have that pic on my calender who put that there ?

    You must be tandem royalty !

    Also TW did you sell the dale frame ? I heard someone asking about one ?

    Ax3M4n
    Free Member

    Hat’s off to Rob. That must take some serious guts and determination.

    How can you outdo this?

    Well I saw the Goodies Special, and it sounds like their TRANDEM might be up for grabs….

    TurnerGuy
    Free Member

    There’s an Ellesworth tandem that goes out with the MuddyMoles near the Surrey Hills sometimes – they take it down most of the gnarly stuff that the rest of the guys go down – scary…

    tandemwarriors
    Full Member

    thekingofsweden – Member

    Also TW did you sell the dale frame ? I heard someone asking about one ?

    the old girl is still hanging in the garage, feeling very forlon & unloved! Email in profile and I’ll happily send more info & pics.
    Thanks,
    Rob

    tandemwarriors
    Full Member

    Rob and I have spent many a wonderful time in the Quantox and really love the speed and skill to get down the likes of smiths comb and then some… I agree with earlier post it is totally amazing how very fast we can get going downhill and the peaks was a real challenge coz people tended to stand around at the bottom of a descent and we would come down so fast that it was like a game of skittles… so if you see a tandem about to descend unless you are very very quick and skilled it might be more fun to try and keep up with them rather than being hounded to the bottom….. many a biker has had to bail infront of us coz they truely had underestimated us… we are a tad slow up hill to be sure though (posted by mrs rob)

    Olly
    Free Member

    you go that far to put the controls on remote, and then leave them in her control? 😉

    srlsy though, looks good

    suggestion to get around the spring pressure problems:
    instead of a spring release, have a two way pull (rhollof stylee)

    thekingofsweden
    Full Member

    Good news on the frame will be in touch

    How often do you get to the quantocks give us a shout when your next comming down maybe we can get a tandem ride going ?

    Blueadvocate
    Full Member

    Why

    tandemwarriors
    Full Member

    Thanks for all the positive feedback.
    First test run at Whinlatter today, and I’m pleased (and a bit relieved) to report that it worked brilliantly 🙂
    Coming off a downhill section with the shock active, we’d hit an uphill, sandy’s gripshift would flick the shock into propedal, and we could feel it tighten up beneath us, so no bouncing as we stomped on the pedals, fan-bloody-tastic 😀
    Then when it went downhill she flicked the shock open and we felt Nancy soften again and we were soaking all the bumps again.
    So well chuffed. More test riding tomorrow. If you’re in the lakes this week and you see us, give us a shout.

    Rob & Sandy, the tandemwarriors with remote control!!

    clubber
    Free Member

    My Rocky Mountain Element (sadly currently dead – broken swingarm) was set up with a Rock Shox shock with remote lockout (same as the RS Ario 3.R) and a RS dual poploc handlebar control which locks both fork and shock together. It was brilliant – nice and soft for the bumpy stuff but solid for the fireroad climbs or sprints


    http://www.winstanleysbikes.co.uk/product/34430/RockShox_Ario_3R_Rear_Shock_2011

    tandemwarriors
    Full Member

    Back home from our week in the Lakes (timed perfectly before the snow covered the trails today!).
    The remote is a resounding success. 3 rides (Whinlatter, Pooley bridge>cockpit(pic below)>Howtown, and Lonscale) and it worked faultlessly.

    Now, what’s the phone number for the Patent Office???

    Rob

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