Thinking of getting a tandem so my wife can come on rides with me and not have the wide gap in climbing and descending ability.

The tandem wouldn’t be used for anything extreme, mainly fire roads , forest roads , but can see that I would need something with front suspension, disc brakes.

Dawes Double edge ticks some of the boxes, nicer still is the Lapiere , but that would be at the top of my budget though.

Any advice appreciated.

We have a Cannondale MTB tandem. Love it. Even though we are more evenly matched these days we still take it out for a giggle now and then. I think they don’t make our version anymore but they do a 29er.

Also, riding it was quite instructive when I first started – I learned a lot about pedal position and balance.

🙂

@CFH

Now that is impressive 🙂

Dawes double edge is a good starting point

Front suspension is pretty essential for anything offroad – as is a sus seatpost for the stoker. Also the advice is always try before you buy – some couples just cannot get on with one. Welcome to have a shot on ours if you are anywhere local or lost of place hire them / offer demos. JD tandems is a well rated shop who do tryout days.

the fork really needs to be very tough – they get hammered. Mine is a old cannondale with a ‘zocchi Z1 lite fork modified with a reinforced steel steerer and internal mods

the tandem club has a useful website with details of places to try tandems.

Edinburgh BTW if you want a shot on ours.

Shermer, I can’t claim that it’s my work, I’m afraid.

*Edit – But it seems to work! 😀

Thanks ty again

Other end of the country, near Afan in South Wales

The Lapierre looks a better option with the fork, I also have a sort of spare Pike fork which would fit.

🙂

Double edge with a pike would be OK – you can sometimes get the double edge secondhand. the lapierre looks really nice in pics.

Orbit do some nice tandems s well

forget SJS – the will not fit discs on the front of tandems – living in the dark ages

https://www.tandem-club.org.uk/

http://www.tandems.co.uk/m3b0s76p0/Tandems/Tandems-%A3-800-to-%A32000

https://tandem-club.org.uk/files/information/tandemhire.html

Rigid Cannondale here – as others have said, discs, suss seatpost at the back. Suss fork would be nice. It’s important to communicate about bumps and such. Starting is easily done if you are consistent. Have a change of places so you know what it’s like at the other end. West Wilts – closer to you than TJ.

Wherever your relationship is going, you’ll get there faster on a tandem. Thudbuster is an excellent investment. For fire roads, a Dawes will be fine. Ridden our rigid kiddyback off road many times with no issues. Nothing seriously technical though.

just get a ventana. you know it makes sense.

I also have a USE suspension post spare, the one with the elostomer inside it.

Might be the correct diameter.

The Double Edge looks more like what we would need, although the lapierre is nicer, but more expensive.

Been married some what seems like forever 🙂

We have the Dawes Double Edge, girly saddle & short Thudbuster on the back, rigid at the front but with big strong 26″ knobbly tyres. It’s fine on easy stuff like fire roads but I’d not want to hit roots with it. We also added a stout stem, beefier bars and upped the brakes to BB7.
The Dawes is adaptable for touring too- ours also has a pair of lighter ‘summer’ wheels, 650B rims on 36h Hope hubs. For tours, this runs 42mm Grand Bois ‘Hetre’ tyres from ACycles in France; these fit under the existing mudguards too. Can be run with racks but has another trick up its sleeve- as the rear dropout is a conventional 135mm wide, it readily tows my trailer, so we can go on long trips with it.

We have a rigid cannondale with maguras rather than disks. Disks would be nice but not essential as it’s not that much fun for the person on the back at high speed. Thudbuster at the back IS essential though

Just get one – they rock so much

You will love tandeming!

We have an mtb tandem in the hire fleet which will be for sale after Christmas if you fancy giving it a try.

Dennis.
Get in touch with these guys.
http://www.tandems.co.uk/
Ruth and John helped us out with all our questions when we were first looking at getting a tandem.

Oh and come on guys what kind of a tandem thread doesn’t have pics of your tandems on. 🙄 😀

We actualy rode ours yesterday for the first time in ages. Forgoten how much hard work fun it is.

[url=https://flic.kr/p/acEFYh]110813_132922[/url] by multispeedstu, on Flickr

Those tomatoes are disproportionately expensive.