Just started looking for a tandem, but what to get (or avoid) and where to find them secondhand?
Starting with a bit of gentle lanes bimbling, but aiming to be riding byways and hill tops – so a mtb tandem rather than a hybrid – or are they all just the same frames with different build kit?

Look for a used Cannondale if you are lucky. It should come with V brakes, but this is no bad thing. A Dawes hybrid would also serve you for non-tech off-road. 26 inch wheels are a must for strength. Size for the Captain as modern tandems have longer rear sections and you can add an adjustable stoker stem.

Tandem Club Classifieds is worth a look, as is CTC forum and ebay.

Most don’t have heavy usage and owners tend to be pretty fastidious. I have two, a kiddyback 26″ wheeled rigid hybrid and a Super Galaxy. The Dawes can handle non technical stuff just fine.

Avoid anything cheap – it will be horrible.

Would love a Cannondale with the colour fade, but guess a Dawes Double Edge is more likely to come up in my budget. Used to ride a KHS tandem.
If I found just a frame to build, would my old DH wheels be up to the job, or is it all about the spoke count?

Thanks for the tandem club tip.

We have a Double Edge and it’s fine for gentler trail stuff and for touring. Stock 48 spoke wheels are over-built for most stuff you are likely to want to attempt and ours will be getting Hope 36h hubs and 650b rims shortly for touring, will keep the stock ones for off-road and commuting. Mate has two of them at his work, with Revelations/20mm axles + those 36h Hope front hubs; these get light trail use and are also fine.
Double Edge has huge tyre clearance, with room for Kenda Nevegal 2.35″.
Would suggest a handlebar and stem upgrade for the captain as soon as possible though. Stock ones are awful, narrow and flexy. Sticking on a reasonable stem and 700+ bars will transform handling; anything cheap and cheerful will do, like FSA Gravity from On-one or whatever you can find. Longer term, you might want to find a bouncy seat post for the stoker. Enjoy…

I found the Cannondale to have limited clearance for mud at the forks and stays. If you go for DH wheels you might want to think about tyre size, especially for winter use. 36 spoke seemed to me to be standard, as were discs.

Timber, I needed similar to take my lad (12) or non cyclist wife on longer rides. I found a Dawes discovery frame on eBay – apparently the same as the double edge and build up using tougher parts from my spares collection.

After the frame, I bought some cheap but tough dirt jump sus forks as you don’t need much travel, FSA dh loose ball headset, and long cables with quality outers. Cross over drive came with the frame luckily.

All the other parts were discarded old parts, 36h downhill wheels ( been fine, keep them tight), Deore 9sp stuff, and 2.4″ tyres. Brakes are hydraulic discs, old clarks I think, but I updated the rotors to 203mm, and got a long hose for the rear.

It’s been great, and not missed a beat. Wheels have been strong enough, and brakes are fine also. Total spend was under £300 for frame chainset, forks, cables, headset and hose- it took a while to get the parts at those prices, but I guess it proves you can do it on a budget – it rides almost as good as my old racing tandem.

Good luck !

I had a KHS it cost 300 and took loads of stick off road only 7 speed .That was about 7 years ago though .I dont think you need to spend a fortune

Double Forte is a US-based tandem forum, it has members in Europe so could be worth a try…

http://www.thetandemlink.com/Double_Forte.html

Timber,
I am having to downsize my collection of bikes.. I have a dawes double edge that you might be interested in. Its a 19 inch captain and 16 inch stoker size I think off the top of my head. I fitted 100mm dirt jumper forks to it instead of the rigids it came with and it has old style M4 brakes (rear is a converted atoz adaptor).
I’m in Austria and the tandem is back in the uk, but send me an email if you’re interested and we can sort out some pics etc.

Cheers,

got a steel dawes the edge tandem for sale, let me know if your interested its going cheap

Get busy with a hacksaw and gaffa tape on a couple of old frames, sorted.

I built one up from a frame with second hand parts of here and eBay. Try the euro shops, lots of frames there cheap and lots of cheap tandem bits. For example my new truvativ tandem chainset front and rear with both bb cost about £130

Here it was before I sold it.

Link

Dr_UpGrade and karnali, I’ve sent you mail.

JRTG – I saw that last year, almost offered you my old Mondeo for it before the wife had some stern words and questioned how I would get it back if I swapped the car for it. Her view has softened now after a years persistence.

Timber, good work however if your mondeo happened to be an estate, I would probably have said yes.

Frame was about £250 iirc

It was…

Ah well too late now!

I have a full suspension tandem frame for sale if interested? Plus I have quite a few other parts. My email is in profile. cheers.

If you’re still looking then I’ve our old Cannondale frame, rigid fork (not the Bombers in the pic) and cranks. It’s getting lonely in the garage since the arrival of the Ventana frame.

Let me know if you’re interested.

Cheers,
Rob

how much rob if op does not take

We used to have two tandems (one for each nipper so we could go on family rides), both Thorn Voyagers I think, both bought second hand. My son outgrew it (socially, not physically) so we sold one of them on eBay. I found one on the Tandem Club classifieds and one at our local bike shop, Warlands in Oxford. Warlands sell their own range of tandems so it might well be worth giving them a call – ask to speak to Andy or Steve. Even if they don’t have anything themselves they might be able to advise you.

karnali,
for frame & original peperoni fork, all cranks+bash ring, Hope rear disc adaptor & axles, was thinking about £400 plus postage. Can send more photos if you’re interested.

Rob

We got a Viking Saratoga/Serengeti.
They go for around £400 new, which is OK for what is essentially a two seat BSO.
We paid £280 on ebay for one with less than 20 miles use.
I knew almost nothing about tandems at the time, except that it had to have disc brakes.
The original 140/160mm cable discs were absolutely useless. Solo, down hill, on dangerously smooth tarmac, it wouldn’t lock the back wheel.

At £280 though, it was worth it just for the tandem specific parts.
I’ve upgraded it with second hand hubs, rims, ‘bars, 3×9 gears, suspension seat post, saddles, grips and 200mm hydraulic brakes, plus new pedals and tyres.

In terms of fun riding per pound spent, it’s easily the best value bike I own.

I’d dearly love a tandem to ride out with the wife, but that’s probably many years away as storage just isn’t doable under current or likely near-future circumstances. I class tandems along with dogs: if you’re renting then just forget about it.

I’ve watched a few Cannondales go for under £600 complete on Ebay (a couple as low as £400).
I’ve borrowed one quite a bit and they are brilliant.

Unfortunately, I just don’t have the space.

The best thing about it was going out with my 10yo son because I got a proper workout (and so did he), unlike when we ride on separate bikes.

Went everywhere on it despite rigid forks – you just go slower – still great fun.
Standard 2.1 tyres of the era were fine. I don’t think I would have managed much wider though. Don’t let it put you off.

Think tandem will be our nest big purchase. First child and new business so money tight at moment.

Great fun. Wife & I did Lands End/John O’Groats on one and loved every second. It’s ace you can just chat as your heads are so close.

Just caught up with this again.

TW – that is tempting, but a bit budget busting considering my limited parts pile at the moment.
Nail – I equally suspect a FS tandem is beyond the bank account currently, however much I want it.
Dr_Upgrades is looking most promising so far.

Sooooo excited for this, going to try and persuade some friends to join me for some events. Remember getting a ‘dale tandem airborne years ago.

I just found this on ebay………………….

Tandem on ebay

Had a Dawes Double Edge about 7 or 8 years ago. Was great fun and terrifying in equal measure, I remember overtaking a few guys on road bikes near Ales in France on a big descent because the brakes (v on rear, cable disc on front) just weren’t doing much! Got bought a carafe of rose by them when we ended up at the same cafe for lunch…
Sold it as we didn’t use it as much as we should have, was a pain to transport on our Berlingo, had to take out both wheels and jiggle it in. If you can transport it, or ride locally it’s well worth giving it a go.

switchbacktrog – Member

I just found this on ebay………………….

Tandem on ebay

If it goes for a grand that’s a great price for a great bike with good forks

I built a Dawes Discovery tandem on a budget, The only tandem specific parts I used where:

Rear Wheel
Rear Brake Hose
Stoker Stem

Everything else was from parts bin. Using as many standard mtb parts helped a great deal with keeping costs down.

I’m now upgrading the parts now myself and the wife love using it. We currently have a little one on the way so looking forward to sticking a trailer on the back.

I’m confident in saying its the best cycling related investment I’ve made.

I collected DrUpGrades tandem yesterday.
Little bit of fettling to get going, but quite excited.
Thanks for all the help and tips.
Pictures coming soon…

I to am on the look out for a tandem, needs to be a MTB and must have disc mounts, would be happy with a frame to keep the cost in check.

If any of the people posting on here still have tandems for sale please get in touch with me.