Hello,

This is for all the MTB tandem riders out there. I am looking at getting a Ventana El Conquistador de Montañas (ECDM). I am edging towards getting a S&S coupled version with a Rohloff hub. I am really interested in how people (I think Macgyver has one) have found the bike and couplers and if the weight of the steel frame & couplers has been a problem.

We currently live in Zurich so the plan is to use the bike in the Alps and take it with us when we go on holidays. Would you be happy riding your coupled bike down an Alpine descent?

Thanks for your time and look forward to hearing your thoughts.

I’ve built loads of things with the S&S couplings – including tandems, the couplings are stiffer and stronger than the 35mm of tubing I cut out to fit them – so I’d have no qualms at all about taking one down an Alpine descent 😉

Hi, bencooper, thing of getting our road tandem converted to s&s couplings. Do you know who could do this? Don’t fancy taking a hacksaw to my tandem.

Me – I’ll take a hacksaw to it for you 😉

There are various ways of doing it on a tandem, depending on how small you need it to go.

More pics of conversions I’ve done here:

http://www.kinetics.org.uk/html/s-s.html

Macgyver does have on. Ive ridden it a couple of times and been on rides with him using it. Its brilliant, seemed really well made and the fact you could take it apart meant it was easy to transport and even put on a plane.

Get one, they are fantastic.

Didnt seem heavy, not with the two of us powering it across the field. Massive amount of power and momentum = small trees were worried.

Me and my wife absolutely love our ECDM, I’d have no qualms taking it down an Alpine descent, the wife probably would though!

I’d just be aware that switchbacks are very hard to do on a tandem, and also the person on the back really can’t see anything so you have to be very confident in the captain’s abilities.

I’d just be aware that switchbacks are very hard to do on a tandem,

I was thinking this.

Do you think two paired up trials riders could endo one round a switchback?

Nope. You’d have to have the stoker actually leaning on top of the captain to do it.

Thanks for the feedback everyone.

@schmiken – is yours a coupled ECDM? I didn’t say in my first post but my wife is visually impaired so she is used to not seeing much 😉 Do you have any advice on specification as to what you would and wouldn’t do again if you were ordering a brand new bike.

@Trimix – we test rode an uncoupled version last weekend and it was a very nice bit of kit. The bike we rode was only 20kg so I need to find out how much heavier the steel version with couplers and Rohloff hub will be.

We have taken our old Viking Saratoga tandem down some single track in Hurt wood so know a little of what to expect off road 🙂

Cheers

Someone call?

Yes we do have the S&S Ventana and we love it. No idea on weight but we can weigh it for you.

The bike has been brilliant and done all that we ever wanted -(and somethings that we didn’t like brake fade on a steep hill but thats not down to Ventana! 😉 I would not go for anything less than 200mm rotors front and rear

If you plan to travel with it spec it carefully so you can strip it down easily. For example: gear shifters and brake levers with seperate or split clamps so you don’t have to take the grips off the bars every time you pack it. We do have 5 inch travel rocker plates on our but to be honest, it seems quite happy with the 4 inches on the back.

Macgyver

Macgyver’s tandem appears on this thread

http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/tandems-lets-see-yours

as does ours (hardtail, non-coupled)

aaaaaaand to report back on weight. About 22kg all up for ours. To give you and idea of kit on it
Running RC36 forks, air shock rear, Swiss DT wheels, davinci cranks, Sram 3×9 groupset, thomson seat pins/stem, Answer carbon bars, DX bear trap SPD’s and a few other bits. So not super light kit but then do you really want stuff that’s not up to the job!

Thanks Macgyver for answering the call :-)I think our bike will end up a bit heavier than yours due to the Rohloff hub. Whats your frame size out of interest? We are getting the smallest 17″/14″ as I am 5’8″ and have a long body short leg problem 😉 I really hope that the final build weight will let us come in under the easyjet 20kg standard weight limit with the hard cases.

Just about to pull the trigger on the purchase with mtbtandems.com. Good tip on the brake levers splitting. We are going with the following spec:

Rohloff hub (40×16)
White brothers loop dual crown fork
Fox RP23 rear fork
Hope V4 brakes (203mm vented front and 203mm standard rear)
Middleburn cranks & chainrings
Sun MTX rims

Gone for the strongest components possible as it seems sensible when we plan on throwing ourselves down mountains. Just need to pick the colour – the wife wants red so its looking like candy red. Then to decide on getting it shipped or going to pick it up.

In your riding have you ever had the need for a bash guard on the front chainring?

cheers

we went 19/16 from memory. You also have to remember that the hards cases will add a couple of kilos. We always reckoned on a hard case each and a carry on if travelling light to stay in one bag weight limits for airlines.

As for a front bash? I can’t say I’ve noticed but I think you’ll ground out the timing chain/bottom tube before whacking the captains ring – ooh err missus!

Well after a bit of a wait our tandem has been delivered

We have done a couple of rides already and it is fantastic in the singletrack. There have only been a few times when we have had to push it over obstacles and on the steep downs it is more solid than a single bike. Absolutely loving the Rohloff hub as well. Thanks to everyone for all the advice.

Looks brilliant, enjoy!

An Ellsworth full sus tandem with Boxxers on the front went past me going DH in the peaks once, it felt like a freight train going past.. 😯
Have fun!! 😀

ooooheee! now doesn’t that look just dandy. Great colour scheme but then I would say that as its just like ours. You’re going to love it.

Now when will the next STW Tandem meet take place? There were some mumblings about a southern one later this year.

Macgyver.