Balanced the tandem on its back wheel on the bathroom scales! 50lbs.

EDIT: which makes naff all difference when nearly 30 stone of captain & stoker climb aboard. Pass the pies please……

Does anyone know of any decent chainsets that arent made of cheese?

Yep, SLX. Not quite as bling as my Evolves, but I do trust them much more and they feel more solid. Shop around and you can find them for sale without the BB, I got mine at Ribble Cycles.

Rob

Had exactly the same,here
managed to get a bit more life out of them with some Heath Robinson engineering but it is terminal. Now running SLX which feel rock solid and the interface just looks more robust.

Had exactly the same problem when we had the tandem out on Friday and again today. Get a big loop of cable at the mech but it just holds on the 34t until it jolts off and then shoots down the block. The 11t is a but of a struggle. Will attack it with some penetrating oil, thanks shedfull.

Rob

RR is the creation of the devil. Also fact!

A wee update incase anyone else was reading this. Just had a text from daughter who's just arrived at Glencoe. It's open and accessable and she's just off up the lift.

singletrackmind,
much appreciated. One very excited daughter off to set her board up for powder! Forecast for tomorrow is looking pretty good too.
Thanks very much.

Rob

singletrackmind,
my daughter is trying to decide if it's worth the 2 hour drive to Glencoe tomorrow for a days boarding.
Does your brother's description of 'mental' equal
'its open and well worth coming'
or does it mean
'there's too much snow and it's poo'?

Thanks,
Rob

For the fuller figure, Sandy got her baggys from the USA from Team Estrogen[/url]
Their sizing is a bit generous. Delivery pretty quick even considering its coming across the pond.

Rob

14mm nipples on mine with 264mm spokes.

But is size important? Or is that a whole new thread??????

Rob

Yep, 264mm it is. Just stripped my Hope Ti-glide and X317 the other night and measured them to see if they'll work with my new Pro2 hub. Which they won't!

Rob

Edit: That's assuming you're building it 3 cross.

Cancelled!
Not quite snowing in this bit of Argyll, just damn cold and chucking it down with rain. So we wimped out.

mt – Member
try being captain while rattling down Garburn

it's on my list! Really hope to tandem Garburn this year.
And Sandy on the back can help with the steering 😉

Rob

Anyone got some painkillers? This is sore…….

Hey, just had a great idea, James might be on to something……

why don't we give the stoker full control of the pedalling and remove the front cranks?
Then we'd know if they weren't pedalling at the back.

Will go and see what Sandy thinks………

aracer, good call, must invest in some.
Or just make my dietry habits a little more considerate!

Rob

Sandy has been reading & giggling.

Would you trust a person with your health and safety when they have been receiving the full benefits of last night's curry in their face for the last 10 miles?

Sounds familiar.

I get a good firm punch in the ribs if i let rip with the after effects of a chicken madass.

Sandy has an alternative, she pulls my shorts down!

In terms of stoker control, their weight movement is plenty control. If they don't lean correctly then you're not going where you want to. Had a few times where I hadn't communicated which line I wanted. I (tried)to steer for one line, Sandy leant for a different one, and she won.

There's no way either of us would want to share gears & brakes. The stoker can't see enough to react quickly enough, and because an MTB tandem loses momentum so quickly uphill, you'd be forever in the wrong gear. We find having the stokers cranks 2 teeth behind the captain gives Sandy a chance to feel and react to changes in pedal pressure.

Sometimes we actually pedal technical sections while dragging the brakes. Seems odd but it can be easier to control the balance in tight turns (think the climbing switchbacks at Glentress) by dragging the brakes against the pedals, rather than stopping pedalling for a second. You'd never do it on a solo but we find it works well on the tandem. If you shared out the controls you'd be completely screwed.

If you're bored on the back of an offroad tandem you need a more adventurous captain…

Amen to that! We rode the Iron Keld descent in November, no time to get bored, too much screaming to be done!!

Rob

I called them on Monday about my 12 year old Ti-glide rear hub (a proper old skool one with the splined spider and 5 bolt disc).
It eventually died on Sunday's ride when the non-drive side spoke flange broke in 2 places and released 5 spokes.
I wondered if they could replace the flange. They couldn't, but offered an exchange for a new Pro II at half price!

After 12 years that's waaaaaaay above & beyond. Top people.

Am reading this on an Acer Aspire 3000. Was bargain basement model over 3 years ago and still going fine, despite some less than delicate handling.
The battery isn't great, lost its life pretty quickly. Non OEM batteries cause the laptop to crash on startup, a phenomenon that baffled the local PC shop until they saw a number of Acers all doing the same thing!
Would happily buy again.

Rob

Here'a a couple of Nancy the Ventana…

And the old green Cannondale at GT (blatent plug – the frame is now for sale if anyone's interested?)

Rob

I joined them one evening last spring when on holiday. Was an excellent ride, but Jelly babies are indeed essential.
Hope you've survived!

Rob

My office has 4 wheels, air conditioning, a good stereo, and excellent views of the Clyde, Holy Loch, and the Arrochar alps! It can stop at the coffee shop on demand, and has my own stash of chocloate in the boot. Got to be something good about being a driving instructor!

Rob

+1 for Dog & Gun, always our favourite when in Keswick. No chips, only veg & potatoes. Food is brill, especially the Hungarian goulash, nomnomnomnom 🙂

Some brakes have good 'bite' and feel powerful on a solo, but it's the heat and subsequent fade that causes the problem on a tandem.

We had V-brakes in the early days of our cannondale, and I remember doing Smiths Coombe in the Q's. We got to the first stream crossing and got a front puncture, by which time the front rim was so hot I could feel heat on my legs. I couldn't get the tube off for 5 mins because I couldn't hold the wheel!

Not heard of anyone using Saints, including over on Double Forte, but doesn't mean they're not suitable.

Rob

When we were at JD Cycles in Ilkley testing their Ventana, they were telling us about all the brakes they'd tandem tested.
They took two of their heftiest riders to the top of the huuuge road hill out of Ilkley, then came down at warp speed at tried to stop.

They reckoned Magura's were the best overall for power & lack of fade.
Hope V2's not quite as powerful but almost as fade resistant. "They just wouldn't give up" was their comment.

They tried lots of others but wouldn't consider anything else suitable!

They had Maguras on their test Ventana – impressed with power but lever feel bit odd (but then I'm used to Hope's).

Got Hope Ti6's, love 'em. Simple to service (on the odd occasion they do need servicing)and stop us ok, and we're a 28 stone team.
If buying new I'd probably go same as TJ, V2's with vented discs. The heat you can generate is incredible.

Rob

I think there's a 'how to' video on the Hope website. The grinding is often crap behing the plastic shields, pop 'em out & clean them before condeming the bearings.

Rob

Just like Aunty Mary and Jessie, our tandem is called Nancy as she was only bought due to a small inheritance when my Grandma died.
My mum thought it pretty funny, Grandma, although being brilliant, was never known for getting muddy and she could never ride a bike!
It's a nice way to always remember her.
Love you Gran!

Rob

TJ has summed that up quite nicely.
We went from a triple clamp Judy XLC and normal 9mm QR to 'zochhi 66's with 20mm bolt through and the improvement in steering accuracy was incredible, even going to a single crown.

No need for lockout, even on the steepest climb you're not going to find the front wheel wanting to lift! We've found the range of adjustability on the 66 RC2X has been brill. The later models got too much travel making them very long as TJ point out, but we run ours with lots of sag and the damping ramping up to stop them bottoming.

Have to say we don't have a steel steerer, just the standard ally one, and all has been fine, but TJ does have a fair point. The failure mode of a steel steerer is probably kinder.

When we test rode a Ventana it had Maverick DUC32 fork, which felt different to our 66's but certainly stiff and well controlled. Might be worth tracking one down.
EDIT – just looked on ebay and there's one going for £350 inc front hub.

Rob

Only yesterday I was wondering "when is Flash Forward coming back?".

The psychic powers of the STW massive are quite incredible.
But then you knew I was thinking that.

Rob

parisroubaix,
YGM and pics.

Rob

I've spent 10 years swearing at Hope pawls and never thought of that wee gem, thanks coatsey 🙂

Simon, had same on our Big Un. Ratchet ring was worn and losing teeth & the swarf was jamming the freehub. Hope can replace the toothed ring.

Rob

Got a USE post from our hardtail tandem that's now surplus to requirements since we got the Ventana. Only did 10-15 rides with it. Is complete with 27.2 shim.
Email in profile if you want some pics sending.

Rob

Christmas eve up above Dunoon and the clyde.

We've always taken the micky out of Drew's green FSR, but now it's in distinguished company 🙂

Rob

Bit of a 80's flashback…..

I got it for Christmas and am loving it, I feel 12 years old again.
X-Bomber, the brilliant Dia-X, and cool music. Am I sad……..probably 🙂

Ditto with mine. The Orange post always slipped but my Nukeproof one is much better, perhaps its a 'big' 27.2mm. Am using a Hope QR but keep it greased for max clamping.

Did 100 late one night (private motorway obviously) many moons ago like this….

It was the old Cannondale on the roof rather than Nancy the Ventana, but you get the idea. There was a solo on there too. I was watching the fuel gauge dropping by the second!

Rob

Death is now imminent, but last night found a bargaintastic replacement (non-RF of course!)
SLX triple chainset without BB (got Hope one fitted anyway) for £65 from Ribble 😛

Happy bunny.

Coasting,
congrats to you, and the soon to be Mrs Coasting 😛

Daughter & hubby bought me the 'Bike Geek' shirt from Spokeshirts. Guess they know me too well!

Rob

PMSL @ jimmy 😆

Don't you know that when its icy they stick their 747's in 2nd and slip the clutch a bit?

Snowslave, love the snowdog! Class 😛