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The shop we've been talking about going to for years, Gateway Bicycles in Portland, is closing! They had a really wide range of tandems and we always meant to go there to try them out.
From the knowledgeable tandem users on here---any favorite tandem makers, and why? Thanks.
I don't know if you wander at all over to bikeforums.net but the tandem section over there is very helpful.
Good brands are-
Cannondale- great value for money, solid tandem builder, been doing them for ages.
Santana- great USA steel/AL/exotic metals tandem manufacturer. Can do custom.
Co-Motion- similar to Santana as above
Burley- they don't make tandems anymore but the second hand newer ones are good value.
Trek- they stopped making the T2000 and T1000 last year but a 2005 onwards models are very good value for money.
Calfee- the drool worthy carbon tandem manufacturer but $$$$
Da Vinci- these tandems usually have the indepedent coasting system (so the stoker can take breaks and vis versa), another good brand.
Those are the main BIG brand names. FYI although there are some tandems with Dura Ace, Ultegra level components are normally considered top level. Also you may want to invest in a Cane Creek Thudbuster seat post for the stoker, to make the bumps easier.
Thanks, Kiwi. We have a 94 Burley that we got at Recycled Cycles here, in 2005, for $350. We'd been thinking we'd get a new one sometime and this closed shop in Portland was our big hope for trying lots of different brands. I keep thinking Santana or Co Motion (which is in Eugene, Oregon, I believe, so we could go visit sometime).
My partner and I originally owned a Santana Sovereign (aluminum) ... and currently own a Co-Motion Primera Co-Pilot (steel). We love both bikes for different reasons.
The Santana is lighter and we were probably 2+ mph faster overall. It was a medium/medium so too big for me (the stoker) and I wasn't able to use a shock absorbing seatpost, so the ride was uncomfortable. We did the National 24 Hour Challenge on it and completed 252 miles but I definitely had a sore rear.
The Co-Motion Primera is the company's entry bike. We bought this one on eBay for a great price because of the S&S couplers to take it apart and travel. It packs into two airline legal suitcases! We've made some upgrades to reduce its weight (new wheels, Gates carbon timing chain) but we struggle to hang with the single bikes on our training rides (reaching speeds of 27-28 mph). It's a small/small so I now can enjoy a Thudbuster seatpost. My captain is adjusting to having some toe overlap (especially when we're using the old wheels with the touring wider tires). The combination of steel, longer stoker cockpit, shock absorbing seatpost all make for a more comfortable, but slower, ride.
We are continuing to shop for a high end racing tandem. We were in Portland a few weeks ago and wanted to stop at that shop.
That is REALLY helpful info. Thank you!
Jaclyn, that's interesting. We are saving for a Co-Motion Robusta (AL bike) with carbon fork etc. The general consensus amoungst tandemers is that Santanas are built for touring/stable feeling riding and the Co-Motion frame shapes are more speed/race driven.
Shame about the fit of your Santana. Yes its easier to make a slightly smaller stoker compartment fit than a bigger one. We are riding a M/S Trek even though we have both the same leg length. The Thudbuster seat post enables me to get the height I need while my shorter arms are happy with the shorter length. I also put on bullhorn bars so I can stretch out itf I want to.
We also put a carbon fork on the Trek and that made a big difference taking off 1kg (you might want to look at that as an ungrade for your Santana if it doesn't have one already) and really reduced the road buzz.
We are also saving for a trip to the USA to look at bikes- Downunder is pretty poor for tandems- you normally have to order them in and there's no trying out unless you know some people with a tandem you can test ride. So very jealous that you guys get to see and try tandems in the flesh rather than looking at catalogues or the net.
I should have made it clearer that we bought both bikes used ... the fit issue would be solved if we had bought a new, custom bike. The Santana was awesome and it's new owners love it.
My captain is 5'10" and rides a 58 cm road bike. So a medium would fit him best, but the mediums in a stock bike are all medium / mediums! It is typically better to have a tandem a little too small than too big for the captain (standover height to spread legs while holding bike at stops, handling). So the small / small still fit him (with a longer stem) but was a much better fit for me. I am 5'1/2" and ride a 40-43 cm road bike.
They do make stock tandems in a large / small ... and there is the custom route which is only slightly more money for a tandem.
We are hoping to test ride quite a few tandems to get a better idea of the differences between steel, aluminum, carbon (Calfee) and titanium (Erikson). It is hard to find a shop that allows direct model comparisons. We'll be at the Midwest Tandem Rally looking at bikes!
My husband and I bought a Cannondale tandem from Gateway last year and love it. We had also test ridden a couple of different Santanas, and while we liked them, the Cannondale fit my husband a bit better (he's 6'3" and needed an XL size up front) and was somewhat cheaper than the Santana. If you're in Portland, River City has Cannondale tandems (we didn't buy there because they didn't have the right size in stock). They will let you take it on a fairly long test ride on the Easbank esplanade, which is really nice to get a feel for the bike.