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Main
Date: 19 Apr 2007 14:32:22
From:
Subject: Tandem - short wheel base
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Does anyone know where in the London area I can see and try a short
wheelbase tandem such as the Speed Cross 3080 (http://
www.speedcross.it/cat-tandem.asp), please?
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Date: 22 Apr 2007 14:20:27
From:
Subject: Re: Tandem - short wheel base
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On 20 Apr, 14:32, Peter Clinch <p.j.cli...@dundee.ac.uk > wrote:
> Dane Buson wrote:
> > j...@aol.com wrote:
> >> Does anyone know where in the London area I can see and try a short
> >> wheelbase tandem such as the Speed Cross 3080 (http://
> >>www.speedcross.it/cat-tandem.asp), please?
>
> > I've never even heard of them before actually.
>
> > You'd probably have better luck asking in uk.rec.cycling, I've taken the
> > liberty of crossposting to there.
>
> > On further consideration, why would you *want* one? I could see it
> > might turn a bit better, but wouldn't the ride be harsher?
>
> It might be possible to store it at all, as opposed to not at all.
> Which if you stay in, say, a tenement with a narrow stair close could be
> a major issue regarding one's choice of bikes.
>
> Having said that, I think I'd look to solving that particular problem
> with something like the Bernds or Bike Friday tandems, which take up
> little more space than a standard bike with a simple partial fold and
> don't have the various compromises pointed out elsewhere in this thread.
>
> Pete.
> --
> Peter Clinch Medical Physics IT Officer
> Tel 44 1382 660111 ext. 33637 Univ. of Dundee, Ninewells Hospital
> Fax 44 1382 640177 Dundee DD1 9SY Scotland UK
> net p.j.cli...@dundee.ac.uk http://www.dundee.ac.uk/~pjclinch/
Many thanks for all the helpful replies. As some of you guessed the
main attraction was the fact that we could store it more easily and
that it would apparently fit on a cycle rack on the back of a car.
Certainly a folding tandem might be even more convenient, but last
year when I looked for one, the only ones I could find took far too
long to 'unfold'. The Bike Friday one looks very promising.
John
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Date: 19 Apr 2007 15:06:12
From: Dane Buson
Subject: Re: Tandem - short wheel base
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jonga@aol.com wrote:
> Does anyone know where in the London area I can see and try a short
> wheelbase tandem such as the Speed Cross 3080 (http://
> www.speedcross.it/cat-tandem.asp), please?
I've never even heard of them before actually.
You'd probably have better luck asking in uk.rec.cycling, I've taken the
liberty of crossposting to there.
On further consideration, why would you *want* one? I could see it
might turn a bit better, but wouldn't the ride be harsher?
--
Dane Buson - sigdane@unixbigots.org
"Yeah, she's beautiful, but you can't find her IQ with a flashlight."
-from "The Greatest American Hero"
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Date: 20 Apr 2007 18:25:29
From: Graham Harrison
Subject: Re: Tandem - short wheel base
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"Dane Buson" <dane@unseen.edu > wrote in message
news:kn5lf4-rnm.ln1@curare.zuvembi.homelinux.org...
> jonga@aol.com wrote:
> > Does anyone know where in the London area I can see and try a short
> > wheelbase tandem such as the Speed Cross 3080 (http://
> > www.speedcross.it/cat-tandem.asp), please?
>
> I've never even heard of them before actually.
>
> You'd probably have better luck asking in uk.rec.cycling, I've taken the
> liberty of crossposting to there.
>
> On further consideration, why would you *want* one? I could see it
> might turn a bit better, but wouldn't the ride be harsher?
>
> --
> Dane Buson - sigdane@unixbigots.org
> "Yeah, she's beautiful, but you can't find her IQ with a flashlight."
> -from "The Greatest American Hero"
Have to tried actually asking them? home@speedcross.it
They appear to be quite close to Malpensa airport (Milan) and given "Low
Cost" Airlines you could probably get there and back in a day (or make a
weekend of it).
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Date: 20 Apr 2007 15:40:54
From: Rob Morley
Subject: Re: Tandem - short wheel base
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In article <kn5lf4-rnm.ln1@curare.zuvembi.homelinux.org >, Dane Buson
dane@unseen.edu says...
> jonga@aol.com wrote:
> > Does anyone know where in the London area I can see and try a short
> > wheelbase tandem such as the Speed Cross 3080 (http://
> > www.speedcross.it/cat-tandem.asp), please?
>
> I've never even heard of them before actually.
>
> You'd probably have better luck asking in uk.rec.cycling, I've taken the
> liberty of crossposting to there.
>
> On further consideration, why would you *want* one? I could see it
> might turn a bit better, but wouldn't the ride be harsher?
>
>
It looks truly nasty - no room for the stoker, all that weight on one
wheel. Something like the Hase Pino is a much better way of shortening
a tandem wheelbase without losing space for the stoker.
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Date: 20 Apr 2007 14:32:33
From: Peter Clinch
Subject: Re: Tandem - short wheel base
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Dane Buson wrote:
> jonga@aol.com wrote:
>> Does anyone know where in the London area I can see and try a short
>> wheelbase tandem such as the Speed Cross 3080 (http://
>> www.speedcross.it/cat-tandem.asp), please?
>
> I've never even heard of them before actually.
>
> You'd probably have better luck asking in uk.rec.cycling, I've taken the
> liberty of crossposting to there.
>
> On further consideration, why would you *want* one? I could see it
> might turn a bit better, but wouldn't the ride be harsher?
It might be possible to store it at all, as opposed to not at all.
Which if you stay in, say, a tenement with a narrow stair close could be
a major issue regarding one's choice of bikes.
Having said that, I think I'd look to solving that particular problem
with something like the Bernds or Bike Friday tandems, which take up
little more space than a standard bike with a simple partial fold and
don't have the various compromises pointed out elsewhere in this thread.
Pete.
--
Peter Clinch Medical Physics IT Officer
Tel 44 1382 660111 ext. 33637 Univ. of Dundee, Ninewells Hospital
Fax 44 1382 640177 Dundee DD1 9SY Scotland UK
net p.j.clinch@dundee.ac.uk http://www.dundee.ac.uk/~pjclinch/
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Date: 20 Apr 2007 09:20:03
From: Curtis L. Russell
Subject: Re: Tandem - short wheel base
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On Thu, 19 Apr 2007 15:06:12 -0700, Dane Buson <dane@unseen.edu >
wrote:
>On further consideration, why would you *want* one? I could see it
>might turn a bit better, but wouldn't the ride be harsher?
I've owned a few tandems and would never buy any of those for two
adults. I don't see it turning better - better balance means better
turning, not just the wheelbase. Now if you purchase a short wheelbase
racing tandem, then it will turn faster and climb better and, yes,
ride harsher. Lot of fun to watch in a road race, if you can get more
than six or seven teams at a time.
Have to say that I find the 'camping' photo the funniest. We have
panniers and occasionally use a trailer to actually camp with our
tandems. Have to ride real bowlegged to put your rear panniers on that
thing...
OTOH, with a small kid and riding around town, maybe it would work.
Definitely would want to try it out first.
Curtis L. Russell
Odenton, MD (USA)
Just someone on two wheels...
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Date: 20 Apr 2007 07:10:01
From: DougC
Subject: Re: Tandem - short wheel base
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Dane Buson wrote:
>
> I've never even heard of them before actually.
>
> You'd probably have better luck asking in uk.rec.cycling, I've taken the
> liberty of crossposting to there.
>
> On further consideration, why would you *want* one? I could see it
> might turn a bit better, but wouldn't the ride be harsher?
>
Why would the ride be harsher? Contrary to what some believe, bicycles
normally have air-filled tires which absorb most of the bumps....
If storage space were at a premium I could see it.
-Not that (being a US-resident) I've ever /seen/ the bike style before,
mind you.....
~
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Date: 20 Apr 2007 20:30:28
From: David L. Johnson
Subject: Re: Tandem - short wheel base
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DougC wrote:
> Why would the ride be harsher? Contrary to what some believe, bicycles
> normally have air-filled tires which absorb most of the bumps....
But it is significant how much of a reduction of the bumps you get, the
further forward of the rear wheel you sit. On a regular tandem, it is
only the stoker who feels the bumps that the rear wheel goes over.
That's why stokers often opt for a suspension seatpost.
This thing would drive every single bump up the stoker's, umm, seat.
--
David L. Johnson
If all economists were laid end to end, they would not reach
a conclusion. -- George Bernard Shaw
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Date: 20 Apr 2007 15:01:07
From: David Damerell
Subject: Re: Tandem - short wheel base
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Quoting DougC <dcimper@norcom2000.com >:
>Dane Buson wrote:
>>On further consideration, why would you *want* one? I could see it
>>might turn a bit better, but wouldn't the ride be harsher?
>Why would the ride be harsher?
You get hit up harder by the rear wheel going over bumps the more directly
over it you are.
--
David Damerell <damerell@chiark.greenend.org.uk > Distortion Field!
Today is Brieday, April.
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Date: 20 Apr 2007 09:56:54
From: Curtis L. Russell
Subject: Re: Tandem - short wheel base
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On Fri, 20 Apr 2007 07:10:01 -0500, DougC <dcimper@norcom2000.com >
wrote:
>
>Why would the ride be harsher? Contrary to what some believe, bicycles
>normally have air-filled tires which absorb most of the bumps....
You're going to have to pump that rear tire hard to take anything but
a child. In any case, either you accept harsh and keep some handling,
or you let the tires absorb some of the weight with lower pressure and
the handling suffers. On a bike like that, it is a quick transition -
a few pounds difference in pressure and on the front you get plow and
on the rear you get odd inputs side to side, especially with a less
experienced stoker.
I rode a balloon tired tandem once, while waiting for a bike to be
fixed, and they hadn't pumped the front to specs. It was a weird
feeling - when you take a corner, you simply can't get it to turn.
Your turning radius is really wide, which isn't so great when there is
on-coming traffic. Fortunately, this was one of times that it was
better my wife wasn't looking around me.
I'll stick to a normal design or the Double Vision recumbent.
Curtis L. Russell
Odenton, MD (USA)
Just someone on two wheels...
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Date: 20 Apr 2007 13:18:44
From: Clive George
Subject: Re: Tandem - short wheel base
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"DougC" <dcimper@norcom2000.com > wrote in message
news:A32Wh.3$ku5.2@newsfe02.lga...
> Dane Buson wrote:
>>
>> I've never even heard of them before actually. You'd probably have
>> better luck asking in uk.rec.cycling, I've taken the
>> liberty of crossposting to there.
>>
>> On further consideration, why would you *want* one? I could see it
>> might turn a bit better, but wouldn't the ride be harsher?
>>
>
> Why would the ride be harsher? Contrary to what some believe, bicycles
> normally have air-filled tires which absorb most of the bumps....
For the same reason as the stoker normally gets a harsher ride than the
captain on a tandem - levers. Except more so.
cheers,
clive
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Date: 19 Apr 2007 20:44:41
From: Mark Hickey
Subject: Re: Tandem - short wheel base
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Dane Buson <dane@unseen.edu > wrote:
>jonga@aol.com wrote:
>> Does anyone know where in the London area I can see and try a short
>> wheelbase tandem such as the Speed Cross 3080 (http://
>> www.speedcross.it/cat-tandem.asp), please?
>
>I've never even heard of them before actually.
>
>You'd probably have better luck asking in uk.rec.cycling, I've taken the
>liberty of crossposting to there.
>
>On further consideration, why would you *want* one? I could see it
>might turn a bit better, but wouldn't the ride be harsher?
It might handle better solo than a regular twofer - but I gotta
believe it'd be an evil handling pig with two aboard - kinda like
having 150 pounds in your panniers... yikes. And I'm guessing the
effective 12" (.3m) effective rear top tube length might be a problem
for some stokers (at least those taller than 3' / 1m). ;-)
And to be honest, I didn't quite figure out HOW those rear cranks were
attached... I can only guess that there's a special rear hub and
cassette with a passthrough for a BB spindle of some sort...
Mark Hickey
Habanero Cycles
http://www.habcycles.com
Home of the $795 ti frame
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Date: 20 Apr 2007 09:45:57
From: Curtis L. Russell
Subject: Re: Tandem - short wheel base
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On Thu, 19 Apr 2007 20:44:41 -0700, Mark Hickey <mark@habcycles.com >
wrote:
>And to be honest, I didn't quite figure out HOW those rear cranks were
>attached... I can only guess that there's a special rear hub and
>cassette with a passthrough for a BB spindle of some sort...
Some version of an IPS with the front doing the real work? Would work
if you are hauling a kid say 80 pounds or lighter around town, but I
wouldn't want to be the wheel builder if an adult got on the rear.
Curtis L. Russell
Odenton, MD (USA)
Just someone on two wheels...
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Date: 20 Apr 2007 14:51:16
From: Peter Clinch
Subject: Re: Tandem - short wheel base
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Curtis L. Russell wrote:
> Some version of an IPS with the front doing the real work? Would work
> if you are hauling a kid say 80 pounds or lighter around town, but I
> wouldn't want to be the wheel builder if an adult got on the rear.
I always thought one sure key to success for an enterprise was a steady
stream of repeat business? ;-/
Pete.
--
Peter Clinch Medical Physics IT Officer
Tel 44 1382 660111 ext. 33637 Univ. of Dundee, Ninewells Hospital
Fax 44 1382 640177 Dundee DD1 9SY Scotland UK
net p.j.clinch@dundee.ac.uk http://www.dundee.ac.uk/~pjclinch/
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Date: 20 Apr 2007 10:01:10
From: Curtis L. Russell
Subject: Re: Tandem - short wheel base
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On Fri, 20 Apr 2007 14:51:16 +0100, Peter Clinch
<p.j.clinch@dundee.ac.uk > wrote:
>I always thought one sure key to success for an enterprise was a steady
>stream of repeat business? ;-/
Yeah, as long as a 200 + pound adult can't wrap your original
'business' around your head. That's the part I would worry about...
Curtis L. Russell
Odenton, MD (USA)
Just someone on two wheels...
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Date: 20 Apr 2007 04:53:48
From: Mike Jacoubowsky
Subject: Re: Tandem - short wheel base
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> It might handle better solo than a regular twofer - but I gotta
> believe it'd be an evil handling pig with two aboard - kinda like
> having 150 pounds in your panniers... yikes.
Pretty unbelievable. Forget about the handling; the loads on that rear wheel
are deadly!
But for those who can't have enough of old ideas and why they didn't last,
they've brought back the infamous U-brake. To stop a tandem.
--Mike-- Chain Reaction Bicycles
www.ChainReactionBicycles.com
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