Time Waster
Veteran
On way home from a harder than it should have been family cycle tour tour with partner and 5 year old all riding free on own bikes. Vecause we forgot to buy the qr bracket needed with junior's new bike to use with the followme-tandem. It meant we did a lot of pushing uphill with junior's bike on one bike and junior on the other.
So we spotted a Hase pino tandem with the recumbent front seat. Got my partner thinking it's a good idea for a tandem. Should add my son loved sitting on my recumbent seat. I'm not sure he'll like a normal tandem.
So background over, time for my question. What tandem would suit us? 196cm, 160cm and 120cm are our heights. I can't see how but my partner wants a tandem that can fit our son (or be made to fit with crank shorteners/kiddicranks) when he's riding with either me or my partner, plus as a child taxi where the adult rides off solo after dropping junior at school.
Currently we tour with 2 standard Ortliebs, 2 x 35litre panniers and two front panniers on junior's bike. So this tandem would need to take 4 panniers (ideally 4x normal Ortliebs but 2x normal plus 2x front rollers). We could then get by with two on solo bike. Plus stand and usual touring necessities.
So what tandem would suit us? Would any tandem suit us? Could try getting two Hase kettweisel recumbents and tandem kit of course but very bulky to put in / on a car.
Other question is tandems on public transport, possible anywhere? This year used a lot of French public transport such as trains and buses. All with recumbent, normal bike and 20" wheel kids bike. Just don't look if you put a recumbent on a French bus bike rack, they sway and bounce around very alarmingly. I seriously doubt tandems would be allowed. Unless a fortune is spent on s&s couplings.
Third question, s&s couplings how do they work? Do you fold the tandem in half? What happens to the chains? Are they easy to pack up and small enough for bus holds or train luggage areas (in Brittany I saw the max size was 160cm x 90cm or something similar)?
I appreciate your patience in reading this and any advice you offer.
So we spotted a Hase pino tandem with the recumbent front seat. Got my partner thinking it's a good idea for a tandem. Should add my son loved sitting on my recumbent seat. I'm not sure he'll like a normal tandem.
So background over, time for my question. What tandem would suit us? 196cm, 160cm and 120cm are our heights. I can't see how but my partner wants a tandem that can fit our son (or be made to fit with crank shorteners/kiddicranks) when he's riding with either me or my partner, plus as a child taxi where the adult rides off solo after dropping junior at school.
Currently we tour with 2 standard Ortliebs, 2 x 35litre panniers and two front panniers on junior's bike. So this tandem would need to take 4 panniers (ideally 4x normal Ortliebs but 2x normal plus 2x front rollers). We could then get by with two on solo bike. Plus stand and usual touring necessities.
So what tandem would suit us? Would any tandem suit us? Could try getting two Hase kettweisel recumbents and tandem kit of course but very bulky to put in / on a car.
Other question is tandems on public transport, possible anywhere? This year used a lot of French public transport such as trains and buses. All with recumbent, normal bike and 20" wheel kids bike. Just don't look if you put a recumbent on a French bus bike rack, they sway and bounce around very alarmingly. I seriously doubt tandems would be allowed. Unless a fortune is spent on s&s couplings.
Third question, s&s couplings how do they work? Do you fold the tandem in half? What happens to the chains? Are they easy to pack up and small enough for bus holds or train luggage areas (in Brittany I saw the max size was 160cm x 90cm or something similar)?
I appreciate your patience in reading this and any advice you offer.