Bringing the handlebars closer

[Cathryn]

Hello! You might remember that we bought a tandem from eBay last summer unseen. When we got it, it turned out that my saddle (the captain) was too high for my very short legs as my son's handlebars were secured underneath. Anyway, my Dad has solved that problem. Tonight, I summoned up the courage to give it a go and:

a) I can ride the tandem, it's not too big height-wise
b) the handlebars are too far away for comfort. I can reach but it would get uncomfortable very quickly and I don't think I'd be in good enough control.

So...how can I bring the handlebars closer to me? (Please speak in simple English, my technical knowledge is almost non-existent).

 

[Ming the Merciless]

Get a shorter stem. The stem is the bit pointing forwards that the bars bolt into.

 

[Cathryn]

Get a shorter stem. The stem is the bit pointing forwards that the bars bolt into.

thank you!

 

[Sharky]

On one of the photos you posted, it showed you have a set back seat post. An In-line seatpost will bring you forward an inch or so and the saddle itself could be brought forward on the rails a bit.

A mixture of moving the saddle/seat post forward and a shorter stem should do the trick.

 

[Aleman]

Just be aware that using a shorter stem will make the steering somewhat "Twitchier". I knocked 20mm from the stem on our Super galaxy twin, and the effect was noticeable. Although the move from very narrow drop bars to wider straight bars compensated for that ... Using a tandem for almost 30 years meant I adapted fairly quickly.