Lowering the driver saddle on a tandem

[Cathryn]

Yet one more possibility. If you can get a simple seat post without an integrated clamp. On sjs cycles there is one for £3.99, but need to check diameters. Then using a separate clamp you might achieve a lower saddle. You can also fit the saddle clamp upside down to lower it even further.

Thank you. I shall investigate

 

[Cathryn]

As above, that seems like a very bulky stoker stem. Also the double clamp for the seat-post seems over the top.

I thought it looked particularly bulky too.

 

[Cathryn]

How about something with a much 'shorter' clamp area like this.
View attachment 532250

That might allow you to lower the saddle a bit.

Thanks, I'll investigate today.

 

[roubaixtuesday]

Good luck with the very good suggestions above, is that a Burley? Top notch machines.

The obvious alternative to those suggestions is to swap seats. How old is your son? He might take to the responsibility better than you think.

A way to ease this could be to fit a drag brake from the stokers bars so you have a veto on top speed. I'd guess a Burley would come with the requisite hub and frame fixings.

 

[Cathryn]

Good luck with the very good suggestions above, is that a Burley? Top notch machines.

The obvious alternative to those suggestions is to swap seats. How old is your son? He might take to the responsibility better than you think.

A way to ease this could be to fit a drag brake from the stokers bars so you have a veto on top speed. I'd guess a Burley would come with the requisite hub and frame fixings.

Thank you - it's a Burley Rock n Roll, straight from Eugene, Oregon. The vendors shipped it back when they moved back from the US. It's a beautiful bike, I'm thrilled with it which is why I'm determined to sort it.

I love my son but the thought of him steering on roads with me behind him chills me to the bone. He's 10. He's awesome but I want to live!

 

[Cathryn]

I took some better photos today and I've contacted a tandem specialist for some advice. Thought you helpful people might like some extra photos. Basically, I need to drop the saddle one inch to make it viable. One little inch. We can do that, can't we! (My husband keeps muttering darkly that I bought the wrong sized bike...implying that he told me so...so I'm determined to make this work).

1) The driver's seat post with the handlebars and clamp.
2) The giant handlebar clamp. It's 2.5 inches from top to bottom. There HAS to be a smaller one out there.

 

[roubaixtuesday]

Thank you - it's a Burley Rock n Roll, straight from Eugene, Oregon. The vendors shipped it back when they moved back from the US. It's a beautiful bike, I'm thrilled with it which is why I'm determined to sort it.

I love my son but the thought of him steering on roads with me behind him chills me to the bone. He's 10. He's awesome but I want to live!

Ah, ok, yes, 10 is just a *little* young to pilot...

 

[twentysix by twentyfive]

I took some better photos today and I've contacted a tandem specialist for some advice. Thought you helpful people might like some extra photos. Basically, I need to drop the saddle one inch to make it viable. One little inch. We can do that, can't we! (My husband keeps muttering darkly that I bought the wrong sized bike...implying that he told me so...so I'm determined to make this work).

1) The driver's seat post with the handlebars and clamp.
2) The giant handlebar clamp. It's 2.5 inches from top to bottom. There HAS to be a smaller one out there.

Blimey - that handlebar clamp looks agricultural in design. I'm no tandem person but I feel sure there are smaller ones out there. Never seen anything like that pic.

 

[Cathryn]

I hope your specialist can help you out.

The existing stem does look a bit over-engineered. If you look at this https://www.sjscycles.co.uk/stems/nitto-tandem-stoker-stem-aa/ (I've no idea if it's the right size, it's just the first one I found) and eyeball the clamp and compare the rise on the clamp to the handlebar diameter they are roughly the same. The bars are 25.4mm , so the rise is about one inch. Compared with your 2.5 inch clamp that saves you the inch you need, and half an inch to spare. So fingers crossed, there may well be a suitable part out there for you.

That does look good. Thanks, I'll look into it.

 

[Cathryn]

Blimey - that handlebar clamp looks agricultural in design. I'm no tandem person but I feel sure there are smaller ones out there. Never seen anything like that pic.

It's quite 'robust' isn't it.

 

[Cathryn]

And the seat post clamp underneath it is also a bit of a beast. Could you save a few mm there? Is it, indeed even necessary with that handlebar monster in place. (Note these thoughts are coming out of my head ... this is not a good sign. Probably all rubbish)

But all your thoughts are encouraging me that this can be done

 

[raleighnut]

Even a saddle with a smaller rail to top height would help.

 

[classic33]

How much of the current clamp is on the curve of the seat post. There's a fair old curve at the top.

 

[crossfire]

I know nothing about tandems, closest I have got is riding in a sidecar attached to the one my parents had _ and that was 70 years ago, but the thought that struck me was, is it possible to combine the two ( seat post clamp and handlebar mount clamp ), thereby lowering as much as possible. Trouble is finding a handlebar clamp big enough to fit the seat post stem. Of course I may possibly be talking a load of carp - not unusual

 

[Cathryn]

I know nothing about tandems, closest I have got is riding in a sidecar attached to the one my parents had _ and that was 70 years ago, but the thought that struck me was, is it possible to combine the two ( seat post clamp and handlebar mount clamp ), thereby lowering as much as possible. Trouble is finding a handlebar clamp big enough to fit the seat post stem. Of course I may possibly be talking a load of carp - not unusual

I think there's a way too. I'm taking it to my Dad today - he's an engineering genius with power tools so I'm sure he'll fix it. Or my husband cycles with a bike shop owner and we think he'll have ideas too. I'm not giving up. I shall post the solution when we find it.