Need advice on buying a used tandem

[Ryan Hamilton]

Attempting to buy a used tandem off ebay from users who live close enough for me to collect in person.
I have made an offer to a user for a 'vintage' tandem (apparently 50 years old) for £100. I tried getting more information about the bike and asked about the condition of the frame and wheels etc. but didn't get much of a response, as I assume they don't know much about bikes.
I plan to do some work on the bike but is it worth pursuing this offer with little information on the bike other than it is currently ride-able? Are most bikes salvageable or am I wasting my time/money?

 

[Ryan Hamilton]

It's hard to answer your question without knowing more about the bike. Have you seen some photos of it on eBay? If it's in good nick then it might be worth the £100 but if it's rusty and damaged, then you'd be paying too much.

You may also have difficulty getting parts for a 50 year old bike. On balance, if it were me, I'd give this one a miss.

Yeah I only know a little bit more than you. The photos are bad quality so I tried to find out more. Think I will give it a miss, thanks for the response

 

[biggs682]

@Ryan Hamilton tandems are great fun to ride once the pr of you get going , older style tandems can be very heavy and have poor brakes which can make them less attractive to enjoy .

but then restoring any bike back to a useable condition is very satisfying .

go and have a look and see what its like you never now .

i still kick myself for missing out on a swb Claud Butler for £25 !

 

[Ryan Hamilton]

@Ryan Hamilton tandems are great fun to ride once the pr of you get going , older style tandems can be very heavy and have poor brakes which can make them less attractive to enjoy .

but then restoring any bike back to a useable condition is very satisfying .

go and have a look and see what its like you never now .

i still kick myself for missing out on a swb Claud Butler for £25 !

Sorry I didn't mention that they were offering to deliver it (at a price), so would have a difficult time rejecting it once it had arrived. I don't drive myself so wouldn't be able to go and view it easily, that's why I felt I needed to weigh up my options beforehand

 

[biggs682]

Sorry I didn't mention that they were offering to deliver it (at a price), so would have a difficult time rejecting it once it had arrived. I don't drive myself so wouldn't be able to go and view it easily, that's why I felt I needed to weigh up my options beforehand

where are you based ?

 

[Ryan Hamilton]

where are you based ?

south east London?

 

[biggs682]

south east London?

oh ok not local enough for me to offer help then but there maybe others that are ?