# eBay Tandem Lamborghini



## ru1-2cycle

Just thinking about getting an entry level "racing" style tandem for my wife and me. Are the eBay tandems any good? We plan to ride mostly on the weekends for long, fast paced rides on mostly flats. Thanks, ru1-2cycle


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## ru1-2cycle

It must be a good deal. SOLD OUT!


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## MB1

Or they only imported one.


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## ru1-2cycle

MB1 said:


> Or they only imported one.


Apparently, no Lamberghinis anywhere in the net!:cryin: :mad2:


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## -dustin

is this the pearly white tandem with Lambo decals thing?

I've had to build/ work on a couple of these. Equivalent to a department store bike.


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## ru1-2cycle

*Walmart...*



-dustin said:


> is this the pearly white tandem with Lambo decals thing?
> 
> I've had to build/ work on a couple of these. Equivalent to a department store bike.


Yep...to Walmart I go now, they have a Kent and if I get the shifters @ Nashbar with my 30% off coupon I will be good to go...Thanks! ru1-2cycle


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## bobthib

Did you get the Kent international? Seems to be the same frame jig but with steel instead of aluminium. How are the brakes? How many rings on the rear derailer?


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## Autopete

Kent has the Lambo on their site. The Pics of the steel Concord look the same as the "Aluminum" 700c International. The shipping wt is only 45 lbs for the intl but 63 lbs for the concord. I went for the ship to store free shipping option and with "rollbacks" it's down to 269+tx. I got 1 yr same as $ and a easy return policy, if it doesn't work out. I just ordered it, 7-10 days till it gets to the store. I was impressed with the reviews, just figured I'd take a chance. We're just starting out and want to test the water so to speak. It will need some upgrades, if we decide to keep it.


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## bobthib

Autopete,
How can you go wrong? 

Just wanted to confirm, did you get the concord 700c in steel or the international in Alu? The Lambo is the International but with some upgrades. Not sure if the upgrades are worth the $ as doing the aftermarket upgrades may be the way to go. If you got the steel frame, you can coldset it if you want to put on a free hub so you can change the gearing. 

The lambo that I got has a 3x8 MicroShift Brifter gruppo, which works very nice. The FD struggels to get on to the big ring, but we leave it there since FL is so flat.

The stock Promax brakes, esp the pads, were just horrible. The bike was a danger to ride. Putting on the Avid 7SD brakes with koolstop Salmon/black mtb pads made all the difference. It stops on a dime now. Also had to true the wheels so I could adj the brakes close enough to be able to modulate properly.

The assembly QC at Kent is not the best. If you are handy at wrenching, take the time to disassemble and regrease the wheel axles, the bottom brackets, the headset bearings, and change the rim tapes. Also take the idler pulley off and pack it with grease. The stock tires are not the greatest, but run them down and put on 28 or 30mm. 

It's not a bike made for cross country touring, but for sunset cruises or pie runs and cafe trips, it's perfect. The sizing is pretty flexible, so you can accomodate a lot of riders, from kids to adults. I think you will have fun. I know we do.


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## ru1-2cycle

*Sorry took so long...*



bobthib said:


> Did you get the Kent international? Seems to be the same frame jig but with steel instead of aluminium. How are the brakes? How many rings on the rear derailer?


I have been very busy @ work. Yes I did, It has the cheap looking mountain bike kind of brakes, but it brakes steadily but noisy at times. My wife and I just really enjoy it! I was expecting a goof off kind of ride, but it delivered a freaking fast and steady ride experience! It has a 7 speed freewheel with a dual drive system, and a handlebar mounted Revoshift system, 21 speed triple alu cranks. The Vitesse saddles are very comfy too. The steel frame has a very nice clear coat wet candy red look. I like the alu quill stem, it gives the bike a retro look that takes me back to the 70's, LOL, Get one, you will be glad you did.  ru1-2cycle


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## ru1-2cycle

*We did!*

Yes we did and we really really like it, can not get enough of it!  ru1-2cycle


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## rodar y rodar

There seems to be quite a run on those things lately- glad you folks are having a good time.


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## silveradoman123

I was thinking of getting the Kent Tandem from Walmart or the Lamborghini from Amazon, or abikestore.com, the Lamborgini is sold out. The Kent at Walmart is half the price but steel instead of aluminum and has the twist shift instead of those new combo brake shifter units. I called the Kent 800 contact us number and asked about weight she said the Alum Lamborghini and the Kent Steel Tandem at Walmart are exactly the same weight. Both about 65 pounds! Does that sound correct? 
I thought the Alum Lamborighini frame would be lighter than the Kent Steel Frame (there is alot of frame there!) I thought I saw someone on another website stating the Lamborghini was about 40 pounds. Has anyone weighed both of these bikes and be able to confirm the weights?


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## Autopete

*Lambo, International or Concord*

Well I am still waiting for the International 700c, due the 17th --23rd... 
I will weight it and post here when I get it. Walmart gives the shipping weight as 45 lbs so I expect it to be Aluminum and around 40 lbs. the Concord has 63lbs ship wt and the sites say steel for about $350 so I went for the lighter/lower priced International. More important than total weight will be rotating Mass, the biggest part being rims and tires. The Lambo specs 700c 35 tires, the International comes with 700c 38 ( 1 5/8's) that's a big difference so I am getting 700c 32's to try after the International gets blessed by my (hopefully soon to be) stoker. We really are just getting started. Some of the reviews for both the Lambo and the International are from folks like me with some experience with singles, they discribe both bikes as good handling, fast but poor brakes. So I figure to spend some time tuning it, out of the box as it comes then riding it solo to learn the feel of it etc. I should have an idea by then if it's a keeper or am I still shopping.
The websites indicate a better grade of brakes and derailers on the more expensive, better looking Lambo, but the reviews read almost the same for the International, it's price gives me more budget to upgrade the weak parts as needed.


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## silveradoman123

Where can you buy the International? On the Walmart Website it says Kent International Tandem but in the picture it looks like on the bike it has the labels "Grand Concord" On the Bottom of the Kent Bicycle website the name of the company appears to go by the name "Kent International" It seems a little odd they would call a bike with a model name by the exact name of the Company name. Has anyone already received a bike yet that says Kent International on the labeling?


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## bobthib

My lambo checks in at ~43 lbs stock. 

I've made several changes, the most important being Avid 7 SD brakes and Koolstop mtb salmon/black brake pads. $60 plus shipping. I think the biggest effect came from the Koolstop pads, and truing the wheels so that the brakes could be adjusted as close as possible to the wheel rims as possible. Note that the stock Promax "V" brakes and the Avid 7SD "V" brakes are not recommended for use with road style brake grips as they need more cable pull than those grip provide. None the less, I found the properly adjusted Avids work just fine. The can be a bit squeeley.

The lambo has the Microshift 24 spd (8x3) group. RD shifting is great, but FD shifting is a bit sketchy to the big ring. I keep it on the big ring since FLA is so flat. 

The Lambo has some no-name semi deep v aero rims that come with a rare long stem schreader valve. Due to the lousy rim strips (change them as soon as the bike arrives) and the lousy stock tires I had a blow out when pumping up the front tire, and a subsequent flat from the rim holes. I then changes out the rim tapes, put on new standard road tubes and Specialized Armadillos 25 mm on the back and 23 mm on the front. I was afraid the ride would be too harsh, but not even my stoker complained.

I have some new Velocity deep v wheels with a free hub on order. I want to be able to lower the gearing, and the stock freewheel doesn't allow for that. I have a 11 - 30 8 speed cassette on order, and someday I have the option of upgrading to 9 speed if I want. That will require a change of the right (rear) brifter, the cassette, and the drive chain. I won't even consider that change until one of those 3 items require replacement.

If you are new to Tandems, check out Tandemgeek.com. He has lots of info, and some really good primers on tandem riding for Noobs. The things I found most different is starting (the stoker sets the pedals for you, and they pedal hard to get going so you can balance the bike) and balance (anything the stoker does is magnified, so they need to stay still and not try to balance) 

My biggest complaint is that I don't get to ride the Lambo enough. My 3 stokers all have a lot going on, so I find myself taking the bike out solo for 15 mi rides. It's fun, I get looks and comments, and I think its good training. It makes my "half bike" feels so light and fast. Let us know how it goes!


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## ru1-2cycle

*Lambo*



bobthib said:


> My lambo checks in at ~43 lbs stock.
> 
> I've made several changes, the most important being Avid 7 SD brakes and Koolstop mtb salmon/black brake pads. $60 plus shipping. I think the biggest effect came from the Koolstop pads, and truing the wheels so that the brakes could be adjusted as close as possible to the wheel rims as possible. Note that the stock Promax "V" brakes and the Avid 7SD "V" brakes are not recommended for use with road style brake grips as they need more cable pull than those grip provide. None the less, I found the properly adjusted Avids work just fine. The can be a bit squeeley.
> 
> The lambo has the Microshift 24 spd (8x3) group. RD shifting is great, but FD shifting is a bit sketchy to the big ring. I keep it on the big ring since FLA is so flat.
> 
> The Lambo has some no-name semi deep v aero rims that come with a rare long stem schreader valve. Due to the lousy rim strips (change them as soon as the bike arrives) and the lousy stock tires I had a blow out when pumping up the front tire, and a subsequent flat from the rim holes. I then changes out the rim tapes, put on new standard road tubes and Specialized Armadillos 25 mm on the back and 23 mm on the front. I was afraid the ride would be too harsh, but not even my stoker complained.
> 
> I have some new Velocity deep v wheels with a free hub on order. I want to be able to lower the gearing, and the stock freewheel doesn't allow for that. I have a 11 - 30 8 speed cassette on order, and someday I have the option of upgrading to 9 speed if I want. That will require a change of the right (rear) brifter, the cassette, and the drive chain. I won't even consider that change until one of those 3 items require replacement.
> 
> If you are new to Tandems, check out Tandemgeek.com. He has lots of info, and some really good primers on tandem riding for Noobs. The things I found most different is starting (the stoker sets the pedals for you, and they pedal hard to get going so you can balance the bike) and balance (anything the stoker does is magnified, so they need to stay still and not try to balance)
> 
> My biggest complaint is that I don't get to ride the Lambo enough. My 3 stokers all have a lot going on, so I find myself taking the bike out solo for 15 mi rides. It's fun, I get looks and comments, and I think its good training. It makes my "half bike" feels so light and fast. Let us know how it goes!


Where can I get a Lambo tandem on line?


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## bobthib

Check out www.lamborghininbikes.com and look for their dealer link. Also check ebay. I think amazon is sold out and not getting any more.

If you can find the Kent Interenational 700c it was proported to be very similar. Walmart has the heavier steel version. It's a lot cheaper, but it doesn't have 24 spd, or microshift brifters.


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## seabiscut88

Don't there junk....one came into shop I work at and it was basically a Wal Mart level bike


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## Autopete

*It's here, but...it's not.*

Okay it's here. 47 lbs including very light water bottle brackets. In other words the complete bike as it ships minus the packing. It even has a decal bragging up the high tensile steel frame....
it's named *Grand Concor RS* road series. Must be some mix up, well I'll call tomorrow and see if they can get me the International. The nicest suprise is both wheels are true and the tires are big but they are rated for 85 psi. I'll ride it solo tomorrow.


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## bobthib

seabiscut88 said:


> Don't there junk....one came into shop I work at and it was basically a Wal Mart level bike


You get what you pay for.

1. Most entry level brand name lbs bikes are "walmart level" bikes with bigger price tags because they are a more "complete product." They come with LBS support, some thing you don't get with a big box store bike sale.

2. That bike is not meant to compete with Co Motion - Calfee. It is what it is, an entry level bike that has it's place in the market.

3. If you want a tandem for long x country excursions, look elsewhere. These bikes are perfect for someone (sometwo?) that want a tandem experience on the cheap, and will just use it for pie rides, sunset cruises, and taking a grandkid for ice cream.

You come off as an LBS shill when you dismiss something without facts.


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## rodar y rodar

bobthib said:


> 3. If you want a tandem for long x country excursions, look elsewhere. These bikes are perfect for someone (sometwo?) that want a tandem experience on the cheap, and will just use it for pie rides, sunset cruises, and taking a grandkid for ice cream.


We wanted a tandem experience and pie rides, sunset cruises, taking each other for coffee. We bought a nice one (several years old, fortunately) but honestly I think we would have been nearly as well served with the Lamborghini for what we`re doing. If there were as many bargains on ten year old tandems as there are on ten year old mountain bikes, I probably wouldn`t say that.


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## bobthib

It seems the Lambo tandem is being discontinued. Bikes4famlies has one for $599, free shipping.

http://www.bikes4families.com/lamborghini-lamborghini-viaggio-tandem-p-45.html

All the other retailers shown on the Lamborghini site http://lamborghinibicycles.com/retailers.html
are out of stock.


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## Autopete

I spoke with Carol in CS and she gave me a price adjustment, figures if we get another it will be the same steel frame, info came from the vendor, etc...will request a correction on the webpage.


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## bobthib

Autopete said:


> I spoke with Carol in CS and she gave me a price adjustment, figures if we get another it will be the same steel frame, info came from the vendor, etc...will request a correction on the webpage.


Can't beat that. Seems the bike is only 5 lbs or so more than the alu Lambo. Not a big deal unless you plan to climb mount Everest or try to sprint to the finish at the Tandem Tour de France.

I think you will be very happy. Look forward to some pix.


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## ru1-2cycle

*More than you pay for...*



bobthib said:


> You get what you pay for.
> 
> 1. Most entry level brand name lbs bikes are "walmart level" bikes with bigger price tags because they are a more "complete product." They come with LBS support, some thing you don't get with a big box store bike sale.
> 
> 2. That bike is not meant to compete with Co Motion - Calfee. It is what it is, an entry level bike that has it's place in the market.
> 
> 3. If you want a tandem for long x country excursions, look elsewhere. These bikes are perfect for someone (sometwo?) that want a tandem experience on the cheap, and will just use it for pie rides, sunset cruises, and taking a grandkid for ice cream.
> 
> You come off as an LBS shill when you dismiss something without facts.


We got a better riding experience than we expected with this Kent tandem. It is a fast bike, my wife and I can rev up to 22-23 mph with ease, and maintain! It is a great workout and fast training experience. It feels like a Cadillac Escalade SUV but with a Porsche engine!  ru1-2cycle


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## Autopete

The morning shake down ride went pretty smoothly, ride adjust, ride some more, adjust some more, it's settling in nicely. I need to keep the rear brake set pretty close to the rim, even after I prestreached the cable. To pull a wheel I have to release the brake cable, no barrels etc to loosen it. I can lock up the rear wheel on a solo ride, hit 16-17 mph without too much strain, it definitely handles differently than a single and it's weird going into a driveway, the front tire bumps but then the bump for the rear is very late. The long wheel base makes it steer & feel different.
The 700X38 tires are very low quality, my rims are true but wow did the rubber jump around, off with them, 700X32's really help, switched the brake pads too.


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## rodar y rodar

Prestretch the cable? How do you do that?

Yeah, the wheelbase sure does take some getting used to. And have you tried jumping a curb, any chance? We tried it once- I wish somebody had been filming. The front wheel just didn`t pop up like I expected (duh), we came to an instant stop, and fell over in a tangle with me almost over the bars and my wife wrapped around me.


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## bobthib

rodar y rodar said:


> We wanted a tandem experience and pie rides, sunset cruises, taking each other for coffee. We bought a nice one (several years old, fortunately) but honestly I think we would have been nearly as well served with the Lamborghini for what we`re doing. If there were as many bargains on ten year old tandems as there are on ten year old mountain bikes, I probably wouldn`t say that.


R Y R, honestly if you got a good deal on a good fitting brand name tandem, consider it a good investment. It will hold value better than a Kent or a Lambo. The problem is finding what you want (and what fits) in the used market when you are ready.


Autopete, and Ru1-2cycle, Did you both get the steel frame Kent Grand Concours? Did you both have similar experiences?

I think the Kent/Lambo can be a good intro to the Tandem scene so long as you are willing and able to do the wrenching it will probably need. I know I've been happy.


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## ru1-2cycle

*Kent*



bobthib said:


> R Y R, honestly if you got a good deal on a good fitting brand name tandem, consider it a good investment. It will hold value better than a Kent or a Lambo. The problem is finding what you want (and what fits) in the used market when you are ready.
> 
> 
> Autopete, and Ru1-2cycle, Did you both get the steel frame Kent Grand Concours? Did you both have similar experiences?
> 
> I think the Kent/Lambo can be a good intro to the Tandem scene so long as you are willing and able to do the wrenching it will probably need. I know I've been happy.


Hey Bob, we got the Walmart steel Kent tandem and we got more bike for the money than we expected, and it performs very well. In this economic recession, this bike is the way to go and still get a great riding and training experience, as long as you get decent tires and pedals on it. I appreciate Walmart's low price and good quality!  ru1-2cycle


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## bobthib

rodar y rodar said:


> Yeah, the wheelbase sure does take some getting used to. *And have you tried jumping a curb, any chance?* We tried it once- I wish somebody had been filming. The front wheel just didn`t pop up like I expected (duh), we came to an instant stop, and fell over in a tangle with me almost over the bars and my wife wrapped around me.


:lol:  ut: :hand: :smilewinkgrin: :confused5: :eek6: :biggrin5: 

What were you guys thinkin??? Man, I wish I had been there with a camera! That would have need a sure $10K winner on AFHV.

Hope nothing more that ego's were bruised. Remember, keep 2 wheels down, and on the ground! :thumbsup:


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## Autopete

We didn do nothin like that!
But our first ride went well, 48 min, 11.2 miles. And today she's willing to go out agian, 68 min 17 miles...I think I got a stoker. This bike is a keeper as one to start with, but....it's too long for the trunk rack and probably too heavy for a roof rack, CORRECTION: my scale now says it's 49 lb bike.
I just ordered the last Lambo, hope I'm not too late


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## bobthib

Autopete said:


> We didn do nothin like that!
> But our first ride went well, 48 min, 11.2 miles. And today she's willing to go out agian, 68 min 17 miles...I think I got a stoker. This bike is a keeper as one to start with, but....it's too long for the trunk rack and probably too heavy for a roof rack, CORRECTION: my scale now says it's 49 lb bike.
> I just ordered the last Lambo, hope I'm not too late


:idea: So I'm getting a bit long in the tooth, and I get lost some times. Let me make sure I got this right, Autopete. :idea: 

You got the Kent Grand Concurs, but you ordered the lambo? I can assume that you will be returning the Kent to Walmart? Of course, I doubt if you will be able to return the Lambo from a small company.

The Lambo is a better bike (alu, better gruppo) but I'm not sure it's that much better. The alu frame is very stiff, but very comfortable to road ride. It's not whippy or limp. Don't know about the Kent.

Good luck, and let us know how it goes.


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## Autopete

*First a Kent, now a lambo*

Just confirmed I got the last one, ships tomorrow, so I'll be making the Kent stock and the tires, brakes etc will fit the lambo. I can't see walmart swapping for a aluminum frame version of the gran concor rs. The revoshift gives numbers for the gears so I know what's going on back there, how does the lambo work?


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## bobthib

Autopete said:


> Just confirmed I got the last one, ships tomorrow, so I'll be making the Kent stock and the tires, brakes etc will fit the lambo. I can't see walmart swapping for a aluminum frame version of the gran concor rs. * The revoshift gives numbers for the gears so I know what's going on back there, how does the lambo work?*


*It works good!*  

The Microshirt 8 spd brifter does not have any gear indication. You either have to count or ask the stoker. I've never had a problem since it is so flat here in SoFla. and I just leave it on the big ring and count my rear gears. I always downshift at every stop, so it's pretty easy to keep track.


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## Bocephus Jones II

rodar y rodar said:


> We wanted a tandem experience and pie rides, sunset cruises, taking each other for coffee. We bought a nice one (several years old, fortunately) but honestly I think we would have been nearly as well served with the Lamborghini for what we`re doing. If there were as many bargains on ten year old tandems as there are on ten year old mountain bikes, I probably wouldn`t say that.


Why not just get a cruiser tandem then? That Lambo looks like a pretty low-end bike. The chain tensioner instead of an eccentric BB will drive you nuts if you put any miles on it. Bikes like that are designed to ride a few times a year and to not last long. With that design they aren't worth upgrading either. 

We currently ride an Electra tandem with an EBB, drum brakes and a 3 speed Nexus hub in back--frame is AL also so not all that heavy. Eventually want to get a road tandem, but don't have the $$ for a good one now.


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## Autopete

I have had to loosen hubs on several bikes from china, my Schwinn Midtown ( a hybrid comfort bike, 26") as well as the Gran Concor. They also over tensioned the timing chain a lot, it quieted down with a little freeplay, course it's new and hasn't passed the test of time. I also gave the pulley and chain a little amsoil 20-50, always helps. One post suggested repalce the derailer wheel with a plan pulley. TLC can help these lesser machines along and if we can wear it out I will be delighted, A sign we need more bike, when I look at the used offerings most are old and trashed or out of our price range, especially since we've barely got our toes wet so to speak, as for cruisers I never have liked 26X 2" wheels, too much like wearing hiking boots for a run. When I first rode the Gran Concor with it's 38c tires I realized I wouldn't get to know the bike til I got decent tires on it, the panaracer 32c's are completely different and now so is the bike.


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## rodar y rodar

Wow, this thread keeps going like the Energizer bunny.
1. Nothin injured in our curb jumping attempt. Not even pride- we were laughing too hard for that.
2. Reselling a tandem/buying used: you might get lucky either way with a tandem, but both suply AND demand are fairly limited, so it there are no guarantees unless you`re willing to ship and buy sight unseen or wait for a buyer who`s willing to do that. For other big purchases "used" is my favorite flavor. Not so much for tandems.
3. Gear indicators (as on the Revoshift): useless on a single, but would be handy on a tandem. Ours has bar end shifters, so I can see more or less where we are by looking at the levers, but it`s VERY hard to see the RD and cassette while riding.
4. Cruiser tandem: Meaning single speed with fat tires? I love fat tires and put 26 x 2.75s on ours, but no way I`ll go SS. Our tandem is a single engine model. There just aren`t enough flat runs around here and there`s no way I could pull us both up even a long mild grade or a quarter mile at 4%.

I`m really glad you guys are getting so much enjoyment out of your new rides! I`m not knocking ours at all, just saying that I think we would have saved some money and been pretty much as well served with a no-name.


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## bobthib

Autopete said:


> I have had to loosen hubs on several bikes from china, my Schwinn Midtown ( a hybrid comfort bike, 26") as well as the Gran Concor. They also over tensioned the timing chain a lot, it quieted down with a little freeplay, course it's new and hasn't passed the test of time. I also gave the pulley and chain a little amsoil 20-50, always helps. One post suggested repalce the derailer wheel with a plain pulley.


I read a very detailed review of the Lambo (on Amazon?) and the poster recommended re-greasing the hubs and bbs, and replacing the rim tapes, brake pads, and truing the wheels. The all proved necessary. I just don't think the assembly QC is really there for these mass produced dept store bikes. You either need to wrench it your self or pay a pro. Simple as that. I think we've borne out the wisdom of those statements.

RE: idler pulleys. I will agree that the idler is a cheap way to go, but it is effective. Granted, the one on the Lambo at least was indeed cheap. No bearings but just a dry bushing. I took it apart and packed with some Phil Wood grease and it is as quite as a church mouse. Pulleys are not as elegant or expensive as a EBB, but they can work just fine. After all, I have 2 of them on my single bike, and 2 on the back of the Lambo. None of them have caused problems. So, I'll just leave that one on and pick up a scrap one from a DA RD that's been scrapped by the LBS.




Autopete said:


> When I first rode the Gran Concor with it's 38c tires I realized I wouldn't get to know the bike til I got decent tires on it, the panaracer 32c's are completely different and now so is the bike.


The 35s on the Lambo were quite cushy, but I had some Specialized Armadillo 25s that give a snappier ride with out sacrificing ride quality. I've ordered a new wheel set (Velocity Tandem Wheel set) from bikemania.biz not because the stock wheels are bad, but for 2 reasons. 

1. the stock rear hub is a freewheel, and I wanted to change the gears to an 11t - 30t. The Velocity has a free hub.  

2. We have a lot of gravel roads though the everglades, and lost of paved road club rides. The spare wheel set will get the 35s for the trails and gravel roads, and the new wheels will get the 25s for "street racing."


RYR, indeed this post has kinda dragged on, but I hope the contributors and readers have been educated. I thing there is a place for an inexpensive "dept' store" tandem, so long as 
you know what you are buying. These are not the bikes to use for a cross country excursion (though they have been used for that) but the do allow a segment of the market to "get their toes wet" when they otherwise might not.


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## Bocephus Jones II

bobthib said:


> I read a very detailed review of the Lambo (on Amazon?) and the poster recommended re-greasing the hubs and bbs, and replacing the rim tapes, brake pads, and truing the wheels. The all proved necessary. I just don't think the assembly QC is really there for these mass produced dept store bikes. You either need to wrench it your self or pay a pro. Simple as that. I think we've borne out the wisdom of those statements.
> 
> RE: idler pulleys. I will agree that the idler is a cheap way to go, but it is effective. Granted, the one on the Lambo at least was indeed cheap. No bearings but just a dry bushing. I took it apart and packed with some Phil Wood grease and it is as quite as a church mouse. Pulleys are not as elegant or expensive as a EBB, but they can work just fine. After all, I have 2 of them on my single bike, and 2 on the back of the Lambo. None of them have caused problems. So, I'll just leave that one on and pick up a scrap one from a DA RD that's been scrapped by the LBS.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> The 35s on the Lambo were quite cushy, but I had some Specialized Armadillo 25s that give a snappier ride with out sacrificing ride quality. I've ordered a new wheel set (Velocity Tandem Wheel set) from bikemania.biz not because the stock wheels are bad, but for 2 reasons.
> 
> 1. the stock rear hub is a freewheel, and I wanted to change the gears to an 11t - 30t. The Velocity has a free hub.
> 
> 2. We have a lot of gravel roads though the everglades, and lost of paved road club rides. The spare wheel set will get the 35s for the trails and gravel roads, and the new wheels will get the 25s for "street racing."
> 
> 
> RYR, indeed this post has kinda dragged on, but I hope the contributors and readers have been educated. I thing there is a place for an inexpensive "dept' store" tandem, so long as
> you know what you are buying. These are not the bikes to use for a cross country excursion (though they have been used for that) but the do allow a segment of the market to "get their toes wet" when they otherwise might not.


Agree...this bike serves a purpose for sure, but there is a reason it's $500 and not $2000.


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## rodar y rodar

I agree 100% that there is a place for it and that it has limitations. That`s what I was agreeing with about a hundred posts back. And I`m not concerned about the length of the thread- just surprised.


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## bobthib

Bocephus Jones II said:


> Agree...this bike serves a purpose for sure, but there is a reason it's $500 and not $2000.


:thumbsup: We agree! We're talking apples and oranges. Good for one, not so much for another. To each is own.

Now if only our politicians would read this forum...


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## ru1-2cycle

*Kent Gran Concor*



bobthib said:


> :thumbsup: We agree! We're talking apples and oranges. Good for one, not so much for another. To each is own.
> 
> Now if only our politicians would read this forum...


I really like our Kent Gran Concor! It is like an Escalade SUV on steroids!


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## silveradoman123

AutoPete, Did you get your Lamborghini yet? Just out of curiousity how much was CS able to discount the Kent Tandem if you don't mind me asking? I won't hold anyone to the figure I was just curious how much they came down on the price?


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## silveradoman123

*Brake Upgrade Travel Agent*

Wanted to know if anyone has upgraded their brake performance by installing Travel Agents. Saw on some discussion websites you could add these to where the cable goes into the V-brake and it makes the brakes work smother and more responsive. I saw a picture of one and it appears the brake wire goes around a little pulley style wheel instead of through a bent tube. Think they maybe $20-30 per brake?
If you have experience with these let us know how you like them. And Make Model of what you bought and website purchased at if applicable.

I saw a Tandem that had a drum as well as a V- style brake, under the handle bar there was a small block where one cable went in from the brake lever and two cables came out (one to V/brake and one to Drum). Seems like this route could be expensive and heavy, is this a cost effective upgrade?

Right now my thoughts are to get a Kent and replce the pads with better ones (Koolstop?) and perhaps add some Travel agents. Wanted to get feedback on if others have done this and were happy with results?


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## Autopete

I am still waiting for the "Viaggio" as the shipping refers to the Lamborghini, that's how Bikes 4families listed it, they have lots of Lamborghini singles for sale, but there only road Tandem now is the Gran Concor for around 350. 
My Gran Concor (the Kent), has Lee Chi or Leechi levers and brakes. Now I have read elsewhere that drop bar levers move the cables "standard" and MB brakes are "Long" Thus the need for another device, the Gran Concor's brakes are an inch shorter than the Promax brakes on my hybrid "Midtown", 3" vs 4" brakes require less movement, My Gran Concor came with very true wheels ( Medium dish) which allows me to adjust the brakes very tight to help cable travel and I could lock the rear wheel without a stoker using the stock Promax pads. My brakes were fine out of the box. I have switched pads to Aztecs, the guy at the counter said they were good, I can't disagree, stopping takes less effort, and I had a single that got the promaxs. Keep in mind my package, me, stoker & bike is about 365 lbs, I just got back from our 3rd ride, and it's pretty flat so I did one hard stop today and it felt fine, smooth not grabby and controlled, I had all the brake I needed here on the flats, down a big hill or in the mountains I don't know yet. Wow somethin ta look forward to. I am havin sooo much fun! ride was 16 miles/ 1 hour, and she liked it, too!
I digress, what I'm trying to say is try it stock, the Promax pads are okay. upgrade pads before other changes. Long down hills are another discussion, I would reserve drums vs discs for that, from what I've read. I would add cable adjusters.

"Kent" sounds like your looking at the walmart site, it still says Aluminum Frame and 45 lbs ship wt, the one they sent me is 49 lbs once you get it out of the box, So it must ship in a magic box to have 45 lb ship wt. A week ago Carol in customer service told me she would put in to have it corrected. The resolutions team was going to get back to me within 48 hours.....
I am impressed with the Gran Concor as a solid bike that an experienced
single rider + another could use to try out Tandems, i used ship to store for free shipping and a couple of walmart guys stuck in the van so i never lifted that magic box myself.

Bob, am I right? Does the Viaggio have the Promax 4" like my Midtown?
What dia. are the seat posts? I read they are different.
I too have had the stock rim strips fail on these dished rims especially. The midtown tires were 65 lbs, when I switched to 26x1 1/4 and 85-100 lbs I didn't know to change em. Opps. Well I didn't repeat that mistake on the Gran Concor, it would have failed the same way, I made sure to change the rim strips.


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## rodar y rodar

*Travel Agent and drum brakes*

Silverado, I think Autopete was kind of getting to what you were asking about the Travel Agent, but I might be able to clarify a little bit. Like he says, V-brakes (AKA linear pull) and mechanical disc brakes (of the mtb variety- road specific disc might be different) require more cable movement than sidepull calipers or traditional cantilevers- it`s a difference of whether the leverage is witin the levers or at the calipers. Most (there are exceptions) road brake levers are designed for short-pull brakes, mtb levers are usually selectable for either short of long pull, so you can set up the same levers for whatever brakes you have or want. The idea behind the Travel Agent and a few similar devices is to adapt short-pull levers for long-pull brakes (to use V-brakes with road levers, usually). From the pics I`ve seen, it looks like they do need a little pulley mounted someplace, which may eliminate the need for the noodle (the little bent piece of tubing), but that isn`t the main purpose. Don`t worry about your noodle robbing anything from your brake system- they`re really nice and simple bits of hardware that work well and do no harm- in fact, there are examples of people who use them on STI shift cables in order to get their cables out of the way of handlebar bags- if you can index a ten-speed cassette through it, you know it can`t be adding much friction to your brake system.

Many tandems use an additional brake to help cope with the extra weight. Apparently, with two riders going down long grades, rims can get so hot that they actually overheat the tires causing nasty blowouts. For many years, that setup was usually a rim brake on each wheel and a drum brake on the rear hub, sometimes activated by some kind of split cable, but more often by a separate lever- like a friction shifter. The idea is to put some extra drag on the drum in order to avoid all that braking action (ie: heat) on the rims. Our tandem has a drag brake activated by a friction shifter on the stoker bars. We don`t ever ride the kind of grades that we would need to worry about heating up our rims, but it makes a first class parking brake  . Also, you should know that some brake levers are set up to accept two cables. I have one like that (only use one cable though) and in my opinion it`s a big pain in the butt- tough to get the end of the housing where it`s supposed to be and once the little block that the housing stops in came out of place somehow, causing the cable to pull at a little bit of angle on the block where the cable end is, which in turn rotated that second little block and wouldn`t let me pull the rear brake lever until I figured out what was wrong, unwrapped my bars, loosened the lever mounting so I could straighten out the cable housing and put it all back together again. Not the end of the world, but I sure would have prefered not to stop and spend an hour dinking with my brake lever when I could have been doing something else. If you need that, I guess you need it, but I don`t like mine a bit. End of rant.


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## Autopete

Here's one tandem builders article on brakes. He confirms many of the observations in this thread, gives a good historical view of MTB & road brakes vs tandem brakes and offers a different answer to our special requirements.

www.rodbikes.com/articles/brakes.html


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## silveradoman123

*Grand Corncord arrived*

Thanks for the information on the Brakes it was very interesting, if you take the last node or two off the URL the same website has information about Frame Material.

On another note, I ordered the Aluminum Kent International from Walmart about a week ago and also received a Steel Grand Concord. Put it together for a ride, it really rides pretty nice. Wasn't sure what I would think about the grip shift but am thinking for a tandem it is a real plus since I can't visually look down and back easily to see what gear I am in like on my solo bike. I didn't really realize that there would be a display window with the gear indicator. The only thing I did notice that is taking some time is one of them you rotate towards you to go to a higher gear and one of them you rotate away from you to go to a higher gear. I keep finding myself reaching for my downtube shifter since that is on my solo. 

I haven't weighed it yet but from one of the previous posts said it was 48-49 #'s so when devided by two that is less than 25# per rider! (About what my Road Bike weighs) Plus less wind resistance and less rolling resistance of two riders each riding solo. 

Checked the tubes for rim pinch before\during inflating, checked that the rim strip was centered around rim, appeared fine. Do agree with going with a more narrow tire, get a little squshy feel when hitting bumps with these tires. They appeared to roll nice sidewall said some number - 85psi so I inflated to 80psi.

I greased the front wheel hub before putting on the bike with some Phil Wood grease, it was a real pain getting the nuts to turn at first, think they must have used loctite or something to lock the threads, I used liquid wrench, I was only able to turn the nuts on one of the sides. There was grease in there but a clear grease (looked like Vaseline)


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## Autopete

If you peel back the rim strip and see the holes for the spokes, they are big. The strip streaches into the hole then fails, several bike shops have had cloth replacements designed for high pressures. my Midtown deep dish rims, rim strip failed only after going to 85-100 psi tires, I rode stock 65 psi tires a year before that without problems.
I also read the builders take on frame materials and ride comfort, he's a total steel fan building 4500-9k rides. I'd like to take one for a spin someday. Well the Viaggio is almost here so I can do a comparison.


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## silveradoman123

AutoPete thanks for the information about the cloth rim tape, this tandem is the first wheel set I have owned with the new dish style wheels so I wasn't aware of the large holes and that cloth tape existed for such use.

I am just getting back into biking again after taking about a 20 year break. I have noticed alot has changed since the mid 80's Handlebar tape is being wraped backwards causing them have to use electrical tape at the center, free hubs seem to be more prevelent, handlebar stems a different on high end bikes, deep dish wheels, different frame materials, prices of bike computers plumeted (my Cat Eye Solar was about\over $100 in '86) now similar features minus the solar that never worked is $30!

I am think of getting a Bike Computer on the Tandem. Not much Real Estate on the front due the the grip shift shifters and the thick Stem. Thinking might be best to mount the computer on the back, plus it will give my stroker something to do beside just pedal and look at the back of me. Was thinking I might need a computer that has a rear wheel pickup. I kinda like the look of the Planet Bike Protege 9 since it shows everything on one screen will be easy for my 10 yr old to read. Anyone have experience mounting this or other bike computers on the back of a tandem? 
By the Way so far I love the Kent Gran Concor Tandem! , just got on Sunday. Been out twice (10 miles each time). When I ride solo I normally ride 25-35 will work my co-pilot up to that over time.


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## Autopete

Oh ya, 30 yr break for me. I got a closeout deal on a computer with wired cadence , it just tyes on. So I just put it on the top in the middle, I'll post some pics. used a piece of pipe insulation and larger ties on the front crank for the cadence pickup. Watch the range If you go wireless and give it to the stoker.
I never had cadence before, It helps me with the timing for shifting, my stoker starts bouncing in her seat around the low nineties. She likes a comfort seat with coil springs and the frame told me that she was bouncin.

I like the Gran Concor as well, I'd like to keep it but I just assembled the Viaggio and it's the aluminum version of your bike. Just took a short ride solo and really liked the feel. It's lighter and goes easier.
The Viaggio also has travel agents on the same brakes you have, even the same Promax pads. 
I have had revoshift 21 spd on my single over a year so I'm used to it, having brake lever shifters will take a little time to learn. I like not having to move my hands to shift.


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## rodar y rodar

silveradoman123 said:


> Was thinking I might need a computer that has a rear wheel pickup. I kinda like the look of the Planet Bike Protege 9 since it shows everything on one screen will be easy for my 10 yr old to read. Anyone have experience mounting this or other bike computers on the back of a tandem?


The P.B. Protoge computers are available with extra long pickup wires as an extra, so are the Cateye Mity 8s, for roughly the same price. I looked at both those models last year for the same reason and ended up with the Mity 8 because I found some in a local sporting goods store. If you go with the long pickup wire, you should be able to mount the sensor to the fork and run the wire all the way to the stoker`s cockpit (at least I think that`s why they`re so long). In the end, I got talked out of putting a computer on the tandem, HOWEVER, I have one mounted on my roadbike via the other method you talked about. Pickup sensor is on the seatstay and the computer mounts to the seat tube, right under my saddle. Yeah, I know it`s silly, but I`ve got my reasons, and I see no reason you couldn`t do that on a tandem with a standard length wire and computer. The only tricky part is that the stays are further frm the spokes than fork legs are, so you might have to tie some kind of shim under the pickup. In my case, I squeeked by without that- magnet to pickup was a bit over the recomended 5mm, but it still worked at first, then I tilted the magnet a little just to be sure.


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## Autopete

Here's a shot of the captians dash board, the empty spot to the right of the computer gets a watch with heart rate monitor, the mount to the left gets a led light. I also wear a tiny light cliped to my hemet visor to light it all up at night when needed.


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