# Where to find a CHEAP Tandem



## mtnbikecrazy55

Alright, this is most likely my 3rd post or somethig on rbr, as i'm mainly a mountain biker/xc racer.

Now, the lady and both think it would be really fun to have a tandem, as then we can go on long trips/rides/etc and she dosent have to worry about keeping up and at the same time we can go far places :thumbsup: 

Butttt, being college students, and personally not worrying about how heavy it will be, I'm out to find a dirt cheap tandem.

Now please don't flame me, i know what a quality bike is, as my mtn bike is an eriksen with full xx. 

I saw some on ebay, "kent" brand, basically what they sell at walmart for 275 bucks.

however they are more like cruisers, with the geometry and all that. 

I found another model, the "kent international" with 700c wheels and drop bars, but i guess they have been discontinued. :mad2: 

I really was hoping to spend about 300, maby 350 if i had to, as i want to get a new fork for my race bike.

I thought about running 26" slicks on the kent cruiser type, and replacing the bars with some drops i had laying around, deff diffrent saddles, a linger stem with a big drop, and put some different pads in the brakes, but i think the geometry might just screw me.

I live in a city thats not too bike infested (green bay, wisconsin) so craigslist is a no go.

so if anyone could provide some insight, it would be much appreciated.

I know the parts and componnents will blow, but its fine, as i have plenty in my parts bin i could throw in there if need be, and i could build a stronger set of wheels up as well.

Thanks again,

Chris


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## Bocephus Jones II

Save your money. A $300 road tandem will be junk. Rule of thumb with tandems is that you need to spend about 2x what you'd spend on a comparable single bike to get the same spec. Would you ride a $150 mountain bike?


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## mtnbikecrazy55

hmm. bummer.

but honestly, i probably would go for it, i mean, sure its going to be heavy, but how bad can it possibly be?

well, i guess it could be super bad...

ugh.

theres a tandem on the classifides here for 500 but thats a little out of my price range.


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## Bocephus Jones II

here's one with 26" wheels for $269...you gotta wonder what poor Chinese kid had to put this thing together for a penny a day's wages. :aureola:

http://www.amazon.com/Pacific-Dualie-Tandem-26-Inch-Wheels/dp/B0021HY7AO/ref=pd_sbs_sg_2


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## Bocephus Jones II

mtnbikecrazy55 said:


> hmm. bummer.
> 
> but honestly, i probably would go for it, i mean, sure its going to be heavy, but how bad can it possibly be?
> 
> well, i guess it could be super bad...
> 
> ugh.
> 
> theres a tandem on the classifides here for 500 but thats a little out of my price range.


It will probably be OK for tooling around the neighborhood like you would with a cruiser bike, but god help you if you want to do any real road riding on it. It will be super heavy with really low end components. I'd be really suspect about the brakes on anything that cheap also. Probably will come with a low end chain tensioner instead of a eccentric BB like a more expensive tandem has. Will not be worth upgrading, but until it falls apart you can probably figure out if riding a tandem is for you or not.


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## mtnbikecrazy55

yeah, this is what i was looking at:
http://cgi.ebay.com/Dual-Tandem-Ken...t=Road_Bikes&hash=item3a5f476d60#ht_780wt_907

but i cant find any with drop bars/700c wheels.

like this:
http://www.walmart.com/ip/Kent-International-700c-Tandem-Road-Bike/10370935

i know, complete crap, but it would work for what im looking for :-D


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## mtnbikecrazy55

yeah, that was my intent, but i deff want one with drops over a cruiser type


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## butlerrider

Bocephus is right. The brakes would be junk, and take it from a new tandem rider, you need good brakes. We bought a KHS Milano last summer for around $1700, what I would consider the bottom of the line for a "real" tandem. It came in with a rear disc, even though it wasn't spec'd with it in the catalog. Also has V-brakes front and rear. We use em all cause this thing is FAST. We are not racers by any means, but the rolling mass allows us to easily hit 40 mph on a downhill, much faster than I can make my single roadbike go on the same downhill runs. We darn near hit 50 once, but quite frankly I was scared. If she makes one small wiggle that I'm not expecting at that speed it would make a terrible mess. You need good brakes on a tandem if you're gonna ride it on the road.


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## mtnbikecrazy55

Thanks for all the insight, i really appreciate it.

alright, what do you guys think about this?

http://wisconsin.freecycleshopper.com/bicycles/trek-t100-tandem-bicycle.html

i would put a fork on it with disc tabs and run a disc on the front for sure, and then deff replace the pads in the rear

and plus its only like an hour and a half drive


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## My Own Private Idaho

mtnbikecrazy55 said:


> Thanks for all the insight, i really appreciate it.
> 
> alright, what do you guys think about this?
> 
> http://wisconsin.freecycleshopper.com/bicycles/trek-t100-tandem-bicycle.html
> 
> i would put a fork on it with disc tabs and run a disc on the front for sure, and then deff replace the pads in the rear
> 
> and plus its only like an hour and a half drive


That is a good deal, IMO.


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## mtnbikecrazy55

woohoo, i think im goig to try talking him down to 300 and im going for it :-D


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## Bocephus Jones II

My Own Private Idaho said:


> That is a good deal, IMO.


+1...much nicer than those no-name bikes you were looking at earlier.


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## mtnbikecrazy55

and i guess it has a new rear wheel so thats good


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## Bocephus Jones II

mtnbikecrazy55 said:


> and i guess it has a new rear wheel so thats good


On cheap tandems the rear wheel will be the first thing to go. I believe the Trek also has an eccentric BB which is a lot nicer than the roller-based chain tensioners that cheaper tandems have.


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## sport7

mtnbikecrazy55 said:


> Thanks for all the insight, i really appreciate it.
> 
> alright, what do you guys think about this?
> 
> http://wisconsin.freecycleshopper.com/bicycles/trek-t100-tandem-bicycle.html
> 
> i would put a fork on it with disc tabs and run a disc on the front for sure, and then deff replace the pads in the rear
> 
> and plus its only like an hour and a half drive


Appears to be a good bike. 

You may also want to peruse Madison or Chicago Craigs list. i found my Schwinn Duo Sport on CL, and no weight is not an issue. Before that, we started out on a cheap tandem and just improved it.


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## butlerrider

*Go!*

I wouldn't be afraid of that bike at all. Trek is going to put a beefy enough brake on any bike they sell. I prolly overstated my point about brakes before. Now that we have some miles under us, we don't use the disc near as much as we did at first. But here in western PA, we have some decent downhill grades that make me glad to have the disc sometimes.

I forgot to mention earlier....the tandem is just as slow uphill as it is fast down. Have Fun!


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## bobthib

Bocephus Jones II said:


> Save your money. A $300 road tandem will be junk. Rule of thumb with tandems is that you need to spend about 2x what you'd spend on a comparable single bike to get the same spec. Would you ride a $150 mountain bike?


BJ is right, however.....

You get what you pay for, but what do you really want to do? In August of '09 I got a brand new Lamborghini Vaggio on line delivered for $508. The idea was to get my wife more involved in road biking, and be able to tote my then 6 yr old grandson around town. BJ and many other warned against the purchase, but I did it anyway. I have not regretted the purchase for one second, and I just live riding this bike. Now I will admit that the first thing I did was to rip off the LOUSY brakes and install Avid 7s and Koolstop MTB brake pads. Once I trued the wheels and adjusted the brakes, it went from literally not being able to stop with one person to being able to "stop on a dime" with 330 lb team on board. 

I also replaced the crappy rubber rim tape, and put on 700x28 tires in lieu of the 700x35's it came with, in the belief that it would be faster.

So as to be able to accommodate my 6'4 son, my 5"10 wife, and my 46" grandson I got a ControlTech adjustable stoker stem. It wasn't necessary, but it provide for lots of adjustments to fit different stokers.

I also eventually got some nice Velocity Tandem rims so I can swap out wheels. I use the Velos with now 700x23s for road, and the stock rims and 700x35 for "off road" trails and levees.

Here is a link to our 54 mi ride report today. 
Click here. 
I haven't figured it up, but I'm guessing I problably have about 1k mi on the bike since 8/4/09, and like I said, I just live riding it. Yes, I would like a lighter bike (stock it was 43 lbs, but it's probably closer to 47 now. I got us SPD cycling sandles and some platform/spd mtb pedals. They are almost 1 lb ea, and there are 4, remember!

Anyway, you can get a cheap bike and you may have to spend a few bucks to get it ridable. Search craigslist and the local papers. If you can find a kent international (steel frame) or a Lambo (alu frame) it might be ok if in good condition and well maintained. It really helps if you can do your own wrenching.

You can also get lucky and score a nice old steel frame tandem, but it may need some help. You won't get brifters (down tube shifers or if your luck barcons) but there is an occasional good deal here and there. Good luck!


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## bobthib

Bocephus Jones II said:


> +1...much nicer than those no-name bikes you were looking at earlier.


BJ's right again! I hope you get it. And Butler is also right. All tandems are slow to start and uphill, but down hill watch out! You gotta have good brakes! Even here in flat FLA.


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## GambJoe

My wife ahs suggested we get a tandem (mostly because she won't have to pedal). I would hate to go out and spend thousands for a tandem and get bored with it.

I've looked for and found many ultra cheap tandems on the web that were under 500. I think thats the way I would go and just have fun.


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## bobthib

Here's a cheap option. It's a "walmart" quality bike, not worth putting a lot of $ in it if it craps out, but a cheap way to get into tandem riding. Be sure to have an LBS set it up if you are not a bike wrench. Brakes on a tandem are critical because of the momentum. A lot of hard core tandemistas look down their nose at these cheap bikes, but it's a great way to get into the sport cheap. If you find you like it, you can sell it and loose maybe $100 and find a better bike on craigslist. Tandems are NOT cheap.

pacific dualie


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## My Own Private Idaho

bobthib said:


> BJ is right, however.....
> 
> You get what you pay for, but what do you really want to do? In August of '09 I got a brand new Lamborghini Vaggio on line delivered for $508.



I paid less than that for a Burley tandem. It wasn't very used, and required very little. I replaced the tires, tubes, and lubed it. That's it. Total I have about $500 in it. There are some high-quality used tandems out there if you look, and if you're patient.


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## bobthib

My Own Private Idaho said:


> I paid less than that for a Burley tandem. It wasn't very used, and required very little. I replaced the tires, tubes, and lubed it. That's it. Total I have about $500 in it. There are some high-quality used tandems out there if you look, and if you're patient.


That's a great deal, the type I looked for on craigslist but finally gave up. There are maybe a dozen tandems a year in this area, and most are cruisers or mtb or hybrid. I wanted a roadie. You are very lucky indeed!

Now that I know I and my wife like it, I would be open to a good deal on a used bike if it fit right. But the Lambo is so versatile. It's an XL - SM so I've been able to fit my son at 6'4" and my grandson, albeit with a foot rest. It's not the best bike, but it really meets my needs. If we were touring I'de look for a better bike.

Pretty soon I'll be able to drop the seat post and he will be able to reach the pedals. Maybe next year. That will be about the time I'll be hooking on a baby trailer so I can put my yet to be born 2nd grand son in that and have my grandson be able to help me pedal. Sweet.


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## moschika

check craigslist, or old/used bike shops around you. i got a sweet tandem for $500 plus trade for old parts. i'm in the process of upgrading wheels and brakes, but it's good to go as is. i'm just neurotic and particular about those things.


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## jfmcgowan

Definitely look on Craigslist, and don't be afraid to search over a fairly wide area. 

I had been dreaming about a tandem for years, and when this one came up on CL last year, it had to jump on it immediately. Like many CL tandems, it had LOW miles on it (less than 100 in my case.) Prior owner's wife was not interested in riding, and he was ready to cut his losses. 

I too had considered the eBay, Amazon, Micargi tandem option, but I just knew deep down that I would not have been happy with the results.


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## bobthib

For the patient or lucky, Craigslist is the way to go. I, however, was neither in Aug of '09, and took a gamble on what was then called the Lamborghini Vaggio sold by Amazon. I must say, I have not been sorry. I did do some upgrades, some were "necessary" most were not.

The Vaggio has been resurfaced as the Giordano Viaggio Tandem Road Bike sold by Kent on Amazon. It is virtually identical except for the use of the Shimano 2300 shifters. My Lamborghini came with Microshift 8 which has performed flawlessly for the past year and a half. 

The bike is a department-store level bike with components commensurate with that level. I'm sure that the guy who bought the bike that JFmcgowan found wished he had tried a much less expensive bike to find out his wife was not interested.


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## sport7

$300 got me a Craigs list Schwinn Duo Sport. Originally a high end $$$ tandem, so had all the right kind of stuff.

Of course i needed to repair it and bought me a good thick colorful bike repair book. A used bike normally comes with bone head repairs and parts the former owner thought were good. But since most bikes are not ridden anyway, how would they know.

i have a cheap tandem too, but don't recommend that unless this would be for Posing only. My rides are out in the country so most any brakes work good with proper adjustment. Of course i am just fooling myself (get the good brakes)

For the safety conscious, best to have the best of the best though. You in town people know what i mean. 

Don't worry about brakes now as Schwinn did it right decades ago on this bike. Did i mention this thing is a tank, but once we are on our way, it really makes no difference.


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## tandemer

Go for a used, formerly high end tandem. Make sure, all tandem specific parts are available and OK.
It's a much better choice than a cheap modern one.


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## BrendanH

Where can I find the best "road bike" style tandem?


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## butlerrider

*Define "best" in $$$$*



BrendanH said:


> Where can I find the best "road bike" style tandem?


Depends on how much you want to spend. We are very happy with our $1800 KHS Milano, but have already made some significant upgrades (wheels) after a few thousand miles. Pretty hard to buy something that you can put miles on for less than that.

If your wallets a bit fatter, the Cannondale is a cool bike. I've looked at them, but never rode one. From there, the sky's the limit.


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## bobthib

If you have an Android based smartphone you can get an app called "craig notifica" which will constantly monitor craig's list postings in one or more areas for specific key words like "tandem"

I'm checking my local CL and get about a post a week, mostly old schwinns. Occasionally there's a nice used Burley or such.


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## willhs

I'll reiterate that the Giordano Viaggio on Amazon is an amazing deal. I got it for ~$500 shipped, and now it's $449. Pretty good deal, and it is a very good starter tandem. We rode RAGBRAI on it with no problems, and ride it all over. My other bike is a fully custom carbon bike with full SRAM Red, so I know what good components are like, and the low level shimano 8 speed is definitely different, but works perfectly fine. I wouldn't blow more money, especially considering you have to spend several thousand dollars to get a decent tandem elsewhere.

My 2 cents.


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## bobthib

willhs, I agree, with certain reservations. 

For a really serious riders who will pile on miles, it's not a good choice. It won't hold up, and parts replacement can be sketchy. Also, it only comes one size, XL-SM. None the less, I find I'm able to accommodate a wide range of riders, from my 9 y/o grandson to my 5'10'' wife. 

For the casual rider, the skinny seats and drop bars will probably be very uncomfortable. Also my Lambo required a lot of fine tuning, esp. truing the wheels and adjusting the brakes. The bike was "unsafe at any speed" upon initial assembly. The problem was cheap brake pads and "brifters" which don't have enough travel to properly activate the type of brake on the bike. "Travel agents" or new brakes (Avids in my case) along with wheel truing and adjustments are required. Also the stock wheels where full of metal filings from the drilling process, and the rim "tape" (a skimpy piece of innertube) was useless. I had many flats until I address these issues.

Having said all that, I love this bike, and have maybe 3 k miles or more. I ride it several times each week, albeit short rides (10 - 14 mi) The key is, it meets my needs. I wish I had the need (and $$$) for a serious tandem, but fact is, I don't. Besides, if I got one that fit my wife, my grandson would be out.

A good used "brand name" is a viable alternative, and for some one who is serious, probably a better choice. The problem there is 1. availability, 2. sizing, and 3. if the bike is older, parts may be a problem. 

Sooooo, having said all that, I would recommend this bike for some one who understands the limitations but still finds it to meet their needs.


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## willhs

I agree. I didn't have any problems with my wheels, but I did put on new brake pads. It does take some work to get the gearing dialed in just right. But, we go for 50-100 mile rides with no difficulty, and it weighs about the same as any other "reliable used tandem" which would still cost quite a bit more (it weighs about 50 lbs). It's stiff, but still comfortable enough to ride. We did replace the seats with better ones for us (especially for long rides).

Overall, recommended for any couple where at least one of them is not crazy serious about riding.


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## nonsleepingjon

I picked up a super cheap ($250 w/ free shipping) tandem from Amazon last year. My wife and I have put maybe a few hundred miles on it. It's ok, but you get what you pay for. The frame definitely has some flex to it (as in, not laterally stiff). The components are bottom of the barrel and the grip shifter for the rear cogs somehow got out of whack so that when I'm on gear 7 it shows 6, and when I'm on gear 1 it shows blank because it's twisted beyond where it should be. It's not a matter of adjusting the derailer, it's an issue with the shifter. But, it shifts through all the gears so whatever.

Other than that, it's rideable and we can cruise around on the MUT and have a good time. I'd love to have a higher end machine, but this one suits our needs.


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## john_rooker44

craigslist


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## john_rooker44

ebay ftw


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## Aro2220

What about if your're from Ontario Canada? I don't see any at wal-mart here


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## bobthib

Aro2220 said:


> What about if your're from Ontario Canada? I don't see any at wal-mart here


Order on line for store delivery. Get a ride to the border from your stoker, get a bus to the nearest wal-mart. Ride home.


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## ajdo101

What is the weight of a Tandem?


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## Indetrucks

I've always wanted to try a Tandem.. thinking it would be fun with my GF (Although I'd be doing all the work)


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