# Tandem for different sizes



## pepelkod (May 26, 2012)

My wife and I are about as different as can be. Im 6'2" and she is 5'1".

I have been thinking about a custom Ti tandem from XACD (XI'AN CHANGDA) for a while but have a couple concerns.

1) Will it be possible to make a bike with that big a discrepancy in sizes?
2) WIll my son or daughter (7 and 6 respectivly) be able to ride it with pedal extenders or some other such device?
3) Will my wife ride it?...OK only she can answer that.

I did buy a custom TI MTB from that company so the question is not about the company, they are good. It is about the practicality of such a purchase.


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## Bobonli (May 8, 2008)

Yes, you can design and build such a beast. I'm 6f2 and my wife is just shy of 5 ft. We had a bike custom built by Bushnell and it fit like a glove. So it is possible. 

I can't speak to the brand you mention but since it is not one of the big 3 tandem companies I wonder how the after sale support will be. 

Do not invest in a tandem unless you are absolutely certain your intended partner will ride it. It is not at all like riding two abreast on the road. It requires a lot of communication and coordination. For many it is a test of the marriage. You might want to rent first. In my case, the bike was a huge mistake. We rode it one season and gave up because of riding styles were so different. 

I wouldnt buy in anticipation of your kids riding. They are either your partner or not an you should build it accordingly.


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## stevoo (Oct 26, 2011)

Excellent advice from Bobonli.

I would really wait to invest the $ in a custom until you have established that tandeming is for you. If at all possible borrow or rent one for as long as you can before spending the $. It usually is fairly obvious if it is your thing or not once you have logged some miles together.

Even an off the shelf size can work well with fairly large rider differences. Remember it is inseam dimensions that are most important. For example, I am 6' 4" tall and the other half is 5' 3" and we ride an off the shelf size tandem and it fits really well.


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## Iain1975 (Feb 1, 2012)

I'm 6'4" and my wife is 5'3". We've owned a custom Santana for 6 months. I purchased santana kiddy cranks with the bike and have in fact done 90% of the mileage so far with my children (7 and 4 years old). The bike was always bought with the fact I can get 10 years of use with the children before they are taller than my wife. In the meantime my wife can dip in and out ...

So in my view the try before you buy can be too conservative some times. Sometime it's worth just going with it ... In my case the financial risk was mitigated as the Kids will use it without risking the marriage

As for XCAD. My brother's old cycling team used their single frames. At the time the contact was a man named 'Porter' and he was rather blunt with his communication. If you don't know exactly what you want and give vague instructions they will build you a literal bike - even if this is not fit for purpose of tandeming. All subtlety, guidance and help gained from using a dedicated tandem manufacturer might not be available to you.


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