# First DaVinci Ride



## singlecross

We got out for our first real ride on our new DaVinci tandem after a short shakedown and fitting ride last week. This is out first tandem and we settled on the DaVinci primarily for their Independent Coasting System. I must say that it makes the Tandem experience much less "prickly" (my wife's word) than it could be. So far, so good... we had a blast! Now to get a bunch more miles on it before our tour of the Cabot Trail in Nova Scotia this October.

singlecross


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## MB1

Nice, tandems are big fun (although I am not convinced that there is any advantage of independent coasting for experienced cyclists).

OTOH since I AM an experienced cyclist I could be talking out of my hat....


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## danl1

MB1 said:


> Nice, tandems are big fun (although I am not convinced that there is any advantage of independent coasting for experienced cyclists).
> 
> OTOH since I AM an experienced cyclist I could be talking out of my hat....


I wouldn't call myself an experienced tandemist, and I've never had the opportunity to try an ICS bike, but I admit to being intrigued. If nothing else, it seems like it'd be convenient for bottle grabs, butt breaks, coasting bumps, and so on. 

There's few disadvantages (and sometimes advantages) to being out-of-phase, so the ability to freely switch might be interesting - or not.

Other than the mechanical complexity of the contraption, though - what would you see as the disadvantages to a team, experienced or not? 

(This can be a Campy-Shimano - 26"/700c quality topic, and I'm not interested in going there. Just interested in other's POV's.)


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## Starliner

danl1 said:


> I wouldn't call myself an experienced tandemist, and I've never had the opportunity to try an ICS bike, but I admit to being intrigued. If nothing else, it seems like it'd be convenient for bottle grabs, butt breaks, coasting bumps, and so on.
> 
> There's few disadvantages (and sometimes advantages) to being out-of-phase, so the ability to freely switch might be interesting - or not.
> 
> Other than the mechanical complexity of the contraption, though - what would you see as the disadvantages to a team, experienced or not?
> 
> (This can be a Campy-Shimano - 26"/700c quality topic, and I'm not interested in going there. Just interested in other's POV's.)


I think it would spoil the built-in camaraderie between the two riders. Two riders, independent of each other, on the same bike? That'll make the bike a _*real*_ divorce machine.


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## rdtompki

My wife and I have put about 600 miles on our daVinci. This is our first tandem experience and I would offer the following?
1. Obviously not for racing even though the decrease in efficiency is probably very small as is the weight "penalty".
2. You are not "independent". Takes the stoker a fraction of a second to sync up, but unless one or the other is constantly coasting (and why would someone do that?) you're in sync and working together.
3. Takes some voice comm to shift smoothly since the captain can't control the load on the drive chain. I imagine this is still the case with a conventional timing chain since you don't want the captain using greater strength versus communication to get smooth shifts (mostly FD).
4. We don't have much experience yet standing (daVinci has very low gearing), but I can see standing maybe being a bit easier on a conventional ride.
5. ICS should be much better for taking on inexperienced passengers/stokers for obvious reasons.

My wife and I would have been happy with either ICS or conventional, but we liked the daVinci notwithstanding ICS>

Rick


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## PMK

The first picture raises my curiosity.

Is the sign showing a legal bicycle trail, an illegal bicycle trail, or a legal bicycle trail made illegal by red duct tape.

Is this the powerful red tape we often hear about?

PK


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## cheddarlove

Great pictures but dude, shave before you shock us with hairy..very hairy leg shot!


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## commuterwade

*And suddenly I'm tempted to get a davinci*

I think these will fit my family well, as we ride with a 5 and 8 y/o on our tandems. Letting them have a break from pedalling woiuld make the ride more enjoyable, and the kidback kit for these eliminates parts instead of adding.


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## bjjoondo

I do wish the GrandJunction came in a 18.5/14.5 inch set up, the price is really great and would be a sweet upgrade from our Trek T-900, in a couple of years!  Sweet looking machine and LOVE the color, have FUN!


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## 990rick

We're thinking about looking into a tandem bike. We're pretty experienced riders but have never even been on a tandem. Thanks for the info. Anybody have any other recommendations for tandem pleasure-riding? It would not be off-road, just bike paths and streets and highways. Thanks.


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## butlerrider

*Nice...*

Great looking machine. I would love to try ICS, but we are now accustomed to sync, so the thought seems weird. Disc brakes are, in my humble western PA opinion, the only way to go on a tandem. Fast down hill, ain't it?


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