Price Paid:
$5000.00
at ridgewood cycles rid Favorite Ride:
maroon bells Bike Setup:
Ultegra. Avid front brake. 48 spoke (3 cross) touring wheels, 700c, 26 Spoecialized tires. Summary:
Lovely steel ride in a super-spec tandem. Very forgiving for long hours in the saddle -- a great touring bike esp for long distances at speed.
Fully tricked out this is a VERY expensive bike and it should be perfect at this price. It is good, bordering on great, but not perfect unless you are a pure touring rider. Strengths:
Wonderful ride; nice front end with the big strong fork.
S+S coupler option with the suitcase is great for long-haul travel (assuming post 9/11 they let it on the plane). You should be reasonable comptetent with tools to assemble and disassemble yourself; I travel with two folding Park stands and it makes it a LOT easier.
Shimano Ultegra components nice (except as below). Fits like a custom bike (which it is -- 14" height difference between captain and stoker). Weaknesses:
Very long wheelbase makes tight turns tricky. NYC riders will know the turn I'm speaking of.
Rear triangle is a bit whippy: think twice before racing the frame or discuss with Santana prior to purchase. Do not throw into a turn: the stoker will freak, and you might, too when you feel the frame load up. Keep it upright, set up for the turn and stick the knee out and you'll be ok. Pretend you're a locomotive, not a sports car.
Multiple problems with front dearailleur eventually solved by replacing. Maybe it's Shimano, maybe it's tandem geometry, but the shifting is just not so crisp (even on the front) as my Campy Chorus road bike. The little guage which gives speed and (calculates) cadence is neat, but it keeps breaking. I think the new ones are wireless, which would be great for travelling.
Rear disk (Formula) is a bit prone to needing bleeds, and mine had to be replaced. I know others have had problems with this brake. When it works right, you'll love it (like on big descents in the Alps). But it's a little bit of a chore. Similar Products Used:
Cannondale (no comparison; this is a far superior machine).
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