[angryoldman]

Hi,

Looking at a 6-7 day tandem ride brochure for New Zealand and wondering what tandem bike we would need?
I would want gravel road capability and not single track riding or dangerous downhills but suspension may be welcome, especially for stoker wife. We are experience road tandem riders with many multi day tours and 7-8 Cycle Oregon week long tent camping rides.
Our road tandem would not cut it as far as tire size and we only have disc on the rear. We have a full size bike pro tandem case so couplers not mandatory we would just pay the over size bag fee and extra bag for wheels if needed.
Let me know what you would consider for tandem bicycles.
Not sure on price range but would consider selling our road tandem, 10 year old Calfee for a new Calfee with more capabilities as far as tire width and new components , but wow they are expensive now.

Thanks ahead

 

[TobyGadd]

My wife and I ride a Cannondale 29er Tandem on pretty varied terrain, including gravel, and it's huge fun. The only downside is the pedal clearance on more technical trails. While we have both rigid and full-suspension regular bikes, we don't miss suspension on the tandem. As captain, I do like the precision of the rigid front end--although suspension would probably allow me to plow through obstacles more easily.

That said, I think that a Thudbuster LT for the stoker should be mandatory equipment for all unsuspended tandems, regardless of the terrain. It does an amazing job on gravel, and it's amazingly comfortable on mild singletrack and rough jeep roads. I think that any tandem that can accept wider tires can be happily ridden on gravel with a Thudbuster. Compared to suspension, they are lighter, require less maintenance, and are less likely to fail.