Sunday, December 8, 2019

Tandem

I've been exploring new-to-me bike stuff lately, first with a small wheeled folder, and now with this:


It's a Trek T900 tandem, a recreational tandem from maybe a decade ago. I picked it up one Sunday morning from CL, and Henry and I parked and rode to his soccer tourney that day to avoid the horrible parking at the Hilliard Soccer Complex. This was a bit risky, since the brakes were mostly ineffective. Do tandems need good brakes? I did a quick brake job with my multi tool before the games started so we could ride back to the car, at least with a front brake.

Back home in our garage, I was ready to do some more work:


The fat saddles came off quickly, as did the heavy adjustable stem and the rear bar ends. I removed everything brake related and completely replaced it with part from my bin. Bells and a kickstand completed my mini overhaul:

This bike came in one size, with a size ~medium front cockpit, and a low stoker's top tube. This is key, as many tandems are too high in the rear to ride with the kids.

It's a bit cramped for me, but workable for a local ride, and Henry fits fine up front. He's a good captain with Kate:

With Sam on the back, the boys just yell at each other. Turns out tandeming doesn't guarantee harmony.

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