Bicycle Tutor

This morning we purchased a Trek T50 tandem and Burley pet trailer. The bike is 1994 vintage, and in excellent shape, with only some minor surface rust on the bolts. I hope to clean and tune it up next weekend. It is only fractionally heavier than my red bike.

Pictures: http://s211.photobucket.com/albums/bb8/dianemisso/Nigels%20Wheels%20042311%20A/Nigels%20Wheels%20042311%20B/Nigels%20Wheels%20042311%20C/NIgels%20Wheels%20042311D/

That is a beautiful bike, looks like an hour or two's of elbow grease and that bike will be a beauty. Would love to get one for family use. One question though, are the chains on this bike easily obtained or a specialty item?

Looks to be in great shape for that old of a bike.Love to see a couple pics when it is all polished up.

Very nice bike. I would like to have a tandem, but my wife is afraid of riding two wheel bikes because of her artificial hips. She doesn't want to fall and injure them, so she leaves the falling to me.

(Apr 23, 2011 11:40 PM)doctordee Wrote:  That is a beautiful bike, looks like an hour or two's of elbow grease and that bike will be a beauty. Would love to get one for family use. One question though, are the chains on this bike easily obtained or a specialty item?

Thank you

It (and most tandems) use standard bike chains. There are some (expensive) tandems that use a belt drive between the captain and stoker. The belt drive is made by the same company that makes the belt drive for Harley Davidson motorcycles, and costs several hundred.

I must say that is a sweet looking tandem you have there my friend nigel!!! What size wheels?

700c; previous owner recently put Continental Four Season 700 x 23 tires on it. I cannot imagine why. It really needs 28 or 35mm wide tires; which it will get before we do any serious riding.

(Apr 25, 2011 08:02 AM)nfmisso Wrote:  700c; previous owner recently put Continental Four Season 700 x 23 tires on it. I cannot imagine why. It really needs 28 or 35mm wide tires; which it will get before we do any serious riding.

Oh wow. Yea would help for support of two people.

I took all the water bottle holders off - and trashed them - grungy and corroded. Also tossed all the corroded screws, and put new stainless steel screws in the all the holes.

Went over to Wheel Away for a Presta to Schraeder converter - my pump doesn't do Presta ; pumped up the tires to 125psi, did a wheel and brake check, and took it for a spin.

First impressions:
* These tires are way too narrow and short for both the bike and the rims.
* The derailleurs are adjusted perfectly; and the shift levers (Shimano index for the rear) are nice; but in a very bad position for me - my knees hit them.
* The frame is incredibly rigid.
* The drop bars have to go, and need a 50 - 75 mm longer extension.
* This bike is fast, and light. It is less than 15lbs heavier than my red bike. It does not feel that much heavier; but it is way longer.

Ordered some Kenda Kwest 32-622 (700cx32) tires, due this week. The OEM tires were 38-622; and most people on tandems seem to go for 28 to 35.

A previous owner swapped out the 38 and 48 T middle and large chain rings. The big one is now 54T - which I like, I couldn't see the marking on the middle ring, and did not count the number of teeth. It looks like it is around 44T. The smallest chain ring is 28T (original). Out back, the original 12-30 seven speed cassette looks good. The derailleurs are excellent.

Brakes are okay. They have very large Kool Stop pads. I think that the levers on the drop bars are clouding my impression of the brakes - I expect that I will find them much better with flat bars and Tektro levers. If not, I'll get Avid or Tektro V-brakes. My red bike has Tektro levers with Tektro R559 dual pivot brakes.

I noticed the seats have the "springy" posts (sorry brain fart for the proper name)? Very cool! Glad everything turned out so far so good. You know I looked at the tires again on the zoom feature and they do look rather runty lol.

Hi Bill;

The rear seat has a "suspension" seat post. The front does not, but the captain on a tandem has a great ride, the stoker is the one that gets a poor ride - on the rear end anyways.

The tires Continental Four Seasons are really nice tires:
http://www.amazon.com/Continental-Grand-4Season-700x23-Black-Duraskin/dp/B0017O86RW/
ideal for 15mm (inner width) rims on a sub 20 lbs bike with a sub 150lbs rider. They just don't cut it for a heavy team on a tandem.

Oh yeah that's what they are called! Guess the stoker needs something of comfort huh?
True about the tires one good bump and pop!

I looked at the photo again and just noticed that the front pedals appear to be Shimano SPD M50 or M54 clipless pedals while the rear set are standard platform. Did it come that way when you bought it or did you put the pedals on afterward?

There's a couple that rides at the same bike park that I go to that has a Trek tandem road bike. It does seem funny to see a tandem bike with drop handles. They ride with a group of roadies and that tandem keeps up with them and sometimes does lead. They are fast.

Hi John;

The pictures that I have posted so far are as we got it. The clipless pedals have already been given to a friend who uses them. I don't feel comfortable being clipped in with the traffic/population density here. I know that I am loosing quite a bit of speed and acceleration by not being clipped in, but I am willing to give it up.

I don't blame you. I have clipless on both my bikes and don't clip in if I'm riding on city streets or roads that are very busy. I have a pair of Decksters that clip on to them to make them platform pedals and I ride with those on when I am not riding in trails.

I really don't clip in on any of my bikes. As said just get that fast of a speed and with a dog on the side don't need them.

More pictures:
http://s211.photobucket.com/albums/bb8/dianemisso/Tandem%20110508/
The stoker pedals are MKS Sylvan Touring Double Sided.

The Kenda 32-622 tires are on the wheels - look much better. They will be installed on the bike when I get back from my business trip just before Memorial Day weekend. New handle bars and stem will come while I am away. We expect to be ridding over Memorial Day weekend.

I will post more pictures before I take it off the stand.

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More pictures:
http://s211.photobucket.com/albums/bb8/dianemisso/Tandem%20110508/
The stoker pedals are MKS Sylvan Touring Double Sided.

The Kenda 32-622 tires are on the wheels - look much better. They will be installed on the bike when I get back from my business trip just before Memorial Day weekend. New handle bars and stem will come while I am away. We expect to be ridding over Memorial Day weekend.

I will post more pictures before I take it off the stand.

VERY VERY NICE JOB Nigel!!!! Also like your work area! You outta put a post under bike stands or something of how you made it! Its gonna be a mean Tandem when your done!

Thank you Bill.

I started a new thread for the bike stand.

So far on the tandem, the wheels are off, the yucky bottle holders are trashed, along with all the corroded hardware for them. I put new stainless steel M5 x 10 socket head cap screws in all the M5 threaded bosses. I had to run a tap through the ones on the rear drops outs to clean them out. I tapped the hole in on the rear of the fork to M6 for mounting a front fender - and put a screw in it. I also tapped the two bosses on the side of the fork to M6, and put screws in them. I forgot to tap the hole in the tube connecting the seat stays for mounting the rear fender. Will get that done this evening.

Getting ride of the old bottle holders did the most improvement to appearance.

That's a sweet specimen, Nigel! I look forward to seeing what you do with the part-swaps.
I wish I could talk my wife into Stoking for me but, .... nevermind; don't need to get into any more trouble.