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  1. U

    Tandem Build

    Thank you for the ideas, Paul; I will consider them. I really like the idea for the water bottles and must think that through. The captains chainring is fixed to the frame and only swings when the whole bike turns. I basically re-built it as designed. Taking the extra length from behind the...
  2. U

    Tandem Build

    Took the reworked tandem out for a test ride today. All went well. Yay! It's strange sitting over top of the front wheel, the whole bike seems to shift under you as you give steering input. There are a few tweaks I want to make. I will cut 3 inches out of the frame behind the stoker, that chain...
  3. U

    Tandem Build

    Wow! It has been almost four months. Life can get in the way of projects sometimes. However, it is time to bring anyone interested up to speed. As I redisigned it, this bike is hard to ride. I suspect a combination of three things that create this difficulty. My inexperience with MBB bikes...
  4. U

    Tandem Build

    Tried modifying that aluminum gooseneck to get the handlebars out of the way of my knees. It broke... crash. Now I'm on the hunt for a steel gooseneck to make work. I have a lead on one, but must be patient to meet up with the guy. I will report back once it's installed and I've done a test...
  5. U

    Tandem Build

    Thank you!
  6. U

    Tandem Build

    Using lower gears and taking some time to get used to it will help. However, I believe that the long wheelbase is part of the problem. More practice is in order before making changes.
  7. U

    Tandem Build

    Made some more progress, both seats are complete along with their supporting components. Put the drives in place to give it a test. The steering seems a little heavy but that could be several things... the mountain bike tires, the nature of a tandem, MBB design, or I didn't build it correctly...
  8. U

    Tandem Build

    Got a little more progress completed. Welded up the second seat frame and made some modifications to the frame completing the basic shape of the frame. Stoker's seat height was reduced by three inches, about as low as I felt the frame would support, and the frame was shortened lengthwise by...
  9. U

    Tandem Build

    Thank you for the reminder. You are talking about overall length, correct? Yes, I am aware. Not sure how much better a 72" wheelbase is over an 80" wheelbase. I am also somewhat familiar with this because of the 70 wheelbase on my RR Mach 2. We have talked about the fact that she will...
  10. U

    Tandem Build

    She is a couple inches short of touching. We will talk after she gets off from work tonight. I might drop the back of the main tube and not shorten the length. I'll also put the frame that I have into the bed of her truck to get an idea how the overall length affects hauling it.
  11. U

    Tandem Build

    Borrowed the seat from my Recycle Recumbent Mach 2 for a test fitting. I like this design because it is the most comfortable recumbent seat I have found. Short answer: I can trim eight inches from the main tube. Long answer: Turns out that my measurements from her Burley were not so...
  12. U

    Tandem Build

    I'm okay with 9 feet. It will stick a couple of feet past the tailgate of our truck. Some of the extra length comes from the seat I have chosen. The forum gallery still turns the photo sideways. The best I can determine it will require an extra 6-8 inches to support the stoker's seat. As I...
  13. U

    Tandem Build

    Got a little more work done today. It looks like it will be a few inches over 9 feet long. The perspective of the photo makes things look a little different. The main tube is level and both wheels are 26". Once the build is complete I will change the tires to something like a 1.25" touring...
  14. U

    Tandem Build

    Thank you for the input, stormbird and popshot. I will look into a new replacement for that sealed BB but it's good enough if I cannot find a new one. There is a little drag but no grittiness. I mostly wanted to make sure the grease is good and any sand removed. I already have the necessary...
  15. U

    Tandem Build

    Found a workaround to the problem. This is the photo referenced above.
  16. U

    Tandem Build

    I did run into one thing that left me scratching me head. Removing the guts from the bottom bracket so that I could clean and lube them I found this... and I don't know how to take it apart for cleaning and lubing. Any suggestions? Trying to insert the photo. Computer is not cooperating...
  17. U

    Tandem Build

    I finally convinced my wife that we would enjoy riding more with a tandem. Test rides on a couple different ones helped. So here we go again building a recumbent. It has been eight years since I last build a recumbent bicycle. Five of those years have been taken up on restoring a 1957...
  18. U

    2WD Tradewind? Bad idea? Worth a try?

    Oops! I forgot to mention this is not my first build; I have built a HighRoller and a Wildcat. I did well on the Cruzbike. The shop owner told me to expect to fall a couple of times; I didn't. Yes, I was a little wobbly on the first couple of starts, but I picked it up rather quickly. No...
  19. U

    2WD Tradewind? Bad idea? Worth a try?

    I have not yet decided which version I will build, still researching. In fact, I had not seen any until I started this thread; every tandem I had seen utilized a chain linking the pilot to the stoker. My search skills must be severely lacking. My current thinking is to have the pilot set up...
  20. U

    2WD Tradewind? Bad idea? Worth a try?

    Stormbird, you are much better at Google searches than me. I bet that I didn't use the right wording. Thank you for those images. I now have a plan.
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