'Pimp my Tandem' Update - Nearly roadworthy again!
Two steps backwards, one step forward, has been the way of things so far with the tandem project. For every two things I remove, I successfully replace or reinstate one. This has so far resulted in a 'decluttering' of the bike such as to cause it no longer to be rideable - but I'm not done yet!
Katie and Thomas Ivor's first ride on the bike showed up a few immediate deficiencies - notably that the handlebars were too low and were particularly uncomfortable. Katie, like me, also hates grip-shifters. The front derailleur's spring is so strong, they spent the whole ride in the little ring, because of fears the shifter would break if put under enough force to move the derailleur! Brakes were a bit uneven, the stoker bars were really scabby and poked the captain up the bum when getting on and off. Otherwise, though, the fit was not all that bad, and we are reassured that the bike can be a useful member of our fleet, if not necessarily in the capacity we were anticipating when we first started looking at multi-seat bikes on eBay!
The list of jobs ran something like this, we felt:
Tranche 1 - Make it rideable for minimal cost!
Get rid of the stoker's bar tape - just make it stop!
Clean everything else.
Remove the rear rack, clean out all the bosses and put new stainless screws in (we already have a stash)
Swap out the handlebars and shifters for spares we already own; swap V brake arms while we're at it
Raise the handlebars as far as we can
Swap the saddles for spares which may be more comfortable in the short term
Try a really long seat post to see if Daddy could ever ride it without being impaled or crippled
Assuming the above are successful, fit handlebar bag bracket, front lamp bracket, some old bottle cages and order some spare inner tubes for initial rides out.
Do some homework on drivetrain options, including replacing worn-out components and fitting kiddy cranks.
Tranche 2a - Drivetrain and Stoker Refurbishment (budget dependent on whether we are going to do 2b in the longer term!)
New chainrings, cassette and chains (need to consider possible upgrade to 8 speed or more)
New front and rear derailleurs (front is stiff; rear is broken!)
Consider fitting kiddy cranks
New stoker bars and possibly stems
Tranche 2b - Wheelset replacement
Two nice, shiny new 26", 48 hole wheels. Mummy has already requested a dynamo hub, if we go this far!
Tranche 3+ - Icing on the cake if we are totally invested in the thing!
A frame and fork respray
Custom frame bags (tent pole carriers!)
Tranche X - Nice-to-haves which we can use on other bikes anyway, not time critical.
Nicer water bottles
Speed and cadence sensor
Front and rear racks
I've got a few bits to tinker with today, at which, hopefully, a first proper ride (and some pictures being taken in daylight) can take place at the weekend, and I can start totting up the costs so far, which should be decidedly modest. For once, I am making that a particular challenge!