Any 2 For $5.00
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12
Apr - Longbikes Looks To ReEngage - Greg Peek of Longbikes has been quietly building
some of the nicest short and long-wheelbase recumbent singles
and tandems for several years now, with the occasional customer
upright tandem order. For trivia buffs, Longbikes acquired Ryan
Recumbents several years back and has been working to refine
those orginal models ever since. However, what many folks may
not realize is that for a short time Longbikes was also building
some exceptionally well-engineered upright steel and aluminum
tandems, ranging in size from childrens models all the way up
to sextuplets. It was unfortunate that Greg's entry into the
market was made with the help of a self-professed tandem industry
expert who used some questionable marketing techniques that didn't
serve the best interests of his enterprise. With any luck, that
will be water under the bridge and this re-engagement and re-emphasis
on upright tandems will allow his products to be measured on
their merits as tandems. More details will be made available
as things develop.
06
Apr - Lynskey
Performance Gearing Up For Titanium Tandems (Update) - As mentioned back
on Feb 23, after about a year of being lobbied by a local tandem
enthusiast, the Lynskey family is getting back in the tandem
business. We have now seen some photos of the very first custom
Lyskey tandem. The attention to detail and workmanship is perhaps
some of the finest I've ever seen on a titanium tandem. Well
endeavor to make photos available as soon as we can. However,
to give you a sense of where Lynskey is headed with their high-end
bikes and tandems you need to look to the custom motorcycle builders
who have elevated fabrication and finish to an art form.
04
Apr - Tandems
East Expo Report- TandemsEast's annual spring Tandem Expo was
held on Saturday & Sunday, March 29 & 30. We were fortunate
enough to be in the area for a family visit which afforded us
the opportunity to attend the Expo on Saturday, the 29th. A detailed
account of our day with Tandems East can be found in our Calfee
Journal
which you can access by clicking HERE.
15 Mar - TanDemo returns to Mt Airy, Maryland March
30, 2008 - Fuel
costs are soaring, waistlines are bulging, the climate is changing......
Experts agree: those that get regular exercise and those that
enjoy quality time with a soulmate lead longer, happier lives.
Tandem bicycling does it all!
Join hundreds of
enthusiasts and wannabees for the special 17th annual day of
bicycle rides, food, displays, demos, and fun. Rides from the
Family-friendly (and New-to-tandem-friendly) 6.8 miler to the
'two-for-a-challenge' 38-mile roller coaster will treat participants
to some of the area's finest scenery and smooth, low-traffic
country roads.
Those interested
in trying out tandems as well as seasoned tandemists looking
for an upgrade can try out dozens of classic and cutting-edge
tandems,including recumbent and trike tandems, tandems that go
into suitcases, and bicycles built for three, four....up to SEVEN!
Special needs equipment,
accessories and apparel will be on display. Tandems through the
ages will include a rare 1903 triplet. Representatives from the
local tandem clubs will help the newbies get in gear.
Hosts Larry and
Linda black will provide a complimentary luncheon from the legendary
Viets Aroma, famous for their healthy vegan, fowl, and Vietnamese
dishes; regular attendees usually bring pot luck desserts , snacks,
and beverages to share.
Volunteers arrive
at 7am to get previews of the new goodies and first picks of
the fresh coffee, baked goods, fresh fruits, and juices. Rides
head out at 10:00 am and demos start at 11.
Also featured will
be a selection of recumbents, special Needs bikes, folders, and
sporty trikes - both tandem and single.
Swap meet/flea market
space is free for any individuals.
Bikes and donations
will be collected for Bikes
for the World, a Washington Area NonProfit helping get bikes
to developing countries and impoverished persons the world over.
Caterers arrive
at noon and attendees hang out 'til they've had enough food and
fill of bikes and bikefolk
Location: Mt Airy
Bicycles, 4540 Old National Pike, Mt Airy, Md 21771
301-831-5151, www.bike123.com
22 Feb - Tandems East
Expo, 29 & 30 March @ Pittsgrove, NJ - TandemsEast's annual spring Tandem
Expo will be held on Saturday & Sunday, March 29 & 30.
The party begins at 12:00 noon on Saturday, March 29 and will
feature five hours of seminars with special guest speakers you
won't want to miss...
Gary Formanof
Co-Motion Cycles
Craig Calfee
of Calfee Design: Manufacturer
and inventor of carbon tandems and single bikes. Craig is the
leading expert on bamboo bicycles.
Brian Davis of daVinci Design: Brian traveled
the world as a Class One Status skilled mechanic for the USCF
(United States Cycling Federation) before his partnership as
an independent pedaling tandem expert and manufacturer.
Mel Kornbluh
ofTandems East: Mel
will stir your interest in tandems with his talk entitled "Tandeming
101", a primer in starting out with fit and riding techniques.
Rafe Schlanger of Topolino Technology: Rafe
has worked for several bicycle companies as a mechanical engineer
and inventor before creating his well known Topolino wheels.
Attend this seminar to learn about this leading new technology
For more details
visit their Website:
who knows, WE may even be there.
23 Feb -
Lynskey Performance Gearing Up For Titanium Tandems - After about a year of being lobbied
by Tim Patterson (close friend, tandem enthusiast, TTR co-founder,
and manager of Cycology Bicycles in Maryville, TN), David Lynskey
is putting the final touches on a new
tandem jig which, as you'd expect, means the Lynskey family
is getting back in the tandem business.
David built the jig from 3/4"
plate steel welded to 2x4 square tube frame, then ground flat
on a 5' wet grinding wheel by a vendor. The once fully assembled
the jig holds the frame in suspension using an easel-like design
with bearings on each end so that it can spin 360 degrees. It's
balanced so that it can be stopped at any angle to facilitate
access for welding. The welder can weld the entire frame without
moving the frame. The new tandem jig will move on casters so
that each tandem frame will move through the mitering shop and
then into welding without being removed from the jig fixture
to preclude any alignment issues throughout the fabrication process:
pretty cool. The jig will support various custom geometry configurations
and the first frame (a coupled model) will be delivered to some
very good friends up in the Knoxville area within a few weeks.
Look for it at the Tennessee Tandem Rally in June.
As Tim notes, David
is one of those brilliant people who can make just about anything.
He's a very down to earth humble guy wh truly has a feel for
the way bikes are built and how tube shapes work. The rest of
his team at Lynskey are also great folks.
For anyone not familiar
with the Lynskey name, this is the family who owned Southeast
Machine near Chattanooga that started building titanium bicycles
as a side-line in the early 80's. The side-line eventually grew
into Litespeed back in 1986, and then became the American Bicycle
Group (Litespeed, Merlin, Qunitanna Roo, and Real Designs brands).
The Lynskey's sold a majority stake in ABG to JHK Investments
of Westport, Connecticut, in 1999 and subsequently left the bicycle
biz as ABG installed its own management structure. In 2006, the
Lynskey family decided it was time to start a new company using
the family name and has reestablished itself back in Chattanooga,
TN, with an entirely new line of titanium, hand-made in the USA
bikes. Anyone who'd like to know more should contact Tim directly:
(865) 809-2476 or by email: tim@cycologybicycles.com
15 Feb - 2008
Tandem Club of America - Membership At A Glance - I received my '08 TCA Membership Roster
and, as I have done for the last five years, I thought I'd share
a quick look at the Tandem Club of America's (TCA) demographics
as a way of getting a feeling about how US States stacked-up
against each other with respect to TCA
membership.
In summary, and
based on what was published in this year's '08 Membership List,
TCA membership at approx 1,006 is down about 8% (net change -91
members) compared to '07: a little less erosion than last year's
9% drop (net change -109 members).
Looking back and
comparing membership to '02 when I first started following the
data, overall TCA membership is down 31% (-451), with no much
indication that this trend will be reversed any time soon. States
like Ohio have dropped dramatically from 74 members in 2002 to
just 47 this year. California has gone from 111 members in 2002
to 72 members this year. Pennsylvania is another state along
with Florida that have also seen quite a drop-off in membership.
Instead of re-keying
the data into an Email, I have opted to simply cut and paste
the data from my spreadsheets into a Web page that you can find
HERE.
Like my surveys,
consider this unscientific. I "collect" the data by
hand count from my membership list so there is certainly room
for some errors. However, I believe the overall trends are what
they are, which is to say consistent with previous years findings.
04 Feb - Cannondale Acquired
By Doral, Parent Company of Pacific Bicycle - Dorel Industries, based in Montreal
and parent company of Pacific Cycle, bought Cannondale Bicycle
Corporation today in an all-cash deal that is estimated to be
valued at between $190 - $200 million. Pacific Cycle is better
known by some of the more famous brands it had acquired before
it was acquired by Dorel: Schwinn, GT and Mongoose. Connecticut-based
Cannondale along with it's apparel company, Sugoi, was previously
acquired by Pegasus Capital Advisors in 2003 for about $80 million
($25m in invested capital before it went bankrupt + $55m for
the final acquisition). A pretty tidy profit for Pegasus, to
say the least. According to VeloNews and other sources, Dorel's
recreational/leisure segment will be split into two separate
divisions. The Cannondale Sports Group (C'dale, GT, Sugoi, &
perhaps Schwinn & Mongoose) will target the independent bicycle
dealers and be separate from the mass-market line, Pacific Cycle,
InStep, Playsafe and Roadmaster. Read the VeloNews story HERE.
03 Feb - Registration Now Open
For Eastern Tandem Rally -
Susan & David Hollinger wrote to let us know that registration
is now open for the 2008 Eastern Tandem Rally. ETR will be held
on August 1-3 at Durham, New Hampshire and is described as, "
a great gathering of tandem riders of all levels: experienced
hard cores, fitness fans, happy tour pedalers; this rally has
something for everyone. Each of three days has rides of varied
length with great food, companionship, and scenery." More
information and registration information can be found by going
to the official Eastern Tandem Rally website by clicking HERE.
03 Feb - 2008 Tandem Owners
Survey Analysis - Having
noted that responses to my 2008 surveys had falled to zero for
nearly a week, I opted to go ahead and conduct an initial analysis
of the data as it stood on 27 January. If you'd like to read
my impressions, you'll find them linked off of the Survey
Central Page or you can go directly to them via THIS LINK.
30 Jan - The Canadian Tandem Rally's
Website is Up And Going -
David & Brenda Vandevelde of MBS Tandems wrote to invite
everyone to, "come and join them for 2 or 3 days of tandem
riding May 23-26 in beautiful Gananoque, at the centre of the
1000 Islands, in the UNESCO Frontenac Biosphere Reserve."
Going further, "We have a great weekend planned to show
off this great cycling region. Ride the 1000 island parkway with
it's paved bikeway, lunch at the locks on the Rideau Canal, and
top everything off with a Dinner Cruise on the Gananoque Boatlines
as we cruise the 1000 Islands. Sign up on line and we look forward
to seeing you there." You can find more information at their
Website by clicking HERE.
27 Jan - Alabama Tandem Weekend,
April 18 20, 2008
- This year's Alabama Tandem Weekend heads to Anniston, Alabama
for a low-cost, low key introduction to the riding season with
Saturday & Sunday spent riding on the Chief Ladiga Trail
from Anniston, Alabama to Georgia's Silver Comet in Cedartown,
and then back. Friday's ride will be a more traditional loop
on rural roads of a 50ish mile route or a shorter 30ish mile
route before checking in to the bicycle-friendly Victoria
Inn and socialize by the pool. There will be an optional
dinner at The Classic on Noble Street. Saturday enjoy your country
breakfast and shuttle your car to Anniston's Tucker Park. Unload
your bike, load your gear into the sag vehicle and prepare to
ride the Chief Ladiga Trail
to Cedartown, Georgia. Those who want more than the 40ish miles
that will be logged between Anniston & Cedartown can continue
riding East on the Silver Comet before doubling back to spend
the night in Cedartown. More information is available in their
flyer which you
can download by clicking here.
26
Jan- Dancing
Bear Bicycle Bash April 4-6 @ Townsend, TN - Recently
featured in Bicycleing Magainze, Matt Alexander's Dancing Bear
Lodge in Townsend, TN, wwill host their annual Spring-time version
of the Black Bear Bicycle Bash on April 4-6. The event is expected
to once again attract a wide range of riders, from beginners
and families to avid racers. There will be scheduled road and
mountain bike ride, games, prizes, and demonstrations of equipment
and accessories. Matt has teamed up with Tim and Sharon Patterson,
directors of the Tennessee Tandem Rally, to create another exciting
cycling weekend experience that offers some of the same great
riding that draw rave reviews from tandem teams who attend the
annual TTR event each June. For complete information or to register
visit their Website.
01 Jan - Tandem Owners Survey Archive
Now Up. Probably
long overdue, I've created a Tandem Survey Archive to provide
a consolidate set of links to this and the past 5 years Annual
Tandem Owner Survey results to make doing research a bit easier.
You can find the archive HERE.
18 Dec - Tandem
Sales in Decline - Follow-up. Having
poked on this a bit , interestingly enough it turns out none
of the US tandem speciality builders like Santana, Co-Motion,
Rodriguez, Bilenky, or builders like Calfee, Ventana, etc...
belong to the Bicycle Products Suppliers Association. Therefore,
it is unlikely that their production numbers have been taken
into consideration in the BPSA's reports: I'd ask to confirm
but I'm not a member either and BPSA appears to exist to generate
revenue from members and non-members alike. In checking their
membership rolls, Cannondale and Trek belong, as does KHS and
Pacific. For a complete list go here.
Ignoring BPSA's reported state of the market, feedback from various
sources suggests that premium / enthusiast-level tandem production
is at least stable on units, in some cases growing on a dollar
basis, and growing in volume + dollars in a few others. There
is also a very strong secondary / used market being fueled by
existing owners who sell and/or trade-up to S&S or higher-end
models that is off-setting some of the entry-level new market.
There are only a few reports of fall-offs in tandem sales from
economically, very-hard hit regions.
11 Dec - Tandem
Sales in Decline?. Apparently
the December hard copy edition of Bicycle Retailer and Industry
News (BRAIN) included some information pertaining to trends in
bicycle sales. It was reported that tandem sales were purportedly
down some 24% this year. Having been in contact with some of
the major US builders who are reporting strong sales volume,
I'm not sure what to believe. Is this simply the by-product of
inflated sales numbers for the various "Tandem Shaped Objects"
sold on Ebay and the like falling off, or are even the premium
US builders struggling behind optimistic production bravado?
If you have some hard data on the subject we'd love to hear from
you.
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- ETR Off-Road Rally (ETR's Homepage)
- Apr 4-6, Batsto,
NJ
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- Sebring Tandem Weekend
- Ap 5-6, Sebring,
FL
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- ETR Off-Road Rally (ETR's Homepage)
- Apr 4-6, Batsto,
NJ
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- 2008 Sea Otter Classic
- April 17-20,
Montery, CA
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- Alabama Tandem Weekend
- Chief Ladiga
/ Silver Comet Trail Tour
- Apr 18-20,
Anniston, AL (Email
for Info)
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- Southwest Tandem Rally
- Apr 25-27,
Tulsa, OK
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- Georgia Tandem Rally
- May 16-18,
Albany, GA
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- COWs Spring Gathering
- May 16-18,
Ellison Bay, WI
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- Canadian Tandem Rally
- May 23-26,
Gananoque, Ontario
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- International Tandem Rally
- May 24-31,
Loches, Indre-et Loire, France
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- More
Rally Dates Here
| Elsewhere On Our Web
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Clubs
The location,
contact information and links to Web sites (if they have one)
for every tandem cycling club in the World, to include all of
the Clubs that make up Tandem Club UK and all of the Clubs in
the United States of America.
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Events
Locator maps
and calendar listings of all the major tandem rallies and events
throughout the world, including links to Web sites with additional
information and registration forms.
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Links
What is perhaps
the most comprehensive collection of links to tandem related
information on the Internet. This is the heart of TheTandemLink.com.
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Learning
A huge
collection of links for the beginner looking to learn more about
tandems and tandeming as well as a plethora of links to information
on bicycle fitting, bicycle sciences, safety & advocacy,
how-to Web sites and discussion forums where you can learn more
or interact with other enthusiasts,
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Tandems
The basics
for beginners who are just starting their search for a first
tandem, links to many of the tandem dealers who cater to tandem
shoppers, links to all tandem builders in the World, as well
as Web sites where you can find classified ads for used tandems
to meet your needs. This page also features links to our exclusive
Used
Tandem Tandem Price Estimating Tool
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Traveling
Links to Web
sites of tour operators who cater to tandem enthusiasts, links
to other very large tour operator indices, travel logs, information
on S&S couplers -- perhaps the greatest innovation in bicycle
travel technology to date --, and links to resources for transporting
your tandems such as car racks, trailers and shipping cases.
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Tandem
Magazines
Links to a
few of the publications currently in print that cater to the
tandem enthusiast. There aren't many links here because tandems
are such a small niche market; however, for the publications
that are available we'd encourage you to consider subscribing
to that these few survivors can continue to serve our needs.
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Tandem@Hobbes
Information
and subscription information for what is the largest Web-based
Mailing List dedicated to the discussion of tandems and tandeming.
If you yearn to know what's happening in the Tandem world, have
tandem-specific questions, or just want to get to know hundreds
of other tandem enthusiasts who share your interests this is
the list you'll want to subscribe to.
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Double
Forte
Information
and subscription information to a discussion forum for an even
smaller collection of tandem enthusiasts who ride off-road tandems.
There are approximately 240 members of this list and the discussions
cover the range of topics that you'd expect to hear at the trail
head -- everything from hard-core technical talk to recommendations
for a great micro-brew.
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Captain
Bike
Everything
you could ever want to know about cycling....
Sheldon
Brown, before his passing in 2008, WAS Captain Bike and his Web
site contains information and links to information that will
answer 95% of the questions you could conceive of regarding all
things bicycle: and in several different languages (French, Russian
& English).
My own
thoughts on Sheldon's passing were are as follows:
It's an unfortunate truth
that the most valuable and non-renewable resource we all have
is time...
As each of us pass on --
which will indeed happen at some point-- it's how we used our
time and to what effect for which we will be remembered.
I believe it is fair to
say that Sheldon Brown made good use of his time as evidenced
by the pride he had in his family that he freely shared, their
love of him, and the outpouring of kind words that have always
accompanied the mention of his name to anyone whom he or his
knowledge ever touched.
I'm thankful that Sheldon
touched my life: he was and remains my inspiration.
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