Tandem

[Sam Salt]

We are ( that is Mrs Salt & I ) looking into getting a tandem.I have
been pestering her for a while but she got quite keen whilst looking at
a few at the York Rally.

The one I have been thinking about is the Thorn Raven Discovery Twin
with the Rohloff rear hub and S & S couplings to make storage/transport
easier.

Anyone any thoughts on this model ?

Sam Salt

[Clive George]

"Sam Salt" > wrote in message
...
> We are ( that is Mrs Salt & I ) looking into getting a tandem.I have been
> pestering her for a while but she got quite keen whilst looking at a few
> at the York Rally.
>
> The one I have been thinking about is the Thorn Raven Discovery Twin with
> the Rohloff rear hub and S & S couplings to make storage/transport easier.
>
> Anyone any thoughts on this model ?

Try it. Oh no, SJSC don't do test rides.

Also try a dawes galaxy - though there's no S+S option, it's quite a lot
cheaper. Also try the Landescape models.

Whereabouts are you? JD Cycles in Ilkley will let you try dawes and santana
models, and are nice people. If you're the right size, I can let you have a
go on a cannondale (and a ventana, but that's for rather different riding).

Pete Bird does try-out weekends - have a google for "Landescape".

(I suspect I'd be mostly happy with a raven discovery twin with drops,
different brakes - dunno how much we'd miss the top gear).

cheers,
clive

[Sam Salt]

Clive George wrote:
> "Sam Salt" > wrote in message
> ...
>> We are ( that is Mrs Salt & I ) looking into getting a tandem.I have
>> been pestering her for a while but she got quite keen whilst looking
>> at a few at the York Rally.
>>
>> The one I have been thinking about is the Thorn Raven Discovery Twin
>> with the Rohloff rear hub and S & S couplings to make
>> storage/transport easier.
>>
>> Anyone any thoughts on this model ?
>
> Try it. Oh no, SJSC don't do test rides.
>
> Also try a dawes galaxy - though there's no S+S option, it's quite a lot
> cheaper. Also try the Landescape models.
>
> Whereabouts are you? JD Cycles in Ilkley will let you try dawes and
> santana models, and are nice people. If you're the right size, I can let
> you have a go on a cannondale (and a ventana, but that's for rather
> different riding).
>
> Pete Bird does try-out weekends - have a google for "Landescape".
>
> (I suspect I'd be mostly happy with a raven discovery twin with drops,
> different brakes - dunno how much we'd miss the top gear).
>
> cheers,
> clive

Thanks for your advice Clive.

Yes I was a bit miffed that SJSC don't do test rides.It seems like a lot
of money to spend without cocking your leg over it,so to speak.They do
do some sort of *money back guarantee* though.I must admit that their
advertising speil is very persuasive.

The reason I was thinking of the Rohloff was because I was talking to a
chap at York who had a solo with one and he rated it *very* highly and
the S & S coupling purely for practical reasons of storage and
transportation.In fact without it I don't think I could find a place to
store it.

I think Bob Jackson in Leeds also do the couplings.

We aren't far from Ilkley and I have visited JD Cycles previously and we
have tried a tandem for a day in the Peaks and loved it.I have browsed
the Landescape models and was thinking of a Galaxy before looking at the
Thorn.

I must admit to not being overkeen on SJSC ever since I ordered
something which didn't arive and they were rather offhand about it.That
and their scandalous postage charges.

Sam Salt

[Clive George]

"Sam Salt" > wrote in message
...

> Yes I was a bit miffed that SJSC don't do test rides.It seems like a lot
> of money to spend without cocking your leg over it,so to speak.They do do
> some sort of *money back guarantee* though.I must admit that their
> advertising speil is very persuasive.

You should be able to find somebody who'll give you a go - ask around.

> The reason I was thinking of the Rohloff was because I was talking to a
> chap at York who had a solo with one and he rated it *very* highly and the
> S & S coupling purely for practical reasons of storage and
> transportation.In fact without it I don't think I could find a place to
> store it.

A split bike is smaller, yes. But I wouldn't store it split, because it
means disassembling it when you come back knackered and wet after a
miserable ride, and reassembling it before you can go for a quick ride to
the pub.

(but then I wouldn't get a house without tandem storage of some kind)

> I think Bob Jackson in Leeds also do the couplings.

Any steel bike will take them. Unfortunately Dawes and Cannondale both only
do Al frames.

> We aren't far from Ilkley and I have visited JD Cycles previously and we
> have tried a tandem for a day in the Peaks and loved it.I have browsed the
> Landescape models and was thinking of a Galaxy before looking at the
> Thorn.
>
> I must admit to not being overkeen on SJSC ever since I ordered something
> which didn't arive and they were rather offhand about it.That and their
> scandalous postage charges.

The bike is probably ok. Postage charges are less relevant for an expensive
bike. Friends have had occasion to discover how well they handle warranty
stuff (one failed frame, one failed fork) - it was mostly ok (though I still
think they should have got the stronger fork for free). (Another friend had
occasion to discover how Dawes handled warranty stuff - got a new Al galaxy
frame as a replacement for a bust steel one, which seems pretty good to me).

2249 quid is a lot of money though - and no racks or pedals for that...

(250 quid as the upgrade price for a hope rear disc is a bit steep - the
brake can be got for 160 quid from CRC (I think ours was 150 quid).)

cheers,
clive

[Sam Salt]

Clive George wrote:
> "Sam Salt" > wrote in message
> ...
>
>> Yes I was a bit miffed that SJSC don't do test rides.It seems like a
>> lot of money to spend without cocking your leg over it,so to
>> speak.They do do some sort of *money back guarantee* though.I must
>> admit that their advertising speil is very persuasive.
>
> You should be able to find somebody who'll give you a go - ask around.
>
>> The reason I was thinking of the Rohloff was because I was talking to
>> a chap at York who had a solo with one and he rated it *very* highly
>> and the S & S coupling purely for practical reasons of storage and
>> transportation.In fact without it I don't think I could find a place
>> to store it.
>
> A split bike is smaller, yes. But I wouldn't store it split, because it
> means disassembling it when you come back knackered and wet after a
> miserable ride, and reassembling it before you can go for a quick ride
> to the pub.
>
> (but then I wouldn't get a house without tandem storage of some kind)
>
>> I think Bob Jackson in Leeds also do the couplings.
>
> Any steel bike will take them. Unfortunately Dawes and Cannondale both
> only do Al frames.
>
>> We aren't far from Ilkley and I have visited JD Cycles previously and
>> we have tried a tandem for a day in the Peaks and loved it.I have
>> browsed the Landescape models and was thinking of a Galaxy before
>> looking at the Thorn.
>>
>> I must admit to not being overkeen on SJSC ever since I ordered
>> something which didn't arive and they were rather offhand about
>> it.That and their scandalous postage charges.
>
> The bike is probably ok. Postage charges are less relevant for an
> expensive bike. Friends have had occasion to discover how well they
> handle warranty stuff (one failed frame, one failed fork) - it was
> mostly ok (though I still think they should have got the stronger fork
> for free). (Another friend had occasion to discover how Dawes handled
> warranty stuff - got a new Al galaxy frame as a replacement for a bust
> steel one, which seems pretty good to me).
>
> 2249 quid is a lot of money though - and no racks or pedals for that...
>
> (250 quid as the upgrade price for a hope rear disc is a bit steep - the
> brake can be got for 160 quid from CRC (I think ours was 150 quid).)
>
> cheers,
> clive

Thanks for your comments Clive.

Sam Salt

[Danny Colyer]

Clive George suggested:
> Try it. Oh no, SJSC don't do test rides.

Although they used to be happy to supply tandems on a sale or return
basis. Have they stopped doing that?

--
Danny Colyer <URL:http://www.colyer.plus.com/danny/>
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