Leisesturm

Couple of things. Maybe a few things. A 5'10" woman and a 5'10" man are not usually equal with respect to weight, or upper body strength, or other things that pertain to skill as a tandem Captain. I would not automatically assume that just because a woman is bigger ... actually just taller ... that that would in itself be qualification for Captain of a tandem. On the other hand, women Captains do exist. I know a couple where the woman can't be much taller than 5'3" or 5'4" and the man is well over 6'. And he is not a skinny 6'. He is blind, so that decides that. I doubt they were in the "custom tandem" level of disposable income so I have to think available production tandems can be made to work. My wife and I are the exact opposite of the o.p. and his gf. I'll have to put her up front and see what she thinks. I've been in the Stoker section every now and then adjusting bars and seat height but never seriously tried out the ergonomics back there.

I think the tandem (2016 Trek T900) we ride day in and out could fit a 5'6" Captain with some (minor) work (shorter stem). Likewise the Stoker section could accommodate a 5'10" woman because the riding position is fairly upright. The Stoker compartment is a low step over which would make for a really long seatpost extension. I've had seatposts buckle on me on folding bikes. Stronger seatposts in 6061 aluminum can be found. Even higher strength than 6061 is out there but I don't know what they call them. It's not a touring bike though. A Burley Samba is a discontinued model from a defunct manufacturer and there are lots of them around. We bought a mid 1990's one used for $600 (we didn't haggle because the seller brought it to our home) last year but it was stolen before we ever got it on the road. What I remember about the test ride was how light, stiff and fast it was. It was a serious contender in its day. The Stoker section is only slightly smaller than the Captain section. Unlike the Trek, the Burley came in sizes. Ours was probably the middle size. A Burley Samba would be an IDEAL touring bike. They are always available on Craigslist from around $500. If you come across ours, however, please do the right thing and let us know ...