I kind of need a different tandem.
12-30-20, 05:38 PM
#26
pan y agua
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The OP requested 650b x 2.0" tires. I think that's a perfectly reasonable width for many tandems on gravel. For rides like Dirty Kanza, most folks are running their tires at 30-40psi, and tandems should be no different. Using my wife and I as a typical 320lb team (including bike), we'd have to run 58mm tires with tubes or 49mm tubeless to get to that same ~40psi target at reasonable tire drops. I'm using the pressure calculator here: https://www.cycleschinook.com/tire-pressure-calculator/
Sure we've ridden gravel on tandem with 700c x 32-38mm tires before making the leap to 650b. Traction wasn't that great, we flatted regularly, and wore through tires quickly. Sometimes we now ride gravel on 45mm tires if it's in the middle of a road ride. The 45mm tires are great for nice gravel roads and pavement, but they're less than ideal for wet dirt roads, unmaintained roads, or loose gravel. Most of the time I have 50mm tires mounted on our tandem. The 50mm tires are plenty fast on pavement and we can take whatever "roads" we feel like. For large chunky gravel like Dirty Kanza, I'd be using 54-60mm tires -- setup tubeless -- on our tandem. I wouldn't buy a new gravel tandem knowing that it can't fit tires wide enough for the intended use. Heavier teams will need even wider tires than our 320lb example team to enjoy similar traction, suspension, and pinch-flat-resistance from their tires.
Sure we've ridden gravel on tandem with 700c x 32-38mm tires before making the leap to 650b. Traction wasn't that great, we flatted regularly, and wore through tires quickly. Sometimes we now ride gravel on 45mm tires if it's in the middle of a road ride. The 45mm tires are great for nice gravel roads and pavement, but they're less than ideal for wet dirt roads, unmaintained roads, or loose gravel. Most of the time I have 50mm tires mounted on our tandem. The 50mm tires are plenty fast on pavement and we can take whatever "roads" we feel like. For large chunky gravel like Dirty Kanza, I'd be using 54-60mm tires -- setup tubeless -- on our tandem. I wouldn't buy a new gravel tandem knowing that it can't fit tires wide enough for the intended use. Heavier teams will need even wider tires than our 320lb example team to enjoy similar traction, suspension, and pinch-flat-resistance from their tires.
I did DK on 40 mm tires on a single, and was glad to have the volume watching people flat on 32 mm cross tires.
I’d probably use 48mm gravel kings if we ever win the lottery to get a spot in DK again on a tandem.
__________________
You could fall off a cliff and die.
You could get lost and die.
You could hit a tree and die.
OR YOU COULD STAY HOME AND FALL OFF THE COUCH AND DIE.
You could fall off a cliff and die.
You could get lost and die.
You could hit a tree and die.
OR YOU COULD STAY HOME AND FALL OFF THE COUCH AND DIE.
12-30-20, 09:05 PM
#27
Senior Member
12-30-20, 09:16 PM
#28
Senior Member
to each his own. For us, at a little above your team weight we’re running 42 mm gravel kings and found 2.1 tires to be overkill.
I did DK on 40 mm tires on a single, and was glad to have the volume watching people flat on 32 mm cross tires.
I’d probably use 48mm gravel kings if we ever win the lottery to get a spot in DK again on a tandem.
I did DK on 40 mm tires on a single, and was glad to have the volume watching people flat on 32 mm cross tires.
I’d probably use 48mm gravel kings if we ever win the lottery to get a spot in DK again on a tandem.
I really, really like the Gravelking and PariMoto 38 and 42mm slick tires. We have 35mm wide (inner) rims on one set of wheels for our tandem, so those 45mm and 50mm (measured) tires I referenced are actually the 38 and 42mm (labeled) PariMoto or Gravelkings. For some reason, the 48mm (labeled size) Gravelkings don’t have the same magic carpet feel to them as the narrower sizes.
12-31-20, 08:57 AM
#29
Senior Member
I think a cost-effective way to build or buy a tandem that will accept high-volume tires is to get a frame designed for 26” (559) wheels. You can certainly build it up as a road/gravel bike with drop bars. On our da Vinci Joint Venture road style tandem, we run Schwalbe Marathon Supreme 26 x 2.0 tires and still have room for fenders if we want. Some quick math puts the tire diameter at 25.98” vs. a 700c x 25 tire at 26.45” so there is only about 1/2 inch difference in tire diameter from what the OP is using now, so the wheels won’t look oddly small.
Our all-up weight with 6 full large bottles and a full large rack trunk is around 420 pounds. We run 50/56psi front/rear and these tires roll fast on pavement but really soak up road vibrations and bumps. There are still plenty of 26” tire choices from Rene Herse, Schwalbe, Panaracer, Kenda ... etc. from smooth and supple to gnarly, plus everywhere in between. We have f/r discs, but even rim brake 26” tandems with canti or V-brakes will have good tire clearance and will most likely be relatively inexpensive on the used market. With the disc brakes on our bike, I think we could use 650b wheels with 45-48mm tires, but we’d lose the clearance for fenders.
We’ve ridden tandems for 31 seasons and are now sold on wide and supple tires at lower pressure after years of running skinnier 700c and 26” tires at 80-100+ psi. The slight aero/weight penalty has not slowed us down as we’re .4 - .6mph quicker overall (and much more comfy!) with just the tire change.
Our all-up weight with 6 full large bottles and a full large rack trunk is around 420 pounds. We run 50/56psi front/rear and these tires roll fast on pavement but really soak up road vibrations and bumps. There are still plenty of 26” tire choices from Rene Herse, Schwalbe, Panaracer, Kenda ... etc. from smooth and supple to gnarly, plus everywhere in between. We have f/r discs, but even rim brake 26” tandems with canti or V-brakes will have good tire clearance and will most likely be relatively inexpensive on the used market. With the disc brakes on our bike, I think we could use 650b wheels with 45-48mm tires, but we’d lose the clearance for fenders.
We’ve ridden tandems for 31 seasons and are now sold on wide and supple tires at lower pressure after years of running skinnier 700c and 26” tires at 80-100+ psi. The slight aero/weight penalty has not slowed us down as we’re .4 - .6mph quicker overall (and much more comfy!) with just the tire change.
Last edited by Joint Venture; 12-31-20 at 09:12 AM.
12-31-20, 09:01 AM
#30
pan y agua
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Tubed Schwable Marathons, I don’t recall the pressure. But it was 2013, and I’m sure I ran higher pressure back then than I would now.
We currently run 25-30 psi in 42mm gravel kings. So having low enough pressure for comfort on 48 mm tires wouldn’t be an issue for us.
We currently run 25-30 psi in 42mm gravel kings. So having low enough pressure for comfort on 48 mm tires wouldn’t be an issue for us.
__________________
You could fall off a cliff and die.
You could get lost and die.
You could hit a tree and die.
OR YOU COULD STAY HOME AND FALL OFF THE COUCH AND DIE.
You could fall off a cliff and die.
You could get lost and die.
You could hit a tree and die.
OR YOU COULD STAY HOME AND FALL OFF THE COUCH AND DIE.
01-04-21, 04:09 PM
#31
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We had a 1994 Burley Samba with 26" and 1.5" was stock and not much more than that was ever going to work. One way to get extra volume is to buy or build a bike designed for 700C and use 650B wheels and tires instead. Even that doesn't always work because tires get wider as they get taller and the side to side clearance still needs to be adequate for real 'plus size' rubber. But "All Road" is a thing now and all kinds of bikes are designed from go for 2" tires (plus fenders). Even 700C x 2" (plus fenders) isn't unheard of. Trek T900's have 26" x 2" stock. Fenders were not an issue. A T900 with dropbars would be an amazing gravel tandem. If you could get past the 'entry level' stain of the price point. We are a strictly pavement team and already have a dropbar conversion so I can't justify another. I just bought a (half-bike) with 2.4" tires (stock) and I am amazed at the glide. I think I am going to put 32's in the place of the 28's on our 2005 Raleigh Coupe 700C (now drop bar). They should fit.
01-12-21, 08:26 PM
#32
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I'll point out, that by converting to 650b, you are generally able to shoehorn much larger tires in the space of tighter spaced frames. We're on a cannondale Rt2, and we're able to just fit a 50mm tire.
01-12-21, 09:50 PM
#33
Senior Member
I bought my second tandem, an aluminum frame mtb hardtail, from mtb tandems, just north of Atlanta. It's a Fandango, and has been great on gravel forest service roads of various qualities. I bought a second wheelset for paved road riding, 700x40, but found the top end of the gear train lacking. However, I think you can get a reasonable solution with capacity for wide tires for a "reasonable" price. And lighter than my old mid- 80s steel Santana tandem.
02-28-21, 08:30 PM
#35
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You might consider a good Burley Rock and Roll. You can find them well under $1K these days, with fixed or Soft Ride stoker seat. It has 26" wheels. Probably will be 8 speed, which can go to 9 or 10 on the same hub. Ours would take 1.5" tires with room to spare and probably could have taken a 2" mountain bike tire easily. Convert to drop bars with used brifters or bar ends and there you go. You can easily use V-brakes instead of cantis if you prefer.
Our first tandem was a a R-n-R. I converted it to drop bars and never looked back for 6 years.
Our first tandem was a a R-n-R. I converted it to drop bars and never looked back for 6 years.
I have a rock n roll I’m wondering what to with next.
03-02-21, 06:47 AM
#36
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Thread Starter
I think a cost-effective way to build or buy a tandem that will accept high-volume tires is to get a frame designed for 26” (559) wheels. You can certainly build it up as a road/gravel bike with drop bars. On our da Vinci Joint Venture road style tandem, we run Schwalbe Marathon Supreme 26 x 2.0 tires and still have room for fenders if we want. Some quick math puts the tire diameter at 25.98” vs. a 700c x 25 tire at 26.45” so there is only about 1/2 inch difference in tire diameter from what the OP is using now, so the wheels won’t look oddly small.
Our all-up weight with 6 full large bottles and a full large rack trunk is around 420 pounds. We run 50/56psi front/rear and these tires roll fast on pavement but really soak up road vibrations and bumps. There are still plenty of 26” tire choices from Rene Herse, Schwalbe, Panaracer, Kenda ... etc. from smooth and supple to gnarly, plus everywhere in between. We have f/r discs, but even rim brake 26” tandems with canti or V-brakes will have good tire clearance and will most likely be relatively inexpensive on the used market. With the disc brakes on our bike, I think we could use 650b wheels with 45-48mm tires, but we’d lose the clearance for fenders.
We’ve ridden tandems for 31 seasons and are now sold on wide and supple tires at lower pressure after years of running skinnier 700c and 26” tires at 80-100+ psi. The slight aero/weight penalty has not slowed us down as we’re .4 - .6mph quicker overall (and much more comfy!) with just the tire change.
Our all-up weight with 6 full large bottles and a full large rack trunk is around 420 pounds. We run 50/56psi front/rear and these tires roll fast on pavement but really soak up road vibrations and bumps. There are still plenty of 26” tire choices from Rene Herse, Schwalbe, Panaracer, Kenda ... etc. from smooth and supple to gnarly, plus everywhere in between. We have f/r discs, but even rim brake 26” tandems with canti or V-brakes will have good tire clearance and will most likely be relatively inexpensive on the used market. With the disc brakes on our bike, I think we could use 650b wheels with 45-48mm tires, but we’d lose the clearance for fenders.
We’ve ridden tandems for 31 seasons and are now sold on wide and supple tires at lower pressure after years of running skinnier 700c and 26” tires at 80-100+ psi. The slight aero/weight penalty has not slowed us down as we’re .4 - .6mph quicker overall (and much more comfy!) with just the tire change.
So... I guess I'm in the market for a 26" disc brake 26er tandem that can be converted to drop bar. Does such a bike exist?
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03-02-21, 07:53 AM
#37
Senior Member
Some 26” tandems can be had originally equipped with drop bars, like from da Vinci and Co-Motion. If needed, a drop bar conversion isn’t hard at all, especially with cable-actuated discs.
03-02-21, 09:33 AM
#38
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Thread Starter
This is an interesting rig. Too far away tho. Looks like a guy could run 650b x 2” pretty easily.
https://www.pinkbike.com/buysell/2966818/
https://www.pinkbike.com/buysell/2966818/
03-02-21, 11:43 AM
#39
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This is an interesting rig. Too far away tho. Looks like a guy could run 650b x 2” pretty easily.
https://www.pinkbike.com/buysell/2966818/
https://www.pinkbike.com/buysell/2966818/
03-04-21, 07:37 AM
#40
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Bikes: 1984 homemade 531SL road bike; 1988 Ritchey TimberComp; 1997 Nashbar tandem; 1998 Kona Explosif; Specialized Epic, Scott CR1 Pro; Salsa Beargrease; Curtlo custom Tandem, Curtlo custom S3 steel gravel bike.
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I'm going to be selling a tandem that might fit your needs. It would require some changes (drop bars and brifters from current flat bar) but that will be a lot less expensive than a new tandem. Currently is 650B with 38c tires and lots of room for wider. 3 x 9 shifting. Hydro disc brakes. Are you still looking?
03-04-21, 06:10 PM
#42
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Bikes: 1984 homemade 531SL road bike; 1988 Ritchey TimberComp; 1997 Nashbar tandem; 1998 Kona Explosif; Specialized Epic, Scott CR1 Pro; Salsa Beargrease; Curtlo custom Tandem, Curtlo custom S3 steel gravel bike.
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I'm tagged as a newbie so it won't let me PM you. I sent a "visitor message".
03-12-21, 09:59 AM
#43
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