jethro00

We would appreciate hearing reports from people who have owned a Grand Junction.

We have a separate thread:
https://www.bikeforums.net/tandem-cyc...l#post18869616
about whether we should buy a new tandem, and if so, which one. The purpose of this thread is solely to seek input about what people like or do not like about their Grand Junction (or the ICS feature of da Vinci tandems).

Thanks.

2gether84

I have read your other thread that explains where you are, both geographically as well as your tandem journey. Our first tandem was a used Trek T900. We now have a used daVinci Joint Venture, so while the model is different, it has the same ICS.

We love ICS. It's great for city traffic. My stoker will coast when doing tight maneuvers and I can apply the amount of thrust that I need until we have cleared the obstacle. ICS is also great when she needs a butt break and I don't...or visa-versa.

We recently had to put our daVinci in the shop. It's 15 yrs old and needed the shifters rebuilt, among other things. We had to go back to riding a regular tandem and we didn't like it at all at first. We have adjusted back to it, but we are really looking forward to getting our daVinci back from the shop. We really do miss the ICS.

On a vacation to Colorado we stopped by the daVinci shop. The are very nice people...the kind you enjoy doing business with. In your other thread someone suggested going to Houston where House Of Tandems is located. We have met Ric and Sheila. Ric is super knowledgeable and dedicated to getting people the right bike that fits their needs. I have never bought a tandem from Ric, but since he is a daVinci dealer, I have bought parts from him. He is about as nice as they come.

If you are considering a new daVinci, I think it would be well worth the 6 hour drive to Houston to House Of Tandems.

You could also consider a used daVinci. We bought ours used and it came with 26 inch wheels. We later converted it to 700s, but I have seen a few used daVinci's with 26 inch wheels on the used market.

If I can answer any additional questions, please feel free to ask.


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jethro00

Thanks for taking the time to post. We bought a new red da Vinci Grand Junction. Marcia and Ric at House of Tandems near Houston dropped one off to us and fitted it for us during their trip to New Orleans. Marcia and Ric are GREAT!!! They answered all of our questions and helped us pick components. We replaced the 26 x 1.25 tires with 26 x 1.95 (due to our potholes), but kept the 26 x 1.25 (which fit on the same rims) for when we ride on smooth paths. We replaced the drop handlebars with 3" inch rise bars in front and 5" rise bars in back. We installed a Thudbuster suspension post in the back and a 2-piece kickstand that raises the rear wheel. We kept the narrow seats and will see if we adjust to them. We are used to comfort seats. We ordered a Topeak Supertourist DX Tubular Rack and, of course, a bell. We have had 2 rides so far. Woohoo! We are working on adjusting to the ICS after almost 30 years of riding tandems without it.

Tobo

Hi 2gather84,

as a a new user I could not contact you directly. I will be buying a circa 2008 Grand Junction with 26” rims and think I would like to convert to 700c as our riding will all be on smooth flat streets in Naples Florida.

Is the conversion a difficult process and could it be done by our local pro cycling shop? Any estimate of what the cost may be?

thank you,
tom boerio

Alan_F

I'm guessing that a 2008 Grand Junction was not set up for dual disc brakes. If that is the case, then it probably isn't practical to convert to 700c. With rim brakes the cantilever mounting studs will be at the wrong height for the larger rims. If you have a rear disc you would need to add a new 700c fork to the cost of the conversion. If you have rim brakes front & rear then you need to have the rear canti studs relocated (if that's even possible on that frame) and the frame repainted, making it probably much more cost effective to just get a different bike.

Our first DaVinci (of 4 so far) was a 26" Joint Venture with dual discs that we converted to 700c. If you have dual disc brakes there is no cost to the conversion other than the wheels.

Tobo

Hi Alan_F,

Thanks for your reply. I’m not positive but I think the 2008 Grand Junction does have front and rear disc brakes so it looks like I’m in luck. I didn’t know that the frame would accommodate 700c wheels without other changes.

Thanks,
Tom

StephenH

The people that I know who have used ICS all love it- have never seen the need myself.

Joint Venture

I highly recommend both da Vinci and the ICS system. We pedaled a regular drivetrain for our first 9 years of tandem riding and independently the last 20. No going back for us! It really is a zero-risk proposition as Todd can lock out the ICS feature for you if you don’t like it.

I can’t speak to the Grand Junction specifically, but we’re now on our second Joint Venture. We chose 26” wheels again for our second da Vinci, even though we’ve owned a number of 700c tandems (some converted to independent pedaling with ATP or Lasco IPS cranksets) and all my half-bikes are 700c. 26” wheels give you a wide range of tire options. By the looks of our bike, if you put 700c wheels on a 26” wheel frame, you might only be able to fit 28-32mm tires. We run 1.5” (38mm) 26” tires as an all around tire. Next set, we’ll probably go 42mm and there will still be tons of clearance... and room for fenders too! I’d go even wider for gravel or the C&O trail.

Ludkeh

I can't add much to the conversation, but we have a da Vinci Designs In-2-ition Road. Had it customized thru Tandems East. Great people and wonderful service. We've been riding it for around 7 years. Love the ICS System and would never go back. With a combined age of 142 years and becoming seriously ill a few years age our riding became limited. I proceeded to add a 500 watt FRONT hub motor along with a 48 volt lithium ion battery to our da Vinci.

What a sweet ride it is!!!! We truly enjoy our rides thru hilly Central New York. Hills are no longer a death march. The combination of the da Vinci's wide range of gearing and the hub motors three power ranges, we can tackle most situations. Our range using the motor judiciously with moderately hilly terrain as around 40 miles.