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Is it hard to go from a triplet to a quad tandem bike ?

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Is it hard to go from a triplet to a quad tandem bike ?

Old 02-27-20, 02:54 PM
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wsa30h
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Is it hard to go from a triplet to a quad tandem bike ?

i dont have a triple but from what i heard it is a bigger jump from a tandem to a triple than it is from a single to a tandem, so i was wondering is that the case with going from a triple to a quad and then to a quint hex ?
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Old 02-27-20, 07:12 PM
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mibike
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Originally Posted by wsa30h
i dont have a triple but from what i heard it is a bigger jump from a tandem to a triple than it is from a single to a tandem, so i was wondering is that the case with going from a triple to a quad and then to a quint hex ?
For me it was a lot easier going from a tandem to a triplet than from a single to a tandem. I don't know about a quad.
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Old 02-28-20, 01:57 AM
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MikeAndJean
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It depends on who you ride with

Originally Posted by wsa30h
i dont have a triple but from what i heard it is a bigger jump from a tandem to a triple than it is from a single to a tandem, so i was wondering is that the case with going from a triple to a quad and then to a quint hex ?
My wife and I had ridden tandems together for over 20 years before we bought a triple so that our daughter could join us. Controlling a bike with the additional seat was not a problem for us because my wife and I more than outweighed our daughter. The problem was working together as a team.

For example, standing on climbs never felt right in the triple. Our daughter was on the middle seat and would try to hold the bike perfectly upright when we stood. Meanwhile, my wife and I were trying to rock the bike, which resulted in a weird dynamic. I outweigh my life so the motion seemed be 180 out of phase for her as the rocking bike pivoted around our daughter.

Also, I believe the cardinal rule of tandem riding is to never stop peddling until the other rider does. Teams learn this rule - and how to sense when the other rider wants to stop pedaling. Otherwise they don’t last as a team. Our daughter never quite understood this rule.
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Old 02-28-20, 02:33 AM
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wsa30h
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interesting any tips for someone who has a tandem and would like to get a triplet ?
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Old 02-28-20, 08:13 AM
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Philly Tandem
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We got our first tandem in 1994 and our triple in ~2009. I really didn't feel much of a learning curve moving from the tandem to the triple. Partially because 1) We were pretty experienced with the tandem, including loaded touring, and 2) We pulled a Burley child trailer behind the tandem for four years before we got the triple. I found the triple way easier to captain than the tandem + trailer. Not sure about going from a triple to a quad, but I don't think it would be much of an adjustment. We have done loaded touring on our triple, and apart from the extra balance needed when starting out with the extra weight of the bags and stuff (which probably would weigh as much as added small child), it wasn't that big of a difference. The hardest part in general is being in tune with how much bike you have behind you, particularly when passing, making turns, going around obstacles, etc. Again, to me it wasn't a big adjustment. Apart from the initial learning curve for our son (he was five when he started on the triple), we didn't really have any of the issues MikeandJean mentioned. Honestly, we loved riding it together and had amazing family times on it. Truly one of the best investments I've ever made!

Transporting the bigger bike is probably the biggest challenge. Our Santana Cabrio fits inside our Honda Odyssey with only the front wheel of the bike removed. Super easy. You could also roof-top it. Or if a coupled bike could split in half to transport.

We're thinking of selling our Cabrio this spring or summer, so if you are interested send me a direct message. (It's hard to part with, even though we rarely use it now that our son is 15 and a strong biker on his own, thanks to the time spent on the triple with us.) Medium frame with "v" type top bar for better standover. 700c wheels. S&S couplers. 27 speed Ultegra/XTR. Etc. Good shape. I'm in eastern Pennsylvania.

Santana can make an extra section to turn a Cabrio triplet into a quad, by the way...

Last edited by Philly Tandem; 02-28-20 at 08:17 AM.
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Old 02-28-20, 08:40 AM
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thats very interesting thank you for your response unfortunately i currently am not financially ready to invest in a triplet yet, but hopefully next year as i am slowly saving for it. also anyone with a co motion periscope trident please leave your experiences down below.
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Old 02-29-20, 11:51 AM
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MikeAndJean
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We had a lot of fun on that triple

Originally Posted by Philly Tandem
We got our first tandem in 1994 and our triple in ~2009. I really didn't feel much of a learning curve moving from the tandem to the triple. Partially because 1) We were pretty experienced with the tandem, including loaded touring, and 2) We pulled a Burley child trailer behind the tandem for four years before we got the triple. I found the triple way easier to captain than the tandem + trailer. Not sure about going from a triple to a quad, but I don't think it would be much of an adjustment. We have done loaded touring on our triple, and apart from the extra balance needed when starting out with the extra weight of the bags and stuff (which probably would weigh as much as added small child), it wasn't that big of a difference. The hardest part in general is being in tune with how much bike you have behind you, particularly when passing, making turns, going around obstacles, etc. Again, to me it wasn't a big adjustment. Apart from the initial learning curve for our son (he was five when he started on the triple), we didn't really have any of the issues MikeandJean mentioned. Honestly, we loved riding it together and had amazing family times on it. Truly one of the best investments I've ever made!

Transporting the bigger bike is probably the biggest challenge. Our Santana Cabrio fits inside our Honda Odyssey with only the front wheel of the bike removed. Super easy. You could also roof-top it. Or if a coupled bike could split in half to transport.

We're thinking of selling our Cabrio this spring or summer, so if you are interested send me a direct message. (It's hard to part with, even though we rarely use it now that our son is 15 and a strong biker on his own, thanks to the time spent on the triple with us.) Medium frame with "v" type top bar for better standover. 700c wheels. S&S couplers. 27 speed Ultegra/XTR. Etc. Good shape. I'm in eastern Pennsylvania.

Santana can make an extra section to turn a Cabrio triplet into a quad, by the way...
We didn't ride it as much as our two-seat tandems, but our family got a lot of mileage on that big bike.

It just wasn't as easy to ride.
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Old 02-29-20, 08:48 PM
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We have a tandem and a quad. The quad is a steel Co-Motion. For us, it makes a difference where the weight distribution is on the quad. It is somewhat easier to handle with two adults up front and kids in the back. Adult front and back with kids in the middle is tougher, the rear adult needs to remember to be quiet with their body. I think four adults (which we haven’t done) would be fine, because the weight in the middle would help. In fairness, our tandem is an aluminum Cannondale, so we’re not used to much frame flex. I presume an aluminum quad would be stiffer.

But all that said, it just takes practice (both captain and stokers). It’s not something you can’t do. So in your case considering a triplet, I wouldn’t let handling concerns hold you back. If a triplet (or a quad for that matter) meets your needs and you want to do it, you’ll be fine.

You do need to think about how to transport it and where to store it.

When we were considering the purchase, I found this article helpful: Triplets, Quads & Quints - A Short Novel
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Old 03-01-20, 11:18 AM
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wsa30h
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Thanks how many miles have you got on your tandem and the quad ?
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Old 03-02-20, 10:27 AM
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WheelsNT
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Not so many miles on the quad, we’ve always had at least one child stoker crank on it which tells you there are small kids involved so the rides are short. Maybe 500 miles total in 8-15 mile chunks. More miles on the tandem, but we don’t get as much time to ride by ourselves as we would like. I’d say 3000ish.
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Old 03-02-20, 11:26 AM
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wsa30h
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nice and i presume you are located in the USA ?
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Old 03-11-20, 07:01 AM
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We have both a double and a triple.
I captain and take my kids on the rear.
We tend toward rural dirt roads, and it's hilly.
I have to be very conscious of how long the bicycle is as we take curves on our narrow rural roads.
It's possible to strike something on the inside of a curve or turn with the rear of the bike even though you have cleared it with room to spare up front.
So I am not sure it would be easy to go up to a quad......
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