Starter Tandem - Burley or another recomendation?
Happy Friday, Everyone -
My wife and I used to cycle together here and there, but I admittedly grew less fond of it due to the speed difference between us. She just moved at a much slower pace than myself, and I didn't have much patience for stopping to wait. We haven't biked in some years since then, but she's been asking me to try again. This time, she's suggested trying a Tandem to alleviate the problems we experienced in the past. Of course everyone makes jokes about tandems being divorce-makers, but we like to imagine we're more tolerant of each other than the average couple (don't we all). Nonetheless, we are going to rent one for the day tomorrow before we get head over heals on purchasing one.
If all goes well, we're looking at our options, and primarily looking at the used route. We aren't looking to spend much money on our first one (topping out at $1000 for something that really wows us, but hopefully less), and we'd rather get a nicer model that comes pre-loved rather than a walmart-special that we won't enjoy.
Someone on Facebook is selling a Burley Zydeco Mixte (currently asking $775) about an hour away from us, and I know Burley stopped making these ~15 years ago, but it looks like this one has been well cared for. I'm curious for some experienced opinions though - would this be a good starter tandem if we could get it for a good deal? If we fall in love with the hobby, we could upgrade down the line, and if we don't, we won't have a huge investment to lose.
On one hand, the mixte frame is kind of interesting, because it seems like it would work well for us - I'm 6'1" and she's 5'4", so the stepthrough-ish design for the stoker is convenient. I've heard that the zydeco can have a bit of give in the frame though, and with the pair of us pushing a combined 500 pounds, I'm wondering if that would be a bad decision?
Any input is appreciated!