photogravity

A couple weeks ago as I was attending Cirque Du Cyclisme , I noted a fetching brown Bilenky Tandem. As many here on the forums know, I love tandem bikes, but this one was different than the others I've been seeing lately. First off, it is a 650B wheeled bicycle, and while I'm a huge advocate of 650A as the "poor man's 650B", I could tell that this bicycle was special in ways that a 700C wheeled tandem wouldn't be. Secondly, the details on the bike were absolutely stunning with the racks and the boxlining being among the finest I have ever seen on a bicycle.

Today, thanks to Jim Muller who traded some chainrings with me that I needed to finish off the bike, I was able to get the bicycle together and out for its maiden voyage. The ride was only around 13 miles, but allowed me to give it a good shakedown run. The ride was from my house and out the C&O Canal Towpath towards Harpers Ferry. My initial thoughts, based on the gravel surface we were riding on for most of the ride, are that the Grand Bois Hetre 650B tires may be the nicest tires I've ridden to date. They are supple, yet offer lots of feedback as to what the road surface is doing. Also, the bicycle itself is very stable and, even on the gravel surface, it offered a compliant ride that wasn't harsh in any way. In any case, tomorrow we plan to go on a road ride which will afford an opportunity to try its performance on a paved surface. Meanwhile, here are some pictures I took today on our first ride.


Bilenky 650B Constructeur Tandem - First Ride - 1 by Sallad Rialb, on Flickr


Bilenky 650B Constructeur Tandem - First Ride - 2 by Sallad Rialb, on Flickr


Bilenky 650B Constructeur Tandem - First Ride - 3 by Sallad Rialb, on Flickr


Bilenky 650B Constructeur Tandem - First Ride - 4 by Sallad Rialb, on Flickr


Bilenky 650B Constructeur Tandem - First Ride - 5 by Sallad Rialb, on Flickr


Bilenky 650B Constructeur Tandem - First Ride - 6 by Sallad Rialb, on Flickr


Bilenky 650B Constructeur Tandem - First Ride - 7 by Sallad Rialb, on Flickr


Bilenky 650B Constructeur Tandem - First Ride - 8 by Sallad Rialb, on Flickr


Bilenky 650B Constructeur Tandem - First Ride - 9 by Sallad Rialb, on Flickr


Bilenky 650B Constructeur Tandem - First Ride - 10 by Sallad Rialb, on Flickr

photogravity

Bilenky 650B Constructeur Tandem - First Ride - 11 by Sallad Rialb, on Flickr


Bilenky 650B Constructeur Tandem - First Ride - 12 by Sallad Rialb, on Flickr


Bilenky 650B Constructeur Tandem - First Ride - 13 by Sallad Rialb, on Flickr


Bilenky 650B Constructeur Tandem - First Ride - 14 by Sallad Rialb, on Flickr


Bilenky 650B Constructeur Tandem - First Ride - 15 by Sallad Rialb, on Flickr


Bilenky 650B Constructeur Tandem - First Ride - 16 by Sallad Rialb, on Flickr


Bilenky 650B Constructeur Tandem - First Ride - 17 by Sallad Rialb, on Flickr


Bilenky 650B Constructeur Tandem - First Ride - 18 by Sallad Rialb, on Flickr


Bilenky 650B Constructeur Tandem - First Ride - 19 by Sallad Rialb, on Flickr


Bilenky 650B Constructeur Tandem - First Ride - 20 by Sallad Rialb, on Flickr

KonAaron Snake 

Not surprisingly, I'm in love with this...I think I like it even more than your Jack Taylor (that's saying something!). I have 650bs on our tandem and they really roll nicely - I like them better on tandems than on standard bikes.

toytech

From another Bilenky tandem owner, that is stunning! makes me tempted to completely redo mine

photogravity

Thanks Aaron. I'm in love with it too. I think you may be thinking about my 1984 Davidson Tandem because while I have a JT frameset, I have yet to build it up. It's one of my back burner projects since I need to acquire a large number of parts to complete the bike. I know you have a triplet, but didn't know you had a tandem. What kind of tandem do you have? I've never ridden any bike with 650B tires, so this is an entirely new experience for me.

photogravity

Thanks toytech! I agree: it is a stunningly beautiful bicycle and, unfortunately, the pictures really don't do the bike justice. You cannot appreciate how beautiful this bike is unless you see it in the flesh. If you want to redo yours, go for it. It's only money anyway.

KonAaron Snake 

But I ;love the project

My tandem is the triplet...I want another one (I really wanted the Ritchey that Fender bought), but my wife said one tandem is the max for our row home. The nerve!

toytech

Get a tandem with travel connectors, if you can take it apart it counts as two single bikes

photogravity

Well, I've got four ride-able tandems ATM: 1961 Fiorelli, 1984 Davidson; 2003 Burley Rivazza and now the Bilenky. Mind you, I have a single home, but no garage. Also, I have steps up to my front porch and refuse to take the tandems up and down the stairs to the basement. I guess my wife is just exceedingly patient and tolerant.

BTW, the JT is getting an IGH. I want to ride it in the Lake Pepin 3-Speed Tour next year.

kiwigem

Just gorgeous, Dallas. Congrats again!

KonAaron Snake 

BRILLIANT!!! Why this logic didn't occur to me, I don't know - but it might even work! Of course then I have to sell two singles, but that would be well worth a decent tandem! The only potential negative is that she might ask why we can't chop up the triplet (awkward!).

gomango

Gorgeous.

Total eye candy, so congrats on your wise acquisition.

Enjoy the many rides to come on that beauty.

rhm

Golly.

Do I count six water bottle mounts? I'd like a better photo of the stoker's stem arrangement; that looks pretty interesting! Regular old quill stem at a new angle?

I note that your description of the build, ride, etc. is all written in the first person singular. Was this a solo ride? No, wait, I see you mention "our first ride" at the end there. So what's the stoker's opinion?

Congratulations, it is sure a beautiful bike. Though that Davidson is nothing to be ashamed of....

ColonelJLloyd 

That's pretty bad ass.

Michael Angelo 

That's one beautiful Tandem, I just wish my wife would ride, so I can justify getting one.

Italuminium

Very, very nice. mrs. Ital and I would love to have one oneday. No room for one now! it's already such a bear to get up to the first floor of my inner city dwelling with a single bike...

OTS 

Absolutely stunning! wow.
Congratulations and enjoy the ride.

ScottRyder 

That really woke me up this morning. Thanks for posting!

Scott

fender1

Sweet! 650b & derailleurs in one shot? I give your fascination with IGH another 6-8months,tops.

-holiday76

Beautiful. Steven does a really good job with the racks on those. Thats one of my favorite things about them.

mkeller234

Wow. That quill stem is a really cool idea. I'd like to be able to adjust the top tube length like that.

balindamood

That is beautiful. The pin striping is a very nice touch.

repechage

A handsome machine, I even overlook my prejudice of brown bikes. I think though if I were constructing a new custom tandem, I would be looking at Disc brakes. I know that is not "classic"
But Campagnolo did way back make a mechanical disc brake... I should have bid on it maybe five years ago.

The stroker section looks pretty comfortable. And with the adjustable stem it should be easy to make it fit a number of different folk.
The way the rear pannier rack is created where it also becomes the fender brace is very nice too.

photogravity

Thanks Grady, though I have to say that though she's some really nice eye candy, she's a wonderful rider to boot. I don't look at the bike when I'm riding it, so all the beauty of the striping and paint just disappears.

repechage

Yes, but it keeps the interest up at the coffee house.