just bought a tandem e bike any advice?

[fooferdoggie]

Just bought this puppy for my and my blind wife. https://www.cynergyebikes.com/Gepida-Thoris-XT10-Tandem-p/gepida_thoris_xt10_tandem.htm
Man our test ride was wobbly my wife has not ridden a bike since she was a kid we were going to do a longer test ride but the parking lot was all we could handle for a test. the bike will ahve a mount for a second battery but till someone gets a dongle that can update it to use both it will only be a battery holder. I traded the charger for it as I did not need a extra charger.

 

[Alaskan]

My wife and I tried that bike but the cadence was different for the rider and the stoker. I didn't think we would get accustomed to that. She is not blind so she got her very own ebike.

I hope it works out for you guys.

Tandem Bicycles - Details and Tech Stuff

An introduction to tandem bicycles.

www.sheldonbrown.com

 

[TMH]

Successful tandem bike riding takes practice and communication! After our last ride on our Gepida Thoris (only our second) my wife commented that (at this point anyway) we have to turn the FM radio off on the helmets, and just leave the intercom on. There was one point where I was attempting to slow and brake to allow a car to pass us before we came to a stop sign intersection - and she was still pedaling! If she looks forward all she can see is the center of my back (but she has commented that she feels higher on the bike, and can see into more fenced yards along our route ).

One thing I have learned is the Captain needs to communicate when they will start pedaling, and should begin at a very slow and steady cadence, otherwise the Stoker may find their feet flying off their pedals. I'm still working on this! We need much more practice to be smooth and efficient.

The Thoris in my opinion really seems to only sip the battery juice. Generally flat around here with only light hills and sometimes headwinds so we ride in Tour with an occasional bump to Sport. Haven't even tried Turbo yet. It seems to me that the Thoris is begging to be chipped to up the 20 mph motor cut-off.

One thing which helped the bike to fit us better was to swap the straight bars from the Stoker to the Captain position. The swept-back bars are more easily reached by my wife, and they are a little more narrow so her wiggling on the back seat is not translated as strongly into the bike.

Finally, I have found so far that riding a tandem bicycle can be more stressful than riding your own bike. Like a motorcycle, when you are carrying an important passenger your responsibility for the safety of both of you maxes out. It will always be that way to some extent, but maybe ultimately I can get a little less stressful ride when we both get more experience on our Thoris, which I'm very much looking forward to.

 

[fooferdoggie]

I cant see going faster then 20 for sure. I wish though it had the new bosch motor. I have two batteries at home so we are good for range. I would liek straight bars on the front so I may do that soon. the back will be higher then pictured for sure.

My wife and I tried that bike but the cadence was different for the rider and the stoker. I didn't think we would get accustomed to that. She is not blind so she got her very own ebike.

I hope it works out for you guys.

Tandem Bicycles - Details and Tech Stuff

An introduction to tandem bicycles.

www.sheldonbrown.com

my wife does not really have a cadence so she will just learn (G)

 

[TMH]

If you haven't already done so, watch the Thoris review done by Citrus Cycles. I don't know whether the communication they have is 'correct', but it sure seems to me that they know more about riding a tandem than I do. He does try to give a lesson in tandem riding along with the review.

 

[Deacon Blues]

Here's a VERY important piece of advice from someone who's ridden a tandem bike with his wife for a decade....warn her when a pothole/broken pavement is coming up.
I realize your wife can't see the road ahead, but neither could my wife, who's not blind. Seems I blocked her view of the road in front.

I'd strongly recommend a suspension seat post for her. She'll thank you.

 

[fooferdoggie]

Here's a VERY important piece of advice from someone who's ridden a tandem bike with his wife for a decade....warn her when a pothole/broken pavement is coming up.
I realize your wife can't see the road ahead, but neither could my wife, who's not blind. Seems I blocked her view of the road in front.

I'd strongly recommend a suspension seat post for her. She'll thank you.

yep a new post as soon as my wallet can handle it.

 

[sc00ter]

Wife and I tested the waters with a used Schwinn tandem from the 70's, obviously not e-powered. We never got on the same page with it. We then tried a daVinci tandem. That thing ROCKED, super fun but we couldn't get into the price and overall size. They now make an ebike version! If she ever quit 2-wheels we would consider a daVinci again. Cadence is never a problem.

 

[fooferdoggie]

A recumbent trike tandem would be great but really expensive

 

[fooferdoggie]

my blind wife and I used our stimulus checks to help pay for a tandem. since public transportation is so limited now we can get around again. she has not ridden a bike in 30 years and is wobbly and we put 2.5 miles on it just going around in a empty parking lot practicing starting and stopping and just learning to ride a bike again. this is a German brand with a Bosch performance motor class 1 I have batteries for my speed bike so its great to be able to swap batteries.

 

[FlatSix911]

Congratulations on your new Tandem... long may you ride!

 

[Deacon Blues]

One word of warning is not to attempt a tight U turn on your tandem. My wife and I learned the hard way.
While turning there is a certain point when the bike will, for lack of a better term, 'cave in'. All bikes will do this, but it happens much, much sooner on a tandem, with its long wheel base.

 

[fooferdoggie]

One word of warning is not to attempt a tight U turn on your tandem. My wife and I learned the hard way.
While turning there is a certain point when the bike will, for lack of a better term, 'cave in'. All bikes will do this, but it happens much, much sooner on a tandem, with its long wheel base.

yes I have been making big turns till I get the hang of it.

 

[Judebarnes]

Is the cadence difference between rider and stoker actually also true for MID drive motors vs. rear hub/cadence?

 

[fooferdoggie]

Is the cadence difference between rider and stoker actually also true for MID drive motors vs. rear hub/cadence?

yes 10 rpms faster for the stoker. I changed the back drive gear to a 48t and now I am about 2 rpms faster I needed a 46t but I cant find one. most tandems have the same chain rings that connect them so the pedals stay locked in sync. mustache makes a tandem with the motor in back so then it oporates like a regular tandem, but at 8k too much for us.

 

[Art Deco]

You probably already know this, but, my LBS had to modify the drive train on my neighbors tandem trike (mechanical only) to somehow equalize the cadence between them. IDK what was involved beyond money...