Dawes Twocan kiddieback tandem

[chris French]

A local bike shop has had a Dawes Twocan kiddie back tandem for sale for
sometime (as in at least a couple of month).He had it earlier for 500
quid plus, though said I could have it for GBP500) Noticed today that he
has it for gBP 400. Wanting to get rid of it guess before the winter.

Looks tempting, as I'd like to keep DD1 - now 9 months, in the trailer,
DD2 is now 4 1/2, she will soon be out of the trailer all together and
she would like to be cycling herself as well now. If we went the trailer
bike route DD1 would need to go in bike seat.

I don't know a great deal about tandems, obviously this is the bottom
end of the market, but it looks sound enough. Needs, mudguards , rack,
lights etc. doesn't have anything like drag brake which I guess might be
useful when towing a trailer as well, but then again, will mostly be
used for utility trips and tootling around the local area. and
Cambridgeshire (sadly...) is not noted for it's hills, steep or
otherwise.

And much as I could like one, spending lots on a more upmarket one isn't
really an option anyway

anyone got/had one of them? any comments, or any other comments from
people experienced in such things
--
Chris French

 

[David Martin]

chris French wrote:
> A local bike shop has had a Dawes Twocan kiddie back tandem for sale for
> sometime (as in at least a couple of month).He had it earlier for 500
> quid plus, though said I could have it for GBP500) Noticed today that he
> has it for gBP 400. Wanting to get rid of it guess before the winter.
>
> Looks tempting, as I'd like to keep DD1 - now 9 months, in the trailer,
> DD2 is now 4 1/2, she will soon be out of the trailer all together and
> she would like to be cycling herself as well now. If we went the trailer
> bike route DD1 would need to go in bike seat.
>
> I don't know a great deal about tandems, obviously this is the bottom
> end of the market, but it looks sound enough. Needs, mudguards , rack,
> lights etc. doesn't have anything like drag brake which I guess might be
> useful when towing a trailer as well, but then again, will mostly be
> used for utility trips and tootling around the local area. and
> Cambridgeshire (sadly...) is not noted for it's hills, steep or
> otherwise.
>
> And much as I could like one, spending lots on a more upmarket one isn't
> really an option anyway
>
> anyone got/had one of them? any comments, or any other comments from
> people experienced in such things

Get it. You won't regret it at all. I did the cheapskate thing and
built one which was absolutely a brillaint move. For local utility
trips the kids prefer it to the car. I just have to stop the middle one
from shouting 'loser' at all his friends as they walk past with their
parents.

At 400 gbp it is good value and a bargain to be had..

Oh, and in case you missed the point, Buy it. Now!

...d

 

[Just zis Guy, you know?]

I submit that on or about Sun, 21 Aug 2005 00:46:09 +0100, the person
known to the court as chris French <[email protected]>
made a statement (<[email protected]> in Your
Honour's bundle) to the following effect:

>A local bike shop has had a Dawes Twocan kiddie back tandem for sale for
>sometime (as in at least a couple of month).He had it earlier for 500
>quid plus, though said I could have it for GBP500) Noticed today that he
>has it for gBP 400. Wanting to get rid of it guess before the winter.

You know you want it! Buy now before it's too late. Tandems are
absolutely perfect for kids - you can have a proper grown-up bike ride
(i.e. as far as a reasonable pub) without Tiny becoming exhausted.

Best of all, for things like school transport, they are much safer
than small people wobbling around on their own bikes. They also learn
road sense, because they see how you ride.

The Toucan is well thought-of, it's not a bad bike at all. Lack of
drag brake is not an issue for a kiddieback, IMO - we had a dual
childback triplet for a while and that needed one, the new tandem (a
Bike Friday) has none and I've not yet felt the need. Even with a
trailer you'll probably be OK.

Guy
--
http://www.chapmancentral.co.uk

"To every complex problem there is a solution which is
simple, neat and wrong" - HL Mencken

 

[chris French]

In message <[email protected]>, "Just zis Guy,
you know?" <[email protected]> writes
>I submit that on or about Sun, 21 Aug 2005 00:46:09 +0100, the person
>known to the court as chris French <[email protected]>
>made a statement (<[email protected]> in Your
>Honour's bundle) to the following effect:
>
>>A local bike shop has had a Dawes Twocan kiddie back tandem for sale for
>>sometime (as in at least a couple of month).He had it earlier for 500
>>quid plus, though said I could have it for GBP500) Noticed today that he
>>has it for gBP 400. Wanting to get rid of it guess before the winter.
>
>You know you want it! Buy now before it's too late.

Well I may well be.

Discussion with the management have indicated in principle agreement to
purchase.

Will of course find out that he sold it today.........
--
Chris French

 

[chris French]

In message <[email protected]>, chris French
<[email protected]> writes
>In message <[email protected]>, "Just zis Guy,
>you know?" <[email protected]> writes
>>I submit that on or about Sun, 21 Aug 2005 00:46:09 +0100, the person
>>known to the court as chris French <[email protected]>
>>made a statement (<[email protected]> in Your
>>Honour's bundle) to the following effect:
>>
>>>A local bike shop has had a Dawes Twocan kiddie back tandem for sale for
>>>sometime (as in at least a couple of month).He had it earlier for 500
>>>quid plus, though said I could have it for GBP500) Noticed today that he
>>>has it for gBP 400. Wanting to get rid of it guess before the winter.
>>
>>You know you want it! Buy now before it's too late.
>
>Well I may well be.
>
>Discussion with the management have indicated in principle agreement to
>purchase.
>
>Will of course find out that he sold it today.........

Well he hadn't. So swift transaction was done and now we have another
bike (or will have when he delivers it to me next week) He has had
it in stock since the beginning of the summer it seems so I guess he was
glad to be shot of it. Didn't want to drop the price anymore,
unsurprisingly, but did throw in and will fit for me some SKS mudguards,
so I was happy with that (forgot to say about toe clips though)

We can't really afford it right now, still recovering for the house
move. But it was just such a good deal. DD1 is going to love it when she
see's it

Exciting stuff, it's ages since I got new bike
--
Chris French

 

[Helen Deborah Vecht]

chris French <[email protected]>typed


> We can't really afford it right now, still recovering for the house
> move. But it was just such a good deal. DD1 is going to love it when she
> see's it

Methinks DD1 will love it more than the Management ;-)

> Exciting stuff, it's ages since I got new bike

Yeah, lovely, isn't it?

Will you post pictures of DD1 on it on a website soon please?

--
Helen D. Vecht: [email protected]
Edgware.

 

[chris French]

In message <[email protected]>, Helen Deborah
Vecht <[email protected]> writes

>
>Will you post pictures of DD1 on it on a website soon please?
>
As soon as she is on she will be snapped:.

this is the child who when her sister came home from hospital after
being born - her first words in response were, can I take a photo of
her......
--
Chris French

 

[David Martin]

chris French wrote:
> In message <[email protected]>, Helen Deborah
> Vecht <[email protected]> writes
>
> >
> >Will you post pictures of DD1 on it on a website soon please?
> >
> As soon as she is on she will be snapped:.
>
> this is the child who when her sister came home from hospital after
> being born - her first words in response were, can I take a photo of
> her......

Having worked out how much it cost to build Igor (most of which was
surreptitiously eased through the cracks in the household budget), just
buying outright seems a good idea. She'll love it, and the management
will approve, especially when you work out just how much it will save
in fuel costs..

...d

 

[chris French]

In message <[email protected]>,
David Martin <[email protected]> writes
>
>chris French wrote:
>> In message <[email protected]>, Helen Deborah
>> Vecht <[email protected]> writes
>>
>> >
>> >Will you post pictures of DD1 on it on a website soon please?
>> >
>> As soon as she is on she will be snapped:.
>>

And here we are on our first trip today:

<http://www.flickr.com/photos/83014812@N00/tags/tandem/>

Of course we've already started modifying it. So I've replaced the
standard stoker bars (same as front) with some old drops, mounted facing
rearwards which seem more comfortable - shorter reach and not so wide.
And fitted crank shorteners.

Needs some toe clips and bit more fiddling.

Mudguards aren't quite what I was expecting him to fit, but they will do
for now (though fitted oddly - the front one needs a longer fork crown
bracket to put them underneath the V brakes rather than over them as he
has done, needs a rack as well.

DD1 loved it. We did a nice little 8 miles I guess, other than her feet
coming off the pedals (clips needed) she was fine. Bike rode fine as
well

May try out the trailer as well tomorrow, if I can find the bits to
attached the Weber coupling

 

[Helen Deborah Vecht]

chris French <[email protected]>typed

> And here we are on our first trip today:

> <http://www.flickr.com/photos/83014812@N00/tags/tandem/>

Lovely pix!

Pics of DD2 with tandem look as though they should be in a caption
competition...

--
Helen D. Vecht: [email protected]
Edgware.

 

[David Martin]

chris French wrote:

> And here we are on our first trip today:
>
> <http://www.flickr.com/photos/83014812@N00/tags/tandem/>
>
> Of course we've already started modifying it. So I've replaced the
> standard stoker bars (same as front) with some old drops, mounted facing
> rearwards which seem more comfortable - shorter reach and not so wide.
> And fitted crank shorteners.
>
> Needs some toe clips and bit more fiddling.

I find toe clips to be very useful. Both the older kids are quite used
to them now.

> DD1 loved it. We did a nice little 8 miles I guess, other than her feet
> coming off the pedals (clips needed) she was fine. Bike rode fine as
> well

See - told you so! Is the management happy?

> May try out the trailer as well tomorrow, if I can find the bits to
> attached the Weber coupling

I'd get a new coupling for it, then you can use the trailer on both
bikes.

...d