Thanks for you comments, I have not ruled out the Double Vision yet but I felt the stiff frame
design and the low stance of the Eliminator nitro would make it a better bike. I test road a
Screamer and liked it just fine. I just hoping to find some one with more tandem experience to help
me evaluate the differences between all of them. I want a fast ride but not at the expense of
stability. I heard the vision can get tricky with speed and bumps in the picture. The Eliminator is
about 5 pounds heaver but I don't know if that will really slow it down much here in flat nj. I'm
looking for a test ride to help work out some of these questions.
"mike s" <
[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> "bruce" <
[email protected]> wrote in message
news:<
[email protected]>...
> > I'm interested in getting a tandem with USS. I am 6'1'' and my wife the stoker is 5'2'' mostly
> > ride around NJ and do short day rides 30-50 miles. I hope to test
out
> > an eliminator11 and m5. Would like to hear from toughs you who have experience with these bikes.
> > maybe some hits on " must have'" that I
should
> > conceder. Like do I need a drag brake ? etc. Thanks!
>
> Bruce: I have seen both of these tandems but haven't ridden any. I can say that the Longbikes
> recumbents are some of the most nicely finished recumbents I have seen. Greg Peek makes a very
> nicely finished product. They are heavy (all recumbent tandems are heavy) but very nicely turned
> out. The M5 (which incidentally Hostelshoppe has one demo on sale now) is a loooooooong tandem.
> Transportation has to be a major undertaken. The advantage that I saw was the M5 seat. Our tandem
> (Barcroft Columbia) is a very comfortable tandem but shares some of the problems all tandems bring
> with them. They are tough getting up hill due to their weight (and the combined weight of two
> riders). I look at the M5 seat as a way to shed 6 - 8 pounds of bike weight. I also have found
> that the solid platform that a carbon fiber seat provides allows all pedaling torque to go to the
> pedals. None is lost by any backward movement into a giving mesh seatback. We are now
> investigating substituting Barcroft's new cf seats for our standard RANS seats for that reason.
> You do give up some comfort as the seat rides harsher, but I don't find it comfortable straining
> up big hills either.
>
> I presume you didn't mention the Double Vision because you weren't interested in it. At the tandem
> rallies we pass Screamers all day on the ride but seldom pass a Vision. They tend to pass us. I
> don't know why they are faster. They are long and flexy, but they seem to really move.
>
> Good luck on the search.
>
> Mike S. St. Louis, Mo.
>
> Barcroft Virginia Barcroft Columbia RANS Rocket.
