"[Not Responding]" wrote:
> My offspring are at the stage where they are too big for bike seats or the trailer but not really
> to be trusted to ride their own bikes on the road. In order that the now traditional summer family
> rides can be maintained, I am thinking of getting a child-back sized tandem.
We have brought up our children through the trailer/tandem/solo route and it has proved perfect. but
I wouldn't go for a kiddie back tandem.
An alternative is to fit kiddie cranks, together with a rear stem extension and perhaps upright
bars, to a normal tandem.
Our children have all ridden this way from about 3 and a half years old and the cranks can be
adjusted downwards as the child grows, whereas a kiddie back tandem just becomes too small without
introducing enormous seatposts etc.
The kiddie-back designs we have occasonally tried also all seem to have a lot more whip in
the frames.
Be careful though, as choice of frame is important for kiddie cranks. Some tandems have an awkward
diagonal tube intersecting the seat tube which can either prevent fitting, or reduce the possible
future adjusment.
>
> Is Thorn the only way to go or are there other options?
Contact the Tandem Club. There are usually tandems for sale, sometimes with fittings already
attached. There is also a useful spares service.
http://www.tandem-club.org.uk/
> Anyone have any experience of the Thorn range?
No first hand experience, but I've been put off by various reports.
John Buckley