Jayne and I were finally feeling well enough to go out on the rebuilt tandem. Karl, Alison, Joe and Ian called round this morning and we set off on a gentle 12-15 mile out to Barton Grange. The pace was very leisurely. Too much so for Joe, I think, but plenty fast enough for Jayne and I.
It was great being back on 'our' tandem. There is something about custom built that just seems better than even a stock frame with a suitable fitting kit. I took quite a few miles to get used to it again, particularly from a steering and cornering perspective. I have a Panasela 1.5" front tyre on and even pumped up to 100lbs it still squirms a bit in the corners. Maybe I need to push it up to 120lbs, but it is only rated to 8o, I think.
Anyway, it was a nice ride out in nice company. Karl and Ian have been my "core team" for over 15 years and it is always a pleasure to ride with them. Ian is a natural raconteur and piss taker, and is always entertaining company.
We stopped at Barton Grange for a bacon barm and a cup of tea, sat out in what was mostly sunshine, but a bit cool. It is October though, so any sitting outside to eat is a bonus. Alison, Ian and mile monster Joe went to do a loop round Beacon Fell or the Trough afterwards. Jayne and I, together with Karl, headed home.
The pace was more gentle than if I'd been on my solo, but faster than Jayne and I would have been with her on her solo. All in all, quite pleased.
Brake cables stretched horribly during the ride, to the point where I could hold the back brake on full, without and discernable effect. When we got home, I tightened them up and have made some slight adjustments to the saddles. At some point I must have bashed the bars because, even with the stem straight, the right hand side is nearer than the left. Karl has some Midge (or possibly Mungo) bars off of his Pompino that I might try instead. I might also get some Dia Compe 287V brake levers as they pull a bit more cable.
Later on we went for a quick pint at the Villa. The back wheel seems to have developed some sort of rattle. Not sure if it is just the rear mech out of alignment or what. Will need to check it out.
All in all, a good day out.
Cheers
Tim
L and I have been kicking around the idea of a tandem, but she's not secure enough to try it. Seems she doesn't want to kill me. Some friends ride a tandem in MTB races. They're quite the sight hammering through the finish line. It looks like the brakes are a weak point of the set up. Takes a while to stop.
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