Post 100: Tandem riding here we come

Well, there it is, our new tandem (If you left-click on the picture I think it'll show you a bigger version) in our messy garage. It's new to us but it sure as hell ain't new to the world. We just picked it up today and discovered the brakes aren't working (They just need adjusted) and three of the spokes in the rear wheel are broken so it was out with the wheel, over to our local wheelbuilder's (Who is a marvellous man for such things in all ways; speed, pleasantness, quality and price). He's going to completely respoke the rear wheel for us for a mere twelve pounds and hopes to have it done within four days. That's pretty bloomin' great service!

The frame and rims on the tandem seem pretty good and I reckon the wheels will be fine once they're respoked. At the moment, the front wheel seems okay so we'll not get new spokes on it until they start snapping. Hopefully that will be later rather than sooner.

The seatposts were of that variety where the bit the saddle connects to is a separate part held on by friction, rather than the sort I'm used to. I'm probably not describing it very well but I hope you know what I mean. Anyway, I didn't like them so I've ordered two new seatposts for it. Hopefully they'll be just dandy and I'll find I've ordered the right size. I did measure them but only with a steel rule so I'm not likely to be spot on to tenths of a millimetre.

I felt a bit bad slicing off the old bar grips. There was nothing actually wrong with them and they seemed in perfect condition but we have bought new ones and they're better. Four perfectly good grips chucked in the bin (Which was a cardboard box rather than a proper bin).

The tyres on the tandem were only 28mm thick (And the flipping inner tubes said 20/23mm on them!) so I've ordered some 32mm Schwalbe Marathon Pluses (As mentioned in my previous post). I've read some online tandem nerds rate the Marathon Pluses, so I hope we'll find them good too. Isn't it a bugger trying to get tyres off a tandem? I cut my knuckle open attempting to do so. Funnily enough, it wasn't terrible getting the first side of the tyre off the rim but the 'following' side wouldn't come easily. I imagine it'll be a nightmare trying to get the new tyres on when we get them. Hopefully that means they'll stay on well.

Earlier this evening I ordered some V-brakes and a 7 speed 'shifter pod'. I'm sure I'll be doing some swearing trying to get everything working when it all arrives. After much anger and frustration, everything should eventually come together and we'll have a reasonably pleasant tandem to ride.

So I don't forget, here's a list of the stuff we're changing:

• San Marco Rolls saddles instead of the saddles already there (Euch! Sweaty arses!)
• Respoke wheel(s)
• SRAM brake levers
  
• New seatposts (I can't be sure of the manufacturer but I think it was Push. They were cheap anyway)
• Avid V-brakes
• Replace gear and brake cabling and cable housing
  
• New bottle cages (Highly important obviously. Strangely, there's only a single cage on it) and funny wee bottle cage holder which fits onto a seatpost
  
• Shimano STX shifters
• Ergon bar grips
• TorTec pannier rack
• New pedals (Can't remember what makes)
• Sigma Sport BC1600 computer (Hopefully I'll be able to get the cadence to work with it)

I think that's it. That probably pushes it to about my limit when it comes to bicycle maintenance and that sort of gubbins. The only other thing I had thought of was getting some sort of cable disc brake for it but I need to know what would be suitable for the rear hub currently on the bike. Hopefully I'll find the drum brake currently on it is better than I imagine it might be.

All being well, we should have the tandem ready to use by this time next week. Wish me luck!