Cycling UK Forum

Realising that ended up rather long-winded and wordy, the TL:DR version...

Does the above tandem look like a reasonable semi-serious starter tandem, recognising that there's a minor element of risk with it's being an unknown quantity.

Good Morning,

My partner and I have been considering dipping our toes into the murky world of tandeming. Between different fitness levels, a recent pregnancy, and an intended tour to visit friends in Amsterdam getting onto the same bike is very attractive.

Common and well documented red-flags around tandems and relationships notwithstanding, I was hoping to get an opinion on the Simmondsohn tandems. I hadn't come across them before but found their bergen tourer at <£500 here https://www.simmonsohntandems.com/shop/simmonsohn-classic-touring-series/bergen.

The spec looks very respectable and the only two things that make me hesitate are the lack of a third brake and the stock wheelset. (The latter not an issue as replacement would bring it up to RRP or thereabouts and our current intended longer distance trip should keep us in proximity to plenty of bike shops!)

At this price (and given some of my expectations around usage) I'm thinking of taking the plunge. I had been looking at second hand but given difficulties presented by our location (North Lake District), the assumption of a certain level of work required and the rarity of available bikes falling into the right specification this often ends up more realistically near the price of the lower end Dawes tandems.

The distributer is the same as for the Viking tandems which generally seem to be considered very acceptable for the money though not perhaps suited for more than leisurely day rides. These appear to be marketed at a slightly higher price point and, to me, look equivalent (in tandem terms) to some of the Ridgeback tourers - e.g. a solid spec, especially at the price, that'll do the job nicely without setting the heather alight.

They only appeared on the UK market last year, so I haven't been able to find any reviews or user experience - as there are only a few left in our size I'd like to make a quick choice. I'd be very grateful if anyone could offer a perspective on whether they think my reasoning holds. I should note, we've toured together before and my partner used to use a tandem as a child - so we have a reasonable expectation of what we're letting ourselves in for!.

Many thanks...

We found a pair of photochromic cycling glasses lying on the road in Caldbeck (north Lakes) last week. Happy to reunite these with their rightful owner, though there's a slight scratch on one lens.

To confirm ownership, please PM me with the colour of the legs/brand/any other distinguishing feature.

Cheers