Circe Helios tandems

[easyroller]

I test rode one once and loved it! The one we tested had the SRAM (I think) three speed hub plus eight or nine speed cassette on the back. Straight bars. Gave a good range of gears and plenty for the couple of hills we tackled, not much power from my stoker so low gears are a must. The only thing that concerned me was less pedal clearance to the ground compared to a bigger wheeled tandem. I'd still like to buy one though.

Would love to test the Morpheus!

[AndyK]

The social enterprise I do some work for has a Helios Duo for hire - that's the derailleur-equipped model, with a 25inch bottom gear. I find it a bit twitchy at the front but fun to ride. If I were buying I would consider scraping together the extra for a hub-geared version, though. The chainline is not good, with the result that it's fiddly to get rid of chain rub on the front mech, which leads me to suspect that the derailleur version was an afterthought. And as with any small-wheeled derailleur-fitted bike, the long rear mech is worryingly close to the ground.

It's a shame the frame doesn't split in two like the late lamented Bike Friday tandem did.

If anyone in the Deep South of England wants to try a Helios out, you can hire ours: take it out for a couple of hours, or go on tour with it for a few days. (Yes, that's a plug, but I reckon it's relevant and it's for a good cause. )

[RickH]

It's a shame the frame doesn't split in two like the late lamented Bike Friday tandem did.

They do make a splittable version (& you can have the couplings retrofitted). There is also a Triplet conversion now available too!

Rick.

[AndyK]

It's a shame the frame doesn't split in two like the late lamented Bike Friday tandem did.

They do make a splittable version (& you can have the couplings retrofitted). There is also a Triplet conversion now available too!

Rick.

So they do! I hadn't seen that. An extra £550, though, case not included. Ouch.

Also I see Bike Friday do still make the Tandem Two'sday; it just doesn't seem to be available in the UK any more. Doing a straight conversion of the dollar prices makes it look competitive with a similarly-spec'd splittable Helios, but then there would be VAT and import duties.

[reohn2]

The social enterprise I do some work for has a Helios Duo for hire - that's the derailleur-equipped model, with a 25inch bottom gear. I find it a bit twitchy at the front but fun to ride. If I were buying I would consider scraping together the extra for a hub-geared version, though. The chainline is not good, with the result that it's fiddly to get rid of chain rub on the front mech, which leads me to suspect that the derailleur version was an afterthought. And as with any small-wheeled derailleur-fitted bike, the long rear mech is worryingly close to the ground..........

I found the steering twitchy on gravel,but got used pretty quickly,on tarmac at sub 2mph turning tight circles,it was well behaved despite 47mm Marathons with 70psi+ in them,they had no deflection so I feel confident saying they were over inflated,with a bit less air in them I feel the steering and ride would've been much better.
My comments about the Shimano 8 & 11sp Alfines are purely on what I've read,the Rohloff is out of budget for our intended use.
I checked out the rear mech danglings,and came to the conclusion we won't be leaning that far over .
The mech fitted as standard is a short cage Sora and doesn't look that low TBH.
I'm unaware of any chainline issues but I'll post some impression of the bike when get one .

[reohn2]

We managed to bag a Circe Helios Duo tandem on Ebay it'd only been on for a couple of hours when we saw it Sunday before last and was good timing as we were about to put an order in for a new one on the Monday
The bike is as new and unmarked and a bargain with approx 20 miles use,with M/guards and 24inch rack fitted,we made bit a holiday of picking it up from the seller in Bath a nice,sound,bike mad chap with a garage full of cargo bikes of one form or another .
Apart from a very short ride around the campsite we're staying at,due to torrential rain,we've not been able to give it a proper test ride and we're on our way back up country tomorrow,so not much to report.
I'm planning on swapping out the V brakes for BB7 discs,which is an easy conversion as the Deore hubs are centrelock and the frame and fork are disc ready,as the wheels are 20" and it's a tandem the discs I feel will work far better and no rim wear .
The Sora EBB double inline chainset will be swapped for a cross over S/light Impact with a realistic gear spread of 30/39/51.
The standard rear cassette is 8sp is an 11-34t Megarange which will be changed for a custom 13-15-17-19-21-23-26-30 made from an 8sp 13-26 by losing the 14t cog and putting a 30t cog on the back,which will give a nice low 20" to 79" range,this may seem exteeemely low but without going into detail it's all Mrs R2 can mange ATM due to her health issues.

I'll give some first impression once we've had a ride or two,and a longer ride report when we've ridden it a bit

[reohn2]

Thought I put a couple of pics of the Circe up for perusal now I've sorted it out,fitted the cross over 30-39-51 chainset. I ended up fitting a custom 14/16/18/20/23/26/30/34,it's an 8sp rear and I'm quite please with that as I could fit drops and Kelly's/D/Tube levers(from stuff I already had in),I've swopped out the V's for MTN BB7's so I have the option of drops with Tektro V brake drop bar levers or straights should I decide to change them.I fitted a longer mudflap on the front made from old truck innertube(good stuff)
We did a local 10mile shake down ride on Sunday afternoon and decided we like the 2 inch Big Apples though we were running them @ 50psi which is a bit low,I'll increase by 5psi incrementally until it feels right.

The only real gripe so far is the timing chain tensioner ,I do wish it were an eccentric front BB.
I've had to change the tensioner to the opposite side so it's facing forward and not trailing which I feel would be better.I could fit a ghost ring,still thinking about it though .If anyone has any other ideas let me know.
Photos :-

[Brucey]

Looks nice that!

Is it my imagination or do the front cranks lag the rears a little?

Maybe it doesn't trouble you?

If it does bug you, provided you have timing chainrings that are not integer divisible by five, they should allow more adjustment?

cheers

[reohn2]

Looks nice that!

Is it my imagination or do the front cranks lag the rears a little?

Maybe it doesn't trouble you?

It helps if Mrs R2 is two teeth in front of me and irons out the dead spot especially with the chain tensioner instead of a taught timing chain.

If it does bug you, provided you have timing chainrings that are not integer divisible by five, they should allow more adjustment?

cheers

The chainset came with 39t timing rings and I couldn't get the tensioner right it was either knocking the drainpipe or I could get the powerlink in,so I had a look in the box and found(much to my surprise)a pair of new 38s,all was well .
And whilst looking at the photos I had a brainstorm and thought of a way of getting the tensioner trailing by putting the pivot bolt in the opposite way.
I was so tired late Saturday afternoon my head wasn't working to well,it's not too good when I'm not tired so when I am it's useless

[RickH]

Welcome to the Helios Club!

I've wondered if the tensioner could be dismantled & reassembled to work trailing on the other side. It might need getting/making a new spring though unless you can wind/unwind it enough to spring the other way.

Rick.

[Mick F]

Looks nice that!

+1


Great stuff!
What a good looking tandem!

[RickH]

The chainset came with 39t timing rings and I couldn't get the tensioner right it was either knocking the drainpipe or I could get the powerlink in,so I had a look in the box and found(much to my surprise)a pair of new 38s,all was well .

I found that I needed to put the powerlink/quicklink in with the chain off the timing chainrings (or at least one of them). There is still enough slack to wind it back on once the chain was connected (I've got 32T timing rings - inside rings of triple chainset).

I use the tensioner as an impromptu wear guide - once it is making contact with the frame tube it is time to change the chains!

Rick.

[reohn2]

Welcome to the Helios Club!

We'll consider ourselves fully paid up members

I've wondered if the tensioner could be dismantled & reassembled to work trailing on the other side. It might need getting/making a new spring though unless you can wind/unwind it enough to spring the other way.

Rick.

Yep,it's the spring that's the problem.I had brainstorm brain fade last night when I though there was an easy way
I'll look at the ghost ring idea first and if it does work well enough I just leave the tensioner as is until my brain gets itself in somekind of gear

[reohn2]

The chainset came with 39t timing rings and I couldn't get the tensioner right it was either knocking the drainpipe or I could get the powerlink in,so I had a look in the box and found(much to my surprise)a pair of new 38s,all was well .

I found that I needed to put the powerlink/quicklink in with the chain off the timing chainrings (or at least one of them). There is still enough slack to wind it back on once the chain was connected (I've got 32T timing rings - inside rings of triple chainset).

The problem was with the 39t rings the chain was either too slack for the tensioner to take up enough slack or too tight to get it on both rings,it needed a half link.The 38t rings solve the problem with a link removed.

I use the tensioner as an impromptu wear guide - once it is making contact with the frame tube it is time to change the chains!

Rick.

I'd sort of thought when the chain wears there maybe enough stretch/elongation to remove a link or add one and fit the 39s back on,time and wear will tell .

[reohn2]

A minus point I forgot to mention is position of two of the three bottle cage brazeons,on top of the two top tubes isn't wise IMHO, they're right where someone dismounting a low,almost step through design frame,is liable to kick out the bottle at best an ruin a cage at worst.
Underneath the TT would've been a better place IMO.
Alls not lost though I have one of these on order:- http://www.topeak.com/products/bottle-cages/cagemount
That'll be mounted on the rear of the front seatpost out of the way but within easy reach of the stoker,rule one for tandemists,always keep the stoker happy or suffer ear ache .