Does anyone have any suggestions on tandems? Brand, where to find good used ones etc. I don’t want a beach cruiser and would like something that could handle the roads well and be as close to a road bike as possible.
My wife doesn’t bike, but would if we had a tandem (another discussion altogether) and we have a burley that I pull on my road bike with my 2 year old. Obviously with a tandem we could all head out for a long ride on the weekends.
Thanks!!!
it depends on your budget.
i would recommend finding a burley tandem. they dont make them anymore but they are awesome. comotion makes some great machines as well.
Santa Carbon with di2, gates drive between captain and stoker, break apart frame, hard cases to transport it in. All in one nice package.
Definitely bike porn and if ou have ever thought about a tandem, this makes you drool. About the price of a new Dogma. :).
I rode a “beam” tandem over one weekend. a unique experience.
In all seriousness, find a place that will rent you a tandem for a weekend before getting one. You may find that your wife isn’t quite as interested to be that close to you for that long, with you having all the control. However, if she is, remember that you can also get child stoker kits that bolt onto the back so that you and a young child can go out for a ride.
This shop in Birmingham, AL. is a great resource!
We’ve had a cannondale tandem for years. We bought the “mountain” version and then put big fat slicks on it. It has bee great and now our kids are big enough to ride on the back which is a lot of fun. Highly recommended and not all that expensive.
Drn92
Don’t forget the first law of tandems:
“The stoker is always right!”
Just in case you aren’t familiar, here are the commonly accepted terms for the 2 riding positions on the tandem:
Rider who steers - The Captain
Rider who only pedals - The Stoker
Oh…kid in babyseat on the back of the tandem or in trailer - The Coxswain 
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I got a Santana from the early 90’s for $700 off craigslist. It has a 6 speed freewheel and downtube shifters, but it’s great.
Cannondale offersvsome great bikes at reasonable prices. The athlete I gude has one and ii is a nice ride. One of the better “cheap” options out there.
I was in the same boat as you. Wife did not ride and I pulled 5 year around on the come along. We are on our 2nd tandem - Trek. If you are new to tandems, I would suggest going the used route first - hits sites like Craig’s list for some good deals. Tandems are one of those things that sound great, but seem to sit around in people’s garages without ever getting used. If your wife likes it, move up to a higher end ride… Just my 2 cents…