Ti Touring Tandem

Another unique bike that we built to commission - to be fast, light... and a tandem.

This bike is for a team where the captain is 6'7" and the stoker 5'2". They already owned some very fine bikes - a Calfee Design Di2 tandem and a Rodriguez Cycles steel tourer - and we were happy to add a BCW special to their stable.

The ti tandem we created for them has full touring capacity, with S&S couplers, lightweight high-end components, and a rigid construction through oversize tubing that makes it stiff and responsive.

Frame construction

• open/no-lateral construction frame design - the lateral was omitted for simplicity and for weight saving (for both speed and as it's a travel bike)
• oversize tubing to compensate and provide strength: down-tube 2", bottom tube 2", topt-tube 1 3/4", seat-tube 1 1/2"
• oversize head-tube to accommodate an 1 1/4" Reynolds Carbon Tandem Fork

 

• We used Paragon Machine Works low-mount expedition disc dropouts, which allow for a chainstay mounted disc brake and mountings for fenders and a rack. We recommend Paragon components for most of our ti frames.

Frame detailing

• the stoker stem is not mounted on seatpost but is an integral part of the toptube - pierced through and welded in
• this allows more choice of stems and retains a space between bars and captain's seatpost (so you can use a handlebar bag when touring)

Components - all selected for quality and weight

• Spinergy Tandem wheels
• White Industries titanium bottom bracket
• DaVinci tandem cranks
• DuraAce shifters
• modified DaVinci wide-range rear derailleur to run a wide range 9spd DuraAce cassette
• oversize 203mm disc rotors
• Paul Racer Rear Brake to act as a 3rd brake/drag brake operated by stoker

• Chris King headset
• Carbon dropbars
• Thomson Masterpiece seatposts
• Avid SL disc brakes

Finish and lightness

• tig-welded construction
• glassbead blasted for stress relief
• we even drilled oversize holes in the S&S couplers to remove excess weight ('S&S drillium'?)

If you see this tandem out and about, it probably means it just went past you. This thing is seriously fast and we wish it's new owners many hours of happy riding. And two final statistics to conclude:

Total Weight: 25lb
Top Speed: Unknown

- BCW