Yin & Yang – Update #6

Interbike is over, people are back to their routines, local bike shops are now getting flooded with 2009 product. That is how September and October go in the bicycle industry. Now our tandem is moving one step closer to becoming a reality. This is update number 6 as I have already posted the first 5 updates while making component decisions

As of the time of this writing, the tandem is nothing more than paperwork. It is a bunch of drawings and orders for tubing, although most of the decisions have been made only some of the components are real. I did have the opportunity to share an email or two with Brent Ruegamer just after Interbike and things are moving ahead. I would even dare to say just a bit faster than I had anticipated.

It looks like the carbon tubing has been ordered but not manufactured or delivered just yet, so if there was anything I wanted to change this would be the last opportunity to do so. Fortunately there is nothing that I really want to change in the build process. We did find out that the tubing ordered will be unidirectional fiber without the cosmetic weave that we are so used to seeing in most carbon fiber frames. This is actually better since, first, it is what we wanted as a tubing finish, and second, it makes for slightly lighter tubes with a bit less work trying to match up weaved fabric at the tubing intersections.

On the left is unidirectional carbon cloth. On the right is the more familiar carbon twill cloth. Nicole and I already have bicycles with different twill patterns. Our road bikes have a tight 3K weave and my mountain bike has a larger 12K weave. This time especially since a tandem is a unique site on the road and at most group rides we wanted something to make it look even more unique. Going with a unidirectional carbon seemed to be the best way to accomplish that.

Most of the other parts are in big boxes in my office, including the wheels that I posted about last week. Now it is just about being patient and waiting for updates from Brent. All the parts decisions have been made with the exception of two things. The headset choice has not been made yet, one reason for the delay is that I have forgotten to ask Brent what headset standard he uses when building his frames. It is hard to tell from pictures of his work that have been posted on the Internet. Pictures are too small and it seems that he has used several different kinds over the years. I would like to assume that he is using the Cane Creek standard integrated headset or even a Zero Stack standard, but I will just have to remind myself to ask.

One more thing, once I built up the wheels I have decided that I need to have another set, so there is another decision that still has to be made. This one is hard to come by as I am leaning against my better judgement and thinking about building a clincher wheel set, built around a Chris King Classic Mountain hub set. Other than my mountain bike I have not ridden clinchers in a couple of years, unless I was riding someone else’s bike.

In all of this I have failed to mention the date anticipated as the start of the construction process. Well, to be honest, the date is not exact and I also don’t want to jinx it. Just suffice it to say that it now looks like it may be a month ahead of what I have predicted all along. For those that need a refresh, the original date has always been January/February 2009. I am actually hoping it arrives before the holidays but I am not expecting it. We shall see, stay tuned.