I was driving through our suburb the other day when I passed two people on what has to be the most amazing contraption I have ever seen.
The rear half was a normal upright bike, the front half a recumbent bike. The ultimate “hipster tandem?” Just picture it, take the worse bits of both types of bikes, not that there’s anything good about recumbents, and weld them together. It must have been about 14 foot long.
The female participant was on the front recumbent bit, the man, who was steering I suppose, at the rear. I didn’t manage to get a snap of them unfortunately, though I was laughing so hard I wouldn’t have been able to hold a camera steady in any case.
It was one of these....
Re: Twatbike...
Posted: Fri Apr 12, 2013 4:22 am
by rubato
Some people have to switch to a recumbent because of a back or neck injury.
I've never seen an upright/recumbent tandem before. Interesting.
yrs,
rubato
Re: Twatbike...
Posted: Fri Apr 12, 2013 3:51 pm
by dgs49
Are you sure the guy in back was steering? It is not clear from the picture.
My wife and I have a tandem because her riding skill is not good enough for either of us to relax while riding.
About this contraption, the question is why would anybody produce it? The potential market for it would be microscopic.
Re: Twatbike...
Posted: Fri Apr 12, 2013 4:39 pm
by Joe Guy
dgs49 wrote:Are you sure the guy in back was steering? It is not clear from the picture.
Are you seeing the entire bike? You may need to right click on the image and choose 'view image'. If you do you can see why the person in the rear is doing the steering. The person on front appears to be there to peddle only.
Re: Twatbike...
Posted: Fri Apr 12, 2013 5:46 pm
by Crackpot
That thing looks like a "marital-aid" gone wrong
Re: Twatbike...
Posted: Fri Apr 12, 2013 5:55 pm
by oldr_n_wsr
I had a bicycle built for two (made more than a few bucks when I sold it) MAde by Columbia IIRC (Maybe Ross). Three speed. Was fun for a while, but the wife was not very good at balancing on it so riding was a little difficult. The kids liked their own bikes
Re: Twatbike...
Posted: Sat Apr 13, 2013 8:54 pm
by rubato
dgs49 wrote:Are you sure the guy in back was steering? It is not clear from the picture.
My wife and I have a tandem because her riding skill is not good enough for either of us to relax while riding.
About this contraption, the question is why would anybody produce it? The potential market for it would be microscopic.
You can order a custom bike frame. Not unusual.
yrs,
rubato
Re: Twatbike...
Posted: Sat Apr 13, 2013 10:29 pm
by Gob
Ok, here's one being put to good use.
Uploaded on Apr 4, 2011
I am riding our Hase Pino tandem bike with my son with special needs. This is the perfect bike! We can ride long distances, do hills, keep up with others on regular road bikes. Wish I had found this 10 years ago!
ETA:
Half recumbent, half upright tandem, on the whole, an unbeatable concept: the PINO is one of the most versatile shared mobility options for duos or trios. The captain in the second row has the same unhindered view as the stoker, and the tandem is incredibly adjustable, making it possible for passengers who (still) can’t pedal to sit on the comfortable front seat: for example, children from 3’3” (100 cm) in height (with optional Children’s Crankset) or people with special needs.
detailed picture detailed picture detailed picture
Front-seat riders have an even more comfortable sitting position than the helmsman. They can lean back and enjoy the panorama at their feet, with the suspension fork beneath them ironing out any potholes. And, thanks to the second freewheel, they can even take a break and let the captain pedal alone for a while.
This nimble tandem can also be taken practically anywhere: thanks to its ultra-stiff tube joint, not only can the PINO handle extremely heavy loads. It can also be quickly broken down into two frame halves. The Luggage Rack and optional Lowrider carry supplies for the whole family – and the hydraulic disc brakes ensure that, even in critical situations, everything stays under control when the going gets … wild. And with the versatile PINO, this is sure to happen often …
I don't know what they cost in the States, but they are $5,700.00 over here!
Re: Twatbike...
Posted: Sat Apr 13, 2013 11:54 pm
by rubato
Cost is a bit flexible. If it gets a lot of use, that seems reasonable.
yrs,
rubato
Re: Twatbike...
Posted: Mon Apr 15, 2013 12:28 pm
by oldr_n_wsr
I paid less than that for my motorcycle brand new.
Re: Twatbike...
Posted: Mon Apr 15, 2013 7:49 pm
by dgs49
In a similar vein, I was out shopping with my wife on Saturday, and I sat in the car while she went into a couple dress shops.
I noted a H-D Ultra sitting in the lot, with a large aluminum frame bolted onto the back of it, so as to carry some heavy object, I knew not what. My first thought was maybe a golf bag, but I couldn't figure it out.
After a little while, two guys in their 50's showed up, one in a wheelchair with some degenerative muscle disease. Long story short (The process took about 15 minutes) the pusher lifted the wheelchair guy onto the passenger seat of the bike and strapped him in, then helped him don gloves and a helmet. Then he loaded the wheelchair on the rack in the back, and strapped it down. (I covered the license plate, but...). He then got suited up and the two of them rode off.
Given the price of an Ultra ($20k minimum), and the cost of fitting it up with that rack for the wheelchair, these guys must have REALLY enjoyed their riding.
Re: Twatbike...
Posted: Mon Apr 15, 2013 8:14 pm
by oldr_n_wsr
Surprised he didn't use a trailer for the wheelchair. I've seen plenty of bike pulling trailers.
