Raleigh Duo Tandem Opinion

[slaghuis]

I bought an ancient Excocet tandem off Junkmail, and the wife and I are loving it!  That is, apart from the fact that I have endless mechanical problems.  The latest was a broken front derailleur.  The bike shops tell me a Shimano 105 5503 Tripple Front Derailleur is vintage.  (I found one on eBay, but its going to take forever from Poland).  

 

The alternative is to just end the misery and buy a new bike.

 

I find the market split in two now.  Matrix and Canondale both sell a bike for R44000 plus.  The alternative is the recently introduced Raleigh Duo Tandem at R29800.  (They are available as from about October 2016).

 

Does anyone have any opinion on them?  

 

(Apart from the fact that you have to buy to through Makro? Under the Kids Section? Online? (No fitting or after sales service?) - Fortunately a couple of other guys also sell them.)  

 

I think they use the same Shimano 105 5700 3x10 drive train as the Canondale. I think Canondale has the Tiagra 4700 12-30 cassette, and the Raleigh has a 5700 series 12-25. Why should I pay R15000 more for the Canondale?

 

Eric

Edited February 6, 2017 by slaghuis

[johanhorak]

Interesting what these new bikes cost. I cannot give you any advice. And I suppose you are urgently looking for a bike. And are not interested in secondhand anymore. If this bike is still available it https://www.gumtree.co.za/a-sports-bicycles-fitness/douglasdale/canondale-tandem/1001891111570911110881309

[Speeltyd]

I have been riding tandems since 1999 - did 18 Argus' on a tandem to date.

That is with a Canondale R1000 Road Tandem.

 

Three years ago, I bought a Avalanche Envy Offroad Tandem - paid R15 000 (new) for it at the time. Did the KKK with it that year - 500km's offroad around George/Oudtshoorn etc.

Last year we did the Sani2C with it, and this year we plan for the Trans Baviaans.

 

It is a trong frame, fair groupsets and does not cost an arm and a leg. I strongly recommend this tandem - sourced through most dealers.

[Sepia]

@Slaghuis.

I have an Ultegra x3 FD if wanted.

[slaghuis]

@Slaghuis.

I have an Ultegra x3 FD if wanted.

[slaghuis]

I'd love it! I'm will send you a private message (if I can) A derailleur will get me back on the road again, and take the pressure off the procurement process

[fabs]

I bought an ancient Excocet tandem off Junkmail, and the wife and I are loving it!  That is, apart from the fact that I have endless mechanical problems.  The latest was a broken front derailleur.  The bike shops tell me a Shimano 105 5503 Tripple Front Derailleur is vintage.  (I found one on eBay, but its going to take forever from Poland).  

 

The alternative is to just end the misery and buy a new bike.

 

I find the market split in two now.  Matrix and Canondale both sell a bike for R44000 plus.  The alternative is the recently introduced Raleigh Duo Tandem at R29800.  (They are available as from about October 2016).

 

Does anyone have any opinion on them?  

 

(Apart from the fact that you have to buy to through Makro? Under the Kids Section? Online? (No fitting or after sales service?) - Fortunately a couple of other guys also sell them.)  

 

I think they use the same Shimano 105 5700 3x10 drive train as the Canondale. I think Canondale has the Tiagra 4700 12-30 cassette, and the Raleigh has a 5700 series 12-25. Why should I pay R15000 more for the Canondale?

 

Eric

 

Hello Eric.

 

Send me a message if you are interested in a good used, hardly ridden Raleigh Tandem.

Its been gathering dust, since my girlfriend is not interested in cycling anymore.

[johannrissik]

Hello Eric.

 

Send me a message if you are interested in a good used, hardly ridden Raleigh Tandem.

Its been gathering dust, since my girlfriend is not interested in cycling anymore.

I assume you mean that the tandem is gathering dust?

[johannrissik]

I bought an ancient Excocet tandem off Junkmail, and the wife and I are loving it!  That is, apart from the fact that I have endless mechanical problems.  The latest was a broken front derailleur.  The bike shops tell me a Shimano 105 5503 Tripple Front Derailleur is vintage.  (I found one on eBay, but its going to take forever from Poland).  

 

The alternative is to just end the misery and buy a new bike.

 

I find the market split in two now.  Matrix and Canondale both sell a bike for R44000 plus.  The alternative is the recently introduced Raleigh Duo Tandem at R29800.  (They are available as from about October 2016).

 

Does anyone have any opinion on them?  

 

(Apart from the fact that you have to buy to through Makro? Under the Kids Section? Online? (No fitting or after sales service?) - Fortunately a couple of other guys also sell them.)  

 

I think they use the same Shimano 105 5700 3x10 drive train as the Canondale. I think Canondale has the Tiagra 4700 12-30 cassette, and the Raleigh has a 5700 series 12-25. Why should I pay R15000 more for the Canondale?

 

Eric

So you're looking for a 3x front derailleur for a road bike? Surely there must be one available somewhere, it's not a tandem specific part.

[Sepia]

So you're looking for a 3x front derailleur for a road bike? Surely there must be one available somewhere, it's not a tandem specific part.

Sent Eric one yesterday.  All good.

[johannrissik]

Nice one!

[slaghuis]

I got a Shimano FD-5603 from Sepia.  Thank you kindly sir!  Ill fit it this afternoon and take the bike for a spin this weekend.

[slaghuis]

So you're looking for a 3x front derailleur for a road bike? Surely there must be one available somewhere, it's not a tandem specific part.

Johan, it is not the 3x that is the issue.  The challenge is that a tandem has a 53/42/32 crank on.  The size of the crank apparently is the issue.  My bike had a Shimano FD-5503 on.  This is an ancient model.  The 5503 is a Shimano 105 (5) series 5 (5) 3x (03) FD, that was made for a 3x9 drivetrain.  This was replaced by the 5603, which is a 3x10 speed rig.  The current series is the 5803 (which is 10 speed for the 3x range and 11 speed for the double range).  Apparently the 9, 10 and 11 speed components are not really compatible since the chain is narrower.

You can still get a Shimano Sora front derailleur that has been built for a 3x9, but it does not work on the big crank. (Ask me, I have tried it.  The derailleur itself is quite a bit shorter, and cannot reach the full vertical travel of the chain)

[100Tours]

I ride a tandem - they are by definition always in the process of falling apart, and you have to love tinkering because you're almost always trying to sort out a compatability problem (currently my issue is that the 25mm tyre on the back wheel is slowly cutting its way through my fd hangar, but a 23mm tyre is too harsh - this is the nature of a tandem).

 

If you're looking at upgrading we ride a Matrix (Tank cycles) which you can get as a frame for about R18,000. I'll see if I can find a link to the previous ad on the hub.

 

You'll probably need to find a set of second hand components to match your current set up, however if you do decide to upgrade I'd like to put an idea out there - we have gone 2x10 on the tandem with a long cage mtb derailleur and a pair of elliptical front rings. Wouldn't look back. The double front derailleur rocks and the 11-36 XT cluster gives us a decent gear range.

 

You're likely to have to go 10 speed at some stage..

[100Tours]

I had a look at the Raleigh on the link provided

 

Pros -

Wheels look ok / Novatec hubs are nice

Mechanical disks should do a good braking job

105 groupset should work fine

 

Cons

pro wheel crankset I have never heard of.. bit of a ??

top gear is 52x12 - that might be a bit small for 2 of you. we make good use of 53x11

I'd change the stoker handlebar to something that doesn't come off a mtb

How heavy/flexible is that frame. hard to tell.

[Paul Ruinaard]

That Carbon fork scares me on a tandem as well. 

 

Cannondale are the Rolls Royce of tandems and they are probably there because they are simply put very well built.  I have heard lots of stories about cheaper tandems with flexing and the like - the Cannondale is properly sorted and in terms of tweaking works much better. Less tweaking equals more riding.

 

Your question answers itself. Cannondale is pretty much the tandem that will give you the greatest peace of mind.

 

WRT them I currently have a Cannondale  T 2 and had an RT 3000 i used to race a lot. Its a bike so its not like someone can't build it as well, as long as you build it properly and strong with the correct components you will have endless miles.

 

Dont try and save yourself rich when on tandems. Use the best (not the lightest - the strongest) you can get.

 

And if you are seriously looking my wife is not that in to Tandeming any more so my T2 could be up for sale. As I said its pretty much new (ish) and has some additions like TRP HY RD Hydraulic discs as well as Spokeworx Velocity Rims hand built by Ruan Deysel, and saddles bars etc are all upgraded.

 

Would be Looking for about R 35k neg.