Is it too Highly Geared ?

[byegad]

Not tandem related, but 3 speed hub related.
When I lived in Durham City, I had a 3 speed bike. As Durham has several hills, there's more 'Geography' than area to fit it in, I found I rarely used top gear as I was freewheeling down the hills at speed, but needed a much lower bottom gear for climbing. So I changed the rear sprocket for the largest I could find and the front for a smaller one.
The net result was I had a top gear only just high enough for the flat and a bottom gear only just low enough for the hills.
I doubt that would suit a tandem, as in my limited experience, you can fairly bowl along on the flat.

 

[Illaveago]

At present it is running a 46 18 setup . I have ordered a 22 sprocket.

I don't think we will be going great guns on it, my wife hasn't ridden for years so I expect we will just potter about .

 

[Chris S]

At present it is running a 46 18 setup . I have ordered a 22 sprocket.

I don't think we will be going great guns on it, my wife hasn't ridden for years so I expect we will just potter about .

It will make a huge difference.
Your current gears are 50, 66 and 89 inches.
You will reduce them to 41, 54.3 and 72.5 inches.
Not only will you be able to use the top gear but you will be able to go up hills as well

 

[Chris S]

Just looking in my parts bin, have a new unused 13 teeth sa sprocket if any one can make use of it, will send free?

Putting a 13T sprocket on a bike with a 46T chainring and 26" wheels will give a 92" middle gear!
They're normally only used on bikes with smaller wheels such as Bromptons. Somebody here might be able to make use of it.

 

[SkipdiverJohn]

At present it is running a 46 18 setup . I have ordered a 22 sprocket.

It will make a huge difference.

Much more of a difference than I would want to make personally. It's all very well fine tuning ratios to optimise it, but a large change in gearing is going to fundamentally alter the way the bike feels to ride.
A tandem has the potential to really move on the flat. The bike weight won't be double a solo, as you don't have four wheels. Extra aerodynamic drag will be minimal if the second rider is smaller than the front one. I wouldn't gear it silly low myself, just a bit lower.

 

[roubaixtuesday]

At present it is running a 46 18 setup . I have ordered a 22 sprocket.

I don't think we will be going great guns on it, my wife hasn't ridden for years so I expect we will just potter about .

According to later poster you'll have 41, 54, 73" gears or thereabouts.

On our tandem we have a range of 17"-109"...

Tandems are *much* harder uphill IME, so I think you've got a good compromise there between spinning out on flat vs struggling uphill, but don't expect to get up hills of any length or steepness unless you've got the thighs of Fabien Cancellara.

Much more importantly, what brakes do you have and are they set up properly?

 

[T4tomo]

I've ridden tandems, and used to hub gears from a Brompton.

The intended 41, 54, 73 is not a bad starting point with what you've got (certainly more suited to a tandem than previous / current) given the limitation of a 3 speed standard SA hub.

You wouldn't want to do much more than pootling around on it though. setting aside the torque through a Hub gear issue, fundamentally you want a wide and varied gear choice on a tandem, because as stated they are much harder uphill than a solo bike, because its hard to time the "double the power" effort uphill and out of the saddle is not really an option, so tandem teams tend to drop into a low gear and twiddle up up a long climb. 41" is a bit high for twiddling, but you don't want much less that 72" for cruising along on the flat.

I would see how you get on with the 22 cog

 

[Illaveago]

According to later poster you'll have 41, 54, 73" gears or thereabouts.

On our tandem we have a range of 17"-109"...

Tandems are *much* harder uphill IME, so I think you've got a good compromise there between spinning out on flat vs struggling uphill, but don't expect to get up hills of any length or steepness unless you've got the thighs of Fabien Cancellara.

Much more importantly, what brakes do you have and are they set up properly?

They are drum brakes. I stripped them dow and cleaned them , they seem to stop alright.

 

[Illaveago]

This is the bike in t

andem form.

 

[roubaixtuesday]

This is the bike in t View attachment 578415

andem form.

It's convertible? Fab.

Is that some sort of chain tensioner on the timing belt?

The back end looks a bit twisty from the mixte frame - not one for charging down hairpins on I suspect.

Thanks for sharing!

 

[Illaveago]

It's convertible? Fab.

Is that some sort of chain tensioner on the timing belt?

The back end looks a bit twisty from the mixte frame - not one for charging down hairpins on I suspect.

Thanks for sharing!

Yes , it wasn't so I have taken a link out .
I haven't got used to the length or the extra width of the rear bars and cranks . Mind you I haven't ridden it very far yet .

 

[biggs682]

I would love to see somebody pedal dancing on a tandem

 

[SkipdiverJohn]

I would love to see somebody pedal dancing on a tandem

I'm not sure I would. The likely outcome of such antics is not going to be a pretty sight.

 

[Tail End Charlie]

I would love to see somebody pedal dancing on a tandem

If you mean both riders standing up on the pedals at the same time, I've seen it. There's a very strong pairing who Audax round here on Peak District rides. They are very fast uphill, much faster than me (although that's not saying much) and it's a great sight to see when they power off. Synchronized pedalling!! (yeah I know it has to be but you can imagine there's no timing chain). I've tried it but too wobbly so my wife just stands up.

 

[Aleman]

On my Rohloff equipped tandem I have a 47/17 combo, but the Rohloff adds a 526% variance so I have something like 21 to 105 gear inches. Like all tandems it's a compromise as we spin out going downhill, and uphill yep really could do with an extra lower gear ... As if 14 isn't enough To give you some idea it's geared similar to a 27 speed MTB.

We bought the Rohloff equipped Thorn as our old derailleur tandem (18 speed) just didn't have gearing low enough for hills, and no o real way to get any lower.

I think you have a tandem that is going to be great for flat work .,. But expect to push it uphills.