Rodriguez tandem page

Frequently asked questions about our bikes

Two Light! You don’t have to put up with the dis-advantages of carbon fiber to get a light tandem. There’s no need to sacrifice ride quality (not to mention $$$$) if you want the lightest, trickiest tandem built.

Here’s the tandem that’s been turning all the heads over the last few years. It’s a steel tandem that actually weighs 26.8 pounds with pedals and bottle cages installed. Of course, the weight varies by size, and the one that is pictured here is a medium size. The bottom brackets, hubs, seat posts, etc. are all components that will hold up to tandem riding. Believe it or not, many manufacturers use carbon fiber seat posts to make their tandems light! Carbon fiber seat posts should never be used as a captain seat post in a tandem.

Another trick that manufacturers use to make their tandems light is to use wheels that are designed for road racing single bikes. Road bike wheels fall apart quickly under tandem stresses. The wheels on our uber-light tandem are hand built specifically for tandem use, and they are much more durable than under-weight road bike wheels.

The first rule of building a tandem is to use parts that will hold up to tandem rinding. Otherwise, your putting your customers at risk of injury.

Another issue is a matter of… well… honesty. My philosophy is that if a customer is paying for light weight, they should not accept a bike that weighs more than a manufacturer claims. I’ve actually weighed some other companies light weight tandems and found that some actually weighed up to 30% more than their claimed weights.

Trust but Verify
From what i’ve experienced, I don’t even trust manufacturers printed weights, and neither should you. The problem has gotten so bad that I even wrote an article on the subject. If weight is important to you, get a money back, written guarantee of the finished weight before you order. We do this for customers who are paying extra for ultra-lightweight bicycles. If you just trust what someone puts in a catalog, you’re in for a disappointment when I weigh your bike on my digital scale.

Our Trillium ultra-light tandems are THE lightest tandems you’ll find at a price that you can afford, Come in today, and feel for yourself the tandem that beats them all!

We’re offering this bike in 2 version. One that weighs a digitally verified 30.8 pounds without pedals and bottle cages, the other weighs 26.8 pounds with pedals and cages (you can come into the shop and lift this one for yourself.)

The Specs
PDF Spec sheet 

Trillium Tandem (as light as 30.8 pounds)

Trillium Tandem (as light as 27 pounds)

Price