# Info on a GF Tandem?



## seely (Jan 20, 2004)

Hey guys we got a really odd find in at the shop today. Its a GF Tandem with a pretty confusing parts setup making it a bit hard to date. Couldn't get any pics, sorry.

It has THREE pair of Suntour XC brakes, 2 cantilevers in the usual locations and then one pair underneath the rear stays setup with rollers (cam brakes maybe? before my time.) Anyways the headtube is 1 1/8", the components are 7spd XT/Deore, and the cranks are Sugino. Gripshift setup, all metallic red with a yellow GF label that just says something like Fisher Mountain Bikes with a line art mountain in the background. My boss says it was probably late 80's but with the mix of parts I somewhat disagree as the owner told us it was 100% original with no evidence to suggest otherwise. Anyways this is more to satisfy my curiosity since no one I have encountered can remember GF making a MTB tandem.

Thanks
Jon


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## MantisMan (Jan 20, 2004)

*Tandem*

I'm sure Gary Fisher made a tandem. It was called the Gemini and was sort of a flat black/charcoal. It also had a very unusual 22t granny ring but with a 74mm bcd! I would think it would've had a 1 1/4 evolution size headset/headtube. And yes the (much prettier than today) decals were as you described, red & white/silver if I remember correctly. It could be as new as 1991 since it's in my old fisher catalog.

I have a smooth running but updated 91 supercaliber so I guess I remember these things!


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## seely (Jan 20, 2004)

MantisMan said:


> I'm sure Gary Fisher made a tandem. It was called the Gemini and was sort of a flat black/charcoal. It also had a very unusual 22t granny ring but with a 74mm bcd! I would think it would've had a 1 1/4 evolution size headset/headtube. And yes the (much prettier than today) decals were as you described, red & white/silver if I remember correctly. It could be as new as 1991 since it's in my old fisher catalog.
> 
> I have a smooth running but updated 91 supercaliber so I guess I remember these things!


Thanks... 1 1/4 is definately possible since this has the classic GF "Bulge Bar". The decal is monocromatic yellow, with a ruby red metallic solid paint (original). Steel frame as evidenced by the rust. The stoker pushes what looks like a 52t ring while the front seems to be a more standard 44-ish t setup. I'll try to get pics.


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## MantisMan (Jan 20, 2004)

*Fisher Gemini*

Now that I've read your post more carefully, you probably are looking at a late 80's bike. The decals/logo you describe predate 1990. If I dig out my old 91 catalog I'll scan in a picture of the Gemini and post it!


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## ssmike (Jan 21, 2004)

MantisMan said:


> I'm sure Gary Fisher made a tandem. It was called the Gemini and was sort of a flat black/charcoal. It also had a very unusual 22t granny ring but with a 74mm bcd! I would think it would've had a 1 1/4 evolution size headset/headtube. And yes the (much prettier than today) decals were as you described, red & white/silver if I remember correctly. It could be as new as 1991 since it's in my old fisher catalog.
> 
> I have a smooth running but updated 91 supercaliber so I guess I remember these things!


I remember selling a few Gemini tandems. The ones I remember were a charcoal black with the white graphics. The dual rear brake sounds familiar. The frame design was unique. It had an "up-tube" instead of the more common "direct-lateral". The up tube went from the captain's bb shell to the stoker's seat cluster. A direct lateral went from the head tube all the way through the captain's seat tube and finally to the stoker's bottom bracket. The up tube is a Rick Jorgensen design that was used also by Ibis on their Cousit It tandems. Cousin Its used both an uptube and direct lateral making them way rigid and super fun at speed. Ibis Uncle Fester tandem had only a simple direct lateral (I had one of these). Anyway, back to Gemini - I'm terrible with remembering years, but I think they would have had to have been '89-'91 ish. You say the h/t is 1 1/8" - that would be the best way to date it because 1 1/8 came out in a specific year. It's easy to change parts, but hard to change the frame. Parts can be upgraded, but it sounds like they are original.

But regardless, they were pretty nice affordable tandems. Specialized made one too around the same time that was also affordable - affordable tandems at that time were still expensive, but not the $4000 for a Cousin It. The Gemini was (and still should be) a good off-road worthy tandem.


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