# Need tandem drivetrain help - simple ?'s



## bugger (Aug 24, 2004)

I just bought a used, somewhat rusted, Cannondale Los Dos tandem. It clearly needs a new chain in the left side, likely on the right too. The owner knew nothing about the bike - it had been stored for years. My questions are: 

1) Will a regular chain work on the tandem or is there a tandem specific length? 
2) When the driver pedals, the stoker must pedal at the same cadence. I only rode a tandem 1 time before, literally 15 years ago, and I thought that the two riders could use different cadences, because the stoker has a "freehub" of sorts in the bottom bracket. Am I totally off here? Could something be rusted out? Is it normal to have to pedal the same cadence? 

Thanks


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## Lucky (Jan 12, 2004)

bugger said:


> I just bought a used, somewhat rusted, Cannondale Los Dos tandem. It clearly needs a new chain in the left side, likely on the right too. The owner knew nothing about the bike - it had been stored for years. My questions are:
> 
> 1) Will a regular chain work on the tandem or is there a tandem specific length?


The drive side should be a normal length. I can't remember if the timing chain (non-drive side) takes extra. Simple way it to count the links. A typical new chain has 116 links.

My ex and I put several thousand miles on a road tandem, and we found that the drive chain wore faster than the timing chain. I think being bent sideways, as in shifting, is part of what wears out a normal chain, and the timing chain doesn't go through that. We went through a few drive-side chains, but the timing chain never elongated, and it was an ultralight hollow-pin job (came that way, not our choice)



bugger said:


> 2) When the driver pedals, the stoker must pedal at the same cadence. I only rode a tandem 1 time before, literally 15 years ago, and I thought that the two riders could use different cadences, because the stoker has a "freehub" of sorts in the bottom bracket. Am I totally off here? Could something be rusted out? Is it normal to have to pedal the same cadence?


A typical tandem does not have the freewheel mechanism you describe, though there are a few that do.  It is much more common to have a "fixed" drivetrain where both riders pedal at the same cadence. You'll see one bottom bracket will be oversized on your tandem, but that is to accomodate an excentric bottom bracket so you can take the slack out of the timing chain. More than likely, your C'dale has a "fixed" drivetrain.

Have fun with it!
Kathy :^)


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