# Thinking of selling my Ventana El Testigo



## Hurricane Jeff (Jan 1, 2006)

Thinking of selling my Ventana El Testigo. My wife and son are no longer interested in riding it and now it just sits in the garage collecting dust.
I will need $4500 for it. It has very low miles and is in great condition.
PM if interested and convince me to sell it, or have any questions ...Im really on the fence about letting this go.


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## TandemBear (Aug 18, 2013)

Interesting....

Perhaps you might want to provide some basic specs? Like size? 

And where you're located?

I'm sure I couldn't do it at the moment, but it would be nice to dream!

Edit: Ok, I see you're in Big Bear. Within range!!!


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## Hurricane Jeff (Jan 1, 2006)

Hey TandemBear,

The frame is 17"/ 14", in a custom matte black finish.

The tandem has 9spd SRAM XO, shifters and rear derailleur, Shimano XTR front.

FSA Carbon cranks and FSA chainrings 46/36/24.

DT Swiss FR rear hub, Azonic 20mm front, Mavic X819?, 36 hole

RockShox Boxxer Team fork, 180mm travel, Fox DH coil 150mm travel

ControlTech adjustable stoker stem.

prototype Hurricane Stelvio front 120mm( probably would change out stem)

Easton MonkeyLite carbon bars front and rear.

Hurricane H45 seat posts

Avid Mechanical brakes.

This is my fourth tandem, 3rd Ventana and also the fastest and most awesome tandem.
It has very low, probably less than 500 miles ridden.

Its one of those things, its such an awesome bike and I would hate to get rid of it, but it deserves someone who is going to ride it instead of sitting in my garage.


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## TandemBear (Aug 18, 2013)

Jeff,
Thanks for all the pertinent details. VERY tempting. But I don't want to get your hopes up right now. I'll have to put the brakes on, as financing such a purchase isn't in the cards right now. 

Thanks again!


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## Hurricane Jeff (Jan 1, 2006)

Thank you TandemBear, hopes aren't up, I can go either way to sale or not to sale this tandem. I just would like the bike to be ridden, it's not getting ridden here.


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## laksboy (Sep 4, 2007)

That's SO tempting. I've got an ECDM that I bought used that I ride with my 9yo old son. We've put 300+ miles on it in the previous 2 years. I think it is a 17/14 as well. I wish Sherwood would reconsider and bring back a redesigned modern version of the Testigo... Because I would really like something even more capable than the ECDM (search "jackson & rose tandem" on facebook, while we're not doing gaps (yet), that's our style of riding). Any chance you ever travel through SLO? $4,500 is probably a little steep given the lack of modern suspension forks that would fit and the advancements in rear wheel size, hub spacing and tire clearance. But like I said, I could be tempted and am pretty sure I could sell my ECDM rather easily.


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## Hurricane Jeff (Jan 1, 2006)

I do go up that way ever so often, might hit up Sea Otter next month. While the Fork is limited to 26", the rear has adjustable dropouts and 27.5 fits.


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## laksboy (Sep 4, 2007)

If you do Sea Otter, are coming through SLO and are willing, I'd be really interested in a test ride. I could probably figure out everything I need to know in about a 90 min test ride. I have another buddy here with a young son who's interested in my ECDM and my boy and I would be THRILLED to have another dad/son combo to ride with...

A few questions for you. When I was doing my "FS tandem shopping" 3 years ago, there were a few concerns with the Testigo that a few people mentioned and I'd be curious to hear your input. One of which was it's tendency to squat and for the rear cranks to hit the ground under normal downhill pedaling.

What's the rear shock measurements? It would seem to me that a modern rear air shock with volume reducing bands in the canister and platform damping might help prevent this by giving more mid-travel support.

What's the stoker crank length? From the picture, it looks like they might be shorter which would help as well and is better for a kid stoker anyways.

What's the wheelbase, and can you provide the front wheel angle at max turn? I wonder if Sherwood, would be able to weld in a 1.5T" head-tube, allowing the use of a modern Fox 36 or Lyrik. I have an old Lyrik on my ECDM, but it would have to stay on it in order to sell it.

What's the travel on the Boxxer and it's vintage? Is it 20mm or 15TA?

What rims are you running and what is the tire clearance in the rear?

And how's it climb and on technical terrain? How is its maneuverability compared to your other offroad tandems? There's no doubt that this thing would shred the local downhills, but we ride a lot of technical/tight windy punchy stuff too with sharp corners and lots of singletrack climbs...


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## Hurricane Jeff (Jan 1, 2006)

laksboy,
A few answers to your questions,

I have never encountered any negative pedaling/ squat in any pedaling situation. This is our 4th tandem, Curtlo hardtail, ECDM, and this being the second El Testigo. Like I mentioned, this is also the best of them all, seems to do everything better than the others.

The shock length eye-eye is 8" and yes there are air shocks that would fit, but why?

The stoker cranks match the the captains at 175mm length. The wheelbase is adjustable, max is 76" and will accommodate a large 27.5" tire/ wheel, if preferred. I do not have the angle at max turn in, but we have had double clamp forks on all three Ventana's and never felt burdened by its turning radius, even cleared tight trails and switchbacks.

The travel on the Boxxer is 7"(177.8mm) an it uses a 110mmx 20mm axle. The rims are Mavic X729 Disc and uses a rear DT Swiss 440 Freeride rear hub and had a matching front, but the flange broke while it was sitting in the garage. The front hub is a Azonic DH hub. 
36 Black 14g DT Champion spokes and and black brass nipples. 

As mentioned, plenty of clearance in the rear. It has adjustable rear dropouts.

The bike is impressive everywhere, better handling, better climbing and better descending that the others, I cant explain what was so different from the 1st El Testigo, but this one just is better in every way.

The riding you mentioned is pretty close to what we ride up here.

I would love to keep it, but it just sits in my garage...pretty much has not been ridden in two years and it wasn't ridden for the last 5 years before that...what a pity!


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## laksboy (Sep 4, 2007)

"The shock length eye-eye is 8" and yes there are air shocks that would fit, but why?"
-The ability to tune an ultra light spring rate and ramp rate for a 50 lb stoker and a 170 lb captain. What was your typical team weight distribution?

"The bike is impressive everywhere, better handling, better climbing and better descending that the others, I cant explain what was so different from the 1st El Testigo, but this one just is better in every way."
-What happened to the original Testigo? And physically how is this one different?

"I would love to keep it, but it just sits in my garage...pretty much has not been ridden in two years and it wasn't ridden for the last 5 years before that...what a pity!"
-That is a huge pity for sure. I'm surprised that there's not as big a demand for the Testigo's as the used ECDM's.


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## laksboy (Sep 4, 2007)

Jeff did you ever sell this? I'm on the fence again about building up a new custom tandem or "settling" on good enough... Can you give me a few measurements? Head angle? Seat angle? BB heights? Thanks again.


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## ebnelson (Oct 30, 2006)

You can try poking around the web archive and see what you can find. Wayback Machine


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## Hurricane Jeff (Jan 1, 2006)

Really about the only thing I could accurately give is the bottom bracket height, since I don't have an accurate device for the head and seat angle. Maybe visit Ventanas website, you may find this info there.


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## Hurricane Jeff (Jan 1, 2006)

I finally decided to sell this tandem. Its been a great ride, but years of collecting dust, I think I'll have to let her go.

Ill update with components and frame details soon and will post in the classifieds


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## laksboy (Sep 4, 2007)

Umm, I'm still interested?


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## Hurricane Jeff (Jan 1, 2006)

Hopefully this weekend( super, super busy) Ill get that info up. pretty much same spec as above, but with SRAM XX rear 10 speed shifter, XO front 3x shifter( with a XX 2x front shifter and derailleur so you can run 2x10)
Price will be somewhat negotiable but still looking around 4k or so.


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## Hurricane Jeff (Jan 1, 2006)

Well I did it, sold the El Testigo. Sad to see it go but I know it's going to a good home where it will be used.


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## laksboy (Sep 4, 2007)

It's been a labor of love but she's finally back and ready to ride. The Testigo rebuild is basically complete and every bit as awesome as I hoped it would be. Thanks to Sherwood for being willing to swap out the old straight headtube to a modern tapered one. We've got 2 rides on it so far and it checks all the boxes. Bigger and burlier than the old ecdm and can now get around switchbacks. 

Here's the highlights:
~65 degree headangle
180/150 dual position RS Lyrik
2.8 x 27.5 Minon DHF up front on Light Bicycle 40mm inner carbon rims. CushCore protected (15psi!)
2.5x26 in the rear, ProCore protected, also at 15psi (10yo stoker). I plan to install a 26x2.8 Minion DHR
203 BB7s
Driveside timing (currently 22t)
30t oval x 11-42 10spd sram XX
155mm kids cranks for stoker ground clearance (and short legs.)
KS Lev dropper. 
Ventana also added a captain stealth dropper port, front water bottle mounts (for side entry cage), and boomtube skid plate mounts.


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## laksboy (Sep 4, 2007)

https://www.thebikedads.com/ventanas-full-suspension-tandem-el-conquistador-de-montanas/

We'll be racing the China Peak Enduro this weekend.


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## unikid28 (Oct 11, 2017)

Here is another one? https://sfbay.craigslist.org/scz/bik/d/ventana-ete-tandem/6650387301.html


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## laksboy (Sep 4, 2007)

That's a phenomenal bike. FWIW, swapping out to a tapered headtube cost me about a grand and was absolutely worth it for being able to use a modern fork and 27.5 front wheel. Also on mine, the original headtube was too long with external headset cups to even be able to run a modern triple crown due to stack height limitations.


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## bigdog100 (Sep 13, 2009)

Looking for a tandem mountain bike 29er if you know one for sale


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## unikid28 (Oct 11, 2017)

Original CL link died a while back so I figured it must have sold. However it looks like they have relisted it again: https://sfbay.craigslist.org/scz/bik/d/ventana-ete-tandem/6683192709.html


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## unikid28 (Oct 11, 2017)

bigdog100 said:


> Looking for a tandem mountain bike 29er if you know one for sale


I suggest you start a new thread for this in the forums. Or check MTBR Classifieds section. Here are some other sites for used tandems that occasionally yield a 29'er (but usually pretty rare):

https://www.pinkbike.com/buysell/list/?region=3&q=tandem
Tandem Bicycles For Sale, Tandem Bike Components For Sale
https://tandemclub.org/classifieds/browse-ads/


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## killerisation (Nov 26, 2008)

Just discovered this thread. My wife and I are the new owners of the ETE on CL.
What a lovely machine!


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## Hurricane Jeff (Jan 1, 2006)

Thats cool. The last time I saw a picture of that bike was from the person who bought it from me, it was on the Tahoe Rim trail.


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## killerisation (Nov 26, 2008)

We rode another 25 miles on it this morning on the "Ride for Rwanda". Worked great, and had lots of admirers.


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## Hurricane Jeff (Jan 1, 2006)

That bike is bad ass.
With the newer ETE tandem I had, if I had not sold it, I was going to convert over to 27.5" wheels by using the rear sliding drop outs and using a 27.5" fork. I still think that someday I would get another tandem, but I would have to have assurances form my wife that we would ride it.


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