# Full suspension tandem for Clydesdale?



## de lars cuevas (Jun 19, 2006)

Hi there,

I' "captain" road and mountainbike tandems in the Netherlands. One of my tandemfriends is Rudi, a 2m, 100kg German. Occasionally we ride together on his Pedal Power (with Marzo DJ, 8" XT discs) mountainbiketandem. He would like to buy a full suspension though, for touring and some Fun-XC. I allready read this forum, but I have some specific questions about Rudi's case:

Frame
The Ventana and Ellsworth both seem good options. Both 4"rear travel. And they both offer the right sizes. Main difference: Ventana needs a 4"fork, Ellsworth needs a 5-6 inch fork. And I'm not sure about the availability of Ellsworth in Germany. Any ideas?

Shock
Does Rudi need a coil shock, or will the RP23 in the Ventana do?
I really like the RP23 on my solo bike. The PP switch is very usefull, better than a lockout. 
Would Rudi require custom shocktuning for his weight? And are coils available with on switch on/off propedal features?

Forks
High stability and availability in Europe are a must. Good adjustabiliy for different captains is important. Coil oir Air? Something like Motion Control would be nice.
Ventana: I think anything up to 115mm is okay. How about a Lyrik (35mm stanchions) @115mm? Or a Pike/argyle (only 32mm stanchions)? 
5"or 6"forks for the Ellsworth: How about the Domain? And what would be the best Marzocchi-option?

Other parts: any usefull suggestions?

A lot of questions, i know. But I would love to hear your recommendations! 

btw: i'm 1.9m and 70kg. Therefore, if we ride together, most of the weight will be on the rear wheel.


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## TandemNut (Mar 12, 2004)

The fork length can be the same for both frames, as they are very similar in geometry (similar roots, you might say).
With that sort of team weight, I'd be on a double-crown fork. You have more tandem fork options available in Europe than we do in the states (too many lawyers). 
We can and have shipped both Ellsworths and Ventanas to Germany with no issues.
With your team weight, use lots of care in choosing the parts and wheels!


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