The Setup
Intro
So, now that I’ve written about why we ride a tandem (The Tandem Decision), and about the tandem itself (The Limousine), it is time to look at what we actually bring along for the ride.
Or more precisely: what we bring, besides ourselves and a medically questionable amount of carbohydrates.
The whole setup weighs 25 kg (55 lb), including bottles but excluding water. It sounds like a lot, but split between two people that’s 12.5 kg (27.5 lb) each for an eight-day setup, which I think is pretty reasonable.
Attached to the tandem
| Item | Details |
| Tandem | As stated in the previous post, our tandem is the Santana Journey, equipped with an Ultegra Di2 2×12 drivetrain. The chainring is tandem custom made and offers 34/50 teeth, and the cassette has 11/40 teeth. It features a hand welded titanium frame with Z-couplers. These are essentially engineered separation points in the frame that allow the bike to be taken apart into several pieces for easier transport. The frame itself weighs 3.86 kg (8.51 lb). The complete tandem, including wheels, handlebars, drivetrain and all components, weighs 14 kg (30.86 lb). |
| Wheels | The tandem is equipped with disc brakes at the front and the back. The wheels are from DT Swiss (RR521 db disc), and we run 32 mm tires. |
| Aerobars | At the front, we have Profile Design Sonic Ergo (52a) aerobars, which allow Marco to occasionally pretend this is a calm and controlled situation. |
| Pedals captain | Marco rides with standard SPD pedals (Shimano PD-M520) |
| Pedals stoker | I use Favero Assioma Pro MX-1 power meter pedals. On a tandem, caloric estimates for the stoker are… unreliable. They are often off by roughly 50%, which is impressive in the worst possible way. I prefer to know how much I actually need to eat, rather than discovering it mid bonk. |
| Seatpost stoker | The seat position for the rider at the back uses a Cane Creek Thudbuster LT suspension seatpost. This is less a luxury and more a long term survival strategy. I used to have the ST, but the saddle kept dislodging due to a manufacturing failure, so our mechanic at Tandem Schweiz kindly replaced it. |
| Saddles | Both saddles are from Terry. We chose slightly softer models, because on a tandem you cannot shift position as freely as on a solo bike. Marco: Figura Gel Max Men, Petra: Figura Gel Max Women |
| Handlebars stoker | The stoker handlebars are the original bullhorn bars that came with the bike. I unfortunately do not know the brand. They are currently wrapped in the original bar tape in the picture, but have since been upgraded to Lizard Skins DSP Ultra Handlebar Tape (4.6mm version). We also added Redshift Cruise Control grips, in an attempt to convince my hands to remain functional over multiple days. |
| Mudguards | We installed mudguards from SKS. The front is a fixed Bluemels Matte mounted with screws. The rear is a hybrid setup, combining a fixed section with a Raceblade Pro XL, allowing us to remove part of the mudguard when needed to legally transport the tandem by car. |
| Water bottles | On the frame, we have five Fidlock bottle mounts. All bottles are Fidlock 590mL. |
| Security | Finally, the bike is equipped with a Knog Scout alarm. This does not make the bike impossible to steal, but it does make it slightly more annoying to do so. |
Bags
Below the aerobars hangs a Restrap Race Aero Bar Bag, paired with a custom 10 L generic dry bag that we bought from Amazon. Front dry bag contents:
- Warm jackets (for when the weather inevitably disagrees with the forecast)
- Rain jackets for me and Marco
- Rain legs (I love the arctic version!)
- Overshoes (still under discussion, but likely yes)
Captain (Marco’s) cockpit
| Item | Details |
| Navigation: Wahoo Elemnt Roam V2 | Marco uses the Wahoo Elemnt Roam V2 for navigation. It tells us where to go, and occasionally reminds us that we made poor decisions 20 km ago |
| Front mount | The mount is a basic adjustable Wahoo stem mount from Amazon. Nothing fancy, but it holds the computer in place, which is ultimately its only job. |
| Front light: Ravemen PR2000 | The Ravemen PR2000 serves as both a front light and a 10,000 mAh power bank. |
| Feedbags | Marco runs two feed bags from Decathlon mounted to the cockpit. These are used for food and quick access items. |
| Water bottle | Marco keeps an 800 mL water bottle in his right feed bag. Easy access, minimal thinking required. |
Captain (Marco’s) frame bag
Marco’s frame bag is an Apidura Expedition Frame Pack (4.3 L).
| Item | Details |
| Backup front light | Ravemen PR2000. Mandatory for RATN. Also doubles as a 10,000 mAh power bank. Because one light is good. Two lights is peace of mind. |
| Backup rear light | Bontrager Trek Flare RT. Also mandatory. Being invisible at night is generally considered suboptimal. |
| Chargers | Chargers (small pouch). A collection of USB-C, USB-A, iPhone cables, and whatever else is required to keep our devices alive. Without these, everything slowly turns into expensive dead weight. |
Stoker (Petra’s) cockpit
My cockpit is slightly less about control, and more about oversight, survival, and preventing preventable mistakes.
| Item | Details |
| Navigation: Garmin Edge 1050 (mounted on Garmin Edge Power Mount) | I use a Garmin Edge 1050 which works like a charm and allows me to add course points along the route where we can buy food |
| Battery life: Garmin Edge Power Mount | I use the Garmin Edge Power mount to keep my Garmin topped up at all times. Unlimited battery power is not a want. It is a philosophy. A way of life. Possibly a religion. A full return to my trusty eTrex days, where the battery reliably outlasted my cardiovascular fitness. |
| Feedbags | My feed bags are from Revelate Designs. We bought them before I realized Decathlon makes perfectly good ones for less. These are mainly used for quick carbs, but also to access items such as unscreen and chapstick. And occasionally, things I thought I would need “just for a moment” and then never put back where they belong. |
Stoker (Petra’s) frame bag
My frame bag is a custom made frame bag from Restrap.
| Item | Details |
| Power banks | Two Nitecore NB10000 power banks, one being actively used to power my Garmin Edge |
| Life support | Some suncream, nitric gloves, hair ties, Ibuprofen, Isostar, Electrolytes, chain oil etc |
Tailfin
| Item | Details |
| SHTF bag | At the bottom of the Tailfin sits an old stethoscope bag that fits as if it was designed for it. Inside: two spare tires, a Crank Brothers Speedier Tire Lever (love it), a Cycplus AS2 pro electric pump (love it even more), spare cleats and cleat shims (ask me why…), and a Di2 shifter battery. |
| Food | We carry medically questionable amounts of carbohydrates in every conceivable form, color, and consistency. Fuel is not negotiable! |