The time has come to change the chains on our trusty steed,the drive chain is not a problem I will stay with the ever trustworthy HG73 but the timing chain is a sachs, and they don’t impress me that much. So what brand and chain model and also 8 or 9 speed.I see some tandems use 8’s and some 9’s, for timing chains.I’m leaning towards KMC but which one.Well must go beer fridge is calling me, cheers.
It doesn’t really matter as they don’t wear out quickly. Our choice for a high end tandem would be Sram so in the unlikely event that it breaks it can be repaired with a powerlink without shortening it.
Very little experience with tandem chains but we use Sram on our solos and can’t recommend the Powerlink high enough.My wifes chain snapped once on our travels,put a Powerlink in and away we went.I am ashamed to say it is still there.
I think I am right in saying that Sachs and Sram are now one and the same.
Hi, Thanks for the comments but in the end I stayed with the shimano chain for both chains as I have never had a shimano break on my single bikes. Have had a sram break under 200ks and 2 others I’ve had to swap because they skipped constantly, maybe I’m unlucky but I don’t think so. They are also noisey. The sram joining links work fine with shimano chains as well. Has anyone experience with the KMC chains, are they as “stretchproof” as they claim. or just a expensive gimmick.Maybe road tandems aren’t tough on the chains but riding offroad with a lot of climbing is really savage on both chains, the set I just changed did 1065kms plus a new lx cassette for my troubles.
Cheers all, Southie
G’day me again, another important thing to remember when changing your timing chain is make sure your cranks match up!! Then you don’t have the problem of your loverly stoker not being able to click in because the bloody pedals are all arsed up. Well I’m only human. Southie.
Southie,I am led to believe that you can still use Powerlinks with Shimano chains making removal for cleaning etc. much easier and avoiding the Shimano black pin procedure.
Shimano and Sram of course say you shouldn’t but I am assured that no problems arise provided of course that you use a nine speed Powerlink on a nine speed chain and so forth.
As regards pedal position,there is a school of thought that says tandem pedals should be ninety degrees out of phase therefore avoiding the *dead spot* when both pedals are at the top or bottom of their stroke.If they are out of phase then when one set is at the dead spot the other is on a power stroke.
Don’t ask me if it works or not we are having enough problems getting used to normal pedalling.
Hi Ian, a problem that raises its ugly head with cranks not timed together is cornering,as one crank will be down on the inside and if it touches the ground make sure you have a good helmet and health plan,not a pretty picture. Cheers Simon
Hi Ian,
I apolgize if I offended you, I didn’t mean to. I like to keep things simple and safe on the tandem then its not a problem to keep my stokers, its not really tandeming if your all alone on a big bike. We have started our night riding in the forests and fields with the tandem and my wife loves it, although my son is really p*ssed off with his mother because he’s missing out and not getting all the rides. I have a lupine edison 5 which I mount on my helmet and we see so many deer,foxes,bunnies and other animals and birds, plus all the lights of all the little villages in the valleys when your up on the hills it really gets your senses going.
Cheers Simon
