Customer Reviews

Pacific Dualie Tandem Bike (26-Inch Wheels, Green)

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(12)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

This is a superbly constructed bike. The strong steel frame is a little heavier, but much more stable, and forgiving, for less experienced tandem bikers. First gear is a Shimano super low making it easy to peddle, and get both bikers on their seats and peddles. 21 gear, all Shimano drive train, with SRAM index handle shifters, and comfortable seats, make it easy to do hills. The Promax brakes have complete control of the weight of two riders going down a steep incline. It has the connections for all the fun accessories, two sets of screws for water bottle cages, connection points for adding a three strut mountain bike rack. You can carry plenty of stuff, and then add fold down, rectangular panniers, to the rack, to carry two grocery store bags perfectly. This bike is a summer work horse, for fun, exercise, and a utility vehicle for two. With gas over $4.00 a gal, this bike makes even greater sense. Assembly is easy, only placing handle bars, seats, and peddles, the drive train is completely intact. Cool spacers on the cables running along the front horizontal frame bar, protect the paint. Be sure to tighten all bolts before your maiden ride, shipping can loosen them a little. Tires need 65 psi for a very smooth ride, on city tires, for two. This is a unique value at $199.99, delivered. I have recommended it to several friends.

The wheels needed truing, brakes needed adjusting and gears were only slightly off adjustment. You'll need to carry a 15mm wrench to remove a wheel to change a flat if one occurs, but who can really complain about a solidly constructed bike for 200 stinkin bucks?!?!? It would have been worth $20 to $40 more if it had come with quick release skewers on the wheels instead of bolted on wheels. It comes with a 14-34 rear cassette so climbing hills won't be a problem. The only way to get skewers is to completely replace the wheels, but good luck finding a 14-34 cassette. I use this bike to pick up my 10 year old nephew from school and he loves it. My girlfriend & I enjoy "green riding" instead of driving to fun things like a park festival, or going to the movies. The steel frame flexes, unlike alluminum, so that bad bumps don't beat the heck out of you. Tires are nobby so riding on dirt and easy single track is ok. I would not try to do seriuos mountain biking on any tandem mountain bike, certainly not this one. You can't turn as sharp and the long frame can more easily bottom out. We are planning to enjoy a ride on the nearest cinder covered "Rails to Trails". Have put a rack on the back and we plan even to do some grocery shopping together! It is well worth the $200. Also be sure to clean out the rims, there are many shards of metal from the very sharp spoke tips along the rim, they will puncture your tire. And watchout for chain tossing when you shift to the big climbing 1st speed going up a hill.

What attracted me was the super low $200 price for a brand-new tandem bike that was much less expensive (delivered) than used tandems listed on Craigslist or eBay. It's a steel frame, but the 21-speed gearing makes the bike pretty easy to ride if you use them effectively. I was a bit concerned about fit and finish due to the low price, but when it arrived it's all pretty decent and certainly a great value for the money.

P.S. - The exact same bike is currently listed on the Toys R Us website for $189.99 but they will add a $121.34 charge for ground shipping and handling ($311.33 total not including sales tax).

Edit: Looks like they just increased to $239.99 to offset the shipping.

I highly recommend this tandem with two provisos: 1) You MUST have a professional bike mechanic assemble/adjust it. 2) You need to buy decent quality, gel saddles and install them immediately.
I worked for several years in the 80's as a professional bike mechanic and rode and raced many bikes of different styles and levels of sophistication. I even rebuilt a tandem my friend rescued from a dumpster. It was fun, but heavy and slow as an elephant and rode like a wet noodle. We parted ways with it 5 years ago. Since my youngest son turned 10 I had been toying with the idea of another tandem, since he's now tall enough to ride an adult bike. I spent some time on the internet checking out what was available, only to be discouraged by the $1000 plus prices of a quality bike.
Last month I stopped by the NEX on the way to the Commissary and spied this tandem on the floor. I snickered and walked over to check it out, expecting to find a typical cheap POS bike for around $400. I was truly surprised by what I found. First the price was only $250. I asked the guy if that was correct and he verified it. The heart of a bike is the frameset, and this one is pretty decent for a hi-ten, low budget frame. The welds are clean and the paint is light years ahead of the garbage bikes that were coming out of China in the 80's. The components are no-name aluminum Chinese knockoffs but they work great IF you get the bike set up properly by a pro. mechanic ($50 or so and WELL worth every penny!). I kicked the idea around while grocery shopping and decided to take the plunge, after all $250 isn't going to break the bank if it's a dud. I spent 2 hours assembling mine and it was a typical job, with the addition that the rear bottom bracket was way too tight and front wheel needed more truing than the average assembly. I can't stress enough how important it is to have a pro do this, they'll catch the usual screwups and other problems that could really ruin your riding day, as well as get the best performance out of the inexpensive parts.
The bike rides really well, tracks straight, shifts crisply even under load, and stops quickly. The brakes are much better once adjusted than I expected and are more than adequate at normal speeds. I have been delighted with it, especially given my low expectations, and have had zero (!) mechanical problems.
Here's what I've done in the way of upgrades- 1) $30 for 2 new gel saddles from Bike Nashbar (internet) 2) $35 for a suspension seatpost and shim to install it for the stoker, from eBikeStop (internet). This is highly recommended if you'll be riding more than 5 miles at a time, the rear rider gets all the bumps twice as hard as the captain. 3) $15 for two quick release seatpost clamps, so we can easily switch riders. 4) $3.99 for a handlebar bell. I also put a waterbottle and cage on from my spare parts box and will probably switch the rear handlebars for taller ones.
This is a cheap and easy way to see if you like tandem riding, which is a bit different than riding solo. Our longest ride has been seven miles but we hope to work up to 20 milers in Spring. I'm 5' 6" and ride a 50 cm/21 inch frame, my wife is 5' 2" and rides a 47cm/19" and the proportions are fine; so it's best suited for persons under 5'9". Our 10 year old LOVES it.
For an inexpensive, enjoyable, recreational level bike, you can't go wrong! Just get it set up by a pro, you'll enjoy it fully and save a fortune on aspirin later.

ADDED 10/10- This summer I also switched the tires to smoothies with a raised center tread and it made a noticeable increase in speed. You should experiment with different tire pressures to get the most comfortable ride, I run them at @ 5o pounds.

Well, we've had this bike for about a month now, and overall, I'd say we are pleased with it.

The wife and I wanted a way in which we could do our daily aerobic exercise together. She walks, but I run, so getting a tandem bike was a good compromise toward putting our workouts on the same level.

The bike arrived about a week after ordering. The box was a little beaten up, but all of the parts were there and in good shape. Assembly took about 1.5 hours, following the instructions, and was straight-forward. On our first couple of rides with the bike, there were some parts I had to go back and tighten down again. This has become a weekly routine now, as many of the major nuts and screws seem to slowly work loose over a few days riding. Ten minutes a week with a 14mm and 15mm wrench, the included allen wrench and a phillips screw driver keeps everything tight and working. We ride the bike for 30 minutes a day, 3 days a week and have had no major mechanical problems.

The only changes we made from the stock product are the following:

1. Replaced the number two seat with a wider "comfort" version.
2. Replaced the rear handlebars. The stock handle was WAY to low for comfortable use. On the suggestion of another Amazon commentator, I replaced them with the Wald Steel Handlebar #803 5.25" x 27", also ordered through Amazon. It was a cheap and effective replacement.
3. Purchased a rear rack to which I strapped a small took kit and can be used to carry home items purchased on runs to the local store.

Overall, this bike has proven its worth. I don't know that I would want to take it on a cross country trip where reliability would be more critical, but for local riding and enjoyment, it's pretty much worth the money!

I hope this review helps, and God bless.

DW

The tandem arrived in two bicycle boxes spliced together, which did an overall good job protecting the bike. The only damage was from some unknown weight placed on the back of the box during shipping which bent the derailleur hanger, which is a part of the dropout on this frame, and the derailleur itself, into the rear wheel spokes. I used the old standby, a fine thread 10mm bolt screwed into the hanger held by vise-grips, to bend it back where it belonged. The vise-grips were also used to straighten the derailleur itself. It now shifts correctly. The rest of the bike was mostly preassembled and needed only minor adjustments. This bike could easily be assembled and be made ready to ride by someone with basic mechanical skills and the necessary tools. I was once a part-time bike mechanic, so I was able to fix the shipping damage myself. A beginner would have needed to get a shop to straighten the hanger, as you could easily make it worse if you don't know what you are doing. This bike is a great value, especially with free shipping! I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of the frame and the components. My wife and I took it for a shakedown ride today and it performed well. The wheels were slightly out of true, but OK for casual riding as is. For the money you save on this tandem, you can have a shop go over the whole bike and tune everything. I agree with the other reviewers that it needs higher-rise bars for the stoker, as well as at least a quick-release front wheel.

I have a daughter with a physical disability that prevents her from riding a traditional bicycle. She has a three wheeled bike that she uses regularly. This summer her youth group was going on a 30 mile bike hike. After a few trials we decided the trike would be too heavy and slow for the gravel (C&O Canal) trail being used for the hike. I did some frame building in the early 90's and once built a very successful mountain tandem. My wife asked me if I would build a tandem for her to use with my daughter on this hike. I did some quick online price shopping and found that it was going to cost me probably $6-700 to build a decent bike. At that price there were several options available for complete bikes with no welding.

Of all the complete bikes I looked at new and used this was far and away the best value. My thought process was that even if it was a bust I could use the eccentric hub and lug, the wheels and the cranks as the basis for building one from scratch and still save money.

Pros and Cons :

Cons -
- Not enough lugs for bottles - 2
- Very cheap components
still a bargain and they work
easy to upgrade if I want
- Longer and heavier then I would choose

Pros -
- Everything worked out of the box
- Frame quality is astounding for the price
- Despite the compact height of the frame
Captain and stoker comfortable for me at 6'1"
Captain and stoker comfortable for my wife at 5'4"
Stoker comfortable for my daughter at 5'
- Price Price Price
Even if we only used it once it's a worthy purchase

So my wife and daughter trained for a month and made it through the 30 miles in flying colors. I shared some pictures with a friend who helped me on my mountain tandem in the 90's. He was very impressed and wished he'd found something like this when he bought a Burly (a great bike) for $800 that he and his wife have ridden once. My wife and kids have been bouncing between music and arts camp, more youth trips and who knows where else since the bike hike. Now that everyone is home I'm looking forward to taking family bike rides. My father in-law who cycles to work daily has taken the bike out and given his seal of approval. Maybe he and I can jump on together for the Seagull Century this fall.

I bought this same bike at Orlando Naval Exchange. The wife and I rode it once and the front crank fell out to the left. Local bike shop said it is supposed to be pressed in and not supposed to come out from left side. Had to return the bike. Sure looked like a good buy and we were looking forward to riding our first tandem. They didn't have another one for replacement or I would have gotten it. I'm sure this was just a low frequency quality problem.

The first thing we did was to take the bike on a 20 mile bike trip through the woods on the Va. Creeper Trail. The bike performed flawlessly and made the trip very enjoyable. We were the envy of everyone on the trail and believe me there were hundreds of people on the trail. We were stopped many times to ask where we got the bike from and how we liked it. They also wanted to know if it was hard to ride with two people and we responded with a resounding no it isn't hard at all. The only problem I had was on the arrival of the box from UPS. When I was putting the bike together i noticed that the front gear was warped fairly badly either from mishandling or craftmanship, but it wasn't to much of a problem. I just kept bending the warped place out until I was satisfied that it was as true as possible then off we went. Over all we have been very satisfied with the biking experience.

I received this bike one week after placing my order. It arrived with the wrong fork so I phoned and they sent a replacement. The replacement was the right size but missing the piece that holds the front brakes. The company sent a prepaid label to return the wrong fork and would send the correct one when available. Supposedly backordered until December 15th. Today is February 3rd and I haven't received it yet. If this was May and not February I would be very angry at the slow pace. Adding the cost of labor to replace the fork, I'm not sure it will be a bargain.
Update- it is now more than 2 months since I received my bike. I called only to be told the replacement fork was backorderd and to call again in ANOTHER month to check on it. Needless to say, I'm becoming less happy with my purchase. The cost of installing the fork (when it arrives) will be out of my own pocket so I'm not sure this is a bargain at all. I would buy locally next time.
UPDATE- packed up the bike and returned it. I have waited patiently for 31/2 months to receive the correct fork, which is on backorder. I can't review the comfort of the bike because I was never able to sit on it. Customer service was friendly and helpful each time I called so I don't know where the problem lies altho I don't know how they can still have this bike available to sell when they can't get the correct fork ordered in 3 1/2 months. Now, I get to wonder if Amazon will credit my account the full price.