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Tandem Supplement
To be used in conjunction with the Bicycle Product
Suppliers Association Multi-Speed Bike Manual.
Contents
Section Page
I. Introduction 2
II. Sizing 2
III. Starting Up 3
IV. Operating Tips 4
A. Use of Quick-Release Mech a nism 4
B. Tightening Seat Post Clamps 6
C. Tightening Adjustable Stoker Stem 6
D. Correct Choice of Gears 7
V. “Top Technique” 7
VI. Safety 8
VII. Maintenance Schedule 10
Warranty 12
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I. Introduction
Congratulations! You’ve made a smart choice in selecting a Burley tandem. We
believe that your new tandem will offer you years of top-quality per for mance,
comfort, and pleasure. To show our con fi dence, we offer a lifetime warranty on the
frame and fork, and a 180-day warranty for other original equipment parts (see
warranty for details).
Fill out the following for your own records:
Date of Purchase _______________________________________________________
Retailer Purchased from _________________________________________________
City, State _____________________________________________________________
Model _____________________ Serial # __________________________________
Please verify that you have received the following in for ma tion with your new Burley
tandem:
Bicycle Product Suppliers Association Multi-Speed Bike Manual.
Burley T andem Supplement. This sup ple ment will pro vide in for ma tion specifi c to
your Burley tandem. To ensure your safety, read this sup ple ment prior to using your
tan dem.
(Located on the front bottom bracket)
Warranty Card. To help us serve you better, take a couple of min utes to fi ll out and
return the enclosed warranty reg is tra tion card. If you have any questions or are
missing any of the above items, we encourage you to contact your Burley dealer.
IMPORTANT: Keep your Tandem Supplement for future ref er ence. If
you loan or sell your tandem, be sure to provide these instructions
and allow enough time for the riders to read them carefully.
II. Sizing
The Captain
Most important, the frame should not be too big for the captain. If in doubt, too
small is better than too big. The captain must have straddle clearance over the top
tube, because he/she will need to be able to to stop the bike and keep it upright
while the stoker remains clipped into both pedals. On mountain tandems, make
sure the captain's frame size is two to three inches smaller than on a road tandem to
allow for a higher bottom bracket and additional straddle clearance.
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On tandems with a sloping top tube, you have another reason to buy small. The
sloping top tube increases the effective size of the frame, because the head tube is
higher than the seat lug where the frame size is measured.
The Stoker
Size matters less for the stoker. The stoker has two concerns: seat position and hand
po si tion. Because the stoker can mount and dismount as you would mount and
dismount a horse or motorcycle (while the captain holds the bike upright), straddle
clearance is much less critical. So if need be, the stoker's seat can be low, close to the
top tube. At the other extreme, the stoker's seat can go as high as long seatposts
want to place it. If you are planning to spend a lot of your time off-road, the stoker
should prob a bly have standover clearance ad e quate for an emergency bailout.
The stoker's hand position is determined by the stoker stem and han dle bars.
Assuming that the captain's seat is not bottomed out, it is no problem to move the
handlebars up or down. The adjustable stoker stem offers a number of inches of
fore-aft adjustment for the stoker's handlebars. On a single bike, adjusting an off size
frame in this way would screw up the fore-aft weight distribution and and result in
sub-standard handling. This is not the case on the rear of a tandem. If you can get the
seat-to-crank-spindle distance that fi ts your body, the other factors will fall into place.
III. Starting Up
The Captain
Shift the tandem into a suitably easy gear. Now straddle the top tube. Next, grab the
handlebars, lock both brakes, and place both feet fi rmly on the ground, straddling
the top tube. Keep your legs spread wide, so the pedals can move around between
them. The bike is now held securely in an upright position. Invite the stoker to climb
on board.
The Stoker
The easiest way is for the stoker to stand on one side of the bike and position a foot
on the near pedal. He/she can then use that pedal as a step and gently swing the
other leg over the seat, as if mounting the back of a motorcycle. If the stoker is not
comfortable with this approach have the stoker step over the top tube with one foot
on the ground (as he/she would on a single bike.) Once both feet are clipped in, the
stoker can backpedal to get situated. When the stoker is ready, he/she rotates the left
(or right if you prefer) pedal to the top of the pedal stroke. The captain now clips into
that pedal.
Now it is time to shove off. The captain should stand on the raised pedal to start the
bike rolling. Put the other foot (that is not currently clipped in) on top of the other
pedal and complete a few pedal revolutions to get the tandem rolling. Now the
captain may clip their other foot in.
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IV. Operating Tips
A. Correct Use of the Quick-Release Mechanism
Whether trans port ing your bike or chang ing a fl at, Burley tan dems fea ture quickre lease mech a nisms which enable you to easily re move and replace the wheels. As
long as the quick-release is secured properly, the wheel cannot come off. Be sure you
have a thorough un der stand ing of the quick-release mech a nism before riding your
tandem. Ask your Burley dealer for a dem on stra tion if you have anything less than a
thorough understanding of the quick-release mechanism.
The quick-release mechanism consists of fi ve parts as shown in the il lus tra tion
below. Be aware that the quick-release mech a nism is a cam action device, not a nut
and bolt device. At the end of the quick-release lever (inside lever cap) is an eccentric
cam, which provides fail-safe wheel in stal la tion when properly tight ened with the
wheel in the bicycle frame dropout.
Adjusting
Nut
Drawings after Retseck/Bridgestone, B. Glea son
Skewer
Spiral
Springs
Lever Cap
Quick-
Release
Lever
Installing the Front Wheel
With the quick-release lever in the OPEN po si tion (concave side fac ing out ward),
insert the wheel’s axle up to the top of the slot in the front fork end. You may need to
release the front brake straddle cable to fi t the wheel into place. Be sure to place the
hub axle all the way into the slot (drop out), cen tered between the fork blades. The
lever must be on the left side of the bike.
With the lever sticking straight out (at a 90-de gree angle to the bi cy cle), handtighten the cone-shaped adjusting nut at the op po site end until it is snug. Move
the lever to the CLOSE position, parallel to the fork. With the adjusting nut properly
tightened, you should feel some re sis tance to this motion; it will require a fi rm push
with the heel of your hand to close the lever. If you do not feel such re sis tance, return
the quick-release le ver to the OPEN po si tion, turn the ad just ing nut clock wise one
full turn, and again move the quick-release le ver to the CLOSE po si tion.
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IM POR TANT: Do not tight en the wheels by hold ing the ad just ing nut
and ro tat ing the quick-re lease le ver. The cam ac tion de vice will
only safe ly tight en the wheels by fol low ing the above instructions.
If you can easily close the le ver, the adjusting nut is not tight enough. Open the
quick-re lease lever and turn the nut clock wise a half turn. Check again for re sis tance.
Re peat this step if nec es sary until fi rmly ap plied pressure clos es the lever. Do not
overtighten the lever (more than 45 lbs. of force), as you may stretch or fracture the
skewer. The front quick-release lever should lie along side the fork blade when closed
to avoid snag ging or ac ci den tal open ing.
Installing the Rear Wheel
Make sure the chain is shifted onto the smallest chainwheel. Pull the rear derailleur
to the rear of the bike and place the wheel into the rear fork dropouts, with the rim
centered between the seat stay and chain stay. You may need to release the rear
brake straddle cable to allow the wheel to fi t into place. Tighten the rear quickrelease skewer as de scribed for the front wheel. Be sure that the lever is on the left
side of the bike so it does not interfere with the chain or the wheel.
A Final Check
Make sure both wheels are se cure ly locked in place in the fork drop outs. To check
for proper front wheel attachment, raise the front wheel of the tandem off the
ground by lifting the front of the frame with one hand. With the other hand, strike
the top of the tire with a fi rm downward blow. The wheel should not move in the
dropouts. Test the rear wheel by attempting to move it for wards and down wards
out of the dropouts. It should not move in the dropouts. Be sure to re con nect the
brake straddle cables if you released them to install the tire. Check brakes for proper
op er a tion before each ride.
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Make sure wheels are held securely; you should not be able to
rock or shift wheels. Never ride with the le vers in OPEN position.
Improperly installed wheels can fall off, causing accident and
harmful or fatal injury.
B. Tightening the Seat Post Clamps
IMPORTANT: If one of your seatpost clamps is taller than the other,
install the taller one on the captain’s (front) seat post.
Your Burley tan dem comes with removable seat
post clamps. When in stall ing the seat post clamps or
ad just ing seat post height, note that the slot in the
seat tube must align with the slot in the seat post
clamp (see illustration at right).
IMPORTANT: Always keep a thin fi lm of lightweight grease on your
seat posts to prevent corrosion and to make adjustment easier.
Also, do not tighten the seat post clamp if the seat post is inserted only to where you
can still see the minimum insertion line. Likewise, do not tighten the clamp if the
seat post is inserted so deeply in the seat tube as to ob scure the ta pered upper edge
of the seat post. The clamp should only be tightened below this ta pered portion of
the seat post, and above the min i mum insertion line.
C. Tightening the Adjustable Stoker Stem
If your bike is equipped
with an ad just able stok er
stem, note that there are
two bolts se cur ing the
alloy stem. To adjust the
stem, loos en both bolts
(see il lus tra tion), slide the
Tighten
expander bolt
on alloy insert
Tighten binder
bolt on ChroMoly
sleeve
Do not extend past
maximum extension
line
al loy stem in or out, and
then se cure ly tight en the binder bolt and stem bolt as shown with the ap pro pri ate
wrench es. Ver i fy that the han dle bars will not ro tate. Make sure the in sert does not
ex tend past the max i mum ex ten sion line.
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A stem with in sert pulled out past max i mum ex ten sion line or with
loose ad just ment bolts could cause han dle bars to sud den ly twist or
de tach and result in harm ful or fatal in ju ry.
D. Correct Choice of Gears
Your Burley tandem is equipped with 24 or 27 speeds. The chain ring and cog
com bi na tions from which you se lect yield a wide range of gears with min i mal
du pli ca tion. Note that you should avoid using the small-small (inner front/outer rear)
and large-large (out er front/in ner rear) chain ring and cog combination. Here are
three good rea sons why:
1. Use of these combinations exceeds the capacity of some derailleurs. This is
generally true on most derailleur systems, but is especially true on tandems that
use wide-range gearing.
2. These extreme combinations distort the chain side ways, caus ing extra wear on the
chain and gears.
3. Small-small and large-large combinations are generally du pli cates of other gear
combinations.
V. “Top Technique”
The Captain
Captains have a big responsibility with the possibility of big rewards. Here are a few
tips towards receiving that reward:
1. Break your stoker in gently. Demonstrate braking, turning, and de scend ing so
that the stoker knows what those manuevers feel like. Give your stoker time to
get used to the back of the tandem. Ev ery thing feels a little bit different back
there.
2. Be smooth, predictable, and precise in your manuevers.
3. Set a tone for the ride that your stoker will appreciate. A stoker can't enjoy riding
the way that they like unless the captain co op er ates.
4. Be sure that you anticipate the need to shift. Failure to do this can bog down your
tandem and lead to a short "hike" on a steep hill.
5. Make a special effort to carve a straight line when you ride. If there is an
unavoidable bump in the road, be sure to yell "Bump!" so that the stoker has
time to prepare for it.
6. Let your stoker know your intentions. Give verbal commands like "Brak ing,"
"Shifting," and "Coasting" until your stoker learns your riding style.
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6. Claim a little bit more of the road when you ride. This will keep your stoker from
feeling too claustrophobic.
4. Be a little cautious. Your biggest obligation is to make the ride plea sur able for the
stoker. In the long run, you will both enjoy riding more if you make that your fi rst
priority.
The Stoker
It will take a little pratice to follow behind like a perfect stoker. Here are a few tips to
get started:
1. Make sure that you decide upon the style of riding with the captain. This will
ensure that there are no surprises as to the length or intensity of the ride.
2. When the captain pedals, so do you. When he/she stops, your legs go limp; the
captain may need to lift the inside pedal to bank steeply around a corner.
3. Lean into the turns, but not too much. With time you will learn the right amount
for any type of maneuver.
4. Don't make unexpected moves. It could cause the bike to veer a foot or more
to the left or right. Don't try to see the road ahead. If you do you will move your
body in such a way that fi ghts the captain's efforts to balance the bicycle.
5. Don't wiggle while clipped in at stoplights. You risk throwing the captain off
balance and falling over.
6. RELAX. And have fun!
VI. Safety
Portions of the following section on safety are reprinted with permission from a pamphlet
entitled “Cycling Safely in Traffi c,” Copyright 1990, Bicycling Magazine.
Cycling Safety in Traffi c
If you’re a cyclist who’s been rattled by your initial experiences with motor traffi c, this
might sound crazy: The solution is to make life easier for drivers.
Here are ten easy ways to share the road peacefully and, above all, keep friendly
drivers friendly. These tips are par tic u lar ly effective for cyclists who are still
developing their con fi dence, fi tness, and bike-handling ability.
1. Keep right—This most basic rule of sharing the road is the one that cyclists are
most casual about. If there’s a wide, clean shoulder, use it. Barring potholes, storm
grates, parked cars, glass, gravel, and other hazards, most of the time it’s easier
(and safer) to stay to the right.
2. Use common sense about riding two or more abreast—Sure, it’s en joy able
to ride side by side with a companion and carry on a conversation. But road
and traffi c conditions may be such that vehicles back up behind and then pass
dangerously when they could otherwise slip safely by. It’s usually best to restrict
side-by-side riding to quiet, secondary roads.
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3. Don’t force vehicles to repass you needlessly—You’re riding along a narrow,
busy road and motorists are having trouble getting by. There are a dozen cars
waiting at the next red light, all of which have already patiently overtaken you. Do
you maintain your place in line, or do you zip past everyone on the right so you’ll
get the jump when the light changes? If you do the latter, you might gain 50 feet
and save a few seconds, but you’ll also probably create 12 anti-bicyclists when
they get caught behind you again.
4. Ride predictably—Maintain a straight line when you’re cruis ing, and use hand
signals when turning or changing lanes. If you ride er rat i cal ly, it’s diffi cult for
drivers to know when to pass.
Hand signals are a courtesy and an important part of safe cycling. Mo tor ists
feel more comfortable dealing with cyclists who com mu ni cate their intentions.
Use the same hand signals that motorists use, except for a right turn, which is
indicated by pointing with your right arm.
5. Avoid busy roads—It’s surprising how often you see cyclists on a busy highway,
ruffl ing the delicate feathers of already edgy commuters. An alternate route
doesn’t have to be a residential street with stop signs every block or a glasslittered, jogger-strewn bike path. Examine a detailed map of your area and you’ll
probably fi nd a relatively quiet road that takes you where you want to go.
6. Make yourself visible—In conditions where motorists might not readily
see you (an overcast day, for example), it’s a courtesy and plain good sense to
wear brightly colored clothes. Drivers will never blame themselves when they
almost pull into your path after a too-casual look. Unfair, yes; but you can greatly
enhance your safety by dressing to be seen.
7. Be careful about “provocative” actions—At a red light, even friendly drivers
are likely to be irritated by a cyclist riding in circles in front of them. Many view it
as a challenge to their right-of-way, even when none is intended.
8. Return the favor—Cyclists come to appreciate little unexpected cour te sies
from motorists. For instance, we all nod a thank you to the driver who has the
right-of-way but waves us through anyway, returning the favor. You might, for
example, motion a driver to make his turn in front of you if you’ll be slow getting
under way. Who knows? That driver might look a bit more favorably on the next
cyclist down the road.
9. Obey traffi c laws—Probably nothing irritates motorists more than watch ing a
cyclist blithely sail through a stop sign or light with barely a reduction in speed. If
we want to be treated with courtesy and respect by motorists, acting as if we’re
superior won’t make it happen. And legally, we’re bound by the same laws as
drivers in all states.
10. Brake with caution—Be especially careful when riding in wet weather when
traction of the tires is impaired by wet roads.
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Rules of the Road
These are the keys to increasing your safety in the midst of motor vehicles.
• Always ride on the right. Go with the fl ow of traffi c, never against it.
• Be predictable. Maintain a straight line, change direction with out swerv ing, and
use hand signals when turning.
• Obey all traffi c laws. If you want to be safe in traffi c you have to act like traffi c.
• Pay attention. Use your eyes and ears as warning devices, alerting you to
potential hazards in time to take action.
• Assert yourself. Don’t let vehicles creep by and force you into parked cars or the
curb. You have a legal right to the lane, so take as much as you need for safety.
• Ride defensively. Expect a car to pull out from the side street or turn left in front
of you. If you anticipate the worst it will rarely happen.
• Be visible. Wear bright colors and put refl ectors and refl ective tape on your
bicycle.
• Shout. It’s the quickest, most effective way to let a motorist know that he or
she is putting you in danger, or to alert an inattentive pedestrian that you are
approaching.
VII. Maintenance Schedule
It is essential that you keep your Burley tandem prop er ly main tained. Short cuts or
missed maintenance checks often result in a failure that can leave you strand ed,
or worse, result in accident and serious injury. For your safety and tandeming
enjoyment, follow the maintenance schedule as shown on page 11.
We strongly recommend that you have your Burley dealer or other trained bicycle
mechanic perform all ad just ments, re pairs, and maintenance. This is especially true
for brakes and wheels. If you attempt any adjustments, repairs, or main te nance, you
will need to refer to a bicycle technical service manual (available from most bike
shops), or do the work under the supervision of a trained bicycle mechanic.
When Your Tandem is New
Tandem wheels undergo considerably greater stress than single-bike wheels.
Attention to tandem wheels during the initial 500 miles of riding will reduce longterm maintenance. We strongly rec om mend you return your tandem to the dealer
for wheel tensioning and truing after the fi rst 200 miles of riding or as soon as you
notice an out-of-true condition or loose spokes.
It is also advisable to have the wheels checked again at 500 miles. These are also
appropriate intervals for the dealer to perform a mechanical check-over in clud ing
brake and derailleur ad just ments, bearing checks, and other safety-related tune-up
procedures. It is not recommended to begin a major tour (loaded or otherwise) on a
tandem that has not been through a break-in period.
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Before Each Ride
• Check tire pressure. Fill to the maximum pressure on the sidewall, using an
accurate gauge. Caution: do not overinfl ate.
• Check and tighten all mounting screws and hardware.
• Make sure gears are properly adjusted.
• Clean and lubricate chains periodically.
• Check brakes, and adjust if necessary.
• Verify that the timing chain is properly tensioned.
• Check headset adjustment.
• Secure your tool kit and pump in place.
• Verify that the tires and wheels are in good condition.
•
Make sure the quick-release levers for the wheels are secure and prop er ly
positioned. See section IIA of this manual for in for ma tion on quick-release levers.
See your Burley dealer for a hands-on dem on stra tion if you aren’t absolutely sure
how to operate your quick-release levers.
Mid-Season Maintenance
This should be done every 1,000 miles or 4–6 months. If you are riding high mileage
(over 100 miles per week) or in rain or off-road, you will need to perform this
maintenance every 2–3 months. In addition to your “Before Each Ride” inspection:
• Inspect all brake and derailleur cables for fraying and replace as necessary.
• Check and tighten fi xing bolts for crank arms to 18–20 ft.-lb. Also check and
tighten chainring bolts.
• Inspect pedals, toe clips, and straps for cracks or loose parts.
• Verify that seats are properly positioned and securely tightened.
• Check and adjust hub brake (if applicable).
• Check and tighten all nuts and screws on your bike.
• Clean and lubricate pivot points on shifters, derailleurs, brakes and levers; wipe
excess oil to prevent dirt buildup, and keep oil clear of brake and rim surfaces.
• Inspect and replace any worn brake pads.
• Carefully inspect tires for cracks; if in doubt, replace your tires.
• Check wheels for trueness; inspect for cracks at the spoke hole or sidewall. Retrue
or replace as necessary.
• Remove seatposts from seat tubes and apply a thin fi lm of light weight grease on
your seat posts to prevent corrosion and to make adjustment easier.
• Clean and wax your bike’s fi nish. Good products for cleaning powder coat fi nishes
include:
• Simple Green
• Mild soap and water
• Vinegar and water
• A good quality car wax generally works well, but remove
excess wax within fi ve minutes after applying.
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Burley Bicycle Limited Warranty
Burley will repair or replace any original equip ment parts it
de ter mines to be defective for a period of 180 days from
date of purchase at no charge; the frame and fork have a
lifetime warranty. The owner of a Burley bicycle must present
his/her bicycle for repair, within the warranty period, at an
authorized Burley deal er, together with an original sales
receipt or similar proof of purchase. This warranty ap plies
only to the original owner and is non-transferable. Burley
cannot be responsible for failure due to improper as sem bly,
mod i fi ca tion of parts or instructions, neglect, abuse,
accident, and/or normal wear. The warranty does not cover
any bikes used for rental, competition, or commercial use.
Burley neither assumes nor authorizes any person to assume
any other liability in con nec tion with Burley bicycles, and
there are no oral agree ments or warranties collateral
to or affecting this agree ment. Any implied war ran ty of
merchantability or fi tness for a par tic u lar purpose is limited in
duration to the duration of this warranty.
Some states do not allow limitation on how long an implied
war ran ty lasts, so the limitation may not apply to you. This
warranty gives you specifi c legal rights and you may also
have other rights which vary from state to state.
Burley Design Cooperative • 4020 Stewart Rd. • Eugene, OR 97402
(541) 687-1644 • (800) 311-5294 • Fax (541) 687-0436
www.burley.com • email: burley@burley.com
Copyright © 2004 by Burley Design Cooperative
“Burley” is a registered trademark of Burley Design Cooperative
Printed on recycled paper
rev. 04/04
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