Star Destroyer for Sale (Ryan Duplex)

I'm selling my tandem.

My wife is going to take some pics. Patience please.

In the meantime, the component list:
Rear derailleur: SRAM SX4, 1:1 (Accurate Shifting!!!)
Front Derailleur: Shimano 105
shifters: SRAM ESP 9.0 Grip Shifters (3 front, 9 rear)
handlebars: New conventional bars, chrome, lizardskin grips
Front chainring: Triple 28-39-48
Rear cassette: 11-34, 9 speed
Cranks: Sugino 450, 170mm
Rear wheel: Mavic XM 719, 559 diameter, 36 spoke, Shimano Deore LX Hub
Rear Tire: Kenda Kwest 40-559, 100psi
Front Wheel: SUN CR18, 406 diameter, 36 spoke, Shimano Deore LX Hub
Front Tire: Schwalbe City Jet, 32-406, 100 psi
Brakes: V-brakes, not sure what brand, Handles, same thing...
headset: Shimano Deore LX
Stem Extension: Chromoly tube....this is strong.....
Pedals: I will supply the original platform rat traps that came with these. I added clipless after I got it and will want to keep my clipless pedals.
Seats: AD Carson Fabricated seats, adjustable with two socket head cap screws on each seat. Tilt is adjusted with a telescoping boom on the captain seat and two threaded rods on the stoker seat.
New chain.

tiller: 12.5". Grip to Grip: 24". This works great. I used Mark Stonich's guide for steering setup and am extremely satisfied with both low and high speed handling. Thanks Mark! You would not believe how easy you can climb with this thing even at low speeds.

Stoker seat height: 24.5"
Captain seat height: 23.5"
Weight: I have to weigh it, but I would guess it is about 48#.
Wheelbase: 96" (yes, it is a long bike.....)

There are a few things I will send along with this:

Freddy Fenders set: Nice to keep the rain off. These are already installed on the bike.
Rear Rack, Protege 8 Bike Computer.


Ok, the bad stuff:

Paint. It could use some. A little scuffed up in some places. I guarantee it does not affect ridability.....

Seating system. If you are over 5'9" and your stoker is over 5'9" then the math works out right for your stoker's toes to just touch your butt slightly on the upstroke of the pedal. Not dangerous, just annoying. The solution to this is to make a modification to the captain seat to raise it one inch higher. I just didn't get around to this. It wasn't that important since no one in my family other than me is over 5'7".

Cable Routing. The shifting works great, but it could be optimized if just two braze-on cable guides were moved. Just never got around to it. Not important enough and well.....it works anyway.

Rear brake: There is a BMX V brake on the back. It is not very adjustable. It would be good to replace this with a standard $8 adjustable v-brake. Isn't that big of a deal since my wife and I have really had few issues with it.

Square tubing: This is one of the last Duplexes that Ryan made. It was experimental in that it used square tubing rather than round, and it is above seat steering rather than USS as on other Duplexes.

This is a smooth riding, easy to steer tandem. When I am sans stoker, it steers and feels like a single recumbent. When my 20 year old son is my stoker, it still feels like a single person recumbent. Handles great. We have had it going 40+ without a problem. We toured the Natchez Trace this summer with this and it was a great experience. We fly on this thing. The frame flexes enough to give a damped ride but not enough to lose significant power. Do the above fixes to it and you have a world class tandem.

Why am I selling? I now own a recumbent company and we have a new design tandem on the drawing board to be introduced late next year. I am getting rid of all my old bikes since I will be using my company's bikes from now on. And I need capital. Every dollar. Since I am having knee surgery and won't be able to use this tandem until spring, it is going.

Asking $1400. Believe me, I have that in it at least.....


Bill

 

I like the tandem. It has been joy to ride, especially as a stoker, it lets me have free hands to take pictures and/or video. I have to say though that I am looking forward to getting a new one. I will hate to see it go but ah well time for a change...

I will have pictures LATE this afternoon...

 

If I could get my wife interested in riding, I would be interested. But the only recumbent she rides (and she ride it a lot) is a stationary one. And despite my best efforts, she ain't changing!!!

 

Sounds like y'all will be getting a whole stable full of new bikes.... The heck with company cars, you get company bikes! What's not to like??

(Where do I apply?)

Don
'03 V-Rex
'06 Formula 26
'03 Vivo
'51 Engine...

 

Consider yourself a test pilot sometime in January.