Revolutionary geometry and a comfortable ride!

Santos Double Travel



Tandem - Double Travel
A tandem. For some people that still represents the model for a weekend on Ameland or a camping holiday on the Veluwe in the 1950s. A day together on the tandem, according to them, can be very nice....but also a bit outdated and silly.
Strange.
Because that idea is at odds with the explosive growth in the number of people who are choosing to go on holiday with a tandem. When you ask them what was so fun about travelling on a tandem bicycle, you get a very different story. Especially when such a couple is riding a Santos Double Travel.

The main reason for choosing a tandem is that people actually have a shared desire. People want to vacation together and not alone. It happens all too often that couples who are on a bike holiday together do not see each other all day because they ride at different tempos.
Small tempo differences are sometimes easily bridged when one of the cycling partners tones down their pace or - whenever possible - the luggage is distributed unevenly in order to compromise. Large tempo differences often lead to frustration.

A new dimension in your relationship with a tandem?
A tandem can effectively solve this issue. You can cycle, both at your own pace, and converse with each other on the way. You leave together, ride together and you will also get to wherever you want to go together. Additional benefits are that the stoker (the person who sits behind) can read the map on the way without getting into danger, and can take pictures and provide food when needed. And for speed freaks, it is also fun that you can often go faster on a tandem than when riding alone.

We hear so often that cycling on a tandem adds a whole new dimension to your relationship. A social dimension! In the beginning you have all kinds of agreements for the gear changing and resting moments (if one rider wants to keep their legs still, the other must also do that, for instance). When you have been riding together for longer, you begin to feel these things and have a non-verbal sense of each other. That is special!
You could compare cycling on a tandem with dancing. That is also different than walking side by side.

Tandems with only the best parts
The first thing you notice about a Santos Double Travel is that this tandem is very different than the bikes you rent on Ameland. Not just the colour. Thick tubes for example. Rugged 26 inch wheels with a nice set of tyres. A geometry that is very different from that of tandems in the 1960s. Magura hydraulic brakes and (standard) an indestructible Chris King headset.  A Santos tandem is just different.

The tandem frame of the Double Travel is designed with the objective of building a bike for people who really love cycling. A tandem that provides a stable ride and a very comfortable seat.

This is achieved by placing the headset higher and making the front fork tube longer. Here the 'captain' (the front rider) sits a little more upright than on other modern tandems. The horizontal down tube is oversized and there is an eccentric bottom bracket placed at both the front and rear. Most cyclists choose to put a Rohloff rather than a derailleur on their Double Travel. This rides much more smoothly.... and a Rohloff 14-speed hub lasts much longer and is virtually maintenance free.
The Double Travel uses our sturdy handmade 26-inch wheels. The outer cables are fully enclosed to minimize maintenance and wear.

A Tandem Double Travel for everyone
Although the Double Travel has been primarily designed as a holiday bike, you can also build the frame differently using the customizer on this website. So with other components it is very possible to make a sporty duo randonneur out of it, or a tandem that you can take on relaxed Sunday afternoon rides on the coastal paths.

If by now you are curious, we suggest you visit a Santos dealer and go for a test ride on a Double Travel.