Davinci Drive system
Jeffrey Spahn (Corporate Internet Mail)
it's a bike.
Jeffrey Spahn
David Ornee
You might get more response or information at the tandem@hobbs group (they
have a FAQ somewhere) or the da Vinci web site URL:
http://www.davincitandems.com/daVinci.html
My input is from one brief ride on a da Vinci tandem. The system works well
and allowed for totally independent pedaling. I don't like it for us
because my wife isn't good about pedal position in the corners. I didn't
find it to benefit us, but it could help others.
David Ornee, Western Springs, IL
"Jeffrey Spahn (Corporate Internet Mail)" <jsp...@spahnandrose.com> wrote in
message news:3c3b7766$1...@nntp01.splitrock.net...
jobst....@stanfordalumni.org
> Anyone have experience with this drive system? I know it's a tandem, but
> it's a bike.
The feature is a purely tandem one in which either rider can coast
while the other pedals. This sounds OK but has one problem that I
believe is defeating for the two riders. Getting into synchronous
pedaling is tedious, requiring both riders to coast with one pedal as
straight down as possible and then starting to pedals exactly on
signal. Most tandem riders like to ride with matched pedaling so this
becomes a major problem. For people who don't care, this is all
positive.
On the other hand, the namesake of the company is Leonardo, who
happened to live in the tiny hamlet of Vinci near Pisa. With only a
first name, "from/of Vinci" was a common method of referring to such
people. This makes the name like "of Plains", rather than "Carter".
Jobst Brandt <jobst....@stanfordalumni.org> Palo Alto CA
John Blake
I would also appreciate info Jeff, since I am seriously considering one for
my wife and myself. She doesn't ride alone so the only way I'm going to get
her out to enjoy the great Northwest is on a tandem. From my mechanical
engineering background, I like the design. It looks like it should be good
for a lot of riders. I'm going to try one next March at the Bike Expo in
Seattle.
John
Tim McNamara
I've never ridden one, but did have the chance to meet a couple riding
their Da Vinci in Cannon Falls MN a couple of months ago. My wife and
I were on our Burley Duet with Softride beam, which caught the other
stoker's attention. They were a late middle-aged retired couple who
didn't look inclined to be sporty on their bike but did look like they
were enjoying themselves a lot. My wife and I attempt to be sporty on
our tandem but probably miss the mark. ;-)
They quite liked the ability to coast individually, but I wonder
whether this would be as well-liked by an athletic pair of tandemists
who want to go fast. My wife and I have experimented with having the
pedals in phase and 90 deg out of phase. As the captain, the bike
feels different, probably something to do with how my weight shifts
relative to my wife's. With the DaVinci setup, the captain would never
know for certain how the bike was going to feel. If you're pottering
along that's probably no big deal, but I'd think that it might affect
how confident you are on the bike if you're pushing the envelope a bit.
While we were talking to the DaVinci owners, another couple zoomed
into the parking lot on their Pofahl custom tandem, cut a very pretty
fast tight radius U-turn and went back out onto the Cannon Valley
Trail. My wife said "huh. We've got some practicing to do." As
always, it's the riders not the bikes.
Bob
system. We have had it for 5 years with no problems what so ever.
It is not hard to get into synchronization. At first we would both stop
pedaling to sync but now she syncs with me and I do not stop pedaling. It is
great.
Bob
"Jeffrey Spahn (Corporate Internet Mail)" <jsp...@spahnandrose.com> wrote in
message news:3c3b7766$1...@nntp01.splitrock.net...
Jeff Wills
> Anyone have experience with this drive system? I know it's a tandem, but
> it's a bike.
>
> Jeffrey Spahn
You might want to put that question to George and Sharon Miner:
http://hometown.aol.com/roadbikers/
They completed a year-long circumnavigation of the U.S. on their Da
Vinci Global Venture tandem. They seem to be pretty happy with the Da
Vinci drive.
Their only mechanical problem was a broken flange on the rear hub.
This was replaced overnight, so their tour was not delayed at all (see
http://hometown.aol.com/roadbikers/update22.html).
Jeff Wills
Tim McNamara
> "Jeffrey Spahn (Corporate Internet Mail)" <jsp...@spahnandrose.com> wrote in
> message news:3c3b7766$1...@nntp01.splitrock.net...
> > Anyone have experience with this drive system? I know it's a tandem, but
> > it's a bike.
> >
> > Jeffrey Spahn
> >
> >
> Thanks for all of the input everyone. I had previously tried tandem and
> hobbes. No one answered my questions. My wife and I ordered a DaVinci
> Joint Venture Tandem (steel) from them last night painted Champagne.
Please do not post binaries to newsgroups without a "binaries" in the
group name. These are text-only forums by default.
Jeffrey Spahn (Corporate Internet Mail)
"Tim McNamara" <tim...@bitstream.net> wrote in message
news:m2zo3ne...@localhost.bitstream.net...
Uh, sorry, just excited.
Jeffrey Spahn
alex wetmore
news:3C3BB036...@attbi.com:
This month's issue of Velo Vision has a review of a daVinci tandem and
talks about the drivetrain. The review is one of the articles that they
put online. Check out http://www.velovision.co.uk.
daVinci tandems have been discussed many times on the tandem@hobbes list.
You can search this list using http://search.bikelist.org.
I've tried independent coasting systems and they weren't for me. My wife
and I have no problems with a timing chain, and like the extra degree of
communication that you get through having linked pedals. The daVinci
system also adds an extra degree of complexity.
I've bought some other daVinci products though, and have always been
impressed with their design and manufacturing. Reviews have always been
positive. If you want independent coasting their system seems to be the
best option.
alex