Picking Up Our New Tandem!

Route: Pompton Plains, NJ to Downtown Manhattan and back home
Mileage: 40 miles

Well they couldn't help themselves.  They had too much fun on their borrowed tandem last weekend that they had to buy their own! Jen went on craigslist midweek and found someone selling a beautiful custom handmade tandem bike in NJ.  She contacted the seller, Percy, and they agreed she and Keegan could pick it up over the weekend.  It was actually quite simple to get there.  They took a bus out of Port Authority that went almost to Percy's house.  It couldn't have been easier.  They switched out the pedals and hopped on to give it a test spin.  The components were amazing and it rode much smoother (and no ghost shifting!) compared to George's prized vintage tandem, but it didn't have a rear disc brake, so was harder to stop.  Keegan didn't think it would be too much of a problem, so we bought it!  Percy was a big cyclist himself, so before we left he showed us his massive collection of bikes from road bikes to mountain bikes to another tandem he rides with his wife.

We adjusted the seats and off we went!  It wasn't before long that Jen realized that the seat she was sitting on was super uncomfortable.  It because almost unbearable.  She had on padded shorts, but still, the seat was a convex in shape and she could barely take it.  When they stopped for lunch, Keegan chivalrously offered to switch, and he did.  Although he, too, quickly learned of its discomfort and when we got home we immediately swapped out that seat!!


But lunch was lovely, we stopped at a cute diner on the way back.  As per usual, we got milkshakes among other things.  We didn't dally too long as we were on our way to meet friends at the NYC Bike Expo.  So we saddled back up and rode through some fun bike paths in NJ to get home.  Jen puts Google Maps on her phone and let's the nice lady tell them turn by turn directions.  It makes it so easy to navigate, much easier than turn sheets.

We met Steve, Pete, Courtney, Fabian and Guiseppe at the Bike Expo.  We poked around but no major purchases.  We bought a bunch of tubes, but that was about it.  The rest of the crowd went out afterwards but we headed home, on our new blue baby!  :)