DualDrive Tandem Bicycle 4.3 5 207 234
Great Fun--Excellent Value From the time the Kent Tandem Bicycle was ordered and received Site to Store was seven days. It was easy to check on the progress of the order and when it was received at the store. The bicycle was packed very carefully and was in outstanding condition when received. Keep in mind that if you use the Site to Store option to save the delivery charge, you need a big vehical to transport it home. The box took up my 6 1/2 foot pick-up truck and weighed upwards of 65 pounds.I have been tinkering with bikes for a number of years. I found it very easy to assemble--common sense (directions were poor). A couple of places where someone who never worked on a bicycle may have trouble would include hooking-up and adjusting the front brake and cable to the left lever, the gears were badly out of adjustment (front and back) but were relatively easy to adjust, and the wheels had a slight wobble but were also easily adjusted with a spoke wrench.My wife and I will be using the bike on a really nice bike trail network on Cape Cod, MA. We have taken the bike on two wonderful rides. The bicycle looks and rides very well. I am amazed at the quality, how well it shifts, and the complete absence of frame flex. The two of us have little or no tandem riding experience. Prior to this bike, we have been riding some excellent quality Mongoose alloy comfort bikes. Within five minutes, we felt comfortable. I am a stronger rider than my wife; the tandem bicycle allows her to have a really nice riding experience without always trying to keep up. If you are going to ride the bike around the neighborhood, or on nice bike trails for trips of 10 to 15 miles it is great fun. If you are a serious rider, you will want something lighter in weight that has higher quality parts. It is perfect for what we want--much better than I thought.On the second ride, the rear tire blew. When I took it apart, I found that the tube had been pinched when it was put together. I replaced the tires with 1.75" Kevlar Tires (Bell) and bought flat-proof tubes that had SLIME in them. I highly recommend the tire and tube up-grade. The bike looks much better without the mega white walls. I bought the replacment tubes and tires at Wal Mart. The bike rolls much better and has more road feel with the new tires. The OEM 2 1/4 tires were very thin and didn't look like they could withstand a sharp pebble.A hint for a good relationship with your significant other. Buy them their own bell/horn, mirror and bike computer. Be safe and enjoy the ride. 03/17/2008
Great Value We Bought this bike over 2.5 years ago, primarily to take our kids to school. We also own a Schwinn Twin from about 1973 and use that as a school bus too. We have ridden the Kent about 10 miles a day 5 days a week for 2 and a half years, and it has held up remarkably well. After about 6 month both bottom bracket bearings showed considerable wear, and we had the bike shop replace them, Only after I picked the bike up did I learn that the bearings had plastic parts (thus the wear) and they had used the same style bearings as replacements. Of course in less than 6 months we has worn these out, so the next replacements were all steel (about $75 installed) and those are still going strong. I have redone the brakes twice, and replaced the crank to crank chain once (it stretched). I put quick releases on the seats so different riders could quickly adjust the seat height, this was a great addition, but the best modification we made was the tires, Got tired of a flat every month or so riding New York City's object laden streets, my terrific bike shop recommended thin Kevlar tires and what a difference! The ride is twice as fast once the balloon tires are gone, and not one flat in 18 months or so. For the price I think you have to expect some cheap parts, but on the whole this bike has been great fun and we have no regrets. 12/28/2007
Great for children with disabilities I pondered whether not to buy a three wheeled trike for my daughter with Down Syndrome or this Kent tandem bicycle. I decided to go with this bike because we would be able to keep up with the rest of the family when she would get tired. Once the bike was delievered to store and I brought it home and put it together, it has been a hit with my daughter and her sister and cousins. I wish I had bought it months ago.Only two complaints about the whole experience. The bicycle didn't come to store in the time the website said it would. The directions to put it together were not very good. For someone not familiar with mechanical things, it would be hard to put together. I have a lot of experience with bikes and cars so it wasn't hard to figure out.Overall, this is a great product for my situation. 05/31/2009
Good first tandem My wife and I bought this tandem in December 2005 for approximately the same amount we had spent on renting a single speed, coaster brake type, tandem our previous winter in Florida. Took the bike back to Nova Scotia and drove it 4400km (approximately 2600miles) during 2006. Wore out many of the components and had it repaired. Bike shop owner informs us that the bike frame alone was worth what we paid. We use it frequently on both “rails to trails” and roadways. We have met many Canadians who would buy one based on our experience, if it were available through Wal-Mart Canada. It is not a high quality, light bicycle; however, an excellent value as a trial tandem. We had it out for a 260km ride last weekend and have driven over 7000km with this bike to date. 09/05/2007
