Octane
05-21-2007, 07:53 AM
I borrowed Curtis Inglis' Retrotec Tandem for the IMBA Ales & Trails event at China Camp last Saturday. The words, "You break it, you buy it," echoed through my head between the moments of glee. I can only imagine the retail value of a frame such as this, possibly exceeding the cost of 2 of his custom frames.
This is the first time that my girlfriend and I have rode a tandem. She learns to relax and not fight me when I'm trying to lean through turns. To my surprise, we navigate more than half of the tight switchbacks.
The feel of the steel frame was amazing. It was very compliant, almost like a big leaf spring. Plus the WTB tires are 2.4" in size, and the custom-tuned White Brothers front fork provides about 5" of travel. Overall, the ride was very smooth and comfortable. The bike handled great, and has an impressive steering radius for such a huge bike; I still can't believe we made some of those switchbacks.
We ended up also taking the bike out to Rockville and the Marin Headlands while we had it. I can think of several more places I'd like to try to ride the Retrotec Tandem. Unfortunately I need to wipe it down today and return it to its maker. A little voice in my head now asks rhetorically, "I wonder if he'd notice it's missing."
Interested in a custom bike like this? You can find out more about the bikes that Curtis Inglis makes on his web page, www.ingliscycles.com (http://www.ingliscycles.com)
-Brad
This is the first time that my girlfriend and I have rode a tandem. She learns to relax and not fight me when I'm trying to lean through turns. To my surprise, we navigate more than half of the tight switchbacks.
The feel of the steel frame was amazing. It was very compliant, almost like a big leaf spring. Plus the WTB tires are 2.4" in size, and the custom-tuned White Brothers front fork provides about 5" of travel. Overall, the ride was very smooth and comfortable. The bike handled great, and has an impressive steering radius for such a huge bike; I still can't believe we made some of those switchbacks.
We ended up also taking the bike out to Rockville and the Marin Headlands while we had it. I can think of several more places I'd like to try to ride the Retrotec Tandem. Unfortunately I need to wipe it down today and return it to its maker. A little voice in my head now asks rhetorically, "I wonder if he'd notice it's missing."
Interested in a custom bike like this? You can find out more about the bikes that Curtis Inglis makes on his web page, www.ingliscycles.com (http://www.ingliscycles.com)
-Brad