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TECH NEWS
Turn your bike into a tandem for €39
If you’ve ever fancied turning your bike into a tandem, these new pedals from Vigurvant will allow you to do it on the cheap – for €39, to be precise.
Well, that's kind of true… These are pedals with extensions that you flip out to allow two people to push on them at once. It’s a novel approach (as far as we know).
Vigurvant say, “If your bicycle has a rear rack, then you probably already know that it’s always a pleasure to give a lift for your best friends.”
I’d take issue with that, to be honest. I mean, if you’re 12 years old and someone says, “Give us a backie,” that’s one thing, but once they’re safely into adulthood, they should be getting down the shops by their own steam really. I’ve always suspected that my mate Martin sold his bike because he knew he could get a lift on the back of mine whenever he wanted, by the way, although I have no proof. He bought an Atari.
Anyway, the Vigurvant pedals, which come from Estonia, allow your passengers to pay their way rather than just sitting there cadging a free ride.
Are they legal in the UK? According to the Road Traffic Act, two people can’t ride a single bike unless it is “constructed or adapted for the carriage of more than one person”. So, a tandem is okay, obviously, as is carrying a child in a child seat that complies with the relevant European Standard.
Would fitting these pedals mean the bike is suitably “adapted for the carriage of more than one person”? Unfortunately, there’s no explicit guidance on that in law. In other words, nobody knows.
Of course, that’s all avoiding the issue of whether the Vigurvant pedals look like they’re worth having in the first place. We’ve not had them in here at road.cc so you’ll have to make up your own mind on that.
As we said up at the top, the price is €39. Worldwide shipping is included in that price. You can pre-order now at www.vigurvant.com.
Mat has been in cycling media since 1996, on titles including BikeRadar, Total Bike, Total Mountain Bike, What Mountain Bike and Mountain Biking UK, and he has been editor of 220 Triathlon and Cycling Plus. Mat has been road.cc technical editor for over a decade, testing bikes, fettling the latest kit, and trying out the most up-to-the-minute clothing. He has won his category in Ironman UK 70.3 and finished on the podium in both marathons he has run. Mat is a Cambridge graduate who did a post-grad in magazine journalism, and he is a winner of the Cycling Media Award for Specialist Online Writer. Now over 50, he's riding road and gravel bikes most days for fun and fitness rather than training for competitions.
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27 comments
Discussion can get new dimension, small update with Vigurvänt homapage: www.vigurvant.com
Looks like something from The Smell of Reeves and Mortimer...
I could see these pedals working really well on this cool machine:
http://www.electrabike.com/Bikes/cruiser-delivery-bikes-mens
As if the bikes isn't eye catching enough, a dua pedalling would set it off nicely:) And still loading room on the front
Just grind and sharpen the fold out extensions and forget about carrying someone else - great for rush-hour commuting in London!
Wouldn't work with the flimsy bikes and (esp) racks typical in the UK these days! Clearly designed with the studier bikes more common in parts of the continent in mind.
If I was a passenger, I'd definitely demand a padded rack
Not me, I've been fooled by those type of ladies before, oh you mean.....
Most racks are only rated to 25kg load capacity, and tyres to around 100kg ... almost all the load would be on the rear.
It also looks like you have to align the pedals correctly when you move off otherwise the extension will fold back in(?).
We don't do the whole passenger on a rack thing in the UK do we? Very common abroad.
What kind of Atari?
Yep, 1 April is almost here ..
That's one way of smashing your rear wheel.
And cracking your crack!
Sorry, I can't think of a situation where this would be advisable... unless you had been trying unsuccessfully to get a little closer to that special someone and this provided the means.
Can anybody tell me what's stopping the extensions flapping out during normal cycling? I'm not convinced it's a terribly good idea...
Extensions locking is similar system that is used for motorcycle rear foot begs. Stainless springs&balls! Works!
Would've been cool on a Chopper with that seat that was obviously designed for carrying two people.
Windy captain queasy stoker
Hey, hallo! Most of the people who have had chance to ride it so far have said hurray! The final test, before I seriously started to realize the idea was 110 mile trip, last spring. Me and my friend are both about 6ft, 190 pounds. It's not for babies, my word for that:) I have went through all the "is the rack strong enough" and legal problems. Some inspirational links: http://bikeportland.org/2010/04/26/is-carrying-someone-on-your-bike-ille...
http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php/485518-passengers-on-rear-rack-...
About up hill-down hill dispute I have to say that it makes the regular bicycle more or less similar with recumbent bike. Not best idea in South of France, but otherwise it's like flying carpet, it's hard to say who is actually pedaling.
I will not explain all the tips and tricks right now, take your time to think about it and check www.vigurvant.com after few weeks, when there should be special section about it. Although the first patch might be sold out by then.
P.S I have never tried it with Surly Big Dummy kind of bicycles, but my friend who makes bit similar electrical bicycles http://liberatorbike.blogspot.com/ will integrate the idea in this summer. I really can't imagine about the mileage you can cover then.
I routinely ride a Surly Big Dummy with a passenger. Extra pressure on the pedals doesn't make a lot of difference on the flay really, being in a hurry on the thing is neither safe nor stylish. Uphill it might be nice, but to be honest having the passenger put her feet down and give a bit of a scoot-boost is pretty good.
Just found your post; would be delighted to hear more about how you find the BD for general day to day tasks and whether you've found it a useful car substitute for shopping, etc...?
Thanks for any info!
Its good substitute for cabriolets. Girls just go crazy with this thing.
Generally, I’m lazy person. I had car six years ago, but it took too much energy to pay for the fuel, tires, maintenance and so on. Right now bicycle is the only vehicle for me, it’s hard to tell anything about substitutes. Riding bicycle keeps me also in shape, so no gym bills, what a life! Using tandem pedals has turned quite elementary to give a lift to friends who just walk on the street or make some planned trips for pure fun. Simple!
An accident waiting to happen
How does a rack support the weight of a rider?
Should make Sagan style wheelies a doodle!
I think it's a pre-requisite that the 2 riders would have to be pretty good friends
Or they could become friends as they get to know each other.
Have you got a set to review Mat? I can see you and Dave on a boris bike with these
Big Dave and I are both 6ft 3in tall. I just don't think we could carry it off. Maybe Tony and Other Dave could give it a go.