(see here
for a table giving a quick overview with many pictures, collected by Tandem-fahren.de): Most of these
links refer to the company's/builder's own website. In cases where I was
unable to find such a site I link to a page which includes some kind of
contact information.
Large-scale
tandem builders: (the term 'large-scale' has a different meaning
when talking about tandems ;-) )
Kuwahara
once built a few nice tandems; now the name belongs to Diamant,
who sell Kinesis-made tandems under that label (Germany)
Meridian,
new company specializing in affordable high-quality tandems, some nice
design specs (Bend, OR - USA)
Rabeneick,
sturdy singles and one tandem (Germany)
Raleigh,
bike manufacturer which sells one entry-level tandem (probably same frame
as Univega Tandem Sport - both belong to Derby Cycle) (Kent, WA - USA)
Santana,
the largest tandem manufacturer; well-reputed production and custom tandems
(La Verne, CA - USA)
Schauff,
poorly designed entry-level tandems and a wild-looking carbon fiber-prototype
(Germany)
Soil,
Schauff's upper-end brand, offers tandems as well (Germany)
Stevens,
one affordable off-road tandem model (Germany)
Trek
is finally back in the tandem biz with two 700C Al-framed tandems for 2002
(Waterloo, WI - USA)
Univega,
the German company selling Asian-built bikes makes a full-suspension tandem
(Germany)
Univega
USA, however, only sells an entry-level tandem (both Univega branches
are owned by Derby Cycle, and theoretically(!) both should be able to sell
you either tandem) (Kent, WA - USA)
Kelly,
custom singles and tandems (Oakland, CA - USA)
Landshark,
custom tandems or singles (Medford, OR - USA)
Litespeed,
the reputed titanium builder also makes a tandem frame, the Taliani (Chattanooga,
TN - USA)
Longbikes,
only custom tandems in the future (Littleton, CO - USA)
Love
Bike, a unique short-wheelbase tandem on which the captain sits in
the rear and reaches around the stoker to steer (Sonoma, CA - USA; not
to be confused with the heart-shaped Love
Bike)
Lyonsport,
Jeffrey Lyon still builds classic steel frames (OR - USA)
Mikkelsen, Bernie
Mikkelsen seems to be still active. Call him at 510-521-9727 (Alameda,
CA - USA)
NexiBike,
folding single which can be set up as tandem (Boston, MA - USA)
Nobilette
Cycles, custom singles and tandems (Longmont, CO - USA)
One-Off
Titanium will build custom Ti tandems upon request (Florence, MA -
USA)
Terry Osell, who
according to Bob Brown is
one of the best framebuilders around, may retire soon. Hurry up and call
him at 612-788-5200 (St. Anthony Village, MN - USA)
Otis
Guy Cycles, custom singles and tandems (Fairfax, CA - USA)
Tim
Paterek, custom singles and tandems. Tim, who learned the trade from
Terry Osell, is planning to retire
(Vancouver, WA - USA)
Poulsen
Cycles, custom singles and tandems (Arnold, CA - USA)
Rattenborg,
custom singles and tandems by Oscar Rattenborg (Ingomar, PA - USA)
Ravelin, South
African tandems. Contact Larry Black's
shop if you want to know more. Larry sent me the phone number of a
U.S. distributor: 206-824-9239 (South
Africa)
Redlof,
Taiwanese folding singles and tandem, sold in the U.S. under the Caribike
label (Taiwan)
Rex
Cycles, custom singles and tandems (Sacramento, CA - USA)
Rock
Lobster Cycles will build custom tandems upon request, (Santa Cruz,
CA - USA)
Rodriguez,
small-scale framebuilder, specializes in tandems (Seattle, WA - USA)
M5,
recumbent singles and one tandem (Netherlands)
Linear,
recumbent singles and one tandem (Guttenberg, IA - USA)
Longbikes,
recumbent tandems and singles (formerly Ryan - Littleton, CO - USA)
Optima,
recumbent singles and one tandem (Netherlands)
Organic
Engines, single and tandem recumbent bi- and tricycles (Tallahassee,
FL - USA)
Ostrad
- a full-suspension back-to-back tandem (Germany)
Rans,
recumbent tandems and singles (Hays, KS - USA)
Ryan,
recumbent tandems and singles (now a division of Longbikes)
(Littleton, CO - USA)
S
& B Recumbents, 'bents by Jack Baker with one or two seats and
two or three wheels in various conficurations (Compton, CA - USA)
Speedbike
(see also here), recumbent
singles and a back-to-back recumbent tandem (Germany)
Terry Osell, who
according to Bob Brown
is one of the best framebuilders around, builds mostly recumbents. Hurry
up and call him at 612-788-5200 before he retires. (St. Anthony Village,
MN - USA)
Worksman
Cycles, one of America's oldest bike manufacturers (New York, New York
- USA)
The
Conference Bike is a unique multi-person vehicle for parties of up
to seven. The same designer also sells a heart-shaped Love
Bike for five (not to be confused with the short-wheelbase Love
Bike tandem. (Netherlands)
Framebuilders
who stopped making tandems (please email me if you know more):
Grove
Innovations, nowadays only wheelchairs and monoskis (Centre Hall, PA
- USA)
GT
- stay away from their hybrid tandems as they
used a rim and tire size (700 D) for which finding replacements is extremely
hard - GT also built a few full-suspension
tandems with the LTS' rear section (USA)
Ibis,
fine singles, but sadly, no more tandems (Santa Rosa, CA - USA)
Iron
Horse once sold a tandem, too (Edgewood, NY - USA)
Scott
once sold a few tandems; a few Al-frames with a 'Scott' label are currently
being sold cheaply by a closeout
dealer. I know nothing about these frames. (USA)
Specialized
built one aluminum tandem until 1995 (USA)
Steve Potts, one
of the original founders of Wilderness Trail
Bikes (WTB) and one of the first MTB frame builders once built tandems
as well. See Mountain Transport
for his current single frames.
Tanaka: Kimo Tanaka,
who used to sell frames under his own name, now builds frames for Innerlight
Metal Works (Davis, CA - USA)