First Design Study made of Cake
The initial idea had been to used Agatas old bike for our adventure.
Which had not been that bad – despite the fact that it was originally bought in a DIY superstore. But over the years, the journeys and the damages caused by cheap parts, we bought better and better things, so that in the end only the frame was left from the old bike.
But what a frame – quite small, quite heavy (completely of steel) and with an advanced tendency to rust.
We bought some handle grips for it, a new side dynamo – and then we decided for a new bike.
After some checking of our finances, we decided for a used bike.
Well, at least the frame was used, and the front gears. All the rest was bought new – I really tried to find always the best solution between cheap and durable – or at least durable enough to fit for 6000 km.
The real expensive stuff was bought via Internet, the common things at the local bicycle store. There I (Andy) also went when it came to think about the front rack system. Everybody who wants to buy one very soon realizes that there is no big choice – either you buy the wonderful but unfortunately expensive Tubus System or you forget about the conventional side racks.
Plus, we wanted to use Agatas old rear bags as front bags.
This all telling the shop owner, he told me to follow him. We went don into the cellar, crossing a few rooms, until we halted in a rather small one with parts paved on the walls which didn´t look used but were more or less my age.
Here the shop owner told me about the time in GDR when he was the only one around to produce tandem bikes, and about the trips he had made – as far as was allowed in that time (which meant Hungary, after all!)
Front carrier
And then he sold me an old steel front carrier, similar to the common rear racks, and he told me how to reinforce it. This all meant a weekend more to work in the cellar, but in the very end it payed off.
The last thing to do was to order the inscription – and then it was ready:
Inscription
Aga Tandy, the new bike for Agata for this trip. Lets hope it is as easy to ride as the last one…
Aga Tandy
