Review of Pacific Dualie Tandem Bike (26-Inch Wheels)

Pacific Dualie Tandem Bike (26-Inch Wheels)
By: Pacific Cycle Average Rating: 3.5 Total Reviews: 28
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Coulda Been Better . . . .

On: 2010-01-23

Even discounting weather issues, delivery time could have been better.

The "Operators Manual"/ instruction book is a mixture of models and convoluted instructions. Its manageable but could have been much better.

Upon assembly I discovered that the front sprocket was seriously bent - likely in shipping. After fretting over how to return the thing, I discoverd that the metal could be bent with common tools and straightened it myself. . . which raises some concern about material quality. Could have been better.

Finally, the comfort and ride . . . yep, you guessed it, could be better. . . .

Cheap But Works Great IF Properly Adjusted

On: 2009-12-03

I highly recommend this tandem with two provisos: 1) You MUST have a professional bike mechanic assemble/adjust it. 2) You need to buy decent quality, gel saddles and install them immediately.
I worked for several years in the 80s as a professional bike mechanic and rode and raced many bikes of different styles and levels of sophistication. I even rebuilt a tandem my friend rescued from a dumpster. It was fun, but heavy and slow as an elephant and rode like a wet noodle. We parted ways with it 5 years ago. Since my youngest son turned 10 I had been toying with the idea of another tandem, since hes now tall enough to ride an adult bike. I spent some time on the internet checking out what was available, only to be discouraged by the $1000 plus prices of a quality bike.
Last month I stopped by the NEX on the way to the Commissary and spied this tandem on the floor. I snickered and walked over to check it out, expecting to find a typical cheap POS bike for around $400. I was truly surprised by what I found. First the price was only $250. I asked the guy if that was correct and he verified it. The heart of a bike is the frameset, and this one is pretty decent for a hi-ten, low budget frame. The welds are clean and the paint is light years ahead of the garbage bikes that were coming out of China in the 80s. The components are no-name aluminum Chinese knockoffs but they work great IF you get the bike set up properly by a pro. mechanic ($50 or so and WELL worth every penny!). I kicked the idea around while grocery shopping and decided to take the plunge, after all $250 isnt going to break the bank if its a dud. I spent 2 hours assembling mine and it was a typical job, with the addition that the rear bottom bracket was way too tight and front wheel needed more truing than the average assembly. I cant stress enough how important it is to have a pro do this, theyll catch the usual screwups and other problems that could really ruin your riding day, as well as get the best performance out of the inexpensive parts.
The bike rides really well, tracks straight, shifts crisply even under load, and stops quickly. The brakes are much better once adjusted than I expected and are more than adequate at normal speeds. I have been delighted with it, especially given my low expectations, and have had zero (!) mechanical problems.
Heres what Ive done in the way of upgrades- 1) $30 for 2 new gel saddles from Bike Nashbar 2) $35 for a suspension seatpost and shim to install it for the stoker, from E-Bikestop. This is highly recommended if youll be riding more than 5 miles at a time, the rear rider gets all the bumps twice as hard as the captain. 3) $15 for two quick release seatpost clamps, so we can easily switch riders. 4) $3.99 for a handlebar bell. I also put a waterbottle and cage on from my spare parts box.
This is a cheap and easy way to see if you like tandem riding, which is a bit different than riding solo. Our longest ride has been seven miles but we hope to work up to 20 milers in Spring. Im 5 6" and ride a 50 cm/21 inch frame, my wife is 5 2" and rides a 47cm/19" and the proportions are fine; so its best suited for persons under 59".
For an inexpensive, enjoyable, recreational level bike, you cant go wrong! Just get it set up by a pro, youll enjoy it fully and save a fortune on aspirin later.

Worth the money... which is not saying much.

On: 2009-08-28

The bike took about an hour to assemble, and about an hour to tweak (adjust brakes and shifters). There was minor damage due to poor packing... the paint on the frame was scratched in a couple of places. Tires are "knobey" but flatten out with two adult riders, so the ride is not bad. Im 6-1" and cant get the seat high enough, either as captain or stoker. My wife is 55" and fits the bike well. Well use it to tool around the neighborhood... its not much good for anything more imo.

Excellent Value in an Entry Level Tandem

On: 2009-08-23

The tandem arrived in two bicycle boxes spliced together, which did an overall good job protecting the bike. The only damage was from some unknown weight placed on the back of the box during shipping which bent the derailleur hanger, which is a part of the dropout on this frame, and the derailleur itself, into the rear wheel spokes. I used the old standby, a fine thread 10mm bolt screwed into the hanger held by vise-grips, to bend it back where it belonged. The vise-grips were also used to straighten the derailleur itself. It now shifts correctly. The rest of the bike was mostly preassembled and needed only minor adjustments. This bike could easily be assembled and be made ready to ride by someone with basic mechanical skills and the necessary tools. I was once a part-time bike mechanic, so I was able to fix the shipping damage myself. A beginner would have needed to get a shop to straighten the hanger, as you could easily make it worse if you dont know what you are doing. This bike is a great value, especially with free shipping! I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of the frame and the components. My wife and I took it for a shakedown ride today and it performed well. The wheels were slightly out of true, but OK for casual riding as is. For the money you save on this tandem, you can have a shop go over the whole bike and tune everything. I agree with the other reviewers that it needs higher-rise bars for the stoker, as well as at least a quick-release front wheel.

decent...

On: 2009-07-24

I ordered this bike, and received it about a week later. The bike came with 2 small chips in the paint and a flat front tire. In total, the bike took me about an hour to assemble. It was not too terribly difficult. It is decently comfortable, at least for me riding in the front. My girlfriend, however, can not sit in the front position because she can not comfortably reach the handlebars.

OK for the Price.

On: 2009-07-18

After reading the reviews at bike forums, I bought this tandem anyway because the price was the equivalent of three days of rental of an expensive tandem. At this price, I wasnt expecting too much and looked at this purchase as a test tandem to determine if my kids would be willing to ride in the back.

Mods:
1. Replaced the rear handlebars with some more upright handlebars.
2. Replaced both wheels with extra mountain bike wheels.
3. Added a rear rack and redid the brakes.

The seats and the pedals are pretty cheesy but OK for the price. The front geometry is a little to steep causing the front tire to hit your toes if you turn sharply. The shifter is a little iffy but what do you expect at this price.

All and all, this bike met my expectations. Its heavy and not all that well made, but its fun to ride for short rides with the kids.

A piece of junk with worse customer service!

On: 2009-07-02

Please take heed-DO NOT BUY THIS BIKE OR ANY OTHER BIKE FROM PACIFIC! During the 2nd ride on this bike-the 1st ride lasted 10 minutes, the 2nd lasted 22 min-the short chain fell apart! Yes, less than 2 uses and it broke. Worse yet was the "customer service" provided by pacific. They only offered to send me the chain-no compromise or offer of having me get the chain replaced professionally and them paying the bill-they would hear none of it! The, with the chain on backorder-gee, go figure, probably backordered due to snapping like mine-I was told by them that they would send me the long chain, but I would have to remove links myself and then install it! Then, when i rejected that idea, the customer service rep condescendingly told me that "well, I suppose I could do it for you!" Gee thanks. Please read this review and realize this company is a mess-I asked to speak to a supervisor, of course one was not available! I now know why the bike was so inexpensive! I am currently pursuing efforts to e-mail the president of the company-I am sure to no avail! Be advised it is called Pacific, but also Schwinn-I was told by customer service that they are the same company-yep, confusing!

Bicycle built for two in 1.5 hrs

On: 2009-06-19

We just purchased and received a Pacific Dualie. Assembly was about 1.5 hours then the fun began. The bike arrived in perfect condition, with free shipping it took about 2 weeks to arrive. I have been a recreational biker for most of my life, but my wife was not up to the task, ie balance and nerves. All I can say is wow this is fun. I have never ridden a 1000 dollar tandem so I have nothing to compare it to except it is sturdy, seems really well built and allowed me to take my wife cycling with me, that was the thrill. If you are thinking of entering the sport of tandem cycling this is a great starter. We got the red model, it is not only functional it is exceptionally attractive. Outside of tightening the screws and allen wrenches only the brakes needed some adjusting(nothing major). I am a complete fan of this tandem.

Problem with crankshaft

On: 2009-06-08

I bought this same bike at Orlando Naval Exchange. The wife and I rode it once and the front crank fell out to the left. Local bike shop said it is supposed to be pressed in and not supposed to come out from left side. Had to return the bike. Sure looked like a good buy and we were looking forward to riding our first tandem. They didnt have another one for replacement or I would have gotten it. Im sure this was just a low frequency quality problem.

Great Beginners Tandem

On: 2009-04-22

For the price it cant be beat. Make no mistake though,this is a bargain bike. It is quite heavy and has very aggresive tires which make it feel sluggish. A set of street tires fixed that. all the components function as designed.

Can't beat it for the price

On: 2009-04-18

Well, weve had this bike for about a month now, and overall, Id say we are pleased with it.

The wife and I wanted a way in which we could do our daily aerobic exercise together. She walks, but I run, so getting a tandem bike was a good compromise toward putting our workouts on the same level.

The bike arrived about a week after ordering. The box was a little beaten up, but all of the parts were there and in good shape. Assembly took about 1.5 hours, following the instructions, and was straight-forward. On our first couple of rides with the bike, there were some parts I had to go back and tighten down again. This has become a weekly routine now, as many of the major nuts and screws seem to slowly work loose over a few days riding. Ten minutes a week with a 14mm and 15mm wrench, the included allen wrench and a phillips screw driver keeps everything tight and working. We ride the bike for 30 minutes a day, 3 days a week and have had no major mechanical problems.

The only changes we made from the stock product are the following:

1. Replaced the number two seat with a wider "comfort" version.
2. Replaced the rear handlebars. The stock handle was WAY to low for comfortable use. On the suggestion of another Amazon commentator, I replaced them with the Wald Steel Handlebar #803 5.25" x 27", also ordered through Amazon. It was a cheap and effective replacement.
3. Purchased a rear rack to which I strapped a small took kit and can be used to carry home items purchased on runs to the local store.

Overall, this bike has proven its worth. I dont know that I would want to take it on a cross country trip where reliability would be more critical, but for local riding and enjoyment, its pretty much worth the money!

I hope this review helps, and God bless.

DW

Extremely Happy!

On: 2009-03-25

My girlfriend and I have been looking for a bicycle built for two for awhile and when we found this one we couldnt pass it up! The quality of the bike is great and especially for the price! I would definitely recommend this bike!

Order if you have plenty of time to waste

On: 2009-02-03

I received this bike one week after placing my order. It arrived with the wrong fork so I phoned and they sent a replacement. The replacement was the right size but missing the piece that holds the front brakes. The company sent a prepaid label to return the wrong fork and would send the correct one when available. Supposedly backordered until December 15th. Today is February 3rd and I havent received it yet. If this was May and not February I would be very angry at the slow pace. Adding the cost of labor to replace the fork, Im not sure it will be a bargain.
Update- it is now more than 2 months since I received my bike. I called only to be told the replacement fork was backorderd and to call again in ANOTHER month to check on it. Needless to say, Im becoming less happy with my purchase. The cost of installing the fork (when it arrives) will be out of my own pocket so Im not sure this is a bargain at all. I would buy locally next time.
UPDATE- packed up the bike and returned it. I have waited patiently for 31/2 months to receive the correct fork, which is on backorder. I cant review the comfort of the bike because I was never able to sit on it. Customer service was friendly and helpful each time I called so I dont know where the problem lies altho I dont know how they can still have this bike available to sell when they cant get the correct fork ordered in 3 1/2 months. Now, I get to wonder if Amazon will credit my account the full price.

family Christmas present

On: 2009-01-11

Excellent bicycle. It was so much fun for my family ages 30 down to 10 years old. Everyone was able to ride easily. Easy to assemble. Quick delivery. I cant say enough about this great bike.

Easy assembly, fun and functional.

On: 2009-01-07

The bike requires final assembly of the handlebars, seats, and pedals - and for good measure a check of other fasteners, settings of derailleurs, and probably some adjustment of the brakes. Its all pretty easy and rather intuitive for anyone who rode (and from time to time, fixed) a bike as a youngster. My wife isnt wild about the rear handlebars or seat, but we havent ridden the bike much, yet, so she may get used to them or I may find replacements more to her liking. Carry at least a 5mm and 6mm hex wrench with you when you ride in case something requires a bit of adjustment. Well ride this on the quiet lanes near our lake house, and perhaps for an occasional quick trip into town a few miles away. May even tote it to Colorado in the summertime for the one mile jaunt to the cafe down the road... try to work off some of those calories. For that purpose, I believe the bike is ideal. For long-distance use another make and model would be a better choice. At Amazons price and with free delivery, however, its a great deal on a very fun and functional bike.

Rapid delivery and excellent choice

On: 2008-11-23

It helped that the item shipped only a few miles from where I live. It was easy to assemble. I did have trouble with figuring out the breaks but if I had read the instructions I would have saved myself a lot of headache. I love this product. I am 53" and female and wanted to be a capitan. The only way I could do that on another tandem was to spend very big bucks and maybe even a special order. I got everthing I need in a compact tandem that will even fit on the back of my Saturn sedan on a regular trunk rack. Well it hangs over a bit but still works for me. I did have to add some crank shortners on the back for my 6 year old but we are now an excellent team. Love it!

handlebars

On: 2008-11-12

The bike is great, nice bike as a whole. BUT...the handlebars for the person riding on the back are ridiculous. They are so low you are riding completely hunched over if you hold on to them, we will be modifying the bike some how.

fun, sturdy, a bit more than just a novelty

On: 2008-11-02

The shipping was super fast. After I got the tandem in the mail, I spent about an hour putting it together and adjusting it to fit us. If you dont have a decent knowledge of bicycle maint/repair or dont have a strong aptitude for all things mechanical, Id suggest taking it to a local bike shop. brakes and deraileurs will need adjusted and the wheels will need truing. A lot of fun to ride--nice low gears! Has braze-ons for 2 water bottle holders by the stokers seat and braze-ons for mounting a rack on the back. Heavy but a nice ride and lots of fun for what you pay.

Major issue to consider.

On: 2008-10-19

When I started assembling the bike, I noticed the front bottom bracket was a type I have never seen before. It is essentially a regular cup/bearing 3 piece crank, except that the part of the frame in which the cups usually screw into is much too big for normal installation. What makes the bottom bracket fit into this larger hole is 2 metal "adapters" (for lack of a better word), one on each side. They are not threaded (nor is the frame), which means the bottom bracket can (and will!) simply slide in-and-out. The so-called solution to this problem is 2 tiny tension screws that go through the frame from underneath and tighten against the "adapters", holding them in place. I see this as a major design failure, as it undermines the strength of the cup/bearing bottom bracket [the lockring!]
What this means is, while you are out riding your new tandem, there is a probability that these tiny screws will come loose (as bicycling tends to cause). That is what happened to me, and the whole crank just FELL OUT. Had these components been visible in the picture, I would not have purchased this tandem. Other than that, most of the parts are of low quality. It also rides fairly slow compared to tandems I have been on.

Tandem Chain Needs Tensioner

On: 2008-10-05

I am a 6, 148#, 57.5 year-old man. During a recent riding trip (when my 95# wife and I were the furthest from our house), the tandem chain had stretched to the point where it would no longer stay on the crank sprockets. We had only ridden this bike about five hours total, and I have never stood on the pedals to climb a hill (as I would normally do on my other bicycle). I complained to Amazon and Pacific and they were both very cooperative. Pacific sent a new chain, but in the meantime, I bought a tensioner sprocket and built a spring loaded tensioner out of some garage parts. I emailed pictures of my tensioner to Pacific (I would post the pictures here but cannot) and the customer service representative wrote that my recommendation would be forwarded to the product manager. No bicycle chain should be without a tensioner. Otherwise I am very satisfied with the bicycle.

my online bike purchase from amazon.com

On: 2008-10-05

The bike which I received in shipping package needs to assembly and has defect. The back seat insert tube (the open side) has dent. The dented tube is not round and narrow and took me time to hammer it, file it to fix the dent in order to enlarge the opening. I almost gave up before barely inserting the seat. Recommendation is to enforce the inspection before sending to customer.

Tandem bike

On: 2008-09-22

Fun toy. Great for my girlfriend and I to do together and be able to stick together. Im a faster cycler than her so this is a great product for us to be able to spend time together and exercise together at the same time. The bike is somewhat heavy but for tooling around the neighborhood its great. Just make sure everything is all tightened up before the first ride. I missed the two screws under the pedals and the pedal sprocket came out on our first ride. Had to adjust the brakes and gearing but that is to be expected on any new bike. Front wheel will need the spokes tuned to make the wheel spin true as it has a slight wobble. Great value for the price.

pacific tandem bike

On: 2008-09-20

Pacific Dualie Tandem Bike (26-Inch Wheels)VERY NICE BIKE.HEAVY DUTY.THE ONE THING THAT I FOUND THAT WAS NOT DONE RIGHT WAS THE WAY THAT THE PACKAGING WAS NOT ADEQUATE.THE DE-RAILER WAS STICKING THRU THE SIDE OF THE BOX.IT HAD BEEN SUBJECT TO A LOT OF WEAR DURING SHIPPING.I THINK ITS REALLY A GOOD BIKE FOR THE MONEY.WE USE IT AT THE JERSEY SHORE AND ITS REALLY EASY TO RIDEAFTER YOU LEARN HOW TO SYNCHRONIZE PEDALING.

Love this tandem

On: 2008-08-31

Great bike, got it super fast. I ride my son 6-8 miles to school every day mon-fri. We have loved it, I just cant seem to get a good rack for it. The first one I tried to get thru Niagra cycles never came, so I finally got one at Target, it will do for now.

Dual bike for two

On: 2008-08-30

The first thing we did was to take the bike on a 20 mile bike trip through the woods on the Va. Creeper Trail. The bike performed flawlessly and made the trip very enjoyable. We were the envy of everyone on the trail and believe me there were hundreds of people on the trail. We were stopped many times to ask where we got the bike from and how we liked it. They also wanted to know if it was hard to ride with two people and we responded with a resounding no it isnt hard at all. The only problem I had was on the arrival of the box from UPS. When I was putting the bike together i noticed that the front gear was warped fairly badly either from mishandling or craftmanship, but it wasnt to much of a problem. I just kept bending the warped place out until I was satisfied that it was as true as possible then off we went. Over all we have been very satisfied with the biking experience.

Some problems but only $200

On: 2008-06-22

The wheels needed truing, brakes needed adjusting and gears were only slightly off adjustment. Youll need to carry a 15mm wrench to remove a wheel to change a flat if one occurs, but who can really complain about a solidly constructed bike for 200 stinkin bucks?!?!? It would have been worth $20 to $40 more if it had come with quick release skewers on the wheels instead of bolted on wheels. It comes with a 14-34 rear cassette so climbing hills wont be a problem. The only way to get skewers is to completely replace the wheels, but good luck finding a 14-34 cassette. I use this bike to pick up my 10 year old nephew from school and he loves it. My girlfriend & I enjoy "green riding" instead of driving to fun things like a park festival, or going to the movies. The steel frame flexes, unlike alluminum, so that bad bumps dont beat the heck out of you. Tires are nobby so riding on dirt and easy single track is ok. I would not try to do seriuos mountain biking on any tandem mountain bike, certainly not this one. You cant turn as sharp and the long frame can more easily bottom out. We are planning to enjoy a ride on the nearest cinder covered "Rails to Trails". Have put a rack on the back and we plan even to do some grocery shopping together! It is well worth the $200. Also be sure to clean out the rims, there are many shards of metal from the very sharp spoke tips along the rim, they will puncture your tire. And watchout for chain tossing when you shift to the big climbing 1st speed going up a hill.

A surprisingly decent tandem bike

On: 2008-06-13

What attracted me was the super low $200 price for a brand-new tandem bike that was much less expensive (delivered) than used tandems listed on Craigslist or eBay. Its a steel frame, but the 21-speed gearing makes the bike pretty easy to ride if you use them effectively. I was a bit concerned about fit and finish due to the low price, but when it arrived its all pretty decent and certainly a great value for the money.

P.S. - The exact same bike is currently listed on the Toys R Us website for $189.99 but they will add a $121.34 charge for ground shipping and handling ($311.33 total not including sales tax).

Edit: Looks like they just increased to $239.99 to offset the shipping.

Fantastic Value!

On: 2008-06-10

This is a superbly constructed bike. The strong steel frame is a little heavier, but much more stable, and forgiving, for less experienced tandem bikers. First gear is a Shimano super low making it easy to peddle, and get both bikers on their seats and peddles. 21 gear, all Shimano drive train, with SRAM index handle shifters, and comfortable seats, make it easy to do hills. The Promax brakes have complete control of the weight of two riders going down a steep incline. It has the connections for all the fun accessories, two sets of screws for water bottle cages, connection points for adding a three strut mountain bike rack. You can carry plenty of stuff, and then add fold down, rectangular panniers, to the rack, to carry two grocery store bags perfectly. This bike is a summer work horse, for fun, exercise, and a utility vehicle for two. With gas over $4.00 a gal, this bike makes even greater sense. Assembly is easy, only placing handle bars, seats, and peddles, the drive train is completely intact. Cool spacers on the cables running along the front horizontal frame bar, protect the paint. Be sure to tighten all bolts before your maiden ride, shipping can loosen them a little. Tires need 65 psi for a very smooth ride, on city tires, for two. This is a unique value at $199.99, delivered. I have recommended it to several friends.