Our Bike

Our bike is a Nazca Quetzal recumbent tandem, designed and built in the Netherlands and supplied by Laid Back Bikes in Edinburgh. It has a CroMo steel frame, 26 inch wheels, rear suspension and Rholoff (14 speed) gearing. There are front and rear disc brakes with an extra rim brake for the rear wheel. With the added luggage rack and extras such as the Son dynamo front hub and rear mirrors, the total weight is 38.1kg. Working through the gears is the way to get the Quetzal going and it involves co-ordination and lots of communication between the person at the front (traditionally known as the captain) and the person at the rear (known as the stoker). Learning to ride a recumbent, especially a tandem is like learning to cycle all over again. Balance, steering and pedalling are quite different to riding a traditional diamond framed bike. Added to the Quetzal we carry out camping gear, bike tools etc in a two wheeled Radical trailer (20kg in total) and clothes in two side panniers (11kg in total). Food and water can easily add another 5kg. Then you need to add the combined weight of Susan and myself (x kg) and it all adds up to a mighty load to pedal! That being said, the tandem with the trailer draws lots of interest and helps us to meet and talk with lots of people who would otherwise pass by.