Singletrack/MTB
Gravel/All-road
Dirt-road Touring
Fat-bike
This week’s Reader’s Rig comes from bike industry visionary and master meme lord Bicycle Pubes, who shares the senseless one-person tandem he built around a Schwinn Twinn frame to haul hot dogs and Tootsie Rolls. If you dare, read on for details and photos…
Words and photos by Bicycle Pubes
Hello, I am Bicycle Pubes. I spend my days shitposting on Instagram and building terrible bicycles. I exist in a purgatory between industry and end-user—a mere enthusiast masquerading as a know-it-all without really knowing anything at all.
The “Tandem For One” project is for Pit Viper’s “12 Days of Turbo” holiday program. From what I understand, a different ridiculous prize is awarded each day, and I was tasked to fill one of those prize slots. Starting with a $50 Wal-Mart-era Schwinn tandem, I donated most of the original components, built it up with a mix of parts bin parts and donated parts, and gave it a sweet rattle can and Sharpie paint job. Doom Bars came in clutch and bent up some absurdly tall (or long) moto bars to reach from the front cockpit to the “stoker,” which in this case is just “the person.”
I had an actual deadline, which was new to me, so perhaps this one didn’t turn out EXACTLY how I wanted it to. But just like my shitty art, it is a “you get what you get” situation, and I feel like all parties involved are at least somewhat satisfied. My favorite feature is the clearly out-of-reach bell on the handlebars. It’s the little things.
- Frame: Schwinn Twinn aluminum tandem
- Fork: Unknown (OMG the fork is so heavy)
- Rims: Mavic Crossmax with a braking surface
- Hubs: Mavic Crossmax disc 100/135 QR
- Tires: Vredestine Black Panther 26 x 2″ tubeless with no sealant
- Handlebars: Doom Bars custom (the starting unbent tube was seven feet long)
- Headset: FSA Pig
- Crankset: Some old shits from a Jamis that I stole and wrote XTR on
- Pedals: RedShift Arclight pedals but with no lights
- Cassette: 18t Endless Bike cog
- Brakes: Stock
- Saddle: This chair-ass saddle I bought on eBay like five years ago
- Seatpost: KS Lev 27.2 shimmed with an Olipop can (front) / Stock (rear)
- Stem: Unbranded BMX stem with huge bolts
- Dropper lever: Paul
- Frame bags: Tiny fuckin’ framebag made from cardboard, white duct tape, and hot glue
- Accessory bags: Two Pit Viper sunglass holders drilled and mounted to water bottle mounts
- Other accessories: Knock-off Shimano crocs, hotdog holders + hot dogs, baguette, zip ties
- More accessories: Cable housing that was too short, blood, sweat, tears, etc.
- Paint: Custom, flakes off when you breathe on it
Folks with a high tolerance for horrifying builds can keep up with Bicycle Pubes on Instagram.
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Further Reading
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