Another Tandem?

I got home from a LONG day at work. I left town to go to Watertown at 6:30 am and returned at 4:30 pm working straight through lunch. So only five hours of work, but it's the five hours of driving that kills me. I am just not a traveler anymore. I'm a homebody. This on top of working in Sioux Falls all day yesterday and I was just beat.

So, I pulled in a little after 4:30 and Laura told me that Sally (the custodian for our building at the U.) stopped by to tell me that there was a tandem for sale at a garage sale not far from our house. Of COURSE I had to go check it out. The couple (Skitch & Chae Donald -- as in Chae's restaurant in Vermillion) were selling a "cheaper" tandem. It's a Crestline mountain bike tandem that he said cost about $480 new. He rode it once with Chae and his kids rode it a couple times. It looked dirty and had been out in the elements a little and the tires had dry rot and needed to be replaced. Other than that, it looked in good shape. He held up the back tire while I shifted through the gears and the shifted without issue.

Price tag: $50. Sold. Yeah, that's right. Another tandem. But one that we can put the cart behind and take Carson for a ride. A bike that we can hook the grocery getter up on and go to the store together. I already changed the tires, gave the bike a bath and put on a bike computer. Total cost of project is now up to $110. Took it for a short spin with Laura while pulling Carson. It needs a very slight truing of the back wheel as it has a little hop in it, but it rides pretty good. Overall, it's a worthy purchase.

It has been discussed that I can no longer give my motor-head brothers any crap about the number of cars they own. My hobby still is a "carbon free" activity however!