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GEORGE LONGSTRAFF Tandem Tricycle
• e once owned two tandem tricycles in our -. family. We used them mainly for transporting children round town, and for occasional touring en famille. Tandem trikes just stand there while you load up children and luggage, and you manoeuvre them with confidence, with no wobble at slow speeds. They come close to replicating the functions and convenience of the family motor car and, of course, beat the car in many positive ways. Ours had originally been ordinary two-wheeled tandems, converted late in their lives to tricycles. They were safe, graceful and imposing on the road. But they were heavy, and had little faults and foibles which we could never put right. Our ideal was a tandem trike made by George Longstaff the acknowledged master in the genre. All tricycles require a little practice at first, till the brain realises that it is not simply dealing with a bicycle which happens to have two wheels at the back. A different set of responses needs to be learned, but once you've got them you keep them for life. Tandem triking can be as easy or as demanding as you like. Some couples choose them to avoid low-speed balance problems on two-wheeled tandems. Others enjoy the thrill of hitting fast speeds, leaning into corners to counter centrifugal forces. Longstaff tandem trikes are also raced, and the two-in-line riding position gives good aerodynamics. At slower speeds you point the front wheel where you want to go, and perhaps occasionally make slight and almost instinctive adjustments to your body position if you sense a severe camber in the road, or if you need to swerve to
miss a pothole. Everyone should try tricycling at least once in their lifetime. It's a broadening experience. But try out a tandem tricycle and your experience will be not only broadened, but also extended - literally so.
A Longstaff tandem trike is not normally sold through cycle shops, since it is built in direct consultation with the customer. The size of the product makes export difficult, and often expensive. George therefore prefers customers from abroad to collect personally. This gives maker and buyer a chance to meet one another, and for final adjustments to be made on the spot. George also makes bicycles, solo tricycles, adaptions for the disabled and tricycle conversion axles. By the way, our evaluation machine is the one you see here photographed. We were astonished to learn that it is two years old and has been ridden every weekend.
Tandem cross-over drive
Twin Mogura brakes are fitted to this model for evaluation purposes. George Langstaff tests all new components over a period of time before recommending their use on his tandem trikes