82 Visiting Detlef Eschert from Rad & Tour H e starts off, by apologising, saying he does not have any ordinary bikes in his shop. I assure him that I have not come to photograph ordinary bikes. My quest is to search out and portray the most extraordinary bike of the year. Embodied in an ARGON-FAT Tandem, I’ve found it in the town of Tambach-Dietharz, at Rad &Tour. Detlef Eschert’s shop, situated deep in the Thuringian forest, specialises in tandems. Detlef refers to ordinary bicycles as “half bikes”. His life has been completely about bicycles made for two (or more) riders. Someone who chooses such a niche bike and in such a location must be either out of their mind or passionate to their core. Perhaps Detlef is more the latter judging by his latest creation, the ARGON-FAT Tandem, which sets new standards in terms of comfort, safety and sheer riding pleasure. Conventional tires would have to handle more than twice as much weight, which would negatively influence traction in bends and braking response. Furthermore, the weight of two riders pushes against every obstacle with relentless power, so even modern suspension often has difficulty delivering traction. Standard tires would need to be ridden with excessively high air pressure for puncture resistance, which in turn, would interfere with the comfort and rider safety. Fat bike tires have cancelled out these drawbacks. With a 4,0” tire width and a tire pressure of just under one bar, the fat bike tire masterfully negotiates everything the trails can throw at it without compromising traction, comfort or safety. The main challenge was the frame construction. Not only do you have to allow for greater tire clearance but you must also accommodate the special tandem drivetrain and two sets of cranks. Furthermore, this frame is a made to measure frame, providing low ride height for smaller riders. Anodising the frame wasn’t straight forward either as the size of the anodising bath was a limiting factor. However, akin to any gripping drama, it all ended well despite going down to the wire. Detlef’s NICOLAI tandem is complete. The problem now is how is he going to enjoy riding a conventional tandem ever again? ARGON-FAT TANDEM BETWEEN TWO WHEELS THERE IS MUCH MORE TO TELL Rad & Tour store established in 1998 Project ARGON-FAT Tandem started in April 2015 Delivery in August 2015 <e>