This most recent Nessie tandem build was a really awesome project. The first two bike frames I ever built were tandems, and it’s really cool to see how much my process has evolved to this point.
The Nessie Tandem is a mountain bike tandem, designed for a fork of 100 – 120mm travel, with high bottom brackets for riding rough trails. The original Nessie was designed as a 29er, but this updated version will also fit a 27.5 x 3.0 tire, and it is also built around Boost 148mm rear spacing. It still has the double eccentric bottom bracket system, allowing the each rider to change their bottom bracket height by up to 12mm and also it allows you to run a Rohloff 14-speed internal hub without a chain tensioner. This team chose to go with a 2×11 Sram drivetrain, and some Race Face Turbine cranks.
Not pictured are a set of 36 spoke wheels designed around the DT Swiss Hybrid hub. These are a new offering from DT Swiss that are overbuilt and designed for the rigors of E-bikes. The hub flanges are thicker, the drive shell is steel instead of aluminum, and they come in a 36 hole configuration. Basically, they are perfect for tandems. And they come in Boost spacing, making an even stronger, stiffer wheel.
We Specced the Wren Sports inverted fork on this bike with 110mm of travel. Their fork is one of the few approved for tandem use, and has a burly chassis that should take the abuse very well.
I can’t wait to hear how their first ride goes on this beast! I was unable to get complete photos as they only bought about 2/3 of a build kit on my end, but I got a few of the frame.
Also, strangely, this is the first black bike I’ve made.
