Bicycle

The Bicycle

The Hase Pino is a German-made semi-recumbent tandem bicycle. In other words, it means that the captain leads the ride from the rear seat with an upright position, whereas the stoker is sat at the front with an adjustable recumbent position.

We are using the 2021 “Tour” model, which includes a Rohloff drivetrain.

Why this bicycle?

We started to consider riding a tandem bicycle after several bike trips together. Our first plan was to use a classic tandem (i.e. with the captain at the front and the stoker at the rear) for our next long-distance tours. One day, we decided to rent such a tandem to give it a try before actually buying one, but we discovered there were far more drawbacks than perks. One of the major issues was that the stoker’s view was greatly reduced by the captain’s back. We thought it was less than ideal for travelling. Second, a classic tandem requires perfect synchronization between the captain and the stoker. After two days of riding this tandem, it felt more frustrating than enjoyable. As seasoned bike-tourers, we found it labourious to adapt to each other’s quirks and habits on the saddle. No wonder why some may say that tandems are “couple killers”.

That’s about when we learnt about the Hase Pino tandem. A couple hours of test-drive convinced us to make it our new partner for life. Although we are happy to use it now, how will it perform in the harshest conditions of a 28,000km ride across the Eurasian continent?

Our impressions on Pino

At the time of writing, we have done 500 km on the roads of Corsica. It’s not much yet, but we will give our current impressions on riding a Pino bike. We will write a second review later, after we reach the 10,000 km goal with this buddy, for better hindsight.

To be honest we don’t recommend this bicycle for long remote tours, as of now. In fact, its complexity makes it difficult to service. Many parts are not easy to source and require tools with specific sizes and shapes. The technical documentation is not provided easily to the customers either. There are many official dealers, but not everyone has enough experience for servicing this bike, or at least in France.

However we love it! Having an open forward view for both cyclists brings us phenomenal travel experiences while maintaining a smooth communication. Plus, the independent free wheeling system does not require as much synchronization. All in all, riding a semi-recumbent tandem is a real delight for us.

We still have much to learn about this bike’s mechanics to make it until Japan. Hopefully, we will get confidence alongside experience. We are looking forward to pedaling further!

By the way, our partner’s name is Monsieur Pino. Thank you very much for your cooperation!

Great features

• Both riders have the same forward view.
• Talking to each other is even easier.
• Independent freewheeling system.
• The frame is telescopic and can be shrunk to the size of a solo bike.
• Can be adjusted to all physics.

Things to improve

• All adjustments can be made for each rider, but it requires a bunch of tools.
• Some parts are proprietary or Hase Pino specific.
• Climbing up hills can be tougher.
• Difficult to find a bike shop for a proper servicing.
• Not many locations on the frame for bottle cages.

Specs