What a tandem e-bike is
Two Riders on One Frame
A tandem lets two people ride together at the same pace: couples of different fitness, a parent and child, or a sighted captain with a blind or low-vision stoker. The captain steers, shifts and brakes; the stoker pedals.
A motor makes tandems far easier to start, climb and handle at low speed, the hardest parts of tandem riding. It also evens out the difference between two riders.
Electric tandems are a small market served by a few makers. Pedego sells the best-known cruiser tandem in the US; specialist builders make road, touring and recumbent tandems.
Variants
Four Kinds of Tandem E-Bike
| Variant | Defining trait | Suits | Examples |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cruiser tandem | Upright position, wide saddles, throttle | Casual rides for two | Pedego Tandem |
| Road tandem | Drop bars, light frame | Fast rides and long distances | Specialist builders |
| Touring tandem | Racks and strong wheels for luggage | Loaded travel for two | Specialist builders |
| Recumbent tandem | Two reclined seats | Riders who need back support | Specialist builders |
Drive and equipment
One Motor for Two Riders
Most electric tandems use one motor, a rear hub on cruiser tandems such as the Pedego Tandem or a mid-drive at the captain's cranks on road and touring tandems. A single legal motor limit applies even with two riders aboard.
Two riders and a long frame mean high loads on wheels and brakes, so tandems use strong wheels and hydraulic disc brakes. See Drive Systems.
Rules and standards
One Bike, One Set of Rules
In the US an electric tandem is one e-bike and follows the Class 1 to 3 rules for its motor and speed. Some states set a minimum age for riding Class 3 e-bikes, which can apply to the stoker as a passenger.
In the EU an electric tandem is a pedelec under EN 15194 if it assists to 25 km/h at 250 W. See e-bike laws by state.
Representative brands
One Tandem E-Bike Maker
One representative model per brand. The hero chart shows each brand's lineup figure from the EbikesX brand dataset; brands with no recorded figure are left off the chart.
| Brand | Model | Variant | Legal class | Drive | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pedego | Tandem | Cruiser tandem | Class 2 | - | USA |
Core brands with tandem models
| Brand | Country | Drive | Battery (Wh) | Representative model |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Addmotor | United States | Bafang (some models); others unnamed, rear hub, front hub | 960 | Triketan M-330F |
| Pedego | United States | unverified (Gen2 750W motor, maker not named), unverified | 835 | Ridge Rider 2 |
Every brand on file is in the brand directory.
Record
Sources
- Brand data
- EbikesX brand dataset, brands_2026 and type_page_brands, checked Q4 2026
- Standards
- EN 15194; UL 2849
- Last verified
- Q4 2026