FNRttC Friday Night Ride to the Coast 26th March in aid of Martlets Hospice 2010

[Wheeledweenie]

Hmmmmmmm, am not feeling quite so excited now......... Who am I kidding, yes I am!!!!!!!

We've never been on one before but the tandem owner is also coming on the ride so we can get top tips. We're thinking the predicted slow and gentle pace of this ride makes it a good candidate for a go.

 

[BigSteev]

Don't let the nasty people scare you. I commuted in today on an 8 freight which I reckon would feel similar to riding on the front of a tandem except it's wider and doesn't have the assistance of a stoker. Quite fun once you've adapted to it not being as maneuverable through traffic.

 

[beatleandrew]

Quite fun once you've adapted to it not being as maneuverable through traffic.

Better get a few laps of the arch in before we set off then!

 

[tdr1nka]

All you need when riding a tandem is key words for your stoker to stop and start pedalling. Otherwise it's fairly easy, you should have the knack of it after 60 miles!

I'd offer our Pashley tandem(taxi)for use but I don't think it's up to this length of ride.

 

[Wheeledweenie]

All you need when riding a tandem is key words for your stoker to stop and start pedalling. Otherwise it's fairly easy, you should have the knack of it after 60 miles!

I'd offer our Pashley tandem(taxi)for use but I don't think it's up to this length of ride.

Thanks anyway. The tandem we're borrowing has been used on at least one FNRttC before so I reckon it'll hold up. The owner will be riding my beloved Reg so if I trash it he'll have easy recourse!

 

[theclaud]

Don't let the nasty people scare you. I commuted in today on an 8 freight which I reckon would feel similar to riding on the front of a tandem except it's wider and doesn't have the assistance of a stoker. Quite fun once you've adapted to it not being as maneuverable through traffic.

Now, that could carry a whole lot of cake...

 

[mike e]

All you need when riding a tandem is key words for your stoker to stop and start pedalling. Otherwise it's fairly easy, you should have the knack of it after 60 miles!

I'd offer our Pashley tandem(taxi)for use but I don't think it's up to this length of ride.

The only key words I remember using whilst stoking were "slow down you t**t"...

Not having brakes or steering is quite un-nerving, perhaps pin an interesting magazine article to the pilot's back so you can enjoy a nice read.

Of course the above does not apply if your on the front, some sort of handlebar mount for the magazine article and telling your stoker to stop worrying about having no control should work...

Are there any positives, well yes, immense speed up and down hills and on the flat, infact anywhere. Look out Reigate...

 

[dellzeqq]

The only key words I remember using whilst stoking were "slow down you t**t"...

Not having brakes or steering is quite un-nerving, perhaps pin an interesting magazine article to the pilot's back so you can enjoy a nice read.

Of course the above does not apply if your on the front, some sort of handlebar mount for the magazine article and telling your stoker to stop worrying about having no control should work...

Are there any positives, well yes, immense speed up and down hills and on the flat, infact anywhere. Look out Reigate...

strange to say...the only time I rode a tandem I was on the front and the bloke on the back kept on shouting 'slow down you t**t'. I think it was the hill down to the A41 with the s-bend in it that finally did for his nerve. There was some grappling, and a bit of reaching for the brakes....

 

[dellzeqq]

Hmmmmmmm, am not feeling quite so excited now......... Who am I kidding, yes I am!!!!!!!

We've never been on one before but the tandem owner is also coming on the ride so we can get top tips. We're thinking the predicted slow and gentle pace of this ride makes it a good candidate for a go.

At the risk of sounding like your mum....are you sure this is a good idea? Tandeming down to Brighton is tougher than it looks - I recall one couple, decent cyclists both, coming to a dead stop outside Ditchling. It isn't so much the set-piece hills, but the little ups and downs. If I were going to choose a night ride to break my tandeming duck I'd go for Southend.

 

[StuAff]

At the risk of sounding like your mum....are you sure this is a good idea? Tandeming down to Brighton is tougher than it looks - I recall one couple, decent cyclists both, coming to a dead stop outside Ditchling. It isn't so much the set-piece hills, but the little ups and downs. If I were going to choose a night ride to break my tandeming duck I'd go for Southend.

Have never been on a tandem, but I have to agree. Reigate Hill doesn't strike me as a good place to learn how to handle a tandem on a descent...

 

[Aperitif]

What have you broken today Stu - apart from the obvious of course?

 

[tdr1nka]

Decents on a tandem are made while feathering both brakes and holding on tight.

The hills may be a bit tougher, but you pedal together with the same strokes so as long as you can get a rhythm going and you're in the right gear it is possible.

It helps if the stoker has experience of tandems or has ridden pillion on a motorbike.

One important thing to note; lots of people think that as a stoker you can get away without pedalling, this is not the case.
Any slowing up in the pedalling by the stoker is noticeable for the 'Captain' as they'll feel the weight of the stokers legs adding to the work!!



I'm more than happy to give more advice and take you thru things at HPC on the night.

 

[StuAff]

What have you broken today Stu - apart from the obvious of course?

Nothing....same as you I hope

Update on the Italian Patient, was in Velocity again to pick up the Cadenza (nothing broke on that one, thankfully). The bottom bracket shell had separated from the frame (glue unbonded in other words). Mike at Velocity seems pretty sure there's nothing doing to repair it, because of the necessity to wedge the BB etc in there in the first place, and therefore trying to fix it would only cause more damage (CF repair specialists might disagree, will drop CBR a line to confirm that) but Velocity have been in touch with Peter Cole, boss of the UK importer, who in turn is getting in touch with the factory in Tuscany. Peter reckoned that only a strong solvent could do that to the glue, suffice to say I certainly haven't used anything like that on the bike (car shampoo & degreaser- household orange stuff & bike-specific, nothing nasty).

 

[TimO]

Decents on a tandem are made while feathering both brakes and holding on tight.

I thought descents on tandems were done with absolutely no braking and cries of "On your right" as they hurtle past doing a speed which I have no chance of matching.

That's how it always seems to happen with Wow & <this weeks stoker>.

 

[ianrauk]

And if you have ever seen Mr & Mrs Wowbagger downhill-wards at full speed...... it's like an exocet missile in full flight