Tandems

[fritz katzenjammer]

I bought my wife a tandem last year after a hip operation left her a bit wobbly on her feet, its turned out to be really great fun.

Planning everything ahead and trust and communication between the team seems to be the most important points. Finding good places for tea & coffee are the next most important points.

Go for it, you’ll either grow closer as a result or one will kill the other inside a week.

 

[All uphill]

Most/all pictures I see of tandems show a man on the front and a woman on the back.

Is that just tradition, or is there another reason? Do they ride better with the heavier, or more experienced rider up front?

 

[T4tomo]

Most/all pictures I see of tandems show a man on the front and a woman on the back.

Is that just tradition, or is there another reason? Do they ride better with the heavier, or more experienced rider up front?

no, its just centuries of male oppression have dictated the Captain and Stoker roles...

 

[All uphill]

no, its just centuries of male oppression have dictated the Captain and Stoker roles...

I didn't know which emoticon to use in response! Laughter or sad face.

Ms AU and I have talked about hiring a tandem and would each want to be able to swap positions.

 

[fritz katzenjammer]

Most/all pictures I see of tandems show a man on the front and a woman on the back.

Is that just tradition, or is there another reason? Do they ride better with the heavier, or more experienced rider up front?

Besides the afore mentioned ( and likely accurate ) comment about years of tradition/oppression...

Reading up on the subject when we purchased our eight foot monster it seems there is a bit more muscle required in controlling said beasties. From experience I can say that yes, there is quite a bit more effort and concentration involved in piloting one of these things, which is not to say they aren’t a ton of fun as well. Frames are usually built with the accommodation for the taller, presumably male, rider in the front. The rear seat seems to take more of a beating as that poor soul can’t see whats coming and get their bottom off the seat in time, I’m told this is why tandems often come with suspension seatposts for the rear position.

The captain has all the responsibility on these things and the stoker gets to enjoy the scenery... if they can trust their captain. I regard it as my responsibility to assure that my wife has a completely comfortable, safe and enjoyable time back there. If you can’t accept that roll, then its not going to be pleasant for either of you.

Frau Fritz’s monster, and yes, it is over eight feet long:

 

[Ian H]

I know of several mixed tandem pairs where the woman piloted.
Early tandems were built for the man to steer from the rear, it being considered uncouth to present the woman with a male back.

 

[T4tomo]

slightly less flippantly,

• if one member of the team has less cycling experience, then yes stoker position doesnt need to worry about brakes and gears
• if team is of unequal heights, then building a tandem with a lower rear step over height etc is the norm,and a lower Captains seat / frame would look weird..
• at junctions etc the captain would normally support the weight of the whole machine and the stoker keeps their feet on the pedals, which may present an issue if you have very differing weights - see also height point above.

that said in an all things being equal scenario, on a racing tandem its may make more sense to have the stronger rider at the back concentrating on pedalling alone, be they male or female.

but in the causal different sex couples using tandem scenario, its normally a case of "you get on the back love, i've got this sorted...."

 

[Deleted member 26715]

My sister has an old tandem in her garage it's out Lincolnshire Caenby Corner/Market Rasen, I suspect it would be quite cheap if you promised to use it, it is in need of repair, new tyres new tubes. It was bought by my nephew for his parents for them to ride around the Lincolnshire villages, sadly due to ill health of them both this never happened. If somebody wants to rescue it I will ask if she will part with it.

 

[biggs682]

We love our tandem rides .

I can still remember my first tandem ride with Neil White from Kidderminster CTC it was a club ride up to Iron gorge there was no way I was allowed to have control of said beast.

 

[ghawks100]

Once you have stopped shouting at each other and learn to communicate, a tandem can be great fun. Tandems level the two riders abilities to work together to hopefully really enjoy the new cycling experience. The stoker can take in the fantastic scenery on route while the captain less so.
Once mastered, tandem riding is a really enjoyable experience.

 

[T4tomo]

Not warning the stoker of a pothole or uneven surface so they can take the weight of the saddle can be quite painful, for both the stoker and then the captain when the take a blow to the side of the head.

 

[ghawks100]

Not warning the stoker of a pothole or uneven surface so they can take the weight of the saddle can be quite painful, for both the stoker and then the captain when the take a blow to the side of the head.

Been there an felt that too🤣
A Suspension seat post for the stoker really helps too.

 

[Boopop]

I finally got a very nice Hase Pino with Shimano Steps motor and Rohloff gear hub. Some of you may remember me asking about an ancient red Hase Pino a year ago. In the end I saved up for a brand new one instead.

Here I am stood next to it (mother, the stoker, having taken the photo):
View attachment 696571

...and here it is in its telescoped-in transport mode on the train! A very versatile bike

For those wondering we cycled on the Brampton Valley Way from Northampton to Market Harborough and back.

 

[biking_fox]

I finally got a very nice Hase Pino with Shimano Steps motor and Rohloff gear hub. Some of you may remember me asking about an ancient red Hase Pino a year ago. In the end I saved up for a brand new one instead.

Here I am stood next to it (mother, the stoker, having taken the photo):
View attachment 696571

...and here it is in its telescoped-in transport mode on the train! A very versatile bike

View attachment 696570

For those wondering we cycled on the Brampton Valley Way from Northampton to Market Harborough and back.

That looks amazing. Who's in control? very unusual combination.

 

[GarthW]

This thread is old, but what the heck—I'll jump in. Tandems are definitely not instant gratification. When we got ours, we had no tandem experience except our training rides, where the trainer (the owner of the shop we bought from) was experienced. Yes, an inexperienced stoker can even run you off the road if you as a captain are not experienced, even though her bars don't turn. Initially, it was all I could do to keep the rubber side down. We never did crash; but after several rides, I was ready to put it in the dumpster and write it off to experience.

We did gradually get it together though (it's like you have to learn to ride bike all over again), and after a while, we could ride no-hands, track-stand at traffic lights, and she could get out of the saddle and stand on the pedals without warning me, even when I was on the aerobars. No problem. We rode it 10,000 happy miles, and then for reasons she never told me, she suddenly decided she didn't want to do that anymore. Riding with our sons was a blast—so fast!—until they got too tall to fit on the back (and I, too, am too tall to fit back there).

Regarding the "greater mass" comment made earlier: Note that tandems can stop faster than single bikes, because there's someone holding the back end down, so you can brake harder without rolling the whole bike over the front wheel like you would on a single bike. With our inexpensive Tektro mini-V rim brakes and STI levers, I can lock up even the front on pavement, wet or dry, with a single finger. It really took me by surprise when I found this out, quite unintentionally.