Originally Posted by
john4789
What part of MN are you from? I was born/raised in Bemidji, spent 6 yrs in Minneapolis for school, now in Chicago.
I'm in Shoreview, at roughly the "12 o'clock" position on the 494/694 loop. Growing up in western North Dakota, it was rather a culture shock to move here twenty-some years ago. :-)
As for the rear getting more flats, Jobst Brandt has a nice explanation on this. In short, the front tire kicks things up and the rear hits them just right to be impaled. With that in mind, the longer wheel base of the tandem may give the nail, etc., a chance to "settle back down" before the rear hits it. But, you may be traveling faster with the tandem, negating the longer wheel base? :-)
http://sheldonbrown.com/brandt/rear-flats.html