A Tandem What took me so long?
10-16-13, 12:17 PM
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A Tandem What took me so long?
I have riden a bike my whole life. My wife and i just purchased our first tandem. I do not know what took us so long. We just never really thought about it I guess. I am very hard of hearing, so a tandem is the perfect bike for us. With my wife directly behind me I can actually hear what she is saying. We ride on a motorcycle together so riding a bike together seemed to come very natural and easy to us. We have riden every weekend since we got the bike and I don't see that changing any time soon. I am so glad to be a member of the "tandem world".
10-16-13, 02:21 PM
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I have riden a bike my whole life. My wife and i just purchased our first tandem. I do not know what took us so long. We just never really thought about it I guess. I am very hard of hearing, so a tandem is the perfect bike for us. With my wife directly behind me I can actually hear what she is saying. We ride on a motorcycle together so riding a bike together seemed to come very natural and easy to us. We have riden every weekend since we got the bike and I don't see that changing any time soon. I am so glad to be a member of the "tandem world".
Our hearing is fine, but nonetheless we find the Cardo BK-1 DUO to be a boon to our tandem communication. It might function as a stealth hearing aid for you.
10-16-13, 02:31 PM
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Thanks for the info. I am very lucky to have a wonderful wife that is into riding as much as I am and a great stoker also.
10-16-13, 08:38 PM
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You have ridden your bike your whole life, but probably not so much your wife. The rate limiting step to tandems is generally the female stoker, whose interest in cycling overall is likely much less than the captain's (as evidenced by the male preponderance at cycling events). If a tandem is underused, it is most often due to stoker cycling ambivalence. It follows that captains come cheap, stokers are dear. The captain that likes to cycle, and loves to tandem is wise to direct much of his energy to coddling his stoker, and making her experience enjoyable as possible.
Our hearing is fine, but nonetheless we find the Cardo BK-1 DUO to be a boon to our tandem communication. It might function as a stealth hearing aid for you.
Our hearing is fine, but nonetheless we find the Cardo BK-1 DUO to be a boon to our tandem communication. It might function as a stealth hearing aid for you.
Your comment about the Cardo BK-1 Duo is right on. I found one on eBay for $300 and it is a great addition. My wife is a bit hard of hearing and still has some denial so she doesn't want to wear hearing aids. With the Cardo I can give instructions and she can hear. initially, it was me saying "coast" and her saying "what?"? Now, when I say "coast" she repeats it but at least I know she heard me. I can comment on something and she will understand the words. I avoid a lot of frustration and the clarity/ease of use is great. I highly recommend it.
Last edited by D. Railer; 10-16-13 at 08:41 PM.
10-17-13, 05:49 AM
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You have ridden your bike your whole life, but probably not so much your wife. The rate limiting step to tandems is generally the female stoker, whose interest in cycling overall is likely much less than the captain's (as evidenced by the male preponderance at cycling events). If a tandem is underused, it is most often due to stoker cycling ambivalence. It follows that captains come cheap, stokers are dear. The captain that likes to cycle, and loves to tandem is wise to direct much of his energy to coddling his stoker, and making her experience enjoyable as possible.
Our hearing is fine, but nonetheless we find the Cardo BK-1 DUO to be a boon to our tandem communication. It might function as a stealth hearing aid for you.
Our hearing is fine, but nonetheless we find the Cardo BK-1 DUO to be a boon to our tandem communication. It might function as a stealth hearing aid for you.
I agree its true that there is a majority of teams where the male/captain has more cycling interest, but there are certainly a number of equal interest teams, and probably a few that the female/stoker has more interest. Our team is equal interest, we abandoned our singles for the extra speed and distance we get with the tandem.
10-18-13, 06:10 PM
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Been riding 'in tandem' since 1975.
Now on our 5th tandem.
Have cover 230,000+ miles riding tandems.
And, at ages 80 and 78 we are still riding TWogether several days per week.
Photo of us in the 1990s and also just this past year.
Growin' old is not for sissies!
Rudy and Kay/zonatandem
Now on our 5th tandem.
Have cover 230,000+ miles riding tandems.
And, at ages 80 and 78 we are still riding TWogether several days per week.
Photo of us in the 1990s and also just this past year.
Growin' old is not for sissies!
Rudy and Kay/zonatandem
10-18-13, 07:36 PM
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You have ridden your bike your whole life, but probably not so much your wife. The rate limiting step to tandems is generally the female stoker, whose interest in cycling overall is likely much less than the captain's (as evidenced by the male preponderance at cycling events). If a tandem is underused, it is most often due to stoker cycling ambivalence. It follows that captains come cheap, stokers are dear. The captain that likes to cycle, and loves to tandem is wise to direct much of his energy to coddling his stoker, and making her experience enjoyable as possible.
10-19-13, 01:11 AM
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RV: I've learned a lot from your posts here on TF and value them highly, but I can't believe I just read this. What a condescending, chauvinist, bit. "Rate limiting step is female stoker...". Ouch. Many of us have stokers who are total animals, - and not like yours - apparently. Mine is a totally-in rider from way back, and to state that the "rate limiting step... is generally the female..." is b...s...! That statement is so totally pig that I don't know what to say. Please retract your statement. I'm going to hope my stoker does not see this: would cause an epic eruption.
All you have to do is look at bike event results that are divided male and female.
Levi's Gran Fondo 200 female, 1631 male
Mount Diablo Challenge 57 female 520 male
I could give endless more examples, but you already know it. For most road cycling events with results, the ratio of men to women is usually at least 5-1. Five to One. It is different for running and triathlons, where the numbers are generally even. I don't know why road cycling generates more male than female interest, but it does. There is no denying it.
Tandem cycling is just another genre in road cycling, that for mixed tandems necessarily involves both sexes. I maintain that in the macro the male preponderance of interest seen in other areas of road cycling includes tandems. It therefore follows that if a random tandem is found hanging in a garage unused, it is more likely explained by stoker than captain indifference. It is true, you know it is. Your waxing indignant about it doesn't make it any less true.
Tomorrow Mrs. R and I are going to a college football game. Tailgate, all that stuff. There will be relatively equal numbers of men and women at the game, but I think that the male energy and interest in the sport exceeds that of the female. Is that chauvinistic too? Yes, there are women who are really into college football, I know some. But I think those that are selling college football tickets direct their marketing more so to men than women. Is there something wrong with that? No, there isn't. For most any activity or enterprise, the level of interest between men and women will not be 50-50, and it is wise to recognize it. For tandem cycling, it isn't 50-50 either.
10-19-13, 06:02 AM
#9
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If anybody wants to get their nose out of joint, I can't help that. I'm not taking back a jot. There is the micro and the macro. In the micro, any tandem team might well have a super enthusiastic stoker and an indifferent captain. Obviously. But in the macro, there is no denying that male interest in road cycling greatly exceeds that of female.
All you have to do is look at bike event results that are divided male and female.
Levi's Gran Fondo 200 female, 1631 male
Mount Diablo Challenge 57 female 520 male
I could give endless more examples, but you already know it. For most road cycling events with results, the ratio of men to women is usually at least 5-1. Five to One. It is different for running and triathlons, where the numbers are generally even. I don't know why road cycling generates more male than female interest, but it does. There is no denying it.
Tandem cycling is just another genre in road cycling, that for mixed tandems necessarily involves both sexes. I maintain that in the macro the male preponderance of interest seen in other areas of road cycling includes tandems. It therefore follows that if a random tandem is found hanging in a garage unused, it is more likely explained by stoker than captain indifference. It is true, you know it is. Your waxing indignant about it doesn't make it any less true.
Tomorrow Mrs. R and I are going to a college football game. Tailgate, all that stuff. There will be relatively equal numbers of men and women at the game, but I think that the male energy and interest in the sport exceeds that of the female. Is that chauvinistic too? Yes, there are women who are really into college football, I know some. But I think those that are selling college football tickets direct their marketing more so to men than women. Is there something wrong with that? No, there isn't. For most any activity or enterprise, the level of interest between men and women will not be 50-50, and it is wise to recognize it. For tandem cycling, it isn't 50-50 either.
All you have to do is look at bike event results that are divided male and female.
Levi's Gran Fondo 200 female, 1631 male
Mount Diablo Challenge 57 female 520 male
I could give endless more examples, but you already know it. For most road cycling events with results, the ratio of men to women is usually at least 5-1. Five to One. It is different for running and triathlons, where the numbers are generally even. I don't know why road cycling generates more male than female interest, but it does. There is no denying it.
Tandem cycling is just another genre in road cycling, that for mixed tandems necessarily involves both sexes. I maintain that in the macro the male preponderance of interest seen in other areas of road cycling includes tandems. It therefore follows that if a random tandem is found hanging in a garage unused, it is more likely explained by stoker than captain indifference. It is true, you know it is. Your waxing indignant about it doesn't make it any less true.
Tomorrow Mrs. R and I are going to a college football game. Tailgate, all that stuff. There will be relatively equal numbers of men and women at the game, but I think that the male energy and interest in the sport exceeds that of the female. Is that chauvinistic too? Yes, there are women who are really into college football, I know some. But I think those that are selling college football tickets direct their marketing more so to men than women. Is there something wrong with that? No, there isn't. For most any activity or enterprise, the level of interest between men and women will not be 50-50, and it is wise to recognize it. For tandem cycling, it isn't 50-50 either.
10-19-13, 08:56 AM
#10
Full Member
Obviously. But in the macro, there is no denying that male interest in road cycling greatly exceeds that of female.
All you have to do is look at bike event results that are divided male and female.
Levi's Gran Fondo 200 female, 1631 male
Mount Diablo Challenge 57 female 520 male
don't know why road cycling generates more male than female interest, but it does. There is no denying it.
All you have to do is look at bike event results that are divided male and female.
Levi's Gran Fondo 200 female, 1631 male
Mount Diablo Challenge 57 female 520 male
don't know why road cycling generates more male than female interest, but it does. There is no denying it.
Cinderella Classic (women-only metric century) - 2500 riders.
