So How Many Have Never Tandem?
02-11-20, 01:18 PM
#76
Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: Layton, UT
Posts: 1,606
Bikes: 2011 Bent TW Elegance 2014 Carbon Strada Velomobile
Mentioned: 6 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 626 Post(s)
Liked 701 Times
in
418 Posts
We tried that for a couple of years. We liked the togetherness but overall for us it was an expensive failed experiment.
I test rode one without the differential and decided we didn't need them. That was a mistake. The single side drive forces you to constantly counter steer and I thought they were dreadfully slow. We couldn't climb some really inconsequential hills on the Katy either. The single tire drive wouldn't allow the coupled trikes to go straight.
One of our first rides was shortly after a rain. That's when we found the fenders on (my) front trike were too short. Poor Mrs. Grouch got utterly mud splattered. Fortunately, she was a good sport about it.
Now we ride independently with individual Catrikes.
I test rode one without the differential and decided we didn't need them. That was a mistake. The single side drive forces you to constantly counter steer and I thought they were dreadfully slow. We couldn't climb some really inconsequential hills on the Katy either. The single tire drive wouldn't allow the coupled trikes to go straight.
One of our first rides was shortly after a rain. That's when we found the fenders on (my) front trike were too short. Poor Mrs. Grouch got utterly mud splattered. Fortunately, she was a good sport about it.
Now we ride independently with individual Catrikes.
02-11-20, 04:28 PM
#77
Uber Goober
Some more on my experience-
My wife had zero interest in riding anywhere with me, tandem or not.
I found out that one of the ladies I often rode with had ridden with several captains that she wasn't in relationships with. So I ask her about riding a (yet to be obtained) tandem and was able to work that out and bought the tandem specifically for that arrangement.
It wasn't long before I switched stokers, but then I and Stoker #2 have ridden well over 40,000 kilometers on the tandem.
I find some people are more or less aghast at the idea of riding a tandem with anyone but your spouse. Others not so. Of the people I know, they kind of go 50/50 as to which camp they're in.
Practically all of my tandem riding has been on randonneuring rides, from 100k to 600k. I never use it for weekday rides or anything.
The advantage for us isn't so much a matter of weak rider keeping up with strong rider, it's just a matter of automatically having somebody else to ride with, which makes it a whole lot more fun on a 23-hour ride.
Theoretically, two people on a tandem are faster than they are on individual bikes. I find in reality, sometimes that works and sometimes it doesn't, so don't get high expectations on going faster all the time- maybe you will, maybe not, but you can have fun regardless if you have the right attitude.
It helps if both people have similar cadence. It helps if both people are right-footed or both are left-footed. We aren't, but it's something we have to work around.
When I first started riding the tandem, it took about a thousand miles before it didn't seem "weird". Then one time, I did three rides in a row, total of 500 miles, on the tandem. Got back on my single bike, and felt like something was loose, had to stop and check. Everything was okay, it just felt weird not having that extra weight back there! If I switch back and forth pretty regular, I don't notice that, though.
Some people like to ride and gab, and that's fine. Some people are the "shut up and pedal" people. Either one is okay, but don't get one of each!
My philosophy is that I pedal as hard as I think I should pedal, stoker pedals however hard she things she should pedal, and whatever happens, happens, fast or slow. So no dual powermeters or anything like that for us.
One time, my wife was on the computer, I was leaning over her pointing at something, and a drop of sweat fell on her, and she acted like I had blown my nose on her or something. Meanwhile, I mentioned sweat issues to Stoker #1 , and she says "Oh, I've been around sweaty men before." So that kind of difference in attitude can make a big difference in how the riding works out.
My wife had zero interest in riding anywhere with me, tandem or not.
I found out that one of the ladies I often rode with had ridden with several captains that she wasn't in relationships with. So I ask her about riding a (yet to be obtained) tandem and was able to work that out and bought the tandem specifically for that arrangement.
It wasn't long before I switched stokers, but then I and Stoker #2 have ridden well over 40,000 kilometers on the tandem.
I find some people are more or less aghast at the idea of riding a tandem with anyone but your spouse. Others not so. Of the people I know, they kind of go 50/50 as to which camp they're in.
Practically all of my tandem riding has been on randonneuring rides, from 100k to 600k. I never use it for weekday rides or anything.
The advantage for us isn't so much a matter of weak rider keeping up with strong rider, it's just a matter of automatically having somebody else to ride with, which makes it a whole lot more fun on a 23-hour ride.
Theoretically, two people on a tandem are faster than they are on individual bikes. I find in reality, sometimes that works and sometimes it doesn't, so don't get high expectations on going faster all the time- maybe you will, maybe not, but you can have fun regardless if you have the right attitude.
It helps if both people have similar cadence. It helps if both people are right-footed or both are left-footed. We aren't, but it's something we have to work around.
When I first started riding the tandem, it took about a thousand miles before it didn't seem "weird". Then one time, I did three rides in a row, total of 500 miles, on the tandem. Got back on my single bike, and felt like something was loose, had to stop and check. Everything was okay, it just felt weird not having that extra weight back there! If I switch back and forth pretty regular, I don't notice that, though.
Some people like to ride and gab, and that's fine. Some people are the "shut up and pedal" people. Either one is okay, but don't get one of each!
My philosophy is that I pedal as hard as I think I should pedal, stoker pedals however hard she things she should pedal, and whatever happens, happens, fast or slow. So no dual powermeters or anything like that for us.
One time, my wife was on the computer, I was leaning over her pointing at something, and a drop of sweat fell on her, and she acted like I had blown my nose on her or something. Meanwhile, I mentioned sweat issues to Stoker #1 , and she says "Oh, I've been around sweaty men before." So that kind of difference in attitude can make a big difference in how the riding works out.
__________________
"be careful this rando stuff is addictive and dan's the 'pusher'."
"be careful this rando stuff is addictive and dan's the 'pusher'."
Last edited by StephenH; 02-11-20 at 04:32 PM.
Likes For StephenH:
02-12-20, 08:14 AM
#78
meh
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: Hopkins, MN
Posts: 4,702
Bikes: 23 Cutthroat, 21 CoMotion Java; 21 Bianchi Infinito; 15 Surly Pugsley; 11 Globe Daily; 09 Kona Dew Drop; 96 Mondonico
Mentioned: 22 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1110 Post(s)
Liked 1,012 Times
in
518 Posts
Theoretically, two people on a tandem are faster than they are on individual bikes. I find in reality, sometimes that works and sometimes it doesn't, so don't get high expectations on going faster all the time- maybe you will, maybe not, but you can have fun regardless if you have the right attitude.
02-12-20, 09:16 AM
#79
Senior Member
Looks like fun, do e tandem kayak...guess I'm gonna have to rent one with the wife, just to see if she digs it
02-12-20, 10:28 AM
#80
Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: Layton, UT
Posts: 1,606
Bikes: 2011 Bent TW Elegance 2014 Carbon Strada Velomobile
Mentioned: 6 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 626 Post(s)
Liked 701 Times
in
418 Posts
The parallels to tandem kayaking are interesting. My wife and I love kayaking together (although she still prefers separate kayaks if possible). We've had short kayak rides where she got tired, and we just tied the kayaks together, so maybe the Hase Kettwiesels might be the way to go. 
02-12-20, 11:31 AM
#81
Disco Infiltrator
Join Date: May 2013
Location: Folsom CA
Posts: 13,446
Bikes: Stormchaser, Paramount, Tilt, Samba tandem
Mentioned: 72 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 3126 Post(s)
Liked 2,102 Times
in
1,366 Posts
We have a mid-2000's Burley Samba, which is a very friendly bike. We've had it in several configurations.
At first my wife rode on the back. Although it's a medium frame, that's men's road bike sizing and it's way too tall for her liking in the back. Still we enjoyed it, it's fasssst.
Most lately it's configured with a kidback for the 5yo, a kid seat for the girl 3yo twin and a trailer for the 3yo boy twin. The kid back has been a mixed experience. When I've got all of them together it's great family time. It is not a quick conversion so my wife could ride again. I needed to replace the rear crankset to get the right BCD to use the kidback I have. The 5" cranks were too long for the boy at 4, they're about right now he's nearly 6. They will soon be too long again when the twins start stoking, especially since there's two of them that could use it and the boy twin is a lot bigger but the girl is more likely to be able & eager. Another problem is that the older boy has become nervous about riding in general after some big crashes on his 16er, refusing to go downhill, so putting him way up high and taking away his brakes does not improve his mood.
I picked it over some older bikes on Craigslist because it had 26" tires and V brakes and Shimano 8-speed shifting, making it very reliable and normal to ride and to work on. A lot of the tandems I saw for sale were very nicely made but had 27" wheels, Suntour parts, friction shifting. The tandem makers stuck with Suntour til the bitter end and now those bikes sit on Craigslist forever. About the same time I did the kid back conversion, I made it SLX M7000 1x11 speed with a 38-42 bottom gear. This is great for the neighborhood kid riding we've done. I know that on the open road with two fit adults the top gear would be a problem.
At first my wife rode on the back. Although it's a medium frame, that's men's road bike sizing and it's way too tall for her liking in the back. Still we enjoyed it, it's fasssst.
Most lately it's configured with a kidback for the 5yo, a kid seat for the girl 3yo twin and a trailer for the 3yo boy twin. The kid back has been a mixed experience. When I've got all of them together it's great family time. It is not a quick conversion so my wife could ride again. I needed to replace the rear crankset to get the right BCD to use the kidback I have. The 5" cranks were too long for the boy at 4, they're about right now he's nearly 6. They will soon be too long again when the twins start stoking, especially since there's two of them that could use it and the boy twin is a lot bigger but the girl is more likely to be able & eager. Another problem is that the older boy has become nervous about riding in general after some big crashes on his 16er, refusing to go downhill, so putting him way up high and taking away his brakes does not improve his mood.
I picked it over some older bikes on Craigslist because it had 26" tires and V brakes and Shimano 8-speed shifting, making it very reliable and normal to ride and to work on. A lot of the tandems I saw for sale were very nicely made but had 27" wheels, Suntour parts, friction shifting. The tandem makers stuck with Suntour til the bitter end and now those bikes sit on Craigslist forever. About the same time I did the kid back conversion, I made it SLX M7000 1x11 speed with a 38-42 bottom gear. This is great for the neighborhood kid riding we've done. I know that on the open road with two fit adults the top gear would be a problem.
__________________
Genesis 49:16-17
Genesis 49:16-17
02-12-20, 02:13 PM
#82
aka Tom Reingold
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: New York, NY, and High Falls, NY, USA
Posts: 40,481
Bikes: 1962 Rudge Sports, 1971 Raleigh Super Course, 1971 Raleigh Pro Track, 1974 Raleigh International, 1975 Viscount Fixie, 1982 McLean, 1996 Lemond (Ti), 2002 Burley Zydeco tandem
Mentioned: 511 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 7333 Post(s)
Liked 2,430 Times
in
1,419 Posts
The speed we achieve on our tandem is the same speed my spouse rides at on her single, which is to say slow. The difference is that I work harder than I do on my single. So it hasn't worked out to be faster. We do go down hills faster, though. That's where the aero advantage really kicks in. I put higher top gears on our tandem, a 54x11, and it's still not high enough. I don't think it's possible to put on a gear that's too high. It's also not possible to have a gear that's too low. Currently, we have a 28x40 which is super low, and if we had a lower one, we would use it.
__________________
Tom Reingold, tom@noglider.com
New York City and High Falls, NY
Blogs: The Experienced Cyclist; noglider's ride blog
“When man invented the bicycle he reached the peak of his attainments.” — Elizabeth West, US author
Please email me rather than PM'ing me. Thanks.
Tom Reingold, tom@noglider.com
New York City and High Falls, NY
Blogs: The Experienced Cyclist; noglider's ride blog
“When man invented the bicycle he reached the peak of his attainments.” — Elizabeth West, US author
Please email me rather than PM'ing me. Thanks.
02-12-20, 07:01 PM
#83
Mother Nature's Son
Join Date: Mar 2016
Location: Sussex County, Delaware
Posts: 3,107
Bikes: 2014 Orbea Avant MD30, 2004 Airborne Zeppelin TI, 2003 Lemond Poprad, 2001 Lemond Tourmalet, 2014? Soma Smoothie
Mentioned: 15 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 852 Post(s)
Liked 1,433 Times
in
815 Posts
Never
02-14-20, 04:40 PM
#84
Senior Member
My wife says she married me because I asked her to ride a tandem with me. I tell her that I married her because my dog liked her, but I'm joking. None of the other girls I knew wanted to ride a tandem with me.
We started with a Nashbar road tandem with drop bars, but my wife didn't like the riding position, so we replaced it with a Nashbar MTB tandem, which we still ride to this day. The Nashbar tandems were relatively inexpensive, but they actually have decent components. The road tandem had Shimano RSX STI shifters coupled with cantilever brakes. I had to modify the brake levers with Travel Agent cams to get enough cable stroke for the levers to provide enough braking power. The MTB tandem hasn't required any modifications other than more comfortable seats. My one complaint with the MBT tandem is that the stoker has control of the drag brake. Anytime we get much above 20 mph on a down hill, I hear the clicking of the brake lever as my wife slows us down.
The following photo was taken almost twenty years ago on a day that one of the parallel spans of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel was closed to allow for bike traffic.
We started with a Nashbar road tandem with drop bars, but my wife didn't like the riding position, so we replaced it with a Nashbar MTB tandem, which we still ride to this day. The Nashbar tandems were relatively inexpensive, but they actually have decent components. The road tandem had Shimano RSX STI shifters coupled with cantilever brakes. I had to modify the brake levers with Travel Agent cams to get enough cable stroke for the levers to provide enough braking power. The MTB tandem hasn't required any modifications other than more comfortable seats. My one complaint with the MBT tandem is that the stoker has control of the drag brake. Anytime we get much above 20 mph on a down hill, I hear the clicking of the brake lever as my wife slows us down.
The following photo was taken almost twenty years ago on a day that one of the parallel spans of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel was closed to allow for bike traffic.
Likes For Fredo_Adagio:
Likes For PeakBoy:
02-18-20, 08:22 PM
#88
With a mighty wind
Join Date: May 2015
Posts: 2,574
Mentioned: 13 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1084 Post(s)
Liked 854 Times
in
483 Posts
My wife loves running, I can't run, so it's all hers. She doesn't care for cycling, it's all mine and the boys when they get older.
We go rock climbing together, it's how we met and where we each really shine ( more past tense for me).
No need to do everything the other does.
But yes, I've ridden a tandem. I'd only be interested in a beach cruiser type.
We go rock climbing together, it's how we met and where we each really shine ( more past tense for me).
No need to do everything the other does.
But yes, I've ridden a tandem. I'd only be interested in a beach cruiser type.
02-18-20, 08:31 PM
#89
Full Member
Join Date: Jan 2015
Location: Grass Valley, Ca
Posts: 387
Bikes: Surly Cross Check, Specialized Enduro Pro, Lemond Tourmalet
Mentioned: 4 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 105 Post(s)
Liked 192 Times
in
94 Posts
Picked up a Paramount tandem in a package deal. I was racing back then.Used it a lot with friends stoking. We could ride together, and I got a good workout pulling them. Even did some tandem criteriums. That was a rush. Diving into corners in a group was pretty adrenalin flushing! Sorry, no pics.......
09-24-20, 01:24 AM
#90
Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Northern CA
Posts: 735
Bikes: Cannondale tandems: '92 Road, '97 Mtn. Mongoose 10.9 Ti, Kelly Deluxe, Tommaso Chorus, Cdale MT2000, Schwinn Deluxe Cruiser, Torker Unicycle, among others.
Mentioned: 5 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 276 Post(s)
Liked 201 Times
in
127 Posts
Lucky captain here.
I must say, it's hard to captain a tandem. I have to balance for both of us and manage our speed and cadence. I can't turn my eyes away very much. It's even hard to scratch my nose, because taking one hand off the bars is dicier than on a single. Because of the lower power-to-weight ratio, I have to shift gears often, and it's like shifting a tractor-trailer: we go from bottom gear to top gear and back again in a short time. I put a mirror on my spouse's handlebar and ask her to keep watch, but she has trouble remembering. I have a mirror on my glasses, but sometimes her head is in the way of my view. I ask her to do the signalling, and that works out well.
I think I'm going to paste a note on my back to remind her of the commands I'd like her to use. I can't hear her as well as I'd like, so the commands should be short, such as "shift up" rather than "we're pedaling too fast."
SLOW
SHIFT UP
SHIFT DOWN
STOP
SIGNAL LEFT
SIGNAL RIGHT
etc
I think I'm going to paste a note on my back to remind her of the commands I'd like her to use. I can't hear her as well as I'd like, so the commands should be short, such as "shift up" rather than "we're pedaling too fast."
SLOW
SHIFT UP
SHIFT DOWN
STOP
SIGNAL LEFT
SIGNAL RIGHT
etc
Your post reinforces my assertion that I'm the luckiest captain around! Captaining my tandem is the opposite: so easy. I really lucked into a great thing. I'm the cyclist, my wife is the dancer and skier (a damn good one; such great form). Anyway, turns out she always liked bikes but never had one that fit properly. And even though her brother's 10-speed was WAY too big, she rode it around and loved riding, despite being on a cheap bike that was way too big. Anyway, skip ahead a few years and we meet. I can't remember what bike she rode the first time we rode together, but as she took some of her first pedal strokes, I was amazed at her pedal speed. I said, "Where did you learn to spin like that?" Her quizzical reply? "What's that?" I said "Nothing, just keep doing what you're doing!" I was so impressed. I later filled her in on proper cadence and that I was so impressed with her picking really good gears. I should add that I'm PRETTY sure this was on a fresh new bike I had picked out for/with her. I ran the campus shop, so I could pick the ideal mountain bike for her. In other words, she had never ridden a mountain bike with 21 gears, but she took to it naturally. Helped that she was already in great shape, just not riding a bike.
Now skip ahead four years and we're a solid couple. Her 30th birthday is coming up and I happen to notice a warranty tandem frame hanging in the bike shop's warehouse. A paint warranty (they do that? Lucky for me, YES!) I take out a tape measure and realize it fits us! Gears start turning and before I know it, I've planned to surprise her with a tandem (sight unseen) for her birthday. With a custom sweet paint job and everything. Components picked by me (Hugi hubs, Specialized forged cranks, sweet!) and assembled with love and care. But will it work? Will we be able to ride together? Although I wasn't a rider with any tandem riding (or sales) experience, I had boned up on tandems, their pitfalls and potentially deleterious effects on couples! But I was pretty sure we were compatible. Oh wait, will it fit in the van??? Oh no! It did, whew!
Birthday pans involve a B&B in Nevada City and riding the tandem. Oh boy, let's see how this goes....
WHAT THE HELL??!!! She's PERFECT! Holy crap, she's the easiest damn stoker I could have wished for. What the heck? How? Well, first of all, she was 65 pounds lighter than me. I had lots of road and off road experience in my life and had been racing the past three years, so I was confident up front. That plus dabbling in observed trials made me pretty sure I could handle a tandem. But how on earth are we so compatible? Without ANY practice or anything? Then it occurs to me... DUH! She grew up riding on the back of her brother's motorcycle! THAT EXPLAINS IT! She has NEVER done the classic "fight the lean" thing so many people do on the back of a motorcycle or tandem. (I know this because I did EXACTLY this on the back of my friend's dual sport until he FINALLY beat it out of me!) She had already gotten the basics on riding as a stoker, but on a motorcycle. So here I have a spouse who spins the pedals naturally, is super light, and rides like a feather in back. And as it turns out, we have compatible personalities. I'm not the typical overly aggressive type A captain, and she's a pretty easy-going stoker. It couldn't be much better than that!
We figured out shifting just fine, even though given her light stature, I can force a shift without an problems. And we were standing on climbs in pretty short order. Track stands are fun to hold at lights. Everything just felt so natural from day one for us. Four years later we ordered a mountain tandem and haven't looked back. Our biggest achievement was riding the wooden "Whiskeydrome" velodrome on the tandem. Not easy, but we did it after several failed attempts. So much damn fun. Sierra riding is an absolute blast. It's like discovering a new sport, but already having all the skills to be challenged, succeed and enjoy making it up or down some crazy stuff. Plus, going over the bars on a tandem is virtually impossible; just point 'er straight and let the 5" of travel and long wheelbase do the rest. Slickrock Trail, Porcupine Rime, Hermosa Creek, Trail 401, The Flume, Hole in the Ground, among other totally awesome rides. Given my good fortune, I SHOULD be riding tandem more often with her...
So for any of you looking for an ideal stoker, pick a dancer who skis and has experience on the back of a sibling's motorcycle growing up. Pretty simple. It worked for me!
PS One exception: the rear-view mirror. She doesn't check hers either! I though with two of us, we'd have the rear totally covered. I was wrong. Oh well, I am NOT complaining!
Last edited by LV2TNDM; 09-24-20 at 01:27 AM.
Likes For LV2TNDM:
09-24-20, 08:47 AM
#91
Tragically Ignorant
Join Date: Jun 2018
Location: New England
Posts: 15,613
Bikes: Serotta Atlanta; 1994 Specialized Allez Pro; Giant OCR A1; SOMA Double Cross Disc; 2022 Allez Elite mit der SRAM
Mentioned: 62 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 8186 Post(s)
Liked 9,095 Times
in
5,053 Posts
I'm pretty sure I'm too big of a jerk for anyone to ever want to ride one with me. It's really hard for me to get out of pedal the hell out of the highest gear possible mode.
09-24-20, 09:06 AM
#92
Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2014
Posts: 3,893
Mentioned: 20 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1062 Post(s)
Liked 665 Times
in
421 Posts
There was an old Schwinn tandem chained up downtown for the longest time, and I noticed that it had one of those Bendix 2 speed kickback hubs.
Imagine trying to coordinate changing gears.
Imagine trying to coordinate changing gears.
09-24-20, 11:44 AM
#93
aka Tom Reingold
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: New York, NY, and High Falls, NY, USA
Posts: 40,481
Bikes: 1962 Rudge Sports, 1971 Raleigh Super Course, 1971 Raleigh Pro Track, 1974 Raleigh International, 1975 Viscount Fixie, 1982 McLean, 1996 Lemond (Ti), 2002 Burley Zydeco tandem
Mentioned: 511 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 7333 Post(s)
Liked 2,430 Times
in
1,419 Posts
@LV2TNDM that's a wonderful story. I have a lot to be grateful for, as my spouse has some of those qualities though not all. She is lightweight, too, so when I want to pedal or coast, I just do it. I shift when I want, though I do take requests. One of my difficulties is that I'm just not very strong in the shoulders. I'm working on that. And now I discovered my fit is wrong. I'm too upright. I'm much better and stronger when I lean over more. I'm going to change the handlebars.
Here we are. We're old.
Here we are. We're old.
__________________
Tom Reingold, tom@noglider.com
New York City and High Falls, NY
Blogs: The Experienced Cyclist; noglider's ride blog
“When man invented the bicycle he reached the peak of his attainments.” — Elizabeth West, US author
Please email me rather than PM'ing me. Thanks.
Tom Reingold, tom@noglider.com
New York City and High Falls, NY
Blogs: The Experienced Cyclist; noglider's ride blog
“When man invented the bicycle he reached the peak of his attainments.” — Elizabeth West, US author
Please email me rather than PM'ing me. Thanks.
09-24-20, 12:01 PM
#94
Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Northern CA
Posts: 735
Bikes: Cannondale tandems: '92 Road, '97 Mtn. Mongoose 10.9 Ti, Kelly Deluxe, Tommaso Chorus, Cdale MT2000, Schwinn Deluxe Cruiser, Torker Unicycle, among others.
Mentioned: 5 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 276 Post(s)
Liked 201 Times
in
127 Posts
Thank you! Old? Pshawww! Nice to see you two on that tandem!
Two neighbors 70 and 78 are avid Bike Adventure Club riders who tour Europe four times a year (when not in a pandemic, that is!). Another friend is 75 and rides the pants of me (easily) and a lot of other very fit, younger riders. So age is in the eye of the beholder, or person, or something like that. Tandeming is THE secret fountain of youth. (Don't tell anyone!)
Anyway, I know I'm often TLDNR, but I just had to share my excitement and enthusiasm. So lucky I found the perfect stoker AND cycling in general ("Breaking Away" was a big factor in my teens. But perhaps in hindsight, it wasn't as big a determinant as I thought; "BA" only cemented my love of all things bicycle.) I hope my post helps another couple discover the joy and amazement of riding a tandem together. And perhaps avoid pitfalls of putting two incompatible people together and ruining a perfectly good relationship!
Anyway, I've always enjoyed your posts, so your compliment means that much more. Thanks again and ride on!
PS Us at our craziest:
Two neighbors 70 and 78 are avid Bike Adventure Club riders who tour Europe four times a year (when not in a pandemic, that is!). Another friend is 75 and rides the pants of me (easily) and a lot of other very fit, younger riders. So age is in the eye of the beholder, or person, or something like that. Tandeming is THE secret fountain of youth. (Don't tell anyone!)
Anyway, I know I'm often TLDNR, but I just had to share my excitement and enthusiasm. So lucky I found the perfect stoker AND cycling in general ("Breaking Away" was a big factor in my teens. But perhaps in hindsight, it wasn't as big a determinant as I thought; "BA" only cemented my love of all things bicycle.) I hope my post helps another couple discover the joy and amazement of riding a tandem together. And perhaps avoid pitfalls of putting two incompatible people together and ruining a perfectly good relationship!
Anyway, I've always enjoyed your posts, so your compliment means that much more. Thanks again and ride on!
PS Us at our craziest:
Last edited by LV2TNDM; 09-24-20 at 12:04 PM.
Likes For LV2TNDM:
09-24-20, 12:31 PM
#96
Senior Member
Join Date: May 2016
Posts: 3,947
Bikes: Trek 1100 road bike, Roadmaster gravel/commuter/beater mountain bike
Mentioned: 5 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2281 Post(s)
Liked 1,710 Times
in
936 Posts
There was an entry in CL someone posted in the Wacky thread where the seller called his tandem the "argument machine". I've never ridden one, but based on my experience with my wife on a tandem kayak it will never happen. After zig zagging down a river and crashing into numerous objects I finally asked my wife to stop paddling.
09-24-20, 12:52 PM
#97
Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Northern CA
Posts: 735
Bikes: Cannondale tandems: '92 Road, '97 Mtn. Mongoose 10.9 Ti, Kelly Deluxe, Tommaso Chorus, Cdale MT2000, Schwinn Deluxe Cruiser, Torker Unicycle, among others.
Mentioned: 5 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 276 Post(s)
Liked 201 Times
in
127 Posts
There was an entry in CL someone posted in the Wacky thread where the seller called his tandem the "argument machine". I've never ridden one, but based on my experience with my wife on a tandem kayak it will never happen. After zig zagging down a river and crashing into numerous objects I finally asked my wife to stop paddling.
Long gone from Craigslist, but someone archived it here:
https://medium.com/@fabianlobera_640...e-ab9401a20dc5
Likes For LV2TNDM:
09-24-20, 01:46 PM
#99
Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2016
Posts: 3,434
Mentioned: 33 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 870 Post(s)
Liked 2,264 Times
in
1,268 Posts
When my wife started having more health issues and started having trouble keeping up with me, I thought that it would work. Her answer was "NO WAY!!" She rides an electric assist bike now when she rides with me. I have never tried one . Joe joesvintageroadbikes.wordpress
