Originally Posted by
PeteHski
I still see quite a few tandems here in the UK. There are always a few on century event rides and there is a youngish couple who ride locally.
Our local riding is full of steep climbs, so no shortage of resistance training. I also find ERG mode on my indoor trainer particularly punishing compared to holding the same power outdoors or even in slope sim mode on the trainer.
Then of course there’s mountain biking, although I don’t really find the extra bike weight or increased rolling resistance makes it any harder. You just go slower.
Yes, I suppose it could be something like erg mode on a small flywheel trainer. On our tandem, when I push down on the pedal, the bike simply doesn't accelerate noticeably. That little bit of easier in every pedal stroke doesn't seem to exist. I've found that to be helpful, maybe sorta like several straight hours of erg mode except it's fun. We have hills here too, but normally I create routes with about 50'/mile. Normal English countryside must be a little hillier. One of our riders recently returned from a north to south ride on your island. She said it was about 1000 miles and 60,000' of climbing. She's in her late 60s and quite a strong rider. Had a great time, rode in the rain rather than take the sag. She's from here, so no big deal.