torger

Thanks. We often reconfigure our tandem to ride with friends and family members. Normally it's me in the front and my partner as stoker, but sometimes the other way around, and when I ride with friends I'm usually stoker. In the picture it's unfortunately not a real fit, before the photo it was fitted for a tall pilot and myself in the back, but to not look too strange in the photo I swapped out the massive 14 cm stem to the 12 cm I use myself, but the saddle height is higher than I have it. The short stoker stem in the back is for when I am stoker, not sure if the saddle height is correct or not, maybe it is a little bit lower.

It's the shortest stoker stem possible, any shorter than that the backside of the thighs of the pilot touches the stoker handlebar. Indeed when I ride with a tall pilot l as a stoker come close to the pilot's back. Good for aerodynamics and riding fast, not so good for having a nice view. The frame is a M in front and S in back. It's long for being a small though so I that is usually in between M and L sizes (54 - 56 cm frame size) can still ride in the back but then it becomes a quite tight space, more of a racing configuration rather than pleasant touring. With a shorter stoker that actually use S frame sizes normally the view in the back is great though thanks to the length, and then we also fit a much longer stoker stem.

Recently I've changed my stoker fit to have a bit longer stem (about 2 cm longer than pictured), and instead have a large drop, 12 cm (almost 5 inches) from saddle top to handlebar. That way there's no risk the pilot's thighs touches the handlebar. When I ride a single bike I prefer to have quite little drop and instead have a longer reach, but realized when I ride as stoker and is not actually steering and have a wider handlebar (the drop bar in the rear is 46 cm wide so the pilot can fit between the bar hooks) I can be just as comfortable with a short reach and large drop.

Unfortunately I have no photos of us riding yet, I'm usually the one taking photos while riding, but then I'm on the bike...

Below is the bike pictured with a real fit though (and the 700c wheelset), there I am in the front and my partner is in the back. I like a bit more "racy fit" and she prefers a bit more relaxed fit -- perfect for touring as I'm low in the front and she sits a bit more upright she gets a nice view. Note the longer stoker stem and that the stoker handlebar is about the same height as the saddle (the saddle is a split nose ISM saddle which is the only ones she has found work with her anatomy). The frame is unusually low so quite a lot of seatpost is exposed. Despite being so low we find it to be stiff enough thanks to the massive tubing. The only part I'd like to be a bit stiffer is the fork -- some disc rub due to flex in the fork can happen from time to time.


Real fit, aero wheels