Mayonnaise

Greetings,

My wife and I just ordered a tandem from Co-Motion so lately my thoughts are tandem focused.

I've been a longtime member of the South Chicago Wheelmen, a racing club in Chicago. Each year we host a criterium at Cobb Park in Kankakee Illinois. I was thinking it would be kinda cool to add a Tandem race to the schedule.

While I don't have any specifics, generally speaking it would be a race of 30 minutes on a closed course. It would be an "open" field, meaning all categories would be welcomed. In the old days we called this a Citizens Race. All USAC rules would apply. Each rider would need a "one day" license, essentially for insurance reasons. Entry fee would be $35ish per team.

I come here because I have absolutely no reference point for the level of interest such an event might generate. I'd need to have 5-10 teams show interest to add it to the schedule.

Based on your experience and feel for tandem enthusiasts, would there be much interest in this kind of event?

merlinextraligh

Likely not enough to draw a decent field unless you heavily promoted it. We've raced tandem for a number of years and the fields were always small.

Masters Nationals tandem fields are usually smaller than 10 teams. I think the last road race we did at nationals had 20 teams for two combined age groups.

The Co-motion Classic Tandem Stage race drew something like 30 teams back when they did it, but it was a multi day race that drew people from a distance.

So while there are people who like to race tandems, there's not a density anywhere for a local race.

Additionally, while there tandem teams that would do a time trial or road race they'd be hesitant to do a crit., which is unfortunate because a crit of all tandems is a blast.

I don't mean to discourage you, because I'd love to see more tandem races, but realistcally, I don't see you having much success unless you heavily promote it, and pull from a wide area.

WPH

Here is a great thread by Cameron on his and John's efforts at racing a tandem in the local vets club: Australian Cycling Forums - Tandem Tales.

There are some snippets on YouTube of Aussie tandems racing, including this one: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wgMLyVE6Rdk

Good luck, keep us informed if you make progress.


WPH

Mayonnaise

I've gotten zero traction and am letting the idea go. While the video of the Aussie team is impressive, it's the kind of thing that scares people off: they're just too good. My idea was to bring racing in a formal yet safe environment for the weekend enthusiast. A local race will probably never attract more than 5 or so teams which means more than half who enter will have a podium finish with a picture suitable for Facebook. After a mass start the riders would probably split up into 5 individual bikes, meaning it's unlikely any unfortunate collisions would occur. It would be a great way to get people to challenge themselves. Ah well...

merlinextraligh

Adding a tandem division to a TT might be a better idea. No one shows, it's not a big deal, and you've got a race if two teams show up. And there are definitely are more teams that will do a TT than a crit.

If the TT grows big enough you've then got your base to market a tandem crit

Doge

July 1993 my wife and I entered the Duet tandem stage race in Eugene Or. It was 5 stages with about 50 tandems in the A group and 50 in the B group. Wife and I made it past a big crash day one to be top 5. Next day downhill in the rain 60+ MPH (I had a nice 57X11), ended up behind a crash and endo in front and we bent our fork with he 8 feet in the air.

As this was our honeymoon we just pulled out and went on a 100+ mile a day ride to and down the coast.

StephenH

A crit would be the last thing I'd want to do on a tandem, I believe. Time trial, long-distance racing is fine.

midwestMTB

I like the idea of a time trial and a road race, but the idea of a crit sounds really scary.

Peter

WPH

Well Cameron and John in Canberra ended up racing vets crits quite happily. On some of the courses I have raced on single bikes in the past. No worries.

My tandem brakes as sell as a single bike (twice the weight but also twice the brakes) and at speed can change direction nearly as quickly. People drive at freeway speeds with big trucks, caravans etc all the time and instinctively make allowances, same on the twicer when the pace picks up in the bunch.

When we suggested taking our tandem on the local Saturday morning bunch ride we had a lot of push-back from people who thought it would be too dangerous. Six months later we are broadly accepted, have shown we can safely ride in a bunch, give a smooth fast wheel in the gallop at the end, and provide a talking point on the boring bits.


Carry on, be not afraid, be careful!


WPH

merlinextraligh

All tandem crit is a blast. Amazing how much trash female stokers can talk.

DubT

I raced the Cobb Park crit many times several years ago.

i have also raced in several tandem races. Several years ago there was a 6 day race in the Streator area and they had a tandem class, we raced a road race, a circuit race and several crits. I think there were only 5 tandem teams that participated.

i also raced in the National time trial back in the early 90's. Getting a decent number of tandem teams to show up might be a problem.

Have you you been able to get any teams to show interest?

Wayne

DKMcK 

In Charlotte NC we have time trials at the Lowes Motor Speedway with a tandem class.

https://carolinatt.org/v4/

Darth Lefty 

A tandem crit sounds great... to watch! I'm imagining it much like Road Warrior, or Top Gun.

I have to admit all the organized racing I've ever done has been R/C cars. There, there's often a "run what you brung" class where anyone can drive anything, for the guys who want to bring, or only have, an old style of car or a big monster truck. Anything similar in bike racing?

Mayonnaise

Cobb Park is a lovely spot for a bike race. Except for a little pinch on the backside, the course is wide open with pretty views of the park and Kankakee River. Since you'll never have more than 5 tandems on the course, it couldn't be much safer.

If there's a group of people in the Chicago area interested in racing tandems I sure haven't been able to find them.

The Wheelmen also host a large cyclocross race each year. If memory serves, we've had a few teams show up on tandems. I think we put them in the Single Speed category. I don't think they raced well but they had a good time and the crowd loved them. Perhaps there are more off road tandems in the area that would want to enter an organized race. If we had 5 teams it might make sense to add to the schedule.

I should state outright, my efforts here are not designed for high level, serious racing. Those guys will find a way to scratch their itch one way or another. Rather, I'd like to get people with little to no experience to pin on a number, have some fun, and experience the joy of sport and community. Imagine your 60 year old mother calling and saying "Dad and I are driving down to Kankakee tomorrow to race the tandem" (to which your older, bossy sister would reply, 'like hell you are"). A new experience and simple good clean fun!