Can you ride 'tandem?

[Alex H]

I am led to believe that small hills are approached at a pace, then powered up/over. Larger hills are approached if possible at speed, then 'endured' to the top.

That sounds great, wish we could do that we usually 'endure' all the way up

Going down however is another matter - top speed ever is 50mph and that's on the hill out of our home village on the main road - unfortunately there is a hill up the other side (river valley)

 

[ufkacbln]

I tried it as the stoker and sooooooooo wanted to steer it - felt really strange to begin with but you do get used to it.

Stoker steering is a problem

We decided to hire a tandem for the day and it was a fairly cheap one.

Then we came to a corner, my wife happily steered through it, turning my saddle through 45 degrees.........

 

[Archie_tect]

WOW!!! Just.... WOW!!!

It was brilliant... Mrs A_T enjoyed it so much she asked where we could get to next time.
Hired the Giant Tandem from Bicycle Repairman LBS at Prudhoe... he had got it ready and checked it all before we got there so just ready to roll. £25 for 12:30 til 6.
We had a few turns round the car park, then off.

Felt a bit strange at first but we soon got the hang of it- Mrs A_T and I apparently have a similar riding style so found we both stopped pedalling at the same time so no mix-ups!
Road east from Prudhoe along the Hadrian Way to Newburn and Wylam where we had our picnic by the river + along to the Quayside in Newcastle. Tea and cake at the Bike Hub LBS at Ouseburn then a leisurely cycle back to Prudhoe. They were as excited as us on our return and keen toi see how we'd done as they'd only got the tandem to try it in the summer.

Definitely do it again, and even considering buying a friend's recently rebuilt steel tandem that he's kitted out with Shimano 105....

Just over 32 miles at an average of 12.8mph, with a top speed so far of 28mph!.... Mrs A_T is very proud of herself and so am I - we can go faster together than she would riding solo and we really steam up the hills - it was the same feeling as I had trying out an electric assist, and so was I with her enthusiasm. Baths and then walk down to the village for a pizza and bottle of plonk!

What a great afternoon! Mrs A_T even felt comfortable to stand on the pedals to ease the saddle pressure, then took my phone out of my cycle op pocket to take a few photos as we pedalled along... respect!

 

[byegad]

So the view didn't put her off?

 

[Archie_tect]

It wasn't the view she was worried about...

 

[Julia9054]

Yes you can http://hasebikes.com/84-1-Pino.html

Saw one of these on holiday in France this summer. Child of about 7 or 8 on the front, dad on the back, towing massive trailer full of stuff and followed by mum on her bike towing 2 more toddlers!

 

[London Female]

I wanted to hire a tandem for me and my daughter but she is taller than I am, the shop said it wouldn't work as my daughter would be on the back.

 

[PpPete]

I wanted to hire a tandem for me and my daughter but she is taller than I am, the shop said it wouldn't work as my daughter would be on the back.

I'd say (from rather limited experience) that weight would be more of an issue than height. I've ridden a fair few miles with lighter stokers, but the only time I ever tried with a fatty on the back (albeit something of a nervous one) it was a complete disaster.

 

[Arch]

A 'ladyback' tandem would be designed for a shorter rider on the rear, and many people manage to ride a tandem with an older child on the back, so it's certainly do-able.

Not for me though. I simply scream the whole time as a stoker, and I'm not confident enough to hold the thing up as captain.

I've only felt happy on two tandems, both recumbent - the Altena two wheeler, and a tandem trike. I think being nearer the ground feels more stable, and three wheels is even better.

One day, NT will build us a tandem trike.

 

[Tyke]

[QUOTE 2678244, member: 45"]Do you never ride as a passenger in a road vehicle?[/quote]
Iv`e been a driver for 35 years an still cant help press the floor when the driver should be breaking but being a stoker is not about being a passenger.

 

[Alex H]

Iv`e been a driver for 35 years an still cant help press the floor when the driver should be breaking but being a stoker is not about being a passenger.

Some tandems do have the drag brake under the control of the stoker (not ours though )

 

[London Female]

I'd say (from rather limited experience) that weight would be more of an issue than height. I've ridden a fair few miles with lighter stokers, but the only time I ever tried with a fatty on the back (albeit something of a nervous one) it was a complete disaster.

Well in our case the fatty will be on the front so maybe we will be ok

 

[biggs682]

tandem riding is great fun , all cyclist should be happy to have a go on any bike .

 

[srw]

There's a practical problem with the taller rider being on the back - the stem clamp would be somewhere around crotch level, so unless you've got a very oddly shaped stem your nose would be jammed in the arse of the pilot. That's apart from considering the extra strengthe needed to hold the machine up - strength which usually comes with height.

6'5 and 5'1 is an unusual height difference, but certainly not fatal - we're 6'0 and 5'3. A longer seatpost and a different stem on the front would do for a taller person; the rear seatpost has several inches of height reduction possible. And that's on a couple of medium-sized tandems. Specially sized machines designed for children or small adults on the back are available from all the specialist manufacturers - Thorn, Santana, Orbit

If you're well-matched, a tandem is the best way, bar none, for two people to cycle together.