First tandem ride

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We rented a tandem today. First time ever for my wife. First time for me
after >20 years. The thing was a Trek T100, not too new based on its 3x7
group, but in good shape. The first starts were a bit difficult for lack
of coordination, and we had to start straight into downtown in the busy
Saturday morning traffic.

But soon we were out of town and things went much better. Our ride was
mostly flat but the only 150 m climb, although it slowed us down quite a
bit, was no real problem. Downhill was really great - at least for me as
the driver, a bit frightening for my wife... On the flat, I had the
feeling that we were going quite fast for a moderate effort (no computer
to really tell us, though). We came across quite a lot of well equiped and
fit looking road riders, but none passed us, which is a sign...

We finally rode 50 km around Lake Thun without feeling really tired. This
was a great experience, and maybe one of these days we'll be looking for
more than renting !

Is anybody around this newsgroup riding tandems regularly ?

Jacques

"Jacques Moser" <moser.removethe2dots.franscini@bluewin.ch> wrote in message
news:pan.2004.04.17.20.50.50.611561@bluewin.ch...
> We rented a tandem today. First time ever for my wife. First time for me
> after >20 years. The thing was a Trek T100, not too new based on its 3x7
> group, but in good shape. The first starts were a bit difficult for lack
> of coordination, and we had to start straight into downtown in the busy
> Saturday morning traffic.
>
> But soon we were out of town and things went much better. Our ride was
> mostly flat but the only 150 m climb, although it slowed us down quite a
> bit, was no real problem. Downhill was really great - at least for me as
> the driver, a bit frightening for my wife... On the flat, I had the
> feeling that we were going quite fast for a moderate effort (no computer
> to really tell us, though). We came across quite a lot of well equiped and
> fit looking road riders, but none passed us, which is a sign...
>
> We finally rode 50 km around Lake Thun without feeling really tired. This
> was a great experience, and maybe one of these days we'll be looking for
> more than renting !
>
> Is anybody around this newsgroup riding tandems regularly ?
>
> Jacques

I bought a tandem a couple of years ago, mainly because my daughter could
not keep up with the rest of the family on rides. I agree with the speed on
flats part, although I don't have a computer to know for sure either.
Anyway, the tandem has been a lot of fun, but is a little difficult to get
used to with a new rider. I also don't care for riding the tandem in town,
sort of a pain at all the stops. It is great on the open rural roads though.
Paul

I wish. I would love to do a ride on a bicycle built for two, if only
for the experience!

As for going faster, don't be surprised. Remember, you have the power of
two and the air resistance of only one.

- -

"May you have the wind at your back.
And a really low gear for the hills!"

Chris Zacho ~ "Your Friendly Neighborhood Wheelman"

Chris'Z Corner
http://www.geocities.com/czcorner

>Is anybody around this newsgroup riding tandems regularly ?

My wife and I split our miles roughly 50-50 between singles and the tandem.

The tandem gives us an edge on some fast training rides where I would be
just hanging on riding my single and she would not there be there at all.

A tandem is a hoot with the right partner.


Chris Neary
diabloridr@comcast.net

Chris & Tracey
1999 Co-Motion Speedster

Jacques:

My wife and I have rode tandem for about 3 years. I ride single as well,
she does not. We ride in town or out in the country. Now, with our 16
month old, we are pulling a trailer, too.

My wife, on her first ride (she had not really ridden since she was a
teenager) did a 20+ miler. The tandem allows us to ride together, while if
we were on singles, there would be a big differential in our speed and
distance abilities. It all comes out the same on the tandem... more or
less.

If starts are an issue for your, check out Sheldon Brown's article on proper
starting technique, it's a must read:
http://www.sheldonbrown.com/tandem.html. Essentially, you straddle and
steady the bike while the stoker (your wife) gets on the back and gets
clipped or strapped in. Then she positions the pedals, you clip in one
foot, and then start off. Your unclipped foot should have the pedal around
1 o'clock position, so you can get momentum. The stoker should provide a
key amount of the initial inertia on the start up.

Once you do it a few times, its easy. Communication is the key when riding
a tandem. Sudden moves by either party can be unnerving to the other... and
the stoker cannot really see forward, so you have to advise them of what is
happening.

We have ridden tandem for several years... starts and stops, even in
traffic, seem no different than on a single.

Anything that gets you out riding is goodness.

Rick
2001 Santana Noventa

"Jacques Moser" <moser.removethe2dots.franscini@bluewin.ch> wrote in message
news:pan.2004.04.17.20.50.50.611561@bluewin.ch...
> We rented a tandem today. First time ever for my wife. First time for me
> after >20 years. The thing was a Trek T100, not too new based on its 3x7
> group, but in good shape. The first starts were a bit difficult for lack
> of coordination, and we had to start straight into downtown in the busy
> Saturday morning traffic.
>
> But soon we were out of town and things went much better. Our ride was
> mostly flat but the only 150 m climb, although it slowed us down quite a
> bit, was no real problem. Downhill was really great - at least for me as
> the driver, a bit frightening for my wife... On the flat, I had the
> feeling that we were going quite fast for a moderate effort (no computer
> to really tell us, though). We came across quite a lot of well equiped and
> fit looking road riders, but none passed us, which is a sign...
>
> We finally rode 50 km around Lake Thun without feeling really tired. This
> was a great experience, and maybe one of these days we'll be looking for
> more than renting !
>
> Is anybody around this newsgroup riding tandems regularly ?
>
> Jacques

Jacques Moser wrote:

> We rented a tandem today. First time ever for my wife.

You did much better than I did. On my first tandem ride, I managed to
steer the tandem off the road, into the ditch...

and I was on the back seat!


> Is anybody around this newsgroup riding tandems regularly ?

Not any more. But I've done thousands of miles with my wife and then
with my daughter as stokers. It's allowed us to do many rides they
wouldn't have been capable of on singles.

My daughter's now grown and moved away - sadly. My wife prefers to
control her own single. But I still think a tandem's great fun.


--
-------------+
Frank Krygowski [To reply, omit what's between "at" and "cc"]

On Sat, 17 Apr 2004 22:50:50 +0200, "Jacques Moser"
<moser.removethe2dots.franscini@bluewin.ch> wrote in message
<pan.2004.04.17.20.50.50.611561@bluewin.ch>:

>Is anybody around this newsgroup riding tandems regularly ?

We have a triplet (three seats) - it's great. My wife and I have
tried tandeming and I have been known to steer for my bike mechanic
who is blind and has a tandem. It's a slightly different style of
riding, more measured for the most part in my experience anyway, but
very sociable. You can't drop your partner when you share a bike :-)

--
Guy
===
May contain traces of irony. Contents liable to settle after posting.
http://www.chapmancentral.co.uk

88% of helmet statistics are made up, 65% of them at Washington University

If you lock up the wheels in a car, you can do a side skid, and you see a
controlled skid like this in racing.

Is there a similar trick to learning to do a side skid on the bike? Do you
lock up the back wheels and then lean or something?

I'd like to be able to do this kind of stop instead of the panic 'over the
bars' kind of stop, if possible. I realize you should learn the brake
better, and as Shelton says, use that front brake, but I'd also like to
learn a side skid.

Not that I would use it to kick up the pebbles and impress the chicks, mind
you. Nope. Wouldn't do it. ;-p

-B

"Jacques Moser" <moser.removethe2dots.franscini@bluewin.ch> wrote in message
news:pan.2004.04.17.20.50.50.611561@bluewin.ch...
> We rented a tandem today. First time ever for my wife. First time for me
> after >20 years. The thing was a Trek T100, not too new based on its 3x7
> group, but in good shape. The first starts were a bit difficult for lack
> of coordination, and we had to start straight into downtown in the busy
> Saturday morning traffic.
>
> But soon we were out of town and things went much better. Our ride was
> mostly flat but the only 150 m climb, although it slowed us down quite a
> bit, was no real problem. Downhill was really great - at least for me as
> the driver, a bit frightening for my wife... On the flat, I had the
> feeling that we were going quite fast for a moderate effort (no computer
> to really tell us, though). We came across quite a lot of well equiped and
> fit looking road riders, but none passed us, which is a sign...
>
> We finally rode 50 km around Lake Thun without feeling really tired. This
> was a great experience, and maybe one of these days we'll be looking for
> more than renting !
>
> Is anybody around this newsgroup riding tandems regularly ?

I pretty much only ride tandem. Well, I have a junker that I tootle
around town on for errands, but all my long rides are on the back
of our tandem. We go out with guys on singles (regular road bikes)
and in general we are a little faster on flats, much faster on downhills,
and much, much, much slower on uphills, so it tends to even out.
When my husband goes out without me on his single he's way faster
on the uphills, but the rest of the guys are disappointed they don't
have a wheel to hang on during the long slight downhills.:-)

Follow the other poster's description on start up. Once I
climb on the back and clip in I don't unclip until 30 miles later
at coffee. If you have a really good shock absorber for the
stoker you can skip calling out all the bumps. (We have a
softride on the back.) But you should still call out shifts, your
stoker's knees will be thankful. We have a drag brake I control,
so on steep downhills I can slow us down. Haven't used it in
over a year, I've gotten used to the speed, but it gives your
stoker some control.

On Sun, 18 Apr 2004 11:24:34 -0400, Badger_South <Badger@South.net>
wrote:

>
>If you lock up the wheels in a car, you can do a side skid, and you see a
>controlled skid like this in racing.
>
>Is there a similar trick to learning to do a side skid on the bike? Do you
>lock up the back wheels and then lean or something?
>
>I'd like to be able to do this kind of stop instead of the panic 'over the
>bars' kind of stop, if possible. I realize you should learn the brake
>better, and as Shelton says, use that front brake, but I'd also like to
>learn a side skid.
>
>Not that I would use it to kick up the pebbles and impress the chicks, mind
>you. Nope. Wouldn't do it. ;-p

Dude. Skid?

lock up the rear and skid that mother. Waaaay easy if you're riding
an old BMX with a coaster brake.

It's been a while since I went curbsurfing and played biketag...

-Luigi

>
>-B
>

On Sun, 18 Apr 2004 12:53:31 -0400, Luigi de Guzman <luigi12081@cox.net>
wrote:

>On Sun, 18 Apr 2004 11:24:34 -0400, Badger_South <Badger@South.net>
>wrote:
>
>>
>>If you lock up the wheels in a car, you can do a side skid, and you see a
>>controlled skid like this in racing.
>>
>>Is there a similar trick to learning to do a side skid on the bike? Do you
>>lock up the back wheels and then lean or something?
>>
>>I'd like to be able to do this kind of stop instead of the panic 'over the
>>bars' kind of stop, if possible. I realize you should learn the brake
>>better, and as Shelton says, use that front brake, but I'd also like to
>>learn a side skid.
>>
>>Not that I would use it to kick up the pebbles and impress the chicks, mind
>>you. Nope. Wouldn't do it. ;-p
>
>Dude. Skid?
>
>lock up the rear and skid that mother. Waaaay easy if you're riding
>an old BMX with a coaster brake.
>
>It's been a while since I went curbsurfing and played biketag...
>
>-Luigi
>
>>
>>-B

OK, I'll find a place with some sandy pavement and try it. I can only skid
left, b/c of my bad left hip, and post on my right, I think.

BTW, keeping up the winter riding is paying off. I'm now riding about 8-12
miles per day, seven days a week, and feeling no pain!

-B

Badger_South <Badger@South.net> wrote in message news:<id7580l86p423ig5d9rblf2efggdachpmb@4ax.com>...
> Not that I would use it to kick up the pebbles and impress the chicks, mind
> you. Nope. Wouldn't do it. ;-p

Well, your 12 year old class mates might be impressed.

Dick Durbin

> >Is there a similar trick to learning to do a side skid on the bike? Do
you
> >lock up the back wheels and then lean or something?

> >better, and as Shelton says, use that front brake, but I'd also like to
> >learn a side skid.
> Dude. Skid?
>
> lock up the rear and skid that mother. Waaaay easy if you're riding
> an old BMX with a coaster brake.

At $45 a tire, there will be no skidding here.
Damn frogs, are there ANY american companys that make a tubless tire?

On Mon, 19 Apr 2004 03:56:30 GMT, "tk" <pm200054@optonline.net> wrote:

>> >Is there a similar trick to learning to do a side skid on the bike? Do
>you
>> >lock up the back wheels and then lean or something?
>
>> >better, and as Shelton says, use that front brake, but I'd also like to
>> >learn a side skid.
>> Dude. Skid?
>>
>> lock up the rear and skid that mother. Waaaay easy if you're riding
>> an old BMX with a coaster brake.
>
>At $45 a tire, there will be no skidding here.
>Damn frogs, are there ANY american companys that make a tubless tire?

I tried the skid and it seems to work better if I lock up the front wheel,
which acts as a pivot, letting the back swing forward. Is this unusual?

-B

On Mon, 19 Apr 2004 13:00:28 -0400, Badger_South <Badger@South.net>
wrote:

>On Mon, 19 Apr 2004 03:56:30 GMT, "tk" <pm200054@optonline.net> wrote:
>
>>> >Is there a similar trick to learning to do a side skid on the bike? Do
>>you
>>> >lock up the back wheels and then lean or something?
>>
>>> >better, and as Shelton says, use that front brake, but I'd also like to
>>> >learn a side skid.
>>> Dude. Skid?
>>>
>>> lock up the rear and skid that mother. Waaaay easy if you're riding
>>> an old BMX with a coaster brake.
>>
>>At $45 a tire, there will be no skidding here.
>>Damn frogs, are there ANY american companys that make a tubless tire?
>
>I tried the skid and it seems to work better if I lock up the front wheel,
>which acts as a pivot, letting the back swing forward. Is this unusual?

It is. Go talk to the BMX kiddies on your block and ask them to show
you a skid-stop. They do it without touching the front brake.

The only thing I can think of is that your weight is shifted too far
forward to do it properly. On an old bmx with a coaster brake, all
you had to do was back-pedal and shift your hips ever so slightly and
it would skid. Think about popping a wheelie but dont pedal
forward--shift your weight back and slightly to one side and you'll
skid....

-Luigi

>
>-B
>

Jacques Moser <moser.removethe2dots.franscini@bluewin.ch> wrote:
>
> Is anybody around this newsgroup riding tandems regularly ?

Not terribly regular yet, but my wife and I recently purchased a
tandem. We quite like it. :)

For her, it means she doesn't have to hurry to catch up to me. She
doesn't feel like I'm continually trying to leave her behind. We
can carry on a conversation. She doesn't have to do anything except
pedal, and she can look at the scenery.

For my part, I no longer feel like I'm about to die of impatience.
In my defense, when I'm only pedaling with one leg, have the child
trailer (with child and backpack and what-not) behind me, and I'm
still out-pacing her - I get a little frustrated.

--
Dane Jackson - z u v e m b i @ u n i x b i g o t s . o r g
Some of my readers ask me what a "Serial Port" is.
The answer is: I don't know.
Is it some kind of wine you have with breakfast?

>> Is anybody around this newsgroup riding tandems regularly ?
>
>Not terribly regular yet, but my wife and I recently purchased a
>tandem. We quite like it. :)

I've been on a tandem twice.

First time was on a "normal" tandem. Husband was in front & I was stoker. Never
again ;-) I've never felt so out of control and unsafe on abike in my life.

Second time was on a recumbent tandem trike - a trice. One of these..
http://www.ice.hpv.co.uk/trikes_expedition.htm

I *loved* it! Once again husband was in the front & I was stoker. A totally
different experience and *huge fun*. I'd love one.

However...

husband liked the traditional tandem and loathed the recumbent tandem.

B*gger...

Cheers, helen s



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"Dane Jackson" <dane@unseen.edu> wrote in message
news:qtdgl1-nmf.ln1@zuvembi.homelinux.org...
> Jacques Moser <moser.removethe2dots.franscini@bluewin.ch> wrote:
> >
> > Is anybody around this newsgroup riding tandems regularly ?
>
> Not terribly regular yet, but my wife and I recently purchased a
> tandem. We quite like it. :)

We're going to look at this one on Saturday:
http://www.cascade.org/Community/forum/messageview.cfm?catid=4&threadid=1106

We already own a tandem, which I use with the kids. The idea of getting this
one would be that I could use it to ride with my husband. As my older
daughter's legs grow (she's already 5'4") we can use both tandems together
and the whole family can do some long trips. The purchase of tandem #2 also
implies buying another tandem holder for the Yakima roof rack. Another
consideration: we finally might have to park one of the cars in the
driveway, as we will have in toto: two tandems, two mountain bikes, two road
bikes, a hybrid, a beater bike, and a couple of kids bikes.

An even big question -- will our marriage survive? Concerns:
o He has no sense of direction -- I'd have to be alert enough to tell him
where to go all the time; can't snooze back there
o He is bad at pacing himself -- typically on long rides he'll burn himself
out at the beginning, then limp along at the end -- would tandeming help
this?
o He sings obscene ditties all the time when he rides -- I will not be able
to escape these on a tandem!

What else should I worry about?


--
Warm Regards,

Claire Petersky
Please replace earthlink for mouse-potato and .net for .com
Home of the meditative cyclist:
http://home.earthlink.net/~cpetersky/Welcome.htm
See the books I've set free at: http://bookcrossing.com/referral/Cpetersky

"Claire Petersky" <cpetersky@mouse-potato.com> wrote in message
news:vxihc.36464$ru4.35000@attbi_s52...
>
> Another
> consideration: we finally might have to park one of the cars in the
> driveway, as we will have in toto: two tandems, two mountain bikes, two
road
> bikes, a hybrid, a beater bike, and a couple of kids bikes.

Got room in the yard for one of those "build it yourself" storage sheds?
>
> An even big question -- will our marriage survive? Concerns:
> o He has no sense of direction -- I'd have to be alert enough to tell him
> where to go all the time; can't snooze back there

Is being too shy to tell people where to go a big problem for you?
Besides, it's no worse than 2 singles.

> o He is bad at pacing himself -- typically on long rides he'll burn
himself
> out at the beginning, then limp along at the end -- would tandeming help
> this?

Maybe. Most tandems require you to pedal in lockstep, so you are both going
to have the same cadence.
A few don't.

> o He sings obscene ditties all the time when he rides -- I will not be
able
> to escape these on a tandem!
>
And the problem would be...?

I shouldn't talk. I bought a tandem in 1979 in vain hopes that it would get
my wife riding with me.
When I was captain, she didn't like the lack of control, but she didn't like
being captain, either (although that might be, in part, because the bike's
harder to control with the bigger person in back).
The tandem only became useful when my daughters got big enough (about age 8
or 9). As they got older, it became a nice novelty item and most kids in the
neigborhood have served as stoker with one daughter or other as captain. My
daughter even took it to school last fall.

One thing that might or might not be a problem: the captain can almost
always hear the stoker, but the reverse isn't true. That might be some help
with the ditties.

Tue, 20 Apr 2004 23:40:11 GMT, <vxihc.36464$ru4.35000@attbi_s52>,
"Claire Petersky" <cpetersky@mouse-potato.com> wrote:

>What else should I worry about?

Chili dogs.
--
zk