Tandem road bike

[Lurch the stalker]

Hi all,

 

My sister has been suggesting the idea of a tandem road bike for a while (mostly because she's hoping to sit back and do nothing I think )

 

I've decided to start thinking a bit more on the idea.

At this point, the budget is zero since I am not too serious about it.

 

Is there somewhere that one can rent/test ride a tandem for a couple days to see if this is something you really want to do? I wouldn't want to shell out on a bike only to find out we hate it.

 

Assuming it is something we want to pursue, is there anything specific to a tandem you should be looking out for?

[hayleyearth]

You already have a problem with everyone thinking she is your gf...and now this?

[Lurch the stalker]

You already have a problem with everyone thinking she is your gf...and now this?

You bringing this up so you have anything to take the attention off your new Patch obsession hey...

[WrightJnr]

I'm in the same boat (tandem wise) here. Watching this thread closely.

[Fly2High]

I have been riding tandem for about 14 years , the last 4 years ,road as well as MTB. 

1) Pick a tandem type, road or MTB (mtb can be fitted with road tyres but not the other way round). Also determines gear ratios .. Decide how you want to ride, race or casual, that determines the bike. 

2) Does she currently ride, important as it is extremely difficult to teach an adult to "ride a bicycle" as well as to be a stoker.

3) Sort out your terminology on the bike.  (free means "do not pedal"  and only when the pilot says so ... ) Stopping means stopping and the stoker might not unclip and stay seated.

4) Read articles about tandem riding.

5) Chat to other tandem riders and obtain a view of what works for them.  Small things make a massive difference.

6) Pilot must not eat beans, will not expand on that...

7) Stoker must trust the pilot , read that slowly. S T O K E R must trust the Pilot. 

8) Find a system that works for you: e.g all our food is in my pockets and gets served when asked for.

9) Find a LBS that knows tandems . It is a bit different than a normal bike.

10) I run 32c tyres on my road tandem.. Makes for a great smooth ride.

11) Fit a stoker seatpost with a bit of suspension.  (makes for happy stoker)

12) Ensure you have decent wheels (hubs, spokes and rims ) none of the weight weenie stuff unless you both weigh less than 120kg.  The wheelset must be able to carry a load of in excess of about 150-180Kg depending on your and her size.

13) Ensure your LBS installs a good braking system, I do not have discs on the road tandem but my LBS has fitted an excellent braking system.  if you have discs , be careful, the tandem could then stop quicker than single bikes, makes for interesting rides.

14) If possible borrow a tandem, I do not loan out my tandems  as they are expensive but other people do.

15) The first ride must be done alone (with your stoker) so that you can ignore other advice from the sidelines as it is quite difficult to get used to the "flex" of the bike as well as the delayed reaction from the rear wheel.  Also the stoker must understand that any movement they make "telescopes " to the front and can cause major movement on the front wheel. So both riders need to be still and smooth on the bike.

16) Teach your stoker to release the pedals slightly when changing on the front  . (as you normally do when riding on your own but now you have to let the stoker know)

17) Communicate, Communicate, Communicate, oh did I say you must communicate, The stoker most likely cannot see over you or around you, so talk to them and inform them of what is coming .  Bumps, speed bumps, uphills, downhills, flats, corners .. Lots of articles out there.

18) Pilot is responsible for the stoker, quite important: e.g if you stop, you manage the bike and keep it upright till the stoker dismounts.

19) Ensure the tandem is the correct size for both of you.

I hope this helps. We enjoy our tandem riding!!!

[Lurch the stalker]

Thanks for all those pointers Fly2High.

Will definitely read more into it first.

[Six13]

Linden Cycles used to rent out tandems. I did this before buying my own tandem. Have been riding a tandem for the past 6 years and loving it.

[xcd]

Try Conrad at Eagle Canyon Cycles. He had a few 2nd hand tandems and would let guys test ride them. He is in Honeydew

[Long Wheel Base]

Tandem riding is awesome. I think the post by fly2High is pretty much spot on. Iv been riding tandem since I was 6 but the last few years have been racing tandems properly in between racing VA. I'm lucky that my stoker is my toppie and is also a racing vet so we both used to hard racing. Its also good that your stoker knows you very well and that your riding style is similar. Its extremely important on a tandem to keep your style smooth. Be prepared to sit a lot more on a tandem as standing can be difficult for some. Anticipate ahead of time what singles will do, A tandem cant bunny hop a pothole or swerve quickly for glass and so on, so now you will understand why a tandem swears you for not pointing out something or doing it at the last split second.

[davem]

Been riding a tandem for 18 months with my wife. Fantastic fun.

 

Best description I have heard of riding a tandem: It will accelerate your relationship in the direction it is already going.

[DJR]

Very good advice above.

 

I rode tandem with a different goal in mind to the racing snakes above. I bought a cheapish one when my sons were about 10 years old and I used it to introduce them to road racing. It allowed for relative safety with a captain that knew the ropes and transferring those skills to a young stoker. By the time they were 12 they were more than capable to hold their own in a peleton because they knew how things worked. They were also introduced to riding in traffic using the tandem. (Before age 10 they only rode mountain bike.) The tandem allowed for 2 riders of very different capabilities to ride together, which works very well as long as they communicate well. I did some of my best training on the tandem because the youngster would contribute for say the 1st 50 km of a ride and after that I would really have to do most of the work. Getting back on a single bike I then suddenly felt like I could fly! I truly found riding tandem with my 2 boys an incredibly rewarding thing. I plan to buy another tandem one day when I get too old to keep up and then ride stoker for them. After a few years they both progressed to their own road bikes and I tried to get my wife involved in riding the tandem with me but she didn't enjoy riding stoker and there was no way I would let her be the captain (sorry girls, she is already in charge of everything else. Luckily she enjoys paddling a double kayak with me.) Tandems rock!

[Paul Ruinaard]

Very good advice above.

 

I bought the tandem after all my PB's were done and I started to ride with my wife so that we could ride together. We have had it a year. We do rides in the cradle and are starting to do longer rides. Did Argus and 94.7

 

As per the above there is no place to hide on a tandem. When one of you hits the wall its really then a matter of pulling the weaker person through.

 

It makes you incredibly strong and you will feel the difference when you get back on the single bike.

 

It also tests the two of you as you will identify all the communication weaknesses.

 

It is a lot quicker on the downhills and on flat races it is poetry. On the uphills its a bitch and you have no choice but to spin. There is a reason you have that triple ring

 

FWIW: I have seen 105 kmh down water board hill with two big guys cranking it up to over 67kmh with a 55 big blade, so you need to think about wheel strength and stopping as well. In this 94.7 we got 94 kmh, i think it was on timber hill on Cedar Road.

 

They go fast, are long and you need to think about how you manoeuvre in a bunch, so a nervous stoker makes for an interesting ride (my wife thinks i am crazy)

 

I had also had a previous tandem that i raced quite seriously with another mate and won some events and had some pretty fast rides. Its a lot more fun and a lot more social (especially social tandems) as you get to know the tandems around you. The faster guys in racing tandems are crazy fast.

 

WE  ride social so that the wife and I can be together without one of us feeling under pressure as she would on the single bikes

 

You dont need discs but they are nice to have especially as a cable actuated back disc brake is easy to put on.

 

Cannondales are the Rolls Royce of tandems having had a few and really you can pick one up if you are clever - people buy them and their resale isn't that high as its a specialist device.

 

There are others out there.

 

I highly recommend it but not as a starter - get the person out on a single bike for a bit and let them develop. If one of you is a speed demon gear cruncher and the other is a spinner that descends on the brakes it isn't going to be a pleasant ride.

 

Its a great training ground to make your partner stronger as well.

 

But even then, with all the above, when you get it on the flats and start to crank that big bike up and you start sailing past the guys on their TT bikes (they normally hook in behind you), the smile factor is just insane. You all of a sudden are able to take your partner along and let them get the feel of racing and being able to hold a bunch and ride in groups.

 

Highly recommend it - you will not regret it