Tandem(what make)

[bob_the_builder]

 

Interesting one from a messageboard on the internet:-

 

 

 

You mean it isn't just thehubsa?

 

[decibach db]

 

Tandem is the best way of cycling that I've ever done.

 

It's actually amazing how many great riders out there has never ridden Tandem before.

 

 

 

Another great discovery I've made the last 2 months is Q-rings.

 

Budget and put them on straight out of the cycle shop.

 

It gives you and your stoker a much more even power stroke.

 

The best thing ever on uphills.

 

 

 

Or don't put them on.... and discover the difference... 15 years later... like me.

 

 

 

Waddya mean? 15 years ago they had square chainrings... they called them "Biopace" didn't last then either...

 

 

 

I meant that after 15 years of tandem riding... I discovered Q-rings....yes it was biopace then.. not the same...

 

 

 

Point is - that my stoker and I battled up the hills.. mainly because of our different points of our powerstroke.

 

Now with Q-rings we fly!!!

 

Fact.

 

 

[bob_the_builder]

Oh... They look like Biopace to me... I'm not convinced...

[decibach db]

 

Interesting one from a messageboard on the internet:-

 

 

 

You mean it isn't just thehubsa?

 

 

 

The stocker are always right.

 

The stocker never makes a mistake....

 

 

 

If the Captain realize that... then you have no problem.

[mdk555]

Or don't put them on.... and discover the difference... 15 years later... like me.

 

Waddya mean? 15 years ago they had square chainrings... they called them "Biopace" didn't last then either...

 

I meant that after 15 years of tandem riding... I discovered Q-rings....yes it was biopace then.. not the same...

 

Point is - that my stoker and I battled up the hills.. mainly because of our different points of our powerstroke.

Now with Q-rings we fly!!!

Fact.

My boet and I weight 200 kg (without the bike) and since going Q have never used granny again. Matter a fact we climb some of the rolling of D'ville without going to middle blade.

[bob_the_builder]

 

Or don't put them on.... and discover the difference... 15 years later... like me.

 

Waddya mean? 15 years ago they had square chainrings... they called them "Biopace" didn't last then either...

 

I meant that after 15 years of tandem riding... I discovered Q-rings....yes it was biopace then.. not the same...

 

Point is - that my stoker and I battled up the hills.. mainly because of our different points of our powerstroke.

Now with Q-rings we fly!!!

Fact.

My boet and I weight 200 kg (without the bike) and since going Q have never used granny again. Matter a fact we climb some of the rolling of D'ville without going to middle blade.

 

Oh, well, there you go then... Biopace rings only ever gave me sore knees...

 

[mdk555]

Oh... They look like Biopace to me... I'm not convinced...

Just ask some who had them and went back to the other one.

 

https://www.bikehub.co.za/forum_posts.asp?TID=25114&PN=1

[bob_the_builder]

 

Oh... They look like Biopace to me... I'm not convinced...

Just ask some who had them and went back to the other one.

 

https://www.bikehub.co.za/forum_posts.asp?TID=25114&PN=1

 

Oh, don't get me wrong, if they work for you, sweet. I'm just not sold for me.

 

[Guest Big H]

WW you forgot the most important rule...... in the word of Sheldon Brown (RIP) ...." THE STOKER IS ALWAYS RIGHT" It does not matter if you thought you were right the stoker is always right.

Big H - are you serious about this? I thought the pilot called the shots and the
stoker did what he was told to?

 

Yup dead serious...... if your stoker is the daughter of your mother in law even more so!!!!!!!

[bob_the_builder]

 

WW you forgot the most important rule...... in the word of Sheldon Brown (RIP) ...." THE STOKER IS ALWAYS RIGHT" It does not matter if you thought you were right the stoker is always right.

Big H - are you serious about this? I thought the pilot called the shots and the

stoker did what he was told to?

 

Yup dead serious...... if your stoker is the daughter of your mother in law even more so!!!!!!!

 

I thought that's what ipods were made for

 

[Johan Bornman]

 

Cut lots of stuff....cut cut cut cut....

 

that results from the application of a specific force
for both soldered and non-soldered wheels. We would need to determine
what forces to apply to simulate a 150kg load at a typical bicycle lean angle.
Does any Hubber have access to this type of test equipment?


Let's get some empirical numbers and then we can start arguing what we can infer
from them (if anything).

 

Sorry to whizz on your battery, but your understanding of how a wheel supports a bicycle needs some modification.

 

There are NO signficiant lateral forces on a bicycle wheel when cornering. The forces remain radial at all times. Bicycle wheels are so weak laterally that they cannot be used on box carts and other garage go-carts. They simply collapse side-ways on even the most modest corner. Where they are used in that fashion e.g on racing and basketball wheelchairs, they are slanted to counter lateral forces.

 

Therefore your experiment need not concern itself with cornering - a bicycle wheel doesn't know whether it is cornering or just going in a straight line.

 

Motorcycle wheels are similar and also don't experience lateral forces up to the point where the rider does a broadside and even then, most of the forces are radially oriented because in the slide there is very little friction.

 

Tying and soldering spokes is an archaic practice with no roots in science.

 

Like I said, cut a spoke and go for a ride. That's all you have to do, not attempt to make the experiment so complex that you know it will never be performed and you will therefore never loose face.

 

And if that is not "empirical" enough, why not find a very, very well-used wheel and see if you can find any evidence of spokes moving in relation to each other, by examining the crossing for evidence of fretting.

 

I'm off to the patent office to go and register a rivet that binds Ksyrium (flat) spokes. Next season it will be all the rage. I already have the marketing value proposition....SpokeRiv: Stiffer, lighter*, stronger.  

 

 

 

* lighter than tying and soldering.

 

[mdk555]

WW you forgot the most important rule...... in the word of Sheldon Brown (RIP) ...." THE STOKER IS ALWAYS RIGHT" It does not matter if you thought you were right the stoker is always right.

Big H - are you serious about this? I thought the pilot called the shots and the
stoker did what he was told to?

 

Yup dead serious...... if your stoker is the daughter of your mother in law even more so!!!!!!!

Agree with Big H 100% and dont forget that you have the right to choose your stoker as some people just cannot stoke. I had one stoker who I could feel was was doing no work and I had to battle keeping the tandem going straight as he just steered from the back.

 

My brother is no light weight and when we have stopped at a traffic intersection with him clipped in it is like trying to balance a lollipop on your finger but believe me he is the best stoker I have ever had.

 

With him doing U-turn in a narrow rd is no problem and I can even slow right down to a snail pace before having to uncleat. 

[Mudsimus]

I've raced tandems for a long time. Rode a few makes, but nothing gets close to Cannondale. Its the most confortable and most responsive.

[Guest Big H]

WW you forgot the most important rule...... in the word of Sheldon Brown (RIP) ...." THE STOKER IS ALWAYS RIGHT" It does not matter if you thought you were right the stoker is always right.

Big H - are you serious about this? I thought the pilot called the shots and the
stoker did what he was told to?

 

Yup dead serious...... if your stoker is the daughter of your mother in law even more so!!!!!!!

Agree with Big H 100% and dont forget that you have the right to choose your stoker as some people just cannot stoke. I had one stoker who I could feel was was doing no work and I had to battle keeping the tandem going straight as he just steered from the back.

 

My brother is no light weight and when we have stopped at a traffic intersection with him clipped in it is like trying to balance a lollipop on your finger but believe me he is the best stoker I have ever had.

 

With him doing U-turn in a narrow rd is no problem and I can even slow right down to a snail pace before having to uncleat. 

 

We got our tandem late in December and trained all holiday without speaking to Tandem minded people. By that time we had successfully developed our own starting procedure. We support with our left legs points of the feet on the ground and position our stong legs (right) at about two o clock. We then pedal down hard and take off. We tried the stoker clipped in method but never could get used to it. By making sure we are in the correct gear we can even start on quite steep slopes using our method.

[mdk555]

We got our tandem late in December and trained all holiday without speaking to Tandem minded people. By that time we had successfully developed our own starting procedure. We support with our left legs points of the feet on the ground and position our stong legs (right) at about two o clock. We then pedal down hard and take off. We tried the stoker clipped in method but never could get used to it. By making sure we are in the correct gear we can even start on quite steep slopes using our method.

 

So far the stoker stays clipped in one works for us but the one day the Boet and I reversed roles and just could not get the stoker stays clipped in system working. Think it was a case of both of being out of our comfort zones.

[eliminator]

Cyclists aren't like anglers I see... I've found it to be one of the hardest things to get the angler next to you who is catching all the fish to share his secret with you...

The guys are giving away their secret here...

Thanks MDK555 your tip opened up a whole new dimension in tandem cycling for us. We are now on par again.

I believe that the performance enhancement of q-rings could mainly be attributed to evening out the power stroke between the captain and the stoker. There must be a time when you are switching from pushing to pulling that you don't exert any power on the pedal (unless you have mastered pedaling in perfect circles, which I believe is as possible as is drawing a perfect free hand circle). Now imagine you and your stoker trying to pedal in circles together. There must be periods of milliseconds where you are actually pedaling against each other. Q-rings level out the stroke, making it a joint effort and it is very noticeable! Before, we used to grind along in the granny gear on a fair hill at speeds between 8 and 11km/h. It is near impossible to push over the 11km/h mark in the granny gear. With q-rings the granny gear is really something of the past (even on a though hill).

Before we had q-rings we met two different male pairs in races who had 58" Dura Ace blades and carbon wheels fitted on their tandems. I estimated the riders each to be about two thirds of my weight (I have a larger bone structure). You could also see that they've been cycling for years. Needless to say that they were flying and eliminated us completely as competition from the word go. If this is you maybe you don't need q-rings, however I'm looking forward to meet these guys soon again in a race.