anyone else tried a tandem?
mikes99mail
Posts: 318 Member
we did 75 miles on a borrowed tandem yesterday, it was **fantastic** - everyone should have one!
- we're very different speeds, so if we're on normal bikes I'm frustrated by waiting, she's working too hard trying to keep up
- we were the only tandem on a charity ride of 4 or 5 hundred bikes so we had loads of encouragement from other riders and the crowd
- she can pass me food, indicate and swear at bad drivers for me
- it's very quick on flat roads and downhills, we surprised quite a few 'proper' riders
the only bad bit was uphills, where the 30kg bike with huge tyres came to a near-complete halt... we were overtaking a few people on the steep hills, but mainly just the ones walking
(we didnt have to walk at all - it's a touring tandem with some v. low gears!)
anyone else tried it?
- we're very different speeds, so if we're on normal bikes I'm frustrated by waiting, she's working too hard trying to keep up
- we were the only tandem on a charity ride of 4 or 5 hundred bikes so we had loads of encouragement from other riders and the crowd
- she can pass me food, indicate and swear at bad drivers for me
- it's very quick on flat roads and downhills, we surprised quite a few 'proper' riders
the only bad bit was uphills, where the 30kg bike with huge tyres came to a near-complete halt... we were overtaking a few people on the steep hills, but mainly just the ones walking
(we didnt have to walk at all - it's a touring tandem with some v. low gears!)anyone else tried it?
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Yep - great fun - even did the local bike club Christmas Morning 5 mile TimeTrial on one way,way,WAY back in the day. In Fancy Dress.
Goodness knows what the people in cars thought when they were overtaken going downhill by a pantomime horse on a bike :laugh:0 -
Can you get 'road bike' style tandems?
i.e. light(er)weight, 700c wheels, 23 tyres etc?0 -
Sporty enough - http://www.tandems.co.uk/m3b0s79p142/SANTANA-Team-Titanium-700c-
(23c tyres are pushing it though - bearing in mind when I was 24stone I was having problems with 23c tyres on a solo - so unless the tandem's for a 13 stone pilot and 9 stone stoker they're not going to last more than 1500 miles if you're lucky...)0 -
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think of it as 2 x custom titanium frames, both built up with Ultegra, and some VERY specialized extra stuff... still scary money though!0
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We have a Co-Motion Torpedo w/Periscope rear seat-post. It was primarily purchased so that DS (11...he was 9 when we bought it) could ride with us. We've given it good use. On the road we roll with 700x28 tires, but it can also take a narrower CX tire. DH has done several gravel road races with friends on this bike.
Note I say "with friends." I am actually not all that fond of riding stoker. I never knew I was a control freak, but I guess I am. DH is nearly a foot taller than me and the rear cockpit is kind of short, so I sort of end up with my nose just inches from his butt. I end up feeling very isolated back there, even on group rides. And I hate not being able to see what's ahead of us. Because of the short cockpit my neck gets really sore.
I think I'd love riding tandem if I could sometimes ride captain, but our bike is a size large. Were it a small I could do it.0 -
Tandem gravel road racing with badass women who aren't my wife is pretty close to my favorite thing.0
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:drinker: You and Lindsey had better save me some beer!Tandem gravel road racing with badass women who aren't my wife is pretty close to my favorite thing.0 -
Mrs Indeterminate & I are planning a tandem discovery day when the weather turns a bit nicer. I feel I need to try one before I consider spending cash, mainly because I'm not in love with the idea of dragging her up every hill to have her scream 'slow down' at the back of my head down the other side. I think it looks like a perfect way to go touring though, if we can agree a level of effort that we're both happy with 0
