From: marcs@slc.com (Marc San Soucie)
Newsgroups: rec.bicycles
Subject: Re: Tandems - help from experienced riders please?
Date: 20 Aug 92 02:15:37 GMT
Article-I.D.: slc.1992Aug20.021537.20807
Distribution: na
Organization: Servio Corp, Beaverton Oregon, US

Kelvin Don Nilsen (kelvin@kickapoo.cs.iastate.edu) writes:

>   Mounting the tandem is a bit of a trick for me.  My seat posts are
>    always high enough that stepping over them is no easy task.  On
>    my single bike, I always mount by stepping into the left peddle and
>    beginning to roll before swinging my leg over.  I can't do this
>    on the tandem unless I take a spin by myself before returning for
>    my stoker.  Suggestions?

Captain and stoker stroll out the garage door, donning helmets, gloves, and
glasses. Captain whistles sharply. Tandem straightens up, turns, and rolls
out the driveway onto the edge of the road (little bump at the end of
driveway. Not preferred by stoker). Captain approaches tandem. Left hand
takes left handlbar. Right hand grasps seat. Right foot comes up and over
top tube, between seat and handlebars. Right hand moves to right handlebar.
Right cheek (buttwise, that is) presses against nose of saddle. Tandem
leans every so slightly (5 degrees) to the left. Right foot is injected 
into pedal system. Left foot rests about 18 inches to two feet out from 
tandem, bracing. Hands grip brake hoods.

Stoker approaches bike. Who cares how stoker gets on? Stoker gets on.
That's what stokers do. They get on and get off. Don't tell me from
stokers. Stoker's feet enter rear pedal systems. Stoker gets comfortable.
Tandem is leaning slightly, most of the force absorbed by captain's
well-muscled cheek. Captain and stoker find this position familiar and 
comfortable. Parade rest. Traffic light stop. Looking good.

Captain says 'Ready?'. Stoker says 'Yes'. Stokers always say yes. That's 
what stokers do. They say yes. Don't tell me from stokers. Captain and 
stoker push down with right feet. Tandem moves forward. Captain sometimes 
gets lucky and injects right foot into right front pedal system on the 
first go-round. Captain sometimes asks stoker to coast momentarily, so as 
to effect injection. Stoker says yes. Stokers always say yes. That's what 
stokers do. They say yes. If tandem is being started uphill, captain may 
sigh and risk a pedal stroke or two while the cleat is resting delicately 
on the backside of the pedal. Captain is cool. Captain can do this. 
Captains can do anything. That's what captains are for. All four feet are 
clipped and rotating. Tandem is moving forward. Life is good.


>   Starting and stopping is somewhat inconvenient, but we're getting
>    used to it.  My wife stays in the peddles always and I muscle
>    the bike around whenever it's not rolling.  but this is awkward
>    for me (and tiring in stop-and-go city traffic).  are there better 
>    ways?

If tandem is vertical, holding stoker upright is no effort at all. If 
tandem is vertical, there is a slight chance that tandem will start to lean 
away from captain's down foot. Not recommended. Let tandem lean slightly 
toward the down foot side. The less lean, the easier. Stoker must avoid 
untoward jostling during this time. But stoker will do that if asked. 
Stokers always do as they're asked. Tandem could be leaned the other way.


>   So far, we've not been able to both stand while peddling.  Usually,
>    if we have a tough hill or just want to accelerate quickly, i'll 
>    stand but my wife stays in the saddle.  I cannot rock the bike back 
>    and forth with her in the saddle.  I suggested to her that we should 
>    probably try to stand together.  But the one time we tried that, her 
>    natural reflex to the rocking of the bike was so violent that it almost 
>    sent us onto the shoulder.

This is a technique which can be practiced separately while on solo bikes. 
That 'natural' reflex can be overcome. What cannot be so easily overcome is 
the bloody creak in the bloody Cinelli stem.

    Marc San Soucie
    Portland, Oregon
    marcs@slc.com
Newsgroups: rec.bicycles