From: pamela@keps.kodak.com (Pamela Blalock)
Newsgroups: rec.bicycles
Subject: Re: Tandems - help from experienced riders please?
Date: 19 Aug 92 14:11:15 GMT
Article-I.D.: keps.1992Aug19.141115.9775
Organization: Kodak Electronic Printing Systems

In article <1992Aug18.020608.12101@massey.ac.nz> F.Brown@massey.ac.nz (F.J. Brown) writes:
>Calling all tandem riders! (Pamela W. are you out there :-) ?)

Did I hear my name ... (BTW it's Pamela B now :)

Ken Iisaka was working on a FAQ before he took off for the summer, so
maybe we will have one in the fall.

>Hi, we've just bought a tandem, our pride and joy it is a new Burley Duet we 
>got imported to NZ for us.   We seem to be getting the hang of it, but I
>wondered if experienced tandem netters had any tips for us as opposed to
>riding a single.

Congrats!

>We're about the same size (me 5'6", 65kg; Denis 5'8", 
>75kg), which means that our 22"/20" frame is perfect for me but at it's 
>lowest poss. seat-height for Denis, therefore bars a little higher than 
>ideal in relation to seat-height.

When you buy your next tandem in a few years, get one a little smaller.

For those planning to buy a tandem, a rule of thumb is to get one a
little smaller than your road bike. One thing to be aware of is that
the stokers handlebars attach to the captains seat post, so the
captains seat can not go all the way down. For the 6'2" captain who
wanted to trade positions with his 5' stoker on his 22" inch frame, I
think he is out of luck. Unless she is all legs, there is no way she
can reach the pedals from the seat, let alone handle the bike. Even at
5'7", I had to buy a 18" tandem (but admittedly I do have short legs)

Frith and Denis are close enough in size that they should be able to
trade positions occassionally, that is, if Frith can get the seat the
right height on the front.

It does indeed work better to have the taller heavier rider in front, 
but it does not always have to be the case. I rode with a heavier taller
stoker for several years. Standing was a problem due to my lack of upper
body strength (and his skiddishness). 

I have helped train a lot of captains in the past 10 years, and the first
thing I tell them is to treat the tandem as a loaded touring bike, with 
the exception that the luggage pedals. (It helps if they have toured!)

With the long wheelbase, the bike will be more stable than a standard
road bike, although at first it may feel squirrely, with two people
fighting each other. With a new captain, I have him get on the bike
and ride around the parking lot, or up and down the street a few times
alone, just to get the feel. Then I hop on and show him the effects
of my leaning, my stopping pedaling, (my unclipping - so he knows
that I am contributing). I pinch or slap the captains butt if he 
neglects to call bumps, so he gets in the habit early on.

And then we head out. I try to avoid making standing sound difficult.
Fear seems to be the biggest problem. If you don't believe that it is
difficult, standing can come quite naturally. The captain should
announce his intent to stand. The stoker should acknowledge. This is
important because the stoker may be doing something else and not have
his or her hands on the bars. Usually we upshift before standing and
on the count of three (or whatever signal) stand up. DON'T TOSS THE
BIKE! That goes for both riders.  Maybe later when you've had lots of
practice, but stand smoothly at first. Neither rider should have a 
death grip on the handlebars. Let the bike move easily under you.
The more you stand together, the more in-sync you will become and 
the better you will get. You will have slightly different climbing
styles, relative to your single bikes, because your styles will start
to merge on the tandem.

As for leaning into curves, at first the stoker should avoid leaning
too much. This may throw the captain off. When I captain, since I
usually have larger stokers, I insist that they not lean at all, since
the heavier rider has more control, and I can't always recover.  If
the difference in weights is close, a leaning stoker will have a
greater effect than if the stoker is much ligher than the captain.
The two riders have to work out amount of lean on their own, since it
will vary from couple to couple.

Mounting the bike and stopping and starting seem to cause the most 
trouble at first. What Steve and I do is that he (captain) stands
over the bike, then I get on and clip in. I unclip at the end of the 
ride. I do not unclip for stop signs. Steve weighs 50% more than I
do. When we stop riding, I get off the bike and get out of the way, 
then he gets off the bike. 

For starting, I am clipped in, Steve puts one foot in and pushes off.
If we need to keep moving on a hill or intersection, I just keep
pedaling until it's safe for him to click in. Otherwise I pedal half
a revoltion and stop, allowing Steve to click in. Then we are off.

For stopping, I stay put. If you are real close in size or if the
stoker is larger, you may both need to unclip. Make sure you are doing
this on the same side. This should be on the captains preferred side!

Clipless pedals are great for tandems, BTW.

Communication is an absolute necessity on a tandem. Captains should
tell stokers everything at first. After a while, you may not need to
call every shift, but do what makes your stoker comfortable. The most
important thing is to call bumps and the coast or stand over them.
The captain has the long wheelbase to absorb shock, but the stoker
sits over the rear wheel and cannot see bumps. Tandems can make or
break a relationship. Communication is the key. The captain does not
have total control of the bike. If the stoker want to shift or stand,
or anything, he or she should simply ask and the captain will oblidge.
A tandem is no fun to ride alone, and if the ca0tain mistreats his or
her stoker, there may be an empty seat in the back!

Well, we are off tomorrow for the ultimate test of our tandem riding to
date. We will be attempting Boston-Montreal-Boston. The sun has finally 
reappeared in New England, so hopefully we will have a pleasant ride.
I'll let everyone know next week!


-- 
Pamela Blalock                                     pamela@keps.kodak.com
Kodak Electronic Printing Systems, Inc             8 down, 4 to go!
164 Lexington Road, Billerica, MA 01821-3984       
Newsgroups: rec.bicycles