So we bought the tandem

"Claire Petersky" wrote in message news:bZ_ic.36397$_L6.2096805@attbi_s53...
Yesterday we just took it up and down the street, then around the block a
....
Today, the kids went to the movies with some friends, so we had the chance
to ride the new bike a bit further.....

Notes:
.....

My wife and I have had a tandem for about three years now (a pristine
old Schwinn Paramount). We love it. Together we have done a few
century rides and one 200K brevet. She wants to try touring, which I
haven't done since college.

It didn't take but a few rides for us to get use to signals for
starting and stopping pedalling, braking, foot down to stop at a
traffic stop, etc. Where my wife really shines is on winding
downhills. She tucks in close to me, moves her weight with me and as
I lean into the turns I feel like I'm on a single. I don't know how
she does it but she does it well.

Another note is that she had weak wrists and forearms from surgury a
few years ago. The Paramount originally came with a straight bar for
the stroker but I replaced it with a BMX style high rise handlebar.
It works a lot better for her.

I know all of this us unrelated. I just love talking about cycling.

Tom

Thomas Reynolds wrote:

::
:: I know all of this us unrelated. I just love talking about cycling.
::

I enjoy reading about cycling, too. This tandem riding sounds like fun!

In article ,
says...
On Mon, 26 Apr 2004 03:02:31 +0000, Claire Petersky wrote:

Yesterday we just took it up and down the street, then around the block a
few times, and then finally out to the arterial and back. My husband's
never ridden a tandem, whereas I have some stoker experience and I've been
a captain on our other tandem with the kids. So it took some practice to
feel steady and stable on the thing. It's much easier to get started with
the two of us than me and a kid -- it really helps I think to have a
stoker and a captain with a clue.
(...)

Is the husband *always* captain ? I understand it conforms to the usage of
the male more often driving the car or assuming (apparent) leadership,...
But I am still surprised to see that in practically all reports I read on
tandeming there is practically none where the husband is stoker and the
wife captain.
Ok, no problem with me, I prefer being captain, but I would expect women
to challenge us more than this.

Normally the person with more upper-body strength is the captain, which
usually (not always, of course) means the male in a mixed pair.

.....

--
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(Thomas Reynolds) wrote:

It didn't take but a few rides for us to get use to signals for
starting and stopping pedalling, braking, foot down to stop at a
traffic stop, etc. Where my wife really shines is on winding
downhills. She tucks in close to me, moves her weight with me and as
I lean into the turns I feel like I'm on a single. I don't know how
she does it but she does it well.

My wife / stoker occasionally gets scared on the back of our twofer.
When we're about to make a move she's not comfortable with, she just
closes her eyes and tucks. She knows that way she won't be tempted to
do the wrong thing (like lean out when I'm leaning in, which can lead
to utter disaster). Learning NOT to "help" the captain handle the
bike is one of the hardest things a stoker has to do.

The real fun is learning to climb out of the saddle together. Once
you get it right (and it's not easy), it's a blast to see just how
fast you can go up a hill.

Mark Hickey
Habanero Cycles
http://www.habcycles.com
Home of the $695 ti frame

Rick Onanian wrote:
On Mon, 26 Apr 2004 16:39:15 -0700, Dane Jackson
wrote:
I'm really hating the speedo that came with the tandem. It doesn't do
automatic stop/start, which all the others I have do. Our speeds are

What model? So many appear to not offer that feature, but really
have it hidden away somewhere.

Eh, I doubt it, it's pretty old. Vetta V100 (going from memory).

--
Dane Jackson - z u v e m b i @ u n i x b i g o t s . o r g
Why do I suddenly see Samuel Jackson as G-d in my head?
L: There's a lot of holy books here. How do I know I'm reading the
right one?
D: Oh, that's easy. Mine is the one that has "Bad Mother Fscker" on it.
-Seen in the Monastery - Matt Roberds & Earl Grey

Benjamin wrote:
Clearly, the stoker must be working harder.

Please google for Counterpoint tandem to understand this bike's
unique configuration. The stoker (on a 'Point known as the navigator)
is in the front. Captain is in the rear.
HTH
--Karen M.

Dane Jackson wrote:

Jacques Moser wrote:

Is the husband *always* captain ? I understand it conforms to the usage
of the male more often driving the car or assuming (apparent)
leadership,... But I am still surprised to see that in practically all
reports I read on tandeming there is practically none where the husband
is stoker and the wife captain. Ok, no problem with me, I prefer being
captain, but I would expect women to challenge us more than this.

Well, for my wife and I, I do captain. For many reasons, such as, I'm
much taller/heavier, I'm stronger, I have several orders of magnitude
more time on the bicycle than she does, etc.

Hmm. I've never ridden a tandem, but I don't seem to have any intuition
that these are good reasons to be captain. Does riding a tandem really
work better if the captain is stronger? Wouldn't it be nice to have the
*shorter* rider in front, to improve visibility for the stoker? Wouldn't
it be good to have the least experienced rider doing the job that would
increase his or her experience the fastest?

From a personal point of view, if I had access to a tandem I would
definitely want to try both positions.

It would be basically be unsafe for her to captain our tandem.

Is this really true? After all, she can drive a car, and she clearly
enjoys cycling.

--
Benjamin Lewis

Anthony's Law of Force:
Don't force it; get a larger hammer.

David Kerber wrote:

says...

Is the husband *always* captain ? I understand it conforms to the usage
of the male more often driving the car or assuming (apparent)
leadership,... But I am still surprised to see that in practically all
reports I read on tandeming there is practically none where the husband
is stoker and the wife captain. Ok, no problem with me, I prefer being
captain, but I would expect women to challenge us more than this.

Normally the person with more upper-body strength is the captain,

Is there some fundamental reason why this is the case? Does the job of
captain require much upper body strength (i.e. enough that many people
can't handle it very well)? In what circumstances is this strength
required?

Just curious,

--
Benjamin Lewis

Anthony's Law of Force:
Don't force it; get a larger hammer.

In article , says...
David Kerber wrote:

says...

Is the husband *always* captain ? I understand it conforms to the usage
of the male more often driving the car or assuming (apparent)
leadership,... But I am still surprised to see that in practically all
reports I read on tandeming there is practically none where the husband
is stoker and the wife captain. Ok, no problem with me, I prefer being
captain, but I would expect women to challenge us more than this.

Normally the person with more upper-body strength is the captain,

Is there some fundamental reason why this is the case? Does the job of
captain require much upper body strength (i.e. enough that many people
can't handle it very well)? In what circumstances is this strength
required?

Just curious,

I don't have a tandem, but from the reading I've done, often the stoker
never even puts their feet down once they are on the route. I do know
that on a motorcycle, I always told my passenger to always keep their
feet on the pegs, and their body in line with the bike; never bend at
the waist.

On a tandem, the captain balances the bike while the stoker gets in
place, then they start off. While you're moving, I don't see that it
matters unless there's a huge difference in weights, but at stops it
seems like it could make a big difference.

--
Remove the ns_ from if replying by e-mail (but keep posts in the
newsgroups if possible).

Benjamin Lewis wrote:
Dane Jackson wrote:

Well, for my wife and I, I do captain. For many reasons, such as, I'm
much taller/heavier, I'm stronger, I have several orders of magnitude
more time on the bicycle than she does, etc.

Hmm. I've never ridden a tandem, but I don't seem to have any intuition
that these are good reasons to be captain. Does riding a tandem really
work better if the captain is stronger?a

The captain should be stronger because the captain needs to hold the
bike while the stoker is mounting, when they are stoppped, and any other
time they are in motion. Also the tandem seems to require more upper
body movement than a single. I sometimes find it difficult to do these
things (part of it being we are beginners). I weigh 50% more than my
wife, so she would have an extremely hard time.

Wouldn't it be nice to have the
*shorter* rider in front, to improve visibility for the stoker?

Actually, since I spend all my time on the hoods or drops, she said her
visibility is actually pretty good. Her position is more upright than
mine, so that helps.

Wouldn't it be good to have the least experienced rider doing the job
that would increase his or her experience the fastest?

Not really. She actually enjoys just being able to cycle without
worrying about gearing, braking, or anything else. I think she also
prefers to get her learning in on her single, so she is without the
balancing distraction.

From a personal point of view, if I had access to a tandem I would
definitely want to try both positions.

I wouldn't mind at all doing some stoking. But I think it would really
work better with either a different partner, or a different tandem
design, for myself.

It would be basically be unsafe for her to captain our tandem.

Is this really true? After all, she can drive a car, and she clearly
enjoys cycling.

Yes, I really think this is true. With the difference in our size
and weight, I think it would be very difficult for her to compensate
enough to make it an easy ride.

--
Dane Jackson - z u v e m b i @ u n i x b i g o t s . o r g
"I can't see a conspicuous evolutionary advantage in being good at
higher mathematics. " -- James Riden in the Monastery