So we bought the tandem

"Jacques Moser" wrote in message .. .
On Mon, 26 Apr 2004 03:02:31 +0000, Claire Petersky wrote:

(...)

Is the husband *always* captain ? I understand it conforms to the usage of

I'll let you know. My fiancee and I are going to rent a tandem bike
while on our honeymoon. If that isn't the truest test of marriage I
don't know what is (or will be).

Andy

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.

Jacques

On Tue, 27 Apr 2004 11:42:40 -0700, Benjamin Lewis
wrote:

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?

For beginner teams on diamond frame tandems, yes. You spend a lot more
time 'adjusting' the bike in line and you aren't riding relaxed. An
experienced tandem team has far fewer issues of that type. Once you
can ride relaxed, either can captain. Of course, in many husband/wife
cases, by that point the stronger has been captain all along, so the
roles don't change often.

With some recumbent tandems, the stoker position is tighter than the
captain's, so the larger person goes forward (neither the description
or the position is accurate for the Counterpoint or whatever it is
called nowadays.)

In USCF tandem teams the stronger rider is often the stoker.

Curtis L. Russell
Odenton, MD (USA)
Just someone on two wheels...

On Tue, 27 Apr 2004 15:13:23 -0400, David Kerber
wrote:

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.

When both members of the team are inexperienced, it does matter. The
captain probably isn't relaxed (after 30 years of riding, including
cross country touring and ABLA/USCF racing, I wasn't) and the stoker
shifts their weight more than they should, so you can end your rides
for the first few months or so actually shaking from correcting your
line constantly.

Once you are relaxed, stoker and captain, the issue goes away.

Curtis L. Russell
Odenton, MD (USA)
Just someone on two wheels...

Karen M. wrote:

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.

It's always fun to see ones assumptions blown out of the water

--
Benjamin Lewis

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

Dane Jackson wrote:

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.

Perhaps my question should have been: why is it necessary for all this to
be the captain's job? Is there some reason the stoker can't hold the bike
upright while the captain mounts?

I imagine that steering might take more strength, but I wouldn't have
supposed that the change from a single would be *that* big.

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.

Well, if everyone is doing what they prefer, it's hard to argue But if
it were me, I'd suggest at least trying out a role-reversal on some quiet
streets. At worst, one or both of you don't like it, but there's a chance
you'll be pleasantly surprised!

This is still coming from a non-tandem rider, so feel free to tell me to
stuff it

--
Benjamin Lewis

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

David Kerber wrote:

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.

Any reason you can't have a captain who never puts his feet down instead?

--
Benjamin Lewis

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

"Benjamin Lewis" wrote in message
...
Dane Jackson wrote:

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.

Perhaps my question should have been: why is it necessary for all this to
be the captain's job? Is there some reason the stoker can't hold the bike
upright while the captain mounts?

Okay, picture a standard tandem, the handle bars for steering are in
the front. Now imagine the person in the back holding up the bike
while the handle bars in front are free to move. Before the person
in front even moves toward the bike the bike is unstable. Now add
to that the person in front, how exactly would they mount the bike?
They can't throw their leg over the back without kicking the guy
holding up the bike, even if they are smaller.


I imagine that steering might take more strength, but I wouldn't have
supposed that the change from a single would be *that* big.

The problem is the ability to hold up a bike while someone is standing
on one peddle and throwing their weight over onto the bike. (or off the
bike.) It's helpful if the moving weight is less than the holding weight.

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.

Well, if everyone is doing what they prefer, it's hard to argue But if
it were me, I'd suggest at least trying out a role-reversal on some quiet
streets. At worst, one or both of you don't like it, but there's a chance
you'll be pleasantly surprised!

Tandems come in sizes, just like bikes. My captain (husband) is 6 foot
tall. I'm 5'3. Just as I'm too small to ride his regular bike, I'm too
small
to sit in the front on our tandem. Just as he is too tall to comfortable
ride
my regular bike he would find my peddles much too close. Yes they are
somewhat adjustable, but not for a 9 inch height difference.

If you were both close to the same height you could try it. But if the
captain is much taller than the stoker you need a custom made bike to
even try out the theory.


This is still coming from a non-tandem rider, so feel free to tell me to
stuff it

--
Benjamin Lewis

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

Perhaps my question should have been: why is it necessary for all this to
be the captain's job? Is there some reason the stoker can't hold the bike
upright while the captain mounts?

I imagine that steering might take more strength, but I wouldn't have
supposed that the change from a single would be *that* big.

Keep in mind that for most mixed teams, the man is significantly taller than
the woman. In these cases, a frame geometry which would accommodate a
smaller captain would be problematic at best.

In those cases where the woman is significantly taller than the man, the
most common solution is for her to captain.

I know of one mixed team of approximately identical height. They both
captain or stoke as the mood strikes them.



Chris Neary


Chris & Tracey
1999 Co-Motion Speedster

"Benjamin Lewis" wrote in message
...
David Kerber wrote:

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.

Any reason you can't have a captain who never puts his feet down instead?

The captain sits close to the middle of the bike. The stoker is above the
back
wheel, about 5 feet from the front wheel. Pick up a pen. Is it easy to
balance
in the middle, or from the end?


--
Benjamin Lewis

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

Cathy Kearns wrote:

Okay, picture a standard tandem, the handle bars for steering are in
the front. Now imagine the person in the back holding up the bike
while the handle bars in front are free to move. Before the person
in front even moves toward the bike the bike is unstable. Now add
to that the person in front, how exactly would they mount the bike?
They can't throw their leg over the back without kicking the guy
holding up the bike, even if they are smaller.

Method I: captain mounts normally, but keeps feet on ground. Stoker does
same. Captain puts feet on pedals while stoker holds bike upright. Stoker
places foot on pedal, both start pedaling and stoker clips other foot in.

Method II: stoker mounts, keeps feet on ground. Captain mounts by swinging
leg over front handlebars. Remainder as above.

Method III: similar to above, but both keep one foot on ground, on the same
side, until ready to go.

Are there reasons why some or all of the above won't work?

I imagine that steering might take more strength, but I wouldn't have
supposed that the change from a single would be *that* big.

The problem is the ability to hold up a bike while someone is standing on
one peddle and throwing their weight over onto the bike. (or off the
bike.) It's helpful if the moving weight is less than the holding
weight.

I'm not sure I understand what you mean here. Why are the tandem-ers
throwing their weight around?

Tandems come in sizes, just like bikes. My captain (husband) is 6 foot
tall. I'm 5'3. Just as I'm too small to ride his regular bike, I'm too
small to sit in the front on our tandem. Just as he is too tall to
comfortable ride my regular bike he would find my peddles much too close.
Yes they are somewhat adjustable, but not for a 9 inch height difference.

I wouldn't expect a tandem to be any more difficult to set up for a short
person on the front and a tall person at the rear than the reverse. I
grant that it would likely be a pain to switch around once you had it set
up in a given configuration, especially if it required swapping stems, etc.

As long as it didn't require a whole new frame or something else
horrendously expensive, though, if it were me I'd go as far as, say,
swapping the stem at least once just to try it out.

--
Benjamin Lewis

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