The Biking Life
by: Naomi Bloom 3/1/2002
Two Up? It's Tandemania!
No doubt about it. After a decade or two of decline, tandems are back in. Good news for those of us who fell in love on a tandem. And for those of us who want to keep the romantic sparks flying.
Even better news: Tandems aren't just for loving couples. They're for any fit cyclists willing to share the experience of a tour, race or ultramarathon event and can tolerate each other "up close and personal."
Tandems are an extra special boon for those who might otherwise never even get the chance to ride a bike at all. There are enthusiastic blind tandem "stokers," as well as people with balance problems or other nervous or mental disabilities.
If you've never been associated with a tandem team before, by now you're probably asking, "What's a 'stoker'?" So here's a quick rundown of some basic definitions:
- Two up: A quaint expression describing the condition of two people riding the same bike at the same time. Note: There are also triple, quad and even quint (5!) tandems, but they're a lot rarer.
- Captain: The person who rides in front and steers the bike, (usually) shifts the gears and (usually) handles the brakes
- Stoker: The person who sits in back, (usually) navigates, (sometimes) handles the drum brake and (rarely) does the shifting
- Drum brake: A cylindrical brake attached to the rear wheel opposite the freewheel cluster and (usually) operated with its own separate lever; also called a drag brake. Note: This is not a disc brake, which is an entirely different animal.
Tandems are Fast!
Climb on. Sit down. Click in. Hold on!Multiply the power of one strong cyclist by two and stand back! A couple of fit tandem riders can leave just about any single bike in the dust. Average speeds of 20+ miles per hour are common on the flat. There was a couple in my club a few years back who dubbed their tandem "Air Force One"; their time trial personal bests were astonishing.
So, newly empowered tandem teams, you think you're fast on the flats? Wait until you try that first steep descent! Pointing a tandem downhill provides more tangible proof of the pull of gravity than Newton's proverbial apple. If you love speed, you'll become addicted to descending.
There is one leetle problem, though. It's possible that both of you won't feel quite the same need for speed. I know, because that's the case with Jim and me on our CoMotion CoPilot. I remember the first time we descended the inland side of the Marshall Wall; I was screaming bloody murder!
Jim's rule of thumb for captains: Don't scare the stuffing out of your stoker. Keep the speed within reason, at least until you are both equally familiar with the road and each other's descending habits. The captain should also be watching the road, not the speedometer. You can always check your maximum speed when you're no longer vertical.
As for the stoker, tuck in tight behind your captain, with your hands on the handlebar drops, if you got 'em. If you use upright bars, just keep your elbows close to your torso and keep your head down. And, if you're like me, pray.
Tandems are S-l-o-w...
On the other hand, climbing on a tandem is payback time for all that downhill speed. Tandems are like snails going uphill. Now it's time to multiply your combined mass by 2. And don't forget to add in the weight of the bike (most are over 30 lbs.).Oh sure, Air Force One may have motored up Trinity Road or Fort Ross Road in record time. For the rest of us mortals, however, there's nothing else to do but gear all the way down and grind it out. There's no more convincing reason for installing the lowest granny gear you can. With that tiny triple chain ring and pizza-platter sized cog, you can just twiddle your way up the hills. There's noreason to rush anyway. This is a relationship thing, not a race, right?
Tandems Take Practice
The first time you and your new tandem partner test ride a bike for two, you'll discover you've got a lot to learn. Tandeming is all about teamwork and communication. Like the concert pianist seeking to play Carnegie Hall, you've got to practice, practice, practice.Practice keeping a steady cadence that's comfortable for both of you. A tandem feels like a slug if either one of you eases up on the pedals. It takes a bit more mental concentration to maintain your pace, especially going uphill. When you've got the pacing down, start practicing balancing on turns and on short, easy climbs.
One of the most intimidating things to learn is standing up, which can be a godsend on a long, steady climb or when you're putting in lots of miles. Start with taking "butt breaks" where one or both of you stands up out of the saddle while you coast the bike for a few seconds just to stretch your legs.
Eventually you'll want to get more power out of standing up. Here's a secret that can give you a power boost without demanding dual balance expertise: Just one of you can stand up at a time. Be warned, though, that one-at-a time standing doesn't always work well for both of you. Jim and I have found that I can stand easily while he sits. But when he stands and I sit, the bike wobbles all over the road.
Of course, the goal is for both of you to stand up together. We had problems with this too, but we came up with a simple solution: We count to three. Jim starts with "1," I chime in at "2," and on "3" we're both up. No more surprises when he leaps out of the saddle while my brain is still sending messages to my slow-twitch muscles to get ready.
Jim also learned that if he leads with his head and shoulders rather than standing directly over the cranks, we both stay up and the bike keeps moving forward. He says it feels more like running at a sprint pace than riding a bike uphill. So when he gets out of the saddle he moves forward as if he's beginning to run, while I simply follow through with counterbalancing.
Yet another learning curve involves riding in a group of cyclists. Single-bike riders can be especially frustrating. In our experience, far too many of them are unaware of how wide a tandem turns and how slowly and awkwardly a tandem starts from a standing stop. The best way to handle these kinds of problems is the same way you resolve issues with each other on the bike: Communicate. "Tandem turning on your right!" "Tandem overtaking you on the left!" "Tandem needs start-up room!" You can easily get the message across, especially if it's in a terror-stricken tone of voice. Oh, and our rubber ducky squeaky horn (actually he's a parrot) helps, although there are times when I wish that the horn could sound more like "Ah-OOH-gah."
Tandems Make People Smile
The grumpiest motorist waiting at a light will suddenly brighten up when he sees us pedal by on our tandem. Women especially like to see me pumping away on the back seat. I often imagine that they're envious; why can't they be doing something similar with their significant others?The biggest smiles come from other tandem couples. Cheerful greetings from the opposite direction are the norm. And it's always a gas to get together and ride our tandems en masse. Like many other local clubs, Almaden Cycle Touring Club schedules several tandem rides each year. (Of course, single bikes are welcome. You just gotta keep up!)
In Northern California's the prevailing tandem club is Bay Area Roaming Tandems, better known as BART (not to be confused with the transit system or the Ridge Trail). They hold a tandem rally at some corner of the Bay Area every year or so. Last year (2001) was in Aptos, with quick access to the beautiful roads in the Pajaro Valley and Santa Cruz Mountains. There's also the Fresno Bike Club's Tandem Rally and Chico Velo's early-season Rice Valley Tandem Rally.
Think you're ready for tandemania? In a month or two I'll discuss the ins and outs of buying a tandem, with expert technical advice from Captain Jim and The Bicycle Outfitter.
Naomi can be reached at naomibloom@earthlink.net