Working out the kinks with the smaller Pois

[maillotpois]

We used to ride the tandem, 12 year old PetitePois and I, but it has been a while. Years in fact. (I just remembered that ride part way up Diablo we did with the TE gang back in 2006 was probably the last time we rode the tandem!) She just wasn't interested and I wasn't about to push and make it all negative. So when she announced a few weeks ago that she wants to do El Tour de Tucson in November, no one was more surprised than I.

So she's been riding her bike a 4 1/2 mile loop to a garden she's working on. And today we got out the tandem. GrandPois has gotten her all set up with new MTB style shoes, changed out the pedals, adjusted the fit, made sure the bike was working well. He'll ride the tandem with her at Tucson, but in the meantime, we are doing a ride (High Sierra Fall Metric Century - or however long of the short course we decide to do - it's an out and back) with my sister next weekend. So we had to get on the bike this weekend, period.

We did a 21 mile ride this afternoon. Starting off was HARD. I completely forgot how to shift Shimano. :o The bike made terrible noises. She's so much bigger now that the weight distribution makes the bike very hard to handle. But we got into it. She is definitely more help now. Her pedaling is more consistent. she is a help. Also - and more significantly - her attitude was amazing. Before she would complain, whine, need to stop, make the whole thing miserable. There was some complaining - but it was all VERY lighthearted. All very positive. She was really great.

We need to make some changes. The stoker and captains bars have to be changed. Period. Need to adjust her cleats. She needs new gloves.

It's not going to be easy to get her ready for a century in 3 months. But its doable. And it might even be fun.

This is from 4 years ago - maybe 5, but you get the idea:

http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j285/maillotpois/Cinderella1.jpg

ETA: Lordy she looks TINY in that picture!! She's 5'2" now.

[salsabike]

THAT is cool. Funny how kids change over time...and just seeing those two Pois faces together is a kick!

[Zen]

What a great photo.
When she's 30 she'll look at that and say "Oh gawd, I looked like you even then!"
I hope the Pois duo have many happy tandem miles ahead :)

[Blueberry]

How cool!!! Sounds like you'll have an interesting (and hopefully fun!) 3 months coming up!

CA

[spindizzy]

Peas in a pod! Good for you for letting her dictate when she was ready. Wise old mom!

[pardes]

What a GREAT photo! She's using toeclips!

You both look like you have streamers hanging from your helmets???

Think of the cool stories and memories she have about the rides when she's older. Lucky girl and lucky Mom!

[Jiffer]

That is so way wicked cool! You guys look so great. So awesome to see a kid on a tandem. Dh and I ride a tandem, so I can completely relate to being the stoker. Maybe you have been a stoker too, but in case you haven't, here's some tips from one.

Make sure you give her opportunity to stop pedaling from time to time, even if for just a few seconds, to stretch her legs and/or reposition the hoo ha or whatever. It's so different riding a tandem in that regard. On my single I can get up and out of my seat whenever I want, stop pedaling when I want, etc. Not so on the tandem when dh is just going and going. I sometimes have to request a quick leg stretch or whatever I might need. Maybe stretch one leg down a few seconds and then the other and then I'm good. Or reposition myself on the seat real quick. If you do this, you may not need to stop for full on breaks as much as you might be right now. I have no idea how often you do stop and/or if you already do this, but just thought I'd share.

Dh has learned to listen to me in regards to breaks, whether they are short coasting breaks or stopping breaks. One time I was really, really needing a full on stopping break to off the bike for a minute and he kept saying, "Oh, let's just get to the ranger station. We're almost there. Well, "almost there" to him was quite different from "almost there" to me, especially with all the climbing involved. I was steaming mad on the back of the bike for like 10 minutes and in misery because my body really, really needed a break. I finally screamed, "I need to get off of this bike NOW!" Needless to say, dh has learned that when I say I need a break, I really do need a break. :) And he has learned that I need those quick "stretch the legs while coasting" breaks from time to time, as well. More than he does.

Also, I don't know if you've taught her yet about leaning into turns with you, but with her weighing more now, that is probably something that would help you control the bike better if she's not already doing that.

We have talked about getting my 13 year old on the back of the tandem with Dh. She's done it a couple of times for fun around the neighborhood, but nothing more than that. I do get worried, though. I'd love for her to get into cycling, but I do worry about her safety. Funny how "I" can do it, but worry about her. Not to mention that she jumps horses over fences several times a week and has fallen off many a time. But ride a bike on a road?!!! :eek:

[lph]

Oh man, that is cute. She looks adorable :)

But I hear you on the attitude thing. I spent quite a while arguing with my just-11-yr.old yesterday to get him to come along on a short bike trip and he was being SOOO miserable - and once we were out there he was just a dream to have along, chatting and joking and being silly for more than 2 hours.

I wish you lots of nice trips on the tandem!

[maillotpois]

What a GREAT photo! She's using toeclips!

You both look like you have streamers hanging from your helmets???



We had streamers because we were doing the Cinderella classic - an all women's metric century. That was 2003, I believe. She was 7.

She did have toeclips then. now she has clipless MTB shoes/SPD pedals. Her feet have to be attached to the bike otherwise, she rinks the risk of the foot slipping and leg getting whacked by the pedal. as she is not in control of where it goes.

Thanks for the nice comments everyone! I'm looking forward to our adventure next weekend. Even if we do the short route, it should be fun. I suspect the ride is fairly hilly. And my sister's longest ride is 30 miles so far so 30 - 45 miles should be plenty.

[maillotpois]

That is so way wicked cool! You guys look so great. So awesome to see a kid on a tandem. Dh and I ride a tandem, so I can completely relate to being the stoker. Maybe you have been a stoker too, but in case you haven't, here's some tips from one.

Make sure you give her opportunity to stop pedaling from time to time, even if for just a few seconds, to stretch her legs and/or reposition the hoo ha or whatever.

We have talked about getting my 13 year old on the back of the tandem with Dh. She's done it a couple of times for fun around the neighborhood, but nothing more than that. I do get worried, though. I'd love for her to get into cycling, but I do worry about her safety. Funny how "I" can do it, but worry about her. Not to mention that she jumps horses over fences several times a week and has fallen off many a time. But ride a bike on a road?!!! :eek:

I have never "stokered" (what's the verb? :D), but we quickly figured out that it was going to be different. We have good communication. When she needs a "butt rest" she asks and we coast for a sec. She knows not to ask for one when we're climbing. And yesterday since the weight was so much more (and I really do need to work on my post-shoulder upper body work), II wasn't comfortable signalling, so I would tell her "right!" or "left!" and she'd signal for us.

13 years old would be a great age to start. I understand feeling nervous about it. I was plenty nervous yesterday - not so much the cars, but just worried that I'd do something stupid and we'd fall over. And when she is out with DH I also get nervous as well. (And we saw a NIGHTMARE tandem crash at El Tour a few years back which sticks in my mind as well.) But there are risks in everything. Your daughter is lucky she gets to ride horses - I grew up doing that but we just can't swing it here for her on a regular basis.