Tandems?

DH and I tried a Trek T900 today at the LBS. It wasn't fun and realized without any communication, trust and balance, it's nearly impossible to ride one. The brakes sucked and turning was nearly impossible. When we crashed the second time with DH landing in the snow the LBS guy gave a us a dirty look and we gave him back the bike.

I think what killed us the most was the size. I think it's a 19 up front and a mere 14 or so behind. There was no way you could do miles on this bike and be comfortable. One of us would be stuck with our face in the other's back and trying not to let your knees hit the handle.

Obviously a 10 minute attempt in the parking lot doesn't give a lot of learning experience but my biggest concern was sizing. Are all the tandems out there sized like this unless you go custom?

For a 1000 dollar bike, it wasn't too bad. Just the sizing was off and it's the only size Trek made for the bike.

DH is 5'8" and I'm 5'10". He's wide with short legs and I'm tall with a short torso. We both generally ride a 17.5.

However; it was nice to not have to yell back at the person behind you or for DH to fell left behind even though he's not.

Umm sizing - NO! You don't have to go custom. Trek USED to make the awesome T2000 and T1000 which came in 3 sizes.

Cannondale still does a tandem and that comes in 4 sizes.

Santana and Co-Motion do off the rack tandems as well as custom and they have about 4 sizes.

Please go and find a real tandem bike shop and try REAL tandems, not the toys. Also check out the tandem forum on bikeforum.net- lots and lots of info to learn.

If you are on a budget, work out the size you should be riding (using the size calulators on Santana or Co-motions websites) and then look for second hand tandems.

Burley, Santana, Co-motion, Trek (T2000 or T1000 models), KHS re all avaible second hand at good prices.

DH and I don't even have to talk anymore on the tandem about what he is doing apart from the occasional "bump" or "tight squeeze, need to get off". I can heard the cable for the gear changes and feel through the pedals when to apply power or when to back off. Balance- well you need to stop moving back there! I suspect you are moving around and trying the steer the bike like you would on a single. Of course that makes it hard to balance. You need to sit tight until the captain gets the hang of it. It's like driving a limo DH says, and any huge movements catch him off guard. Also you probably weren't clipped in. The stoker normally ALWAYS is clipped in, even when stopping. Just sticking a foot out to "help" will cause issues as you probably need to lean the bike at a different angle to your captain. Once you are clipped and and stay clipped in you take the balance issue while stopping out. However don't use road cleats! We tried once and it ended in me getting in the car and letting him ride home. MTB shoes and clips will provide better grip for the captain when stopping, so his foot doesn't slip ot. It will also make you feel more confident in his abilities to hold the bike as well.

Have fun and don't let a rough first time put you off!

PS Just re-reading this and not sure if you were captaining or stokering. Normally the tallest and heaviest person does the captaining but not always possible to. Anyway I hope this helps a bit.

We ended up going with a custom tandem because we could not get a bike sized correctly for us. We're too close in height and basically needed the same size in both compartments.

Veronica

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Originally Posted by Veronica

We ended up going with a custom tandem because we could not get a bike sized correctly for us. We're too close in height and basically needed the same size in both compartments.

Veronica

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What she said...the vast majority of stock tandems assume the taller person up front, but a captain also needs to have good upper-body strength to hold the bike up while the other mounts and just to manage a bike with the weight of two riders. My DH, who is strong, found captaining tiring for this very reason, and I'm a petite stoker!

Assuming you don't want to captain, unless there are tandems that have been introduced since we rode one (very possible, as this was some years ago), I doubt you're going to have much luck with stock sizing, even in the good brands like Santana, Co-motion, etc. It's very possible that custom may be your only real option, if you want a bike that actually fits both of you.

Definitely go talk to a bike shop that specializes in tandems and get their opinion, though.

I was pretty sure that our first tandem ride would be our last act on earth.

Find some local tandem people who can help you work out the details.

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Originally Posted by malkin

I was pretty sure that our first tandem ride would be our last act on earth.

Find some local tandem people who can help you work out the details.

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LOL. Us too. We'd kill ourselves...or each other!

I'm not the one to ask - we just sold our tandem:D:D:D

Our problems stemmed from:

1) we have the same inseam, though he has a longer torso

2) I can't captain (not enough strength), but I outweigh him

3) I couldn't give up trying to steer.

Seriously, though - check with some good tandem shops. There are more options out there (and some have used bikes).

Interesting. DH is 5"9 and I am 5"7 but we ride the same sized bike as our inseams are the same. DH just has a longer torso and arms than me so he has a longer stem etc.

We ride a M/S tandem, DH has a longer stem and I have a thudbuster seatpost. My saddle is the same height as his but of course the seatpost is longer due to the smaller size at the back. We also have a adjustable stem on the rear bars so we have dialled in pretty well, even though we probably should be riding a M/M tandem (which doesn't exist as standard).

Our first tandem was a stock Santana - S/S I think. For a year or so it was the only bike I rode. It wasn't until we branched out into road bikes that I realized how cramped I had been on the tandem.

Veronica

How adjustable are tandems? Could DH and I share one (both 5'9") and then swap out DH and swap in my son (less than 5')?

There doesn't seem to be any tandem shops nearby, or at least a Google search didn't provide any. It would have to be in Omaha, Lincoln or possibly as far as Kansas City. My LBS has a T900 coming in a few weeks and would probably give better instruction other than, "Sure. Take it outside and ride in the parking lot" without any instructions whatsoever.

This guy has a tandem for sale in Lincoln on Craigslist. I like that the top bar slopes down so I don't feel like I'm confined and it looks bigger.

Roo, look into a Co-motion Periscope tandem or a Bike Friday tandem. That is most likely to do the job for you.

Thanks, Kiwi Stoker, and my apologies to Bethany for the thread hijack.

There's a reason they call them "Divorce Makers"....actually, my (current) partner and I are great on our tandem. It has taught me to trust someone else and give up control for a change. Now, had my ex-husband and I gotten on one of those together, I have a feeling we would've killed each other (not just gotten a bitter divorce).

Also you can look here:

http://www.tandemmag.com/classified/

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Originally Posted by MojoGrrl

There's a reason they call them "Divorce Makers".

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I am NOT a fan of our tandem, but that is in large part due to the view. I am nearly a full foot shorter than my husband and the rear cockpit is pretty short, so I end up with my nose in the small of his back. I cannot get comfortable on the thing and I can't see much at all...nothing at all in front of us. I end up sore all over from having to tilt my head back to keep my forehead off his back (I'm short, but long-torsoed). And I loathe having to give up control.

But we have our Co-Motion Perioscope Torpedo that we bought with our son in mind. He LOVES being on the back of that thing with his dad. The two of them have a blast "dropping mom." :rolleyes: It's OK that I don't like it. We didn't really purchase it for me. DS just turned 11 and we've had the bike for about a year and a half. We figure that he'll get good use out of it for a few more years, until he can fit a solo road bike and drop his old parents. :D

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Originally Posted by zoom-zoom

I am NOT a fan of our tandem, but that is in large part due to the view. I am nearly a full foot shorter than my husband and the rear cockpit is pretty short, so I end up with my nose in the small of his back. I cannot get comfortable on the thing and I can't see much at all...nothing at all in front of us. I end up sore all over from having to tilt my head back to keep my forehead off his back (I'm short, but long-torsoed).

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I have some of these problems too (although it's not quite as much of a tight squeeze as you describe)...but when we're on the tandem, I actually like just putting my head down, going on autopilot - I turn into a pedaling machine. Sometimes I look around a bit more, but I enjoy it being a sort of mindless workout too.

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Originally Posted by MojoGrrl

I have some of these problems too (although it's not quite as much of a tight squeeze as you describe)...but when we're on the tandem, I actually like just putting my head down, going on autopilot - I turn into a pedaling machine. Sometimes I look around a bit more, but I enjoy it being a sort of mindless workout too.

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I wish I could do that. When I get bored I just want to stop. I do so much better when I have a landscape in front of me to pedal towards. Looking down at the ground gives me wicked vertigo, too.

But I get to look on either side of us and get to see stuff you wouldn't being on a single.

Actually yes I like not having to worry about gears, brakes and getting my foot unclipped to stop. However I do ride my single also to give us a break.

Hey other stokers, what does your captain say when he's about to "perfume the air"? Or does he give you no warning at all?

Um - I never get a warning on that one. :D

We've been riding tandems for years, and started out on an MTB tandem riding singletrack :eek:. After that bike was literally hurled into the woods on a ride (and we had broken nearly every component imaginable - think about scootering home 7 miles because of a blown rear hub), we switched to road tandems.

Sizing is important, but communication is KEY - especially starting out. Kiwistoker and I are in the same boat - almost no communication needed now, but it wasn't always that way. For newbies, talking through EVERYTHING - shifting, stopping, turning, bump, etc. is vitally important.

We race one of our tandems in a local TT. I can't see ANYTHING the entire time, because I am trying to be as aero as possible. On the road tandem, I also can't see over DH (he's 6'1" and I'm 5'10"), but I still can see plenty on both sides.

Oh - and we use road shoes and pedals without issue - everyone is different.

Give it another try, but also realize that tandems are not for everyone.

SheFly

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Originally Posted by Kiwi Stoker

But I get to look on either side of us and get to see stuff you wouldn't being on a single.

Actually yes I like not having to worry about gears, brakes and getting my foot unclipped to stop. However I do ride my single also to give us a break.

Hey other stokers, what does your captain say when he's about to "perfume the air"? Or does he give you no warning at all?

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ROTFLOL!!

Oh dear. I hadn't thought of that one. I'd need a gas mask. He calls gas his proximity alarm.

Found a recumbent tandem online that DH fell in love with via Craigslist. I'm thinking it's from the store I bought my Fargo from as the brick wall seemed familiar. I could be wrong. I know they sell recumbent bikes and with spring coming, maybe he'll bring some new ones in. He gave a great lesson on how to ride a recumbent bike when we looked at one.

I have ridden a recumbent bike. It was really nice and a lot of fun once you figured it out. It reminded me of the Barbie Big Wheel trike I had as a kid. Plus once you figured out how to brake, you could do power slides through the park we rode in. It just wouldn't make it up the killer hills and along the rough highway so we didn't buy it for DH.

That would take another set of lessons right there with the recumbent tandem..LOL. If it's from the store, I think he'd give lessons and there's a park across the road to work with.

We used to have a recumbent tandem (as well as two upright tandems, over the years). It was a blast to ride with a couple of caveats:

1. VERY VERY slow up hills, even for strong riders. This tends to be true of recumbents in general as they are typically heavier than upright bikes and you can't stand and power over hills. Small "tandem rollers" can be quite fast on an upright tandem, but there's really no such thing on a recumbent tandem.

2. Depending on what kind of tandem it is, it can be extremely long and cumbersome. Ours was the longest type (long wheelbase with under-seat steering), which made it 10' long. Try doing a u-turn with it, or transporting it to an event. We actually had it made with s-and-s couplers for travel, but rarely used them as they were time-consuming to deal with too.

We ended up selling it back to the dealer (Larry Black in Maryland, who specializes in tandems, recumbents, and other "funny" bikes) and getting an upright tandem instead. (And that didn't work out either, but for other reasons -- like others have said here, I couldn't give up control and the ability to see in front of me, brake, shift, etc.)

Tandems can be fun but are definitely not for everyone!

We have a Trek 1000 which we love. My husband is 6' and I am 5' - it seems to fit very well & is nice & stiff. I would try to find a second hand one.. I've been told that a tandem 'speeds your relationship in the direction it was already going . . .'

It is up to the captain to never scare the stoker. There are a couple of things which mean couples cannot ride a tandem:

1. Irreconcilable cadence differences. Usually the guy is more experienced and has a higher cadence - if he can't/won't slow down and his partner can't/won't speed up then it won't work

2. Thoughtless/boorish captain: frightening stoker, not warning of bumps, direction change etc. will mean the stoker will eventually get off & refuse to get back on

3. Stoker unable to give up control/trust the captain

Apart from that a tandem is a wonderful addition to your cycling stable - it's an amazing feeling of teamwork, you stay together, you can talk, everyone is pleased to see you. Navigation is easier - I could go on. We love our tandem - we took it to NZ for our honeymoon!

I told DH if he didn't want a tandem since he had a bad experience, I'd just tie a rope to the back of my bike and to the front of his. He started laughing and said that wouldn't work.

I then told him we both have cell phones and bluetooth ear pieces then we wouldn't be stuck yelling back and forth.

I think my kids would have a blast riding a tandem.

Another reason a tandem won't work:

Stoker has a migraine.

Kinda funny looking back on it now, but at the time it was pretty horrible.

As for the view, I kinda like it, but I guess that's where our relationship was heading. ;)

My husband and I are on our third tandem. We now have a CoMotion Speedster and love it. If you are serious about tandem riding it might be worth traveling to a tandem shop, or writing to CoMotion about sizing.
That being said, tandem riding is a serious commitment. I am the stoker and I cede all control (or at least most of it) to the captain. We are about to do our sixth AIDS Lifecycle (550 miles-- SF to LA) on a tandem and I love that I can ride with my husband all day. if we were on singles I wouldn't see him all day.

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Originally Posted by carolp

I love that I can ride with my husband all day. if we were on singles I wouldn't see him all day.

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Exactly! Same here. He's a much stronger/faster rider than me, so when we're not on the tandem, he (almost) always leaves me in the dust.

The spouse has a tandem that's a bit too small for him, and a lot too small for me. We've only ridden on it once, and I was surprised how much I enjoyed it. Yes, there's a view of his back (he's a chunk taller than I am), but I liked the fact that I could look around and actually quite liked giving up control. He takes blind riders on the back, which means he's an excellent captain -- considerate, giving plenty of warning of what he's doing.

I have this dream of getting a tandem that fits both of us, but he's leaning more toward shorter city rides (mostly on his recumbent), and leaving me to do the long out-of-town ones alone or with friends. Last year was a funny one for biking - we were living in temporary accommodation and he was working on the new house we moved into in December, so neither of us rode that much. But right now his work has slowed hugely, so maybe things will be different.

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Originally Posted by carolp

...I cede all control (or at least most of it) to the captain...

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Nah...
The captain controls the bike, sure, but the stoker controls the captain.

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Originally Posted by malkin

Nah...
The captain controls the bike, sure, but the stoker controls the captain.

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I can definitely control the bike as the stoker ...

SheFly

I can certainly steer as stoker, but the captain is changing the gears.

It's called "kidney control". Basically a poke in the kidneys.

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Originally Posted by MojoGrrl

There's a reason they call them "Divorce Makers"

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LOL! My husband says this about tandems:

Tandems are Marriage Hammers. It will either forge it stronger or shatter it asunder!

And this is why we have a Big Dummy. I am live cargo.

If we had to get a tandem, I'd highly recommend the stoker gets a free wheel in the back though. That's a wonderful invention!

This is a helpful thread. I want to get a tandem for when my dad & I visit all 40 state parks in Missouri that have campgrounds. That's 2200 miles in 45 days. He's dubious, but it would be so much easier to stay together.

DBF and I have been tossing around the idea of getting a tandem at some point. The conversation went:

Me: "It might be fun, but we might kill each other too."
Him: "No, it'd be fun. You pedal on the uphills, I pedal on the downhills!"
Me: "Let me think about that...No."