Tandem bike

[malkin]

The stoker doesn't 'take direction' from the captain!

The captain controls the bike, and the stoker controls the captain.

[Crankin]

Maybe it's just the thought of being "behind" my DH. Just doesn't sit well with me. And I'm not strong enough to be the captain.

[SheFly]

The captain controls the bike, and the stoker controls the captain.

I LOVE this! Although, some captains will tell you that the stoker actually does (can) control the bike...

SheFly

[pinkbikes]

+1. Well, I do believe that the Captain controls the bike, but if the stoker gives up stoking, you have a pretty poor time controlling it, so I think that works!

On our most recent organised tour there were couple of quite hilly days and after lunch a couple of times DD gave up the ghost and hopped on the sag wagon.

I was surprised to find I actually got up hills easier without her! I guess that answers the age-old question of whether her marginal power gain/weight gain ratio added up! Obviously she pulls well on the flats but doesn't have the muscle up the big hills yet.

Of course when you ride a tandem you find out there are only two tandem jokes. I swear that on both our big tours (and other miscellaneous rides) everybody that passed us joked..

"You know she's not pedalling on the back!"

And then when she got off and hopped on the sag and I was riding on alone...

"I think you've lost something!"

And you know it's a really savage headwind or hill when people don't tell one of these two jokes as they pass!

[salsabike]

Of course when you ride a tandem you find out there are only two tandem jokes. I swear that on both our big tours (and other miscellaneous rides) everybody that passed us joked..

"You know she's not pedalling on the back!"

And then when she got off and hopped on the sag and I was riding on alone...

"I think you've lost something!"

And you know it's a really savage headwind or hill when people don't tell one of these two jokes as they pass!

This is the GOSPEL TRUTH. And because we know it's meant to be friendly, we try very hard to always respond in kind. But boyoboy. If I had a little counter for every time I've heard that...it would be in the bazillion-weejillion range.

[SheFly]

Too true! We've had people on group rides comment that we are "cheating"... Sigh. Let me just tell you that if I don't put out the effort, I definitely hear about it!

That said, first tandem ride of the year today. Over 3.5 hours on the road in 20-degree temps. It was chilly, but so much nicer than sitting on the rollers [again]. We managed to do 63 miles and 2700 feet of climbing. I'm pretty beat now though.

Oh - and we saw Crankin while we were out, too!

SheFly

[owlice]

Well, I just lost a couple of hours to YouTube, thanks to Ladyicon! I had NO idea Those Darn Accordions existed, and somehow, they led me to the Ukelele Orchestra of Great Britain, and then, loads of time later, here I am wishing I'd kept up with either the uke or the accordion or both -- who knew there'd be such fun groups to play with?!

Now I ponder and lament my misspent youth and am getting progressively grumpier because of it. Thanks. Thanks a lot. Please pass the chocolate!!