attention stokers: question here

[mimitabby]

Hi guys, I am the stoker on the end of a burley rock and roll. I have no brakes, I cannot shift, I cannot steer. Sometimes i can't even see what's in front of us, because you know who in front of me; who isn't a big guy he's still taller and bigger than I am.

Yesterday we rode 54 miles around Lake Washington; on mostly roads with cars. True, most people stayed home yesterday because it was cool and breezy and grey, but there were enough cars to keep me on my toes.

So anyway; back to stoking. Sometimes the best of "captains" will neglect to tell you things like "I am not going to turn right onto the street, I am going to go up onto the sidewalk" or "I'm going to stop pedalling here"
or, he's going to come to a very slow stop at an intersection because he's hoping the light is going to turn.
All of these things; miscommunication or lack of communication are stressful to the stoker. In the first example, i didn't know he was going to get up on the sidewalk and MY reaction forced him onto the street (even more scary!!)
the other two examples just give me lots of adrenalin rushes and tend to wear me out.
another time, something scared me (a car doing a slow stop at the stop sign to our right?) and my movement away from the car forced the bike to move where my husband didn't want to go.

Does this stuff happen to others of you? do you find Tandem riding MORE stressful than regular?

What I like about tandeming is that i can "keep up" with my husband and as a team we can ride with the "big boys" We also get so many smiles from people in cars, on foot and on other bikes, that we find ourselves smiling so much more t han we do on our singles.

Thanks everyone; i'd love to hear other stokers weigh in.
mimi

[Veronica]

I don't find being on the tandem more stressful. Thom and I are pretty in sync. But we rode the tandem only for 18 months before getting singles.

V.

[SheFly]

Communication on the tandem is key. As a stoker, any small change by the captain will affect the stoker, which will, in turn, affect the captain. We have been riding tandems for almost 10 years, and have learned when we need to communicate - hold (stop pedaling), bumps, stopping, going right, everything is important.

This is more pronounced when you are riding tandem in the woods . We started our tandem adventures on the singletrack, so that may be how come we are so in synch now that we have transferred to the road.

I will admit to rides where swearing and crying have ensued, and I think we hold the record amongst our tandeming cohorts for the furthest distance a tandem has been thrown .

I LOVE riding the tandem, and don't find it any more stressful than normal, but would if our communication wasn't dialed in....

SheFly

[sydney_b]

I had to laugh when I read these. I recall reading a cautionary note in a 'how to canoe' book about couples taking up the hobby together.

[SadieKate]

We both find it more stressful but we also enjoy it too much to let that get in the way.

Bubba says he feels the pressure of being responsible for me, that whatever he does impacts me and, being the guy he is, would go the extra step to keep me safe.

We've only fallen once on the tandem. Came around a steep and blind corner on the uphill end of a bike path bridge onto a huge patch of sand where they'd removed the cement for repair. No signs, no warning, no nothing. Fortunately, we were going very slowly and he managed to keep the front end under enough control to step off and slow the tandem's fall onto its right side and I landed in the sand. I think the fall hurt him more emotionally than it hurt me physically. He carried some guilt for a while that he was at fault when I was thinking "thank goodness he did what he did."

For my stress level, I just had to learn to ride loose and relaxed, but that doesn't mean we don't do a lot of communication. Since Bubba outweighs me by 75-80 lbs (and 10" taller) every little movement he makes causes a reaction in the back. If he stops pedaling for just a second, the reverse force on my pedals can eject me off the seat. We don't put in a lot of miles on the tandem, but I think the size difference probably made us realize very quickly that communication was extra important.

To make it work for us, Bill talks a lot (which he's does anyway ) and I learned to let go of control issues, relax and go with the flow. I have to trust that he's doing the right thing and make sure I don't let my body react to every little thing. Basically, he talks a lot and I "ride stupid." Works great.

[mimitabby]

10 inches taller than you!

oh, geez, that's a big difference! I remember how bad it hurt the first few
times my husband stopped pedalling without telling me. I've gotten past that; we have improved

thanks so much your comments are excellent.
And yeah, i suppose it IS like riding a canoe together!

[DebW]

Question: Why is it that the larger person usually ends up in front on a tandem? If the smaller person were in front, then the stoker might have a chance of seeing something other than her partner's back. The few times I took a test ride on a tandem, I hated the stoker position. I could probably never be trusting enough to ride a tandem. In a canoe, on the other hand, I got the bow and my larger heavier partner had no choice but to follow where I led. No verbal communication required.

[SadieKate]

Strength and weight balance.

It simply takes more strength at times, especially starting and stopping. When you're standing, you REALLY want the heavier person in the front.

There are tandems with a 'bent front end.

Hmm, in a canoe, isn't the person in back the one who has the most control over turns? Your back seat partner may have just been accomodating whatever you did. I've only used 2 seat kayaks and the person in back was really the one in control.