Is tandeming for couples only or would you spend a week sat behind your mates arese riding around?

Saw an old couple of boys today pedal past looking happy as larry with a pannier kitted tandem and made me wonder if I would like to stay behind my mate in the wake of his farts riding mies.

if you have to ask…………………

If it was you as captain NO if it was TJ I would follow for ever
HTH

Absolutely bloody not. No. Ever. I’m was already concerned about the roadie content of this site, but I draw the line with same-sex tandems.

Must be an MTB forum somewhere. I’ll grab my hi-viz arseless chaps and dildo seat on the way out…

They don’t call it ‘the stoker’ for nothing.

I forget – is it reach-arounds every 30 miles, or 40?? Was never sure on that one…

DrP

If it floats yer boat go for it (gheyer)

As long as you swapped over now and then……..

better power : wind resistance so they don’t tire out so fast (how “old” were they) ?

you’d have to take turns at the steering though – being on the back must be bloody dull after a bit

No

I’d go for a day ride with a male mate on mine and the Mrs’s tandem but I’d draw the line at a holiday.

After the first day all that 30 minute reachround action would leave me spent.

[confession mode] I have ridden the bike behind a male friend ( training for ten under the ben honest) Its actually quite enjoyable on the back – surprisingly as I hate being pillion on a motorcycle / passenger in a car. On the back on easy trails you get to just sit there, pedal and watch the scenery go by and that is a pleasant way to spend a day. [/confession mode}

So TJ what is the correct frequency to perform reachrounds?

If you’re confident in your own heterosexuality I see no problem.
Personally I don’t see the point in Tandems full stop but there you go.

hugh jardon
Depends if its me or Mrs TJ on the back

TSY
Laughs per mile is the point. Probably the most laughs per mile of any vehicle I have owned

TSY.

You ever riden a tandem?

Maybe you should try it.

Whole lot of new problems and laughs to contend with.

OMG WTF !!

Well I’m planning on going camping on our tandem with somebody the same sex sometime soon. In fact I only ever seem to ride our tandem with a bloke nowadays.

Tandem = Bi-curious

Well I’m planning on going camp with somebody the same sex sometime soon. In fact I only ever seem to ride with a bloke nowadays.

Fair enough, it’s a broad church here.

The whole concept of a tandem strikes me of some bygone 1950s age of sexism, wife sat dutifully at the back pedalling, not in charge of the steering or brakes or where the bike will ultimately go. I can’t dispel that image, I’ve never once seen a bloke sat at the back, wife up front, seemingly in charge of things. I expect I’m going to be told why this is the case for some good reason, but when the Hubby allows wifey to sit up front, are they still giving the orders from behind?, are they just fooling themselves that it’s now a modern relationship?.
Two blokes on a tandem might make my brain explode.

I thought the theory was the heavier rider goes on the front so their weight is more centrally distributed between the wheels?

Or is it just the one on the front fancies the reachrounds?

You know what, gwj72, I also use SPDs when riding the tandem.

BA

For us it was simply because we cycle at different speeds so riding two solos got very frustrating for both of us – me forever waiting for her to catch up, her forever trying to get me to slow down or wait for her.

riding the tandem allows us to enjoy cycling together again and we have had a lot of fun doing so.

Its unfortunate that to swap it around for Mrs TJ to pilot it takes a good few minutes – swap seats and so on and its actually hard to start it as she is not strong enough to balance my weight easily. However I would be happy to ride on the back sometimes as its actually quite pleasant to do so but its something we rarely do which is a shame

However I would be happy to ride on the back sometimes as its actually quite pleasant to do so but its something we rarely do which is a shame

I’m hearing you brother.

its actually hard to start it as she is not strong enough to balance my weight easily.

You’re using the “proper method”? Having started tandeming by going on a Swallow tandems weekend, where Pete Bird made it clear that was the only way to do it, we did try that for an awfully long time. However despite being far stronger than mrs aracer, because she was taller and heavier than me (she’s still taller, but I’ve got fatter) it always felt like a struggle. Eventually we decided to try both putting a foot down, and were both far happier as a result (though I have reverted to the proper method with my current male stoker, as it wouldn’t make any sense to do anything else). Worth giving that a try?

FWIW despite our weight/height distribution being opposite to the normal tandem rule of thumb, mrs aracer never had any desire to go on the front.

In answer to BA – much the same as what TJ wrote. We can cover much more ground than we could on solo bikes (where I’d get frustrated). No way would we have managed 1000km tours otherwise. I’m convinced we actually go faster when touring than I would on my own if it’s reasonably flat.

TJ, I have also always thought, for long distance touring pairs, it looks like a good solution. keeping together, constant communication etc. I’m open minded about stuff.

old couple of boys

arseless chaps

stoker

reach-arounds

action would leave me spent

behind a male friend

quite enjoyable on the back

camping

giving the orders from behind

we have had a lot of fun

I would be happy to ride on the back sometimes

Just sayin….

aracer – cant be done on ours – its too high. neither of us can get a foot to the ground when on the saddle. WE can launch it from both standing astride but its easier if one gets clipped in first and thus can pedal it away

BA – its great for touring – road or offroad loads of pics in my photostream.

And taking it around trail centres is a great laugh – people are incredulous when you do

i have a mate with a brain condition. when he goes (more) blind most likely i’ll suggest a tandem. i’ll post on here when this happens and any one of you can feel free to come along and make your merry tongue in cheek japes. sound fair…?

@swiss01

Is it not bad enough he’s got a brain condition and poor eyesight?

And taking it around trail centres is a great laugh – people are incredulous when you do

We got a few “you’ll never get that thing round here” type comments in the carpark at Afan.

They weren’t quite so vocal when we overtook them on the first climb though. 😆

Mincy by sheldonattwood, on Flickr

However I would be happy to ride on the back sometimes as its actually quite pleasant to do so but its something we rarely do which is a shame
I’m hearing you brother.

Explains a lot about why he’s the way he is lol

i have a mate with a brain condition. when he goes (more) blind most likely i’ll suggest a tandem. i’ll post on here when this happens and any one of you can feel free to come along and make your merry tongue in cheek japes. sound fair…?

34 posts before the high and mighty brigade appeared.

I did a time trail once on a tandem and had to spend 10 miles resting my cheek on my mates sweaty back – can’t say I enjoyed it that much! However, the main problem I found was that I had no choice of which gear we were in or when to free-wheel or brake. It was a bit like being a donkey on a treadmill.

I don’t think it would be my first choice for a cycling adventure..

As long as you swapped over now and then……..

I think they call that flip flopping.

I rode a tandem with a mate across Poland some 18 years ago. Whoever was at the back had the rucksack on (it was such a type that its support was made of alu poles and it sort of stood on the rack and was only supported by the stalker’s straps. We covered a few thousand kms over 5 weeks, road and off-road, through forests and urban jungle of Warsaw. Bloody good laugh. Moreover, it was made of steel, had a pedal-back brake and two a-type brakes. Singlespeed too, understandably. When we snapped it on the welds due to the corner we took being too tight and causing us to crash into some shrubs, a local lad with welding equipment put it back together.
The tandem is still in use, my 2nd cousin uses it with her husband. It’s some 35+ years old and shows no sign of willing to retire.