Today 2 tandem virgins went unknowingly onto the local trails with the idea of trying something completely different.

Lots of screaming (from me as stoker) and lots of swearing from nbt as captain. We trundled on the old disused railway line from Marple to Poynton, 'the Middlewood way'. It's very staight and no uphills to contend with. However we did a teeny bit of off roading (the bit which had me screaming like a banshee), before coming home on the canal towpath

The things we have learnt are;
[list][*]
Huge respect for people who actually 'off road' on a bicycle built for 2,
[/*][*]As stoker don't try and steer, brake or freewheel, it's just not going to happen
[/*][*]fit your own saddle, (bit sore now!)
[/*][*]Loads of people talk to you
[/*][*]Some people are amazed that there is such as thing as a mountainbike tandem
[/*][*]Pilots need to talk to stokers to let them know about upcoming hazards – when to freewheel, when you're stopping etc
[/*][*]Relax and enjoy
[/*][/list]
and last but not least
[list][*]Don't open your mouth when the pilot decides to 'break wind'.[/*][/list]

We bumped into MartynS and Mrs.S on the way round, who quickly decided he wanted a go. nbt says you're a rubbish stoker!

Hopefully Martyn will put some pictures up later 🙂

Big thanks to Jon at Bicycle Smithy for the kind loan of his personal bike

Nice one! I was advised for both of us to try both seats to build trust and it helps. Teamwork is the key. Its the most fun vehicle I have ever owned. It gets easier to do.

Did anyone shout " she's not pedalling on the back" ?

Did anyone shout " she's not pedalling on the back" ?

three people 🙂

Bunnyhop was a far better stoker than MartynS, she didn;t try piloting as the point of a tandem is to get her out when she's not up to riding herself. thanks for your advice TJ, can't see that we'll be replacing the solos but we might see abuot picking up a cheap tandem for the odd day

thanks MartynS (he must have sent this before reading the thread!)

The reason for both trying both seats is to develop trust and for the pilot to understand how it feels on the back seat.

Talk to each other as well – when we started everything was called – gearchanges, constant description of the terrain ahead and so on. As we got more used to it we have reduced this but still call for chainring changes,and dropping several gears at once as well as for drops and steps

The pilots sole duty is to get the stoker to the destination in a comfortable and unfazed manner. Think Parker and lady Penelope Anything else gets me kidney punched!

no I wasn't a rubbish stoker… you were unable to cope with my awesomeness, that's not my fault….

MartynS – Member

no I wasn't a rubbish stoker… you were unable to cope with my awesomeness, that's not my fault….

"Aaaargh, aaarrggghh, this is awful, I don;t like it, I want to get off"

Off road tandems are a huge laugh.

As far as we're concerned the only downside is that you might have a slight conection with that Jeremy nobber. 😉

"Aaaargh, aaarrggghh, this is awful, I don;t like it, I want to get off"

exactly…raw awesomeness

Welcome to the exciting and fun world of the tandem! They are an amazingly social machine, everyone stops to talk or gawp.

Pilots need to talk to stokers to let them know about upcoming hazards – when to freewheel, when you're stopping etc

yep, after too many trees in the face Sandy decided a full face helmet was essential stoker-wear!

Rob

Nice one and if we all has a pound for she's not pedalling ……..

Tonight we pushed the boat out and actually went off roading.

Completely different to pootling along the canal.

I screamed more, as on the descents it feels really, really fast, also because of the rain there's plenty of mud around and I could feel the back end going on a couple of bends.

The ups were o.k. Being unable to see helps as I can't see the obstacles, so don't think whether we'll get over them or not, because the pilot does all that.

nbt is right footed and I'm left, so it caused some confusion when mounting and trying to stop.

Also this time nbt was far more vocal and told me about every bump, drop off ( only tiny ones) and rock.

So much fun, I really haven't laughed this much for ages.
Everyone should try and have a go. 🙂

You'll soon be up to trying a bit of woodwork on it

😉

So much fun, I really haven't laughed this much for ages.

Nice one. They are a laugh indeed

Edit – I do like that pic stu.

For all the people riding tandem, I have tried with the SO a MSC. IT's very nice as both crank have an integrated free wheel, so you don't actually have to pedal at the same speed

Wow sss, that's erm scary!
Was it the red at Laggan?

It's Whites at Afan.

We had people on the carpark tell us that we'd not be able to get round on a tandem…..

That's a top pic SSS, serious kudos for you both there. 'shore still gives me the wilies on a solo, I really need to MTFU and get better at it on the tandem!
As we're doing some tandem willy waving, here's top lunatics Paul & Nic on the Glentress see saw

Rob

Stu – I'm going to kick your shins for that! 😉
I hate anything shore even on a solo. I doubt I could do that

flying tandem pic

top of spooky woods

first time i went on a tandem was piloting around GT red – as said above, what a laugh!!! great time.
have since been stoker off road a few times (again, a good laugh, but bugger me it was scary!), and also bought a road/touring tandem (off orad one was just too expensive)

definitely something i'll be doing more of in the future!

That's impressive.
I'm glad I'm not the only screamer! Mind you, our off road effort tonight was a tad mild compared to the extreemness of you chaps ^^.

Raced a tandem offroad at BUSAs one year, epic fun (road it offroad a few times before then too).

Such an upper body workout on the front offroad, especially in the mud trying to move the front wheel about. Fully rigid and vee brakes only probably weren't helping mind.

Crashing tandems always seems to be awful till you get the hang of telling the stoker to bail so you can wrestle the beast back under control and save yourself.

Also did a MTBO event, top tactic was keeping the map in my back pocket, so my stoker could read the map and note down control details leaning on my back without having to stop.

SSS well impressed, not sure I'd attempt that on a solo, deffo not on a tandem.

When I first took our original tandem out, we went down the road and failed to make the corner at the bottom, as my girlfriend (now wife) tried to keep the bike bolt upright which prevented it turning the corner. Was a steep learning curve. Most important things is communication.

Current Tandem not used often as new little-un is too small, and trying to work out if a childseat and 2 in the trailer is gonna work 🙂

Just found this dalbeattie slab on a tandem Paul and Nic again

When I first took our original tandem out, we went down the road and failed to make the corner at the bottom, as my girlfriend (now wife) tried to keep the bike bolt upright which prevented it turning the corner.

Sounds familiar! I remember Sandy & I getting back to her wee Leicestershire village from St John Street cycles in Bridgwater with our spangly new cannondale on the roof. We took it off the car, jumped on board, rode down the cul-de-sac, tried to turn at the bottom and went straight over all the neighbours gardens!
Happy days!

Now, SSS versus Paul & Nic, who's the best? FIGHT FIGHT FIGHT!!!!!

Rob

I was there Stu was defo having a good day 😯

Now, SSS versus Paul & Nic, who's the best? FIGHT FIGHT FIGHT!!!!!

Paul and nic for the slab.

We got air tho 🙂

IA – Member
<snip>
Such an upper body workout on the front offroad, especially in the mud trying to move the front wheel about.
</snip>

HantsNightRider – Member
<snip>

When I first took our original tandem out, we went down the road and failed to make the corner at the bottom, as my girlfriend (now wife) tried to keep the bike bolt upright which prevented it turning the corner. Was a steep learning curve. Most important things is communication.
</snip>

Yep, had a couple of those moments last night. Brill fun though. Am feeling more and more inclined to get one 🙂

You'll need a bigger garage!

Glad you're both having fun on it – just don't get Mrs B talking about it 🙂

Comment from now wife one of our first tandem rides "can you go a bit wider round the corners, I keep being dragged through hedges"

what happened to mr and mrs smiler? They were allegedly the first people to ride the woodwork at glentress on a tandem.

i was there and so was Jedi but i can't remember their real names

Did this with my local club round the New Forest last year, we hired 3/4 of them.
such a laugh
we'll certainly be doing it again this year at some point too.
Such and odd feeling on the back

We did D2D on ours a few years back, unfortunately ours is also known as the Adult Discussion tandem…

Have put CX tyres onto a Cannondale road tandem to make it usable on the disused railway track network. Loving it!

GavinB – I only go on the back with nbt after giving him a right 'talking to before hand'.
I have the feeling you'd scare even MrsB. to death, and she's a much better rider than me 😉

Rules for happy tandemming.

1) the pilots job is to get the stoker to the end of the ride in comfort and style. Think Parker to lady Penelope. "Yes m'lady" Scaring them is not allowed. Crashing is not allowed.
2) the stoker is to pedal when told and that is all – attempts at steering are strictly forbidden.
3) neither party must bail out – especially the pilot.
4) the stoker retains a veto enforced by subtle use of kidney punching.

Scaring them is not allowed.

My stoker loves it when I scare her. 😆

She also likes to try to steer. Normaly at the worst possible moment. 😯

Kidney punches are only dished out for leting rip with chicken madass afterburners.

Lol @ TJ.

A good tip I was given by the tandem owner Jon, was to place my hands flat on the pilots back for the first 10 minutes, thus stopping me from grabbing at non-exsistant brakes and trying to steer. It worked and made me relax more.

Mmmm had some of that curry after effects too. 😯

Julie tried to steer once – the qr on my seat was a bit loose and she turned me round thru 45 degrees. Just a little disconcerting.

We had a tandemtastic day today 😀

First visit of the year to Glentress and we were rockin' (even if we do say so oursleves!)

Sandy's ME was playing up so could only manage a few hours with the energy she had. So up from the Hub (the new climb is sooo much better, and the switchbacks nicely tandem sized).
Then an hour in the freeride park. We were carrying so much speed round the berms today. Not sure what we were doing different to before (think the High Roller on the front may feel more secure) but it was just amazing, suppose like an HGV down the Cresta Run!

Then back down the blue to the Hub, again riding sooooo much better than previous visits, just railing the corners.

One of those rides that leaves you grinning from ear to ear, and that nice feeling that the solo riders watching were gobsmacked!!

Happy tandeming everyone

Rob & Sandy