[Closed] Tandemtastic....

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

[url= http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4048/4450644157_77b3d93736.jp g" target="_blank">http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4048/4450644157_77b3d93736.jp g"/> [/img][/url]

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

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. 🙂

[url= http://bighugelabs.com/onblack.php?id=3849013327&size=large ]You'll soon be up to trying a bit of woodwork on it[/url]

😉

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

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 [url=

the Glentress see saw[/url]

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

[url= ]flying tandem pic[/url]

[url=

of spooky woods[/url]

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 [url=

slab on a tandem[/url] 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.

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

Rob.

We'll be up round GT for a week a bit later on in the year.
We'll have the twingleseater with us as well as some solos.

Looking forwards to our first tandem run round GT.

Not sure what the correct term is for a collective of tandems, but if you let us know when you'll be up it'd be great to get a few tandems out together.

Rob

Will do.

Think I seen you two today I was at the freeride area I was at the top and you passed on a blue tandem.

tandemwarriors - Member

Not sure what the correct term is for a collective of tandems,

A tangle of tandems?

but if you let us know when you'll be up it'd be great to get a few tandems out together.

I'd be up for that. I promise not to start any arguments

I promise not to start any arguments

Is that possible for you? 😆 😉

Tandemonium?

Well you started this one - I just continued it 😉

See you just can't stop yourself can you. 😆

I actually thought it was tj I saw then i noticed the helmet on

You started it!

It would be good to get a tandemania organised tho.

falkirk-mark , yep that was us on Nancy.

TJ & SSS, yep a tandemonius tangle of tandemania sounds long overdue.

Rob

tandem warriors - the trip to Glentress sounds amazing.

We did our second off road ride Saturday morning. O.k going up but the downs were scary. I need some advice. Now I didn't have my own flat pedal on and the ones I've been using ( borrowed tandem) have very little grip, so when we descended the first slightly rocky section, my feet just bounced right off the pedals, my inner thigh banged against the saddle and somehow I stayed on ( i'm the stoker by the way) . The question is will I be better with my own pedals, or is this what happens anyway when the stoker rides with flats? The rest of the descent was spent with my thighs clenched against the saddle and hands white with gripping the handlebars, as my feet continually bounced up and down the pedals.
It was more or less o.k when we could freewheel with pedals central, but the moment any corners appeared and one leg was down it was hard to keep the feet on.

Spds is a must IMO. Otherwise when one of you stops pedalling the other gets their feet knocked of the pedals

We'd never consider trying to ride ours without being clipped in.

NOOOOO, don't say that, I've only just got her to stop using SPDs on the normal bike!

Sorry but dems de rulz! SPDs on a tandem offroad otherwise whacked shins are the order of the day. For both of you as well

I use SPDs, but I finally got her onto flats last year and her riding improved no end!

My wife rides flats at all times on solos. But on the tandem she would not ride anything else other than SPDs, she says she'd have been shot over my head a few times if she was riding flats.

We love the tandem off road as much as solos, very different, but just as much fun in the right places.

As an aside we need a new back tyre, what would people suggest?

Dual ply High Roller run tubeless. 😉

nbt - Member
NOOOOO, don't say that, I've only just got her to stop using SPDs on the normal bike!

Rear tyre? We're running a WTB Motoraptor. Seems plenty grippy but not too draggy. Combined with a High Roller on the front.

Rob (who's still buzzin from yesterday 😀 )

Back to spds it is then. Thanks for the advice.

Rob out of interest how is Sandy doing? I ask because I suffer from fatigue syndrome (mild M.E) and can't ride solo or even walk far at the moment, that's why we're trying out the tandem. It's been the only way I can get out and about, which at the moment is saving my sanity.

She's a bit tired today, slept till 10 but has been ok.
Sounds like you're in exactly the same situation as we are, and the tandem is indeed a life saver. A few years ago Sandy needed sticks to walk more than a few meters, she's much better now but just plans when to use her energy.
If you ever want to chat our email is in profile, or she's always on facebook. She takes no encouragement to chat to anybody, and would be delighted to help.

Best wishes,

Rob

PS - if you have a garage full of spare bike bits, our old cannondale tandem frame is sitting in the garage gathering dust. Will leave that thought with you!

Thanks, will have a chat with nbt, he's considering buying a frame from a guy from STW.

Still hoping (as I'm improving every day) to be back solo before long.

Keep going Sandy it's all you can do. May get in touch later in the week.

Were running specialized eskar tubeless 2.3s they seem to work very well in pretty much all conditions pump em up real hard and there good for a bit of road blasting too

🙂

Oh just thought of a collective term for us tandemists

Tandem
Users
Regional
Development
Squad

!

Oh just thought of a collective term for us tandemists

Tandem
Users
Regional
Development
Squad

If only there was some way we could shorten that...

Purchase of tandem is underway. 😯 😯

Rigid, v-brakes. Oh dear....

i've got some disc brakes if you want to start upgrading?

Extra long hose on the rear so they'll bolt straight on 😉

Thanks Stu, I have some hope minis in the garage myself - standard length hose it must be said, but I can pick up a new hose.
The frame and forks are disc ready, as are the 48h hubs. I have some forks too. I sense some fettling may be in order.

Yay, more tandem owners, welcome to the family!

Please get some discs on before you try any 'proper' downhills! Our 'dale had V's to start with. We launched her down Eyam Quarry on her first outing in the peaks. Even with the brakes on from the top we were hitting terminal velocity, thankfully the barrier at the bottom was open, otherwise we'd have been toast. We actually caught a motocross bike on one downhill, and that was with the brakes on!!!

The favourites seem to be Hope M4 / Ti6 / V2's or Magura Louise or Gustav.

Happy fettling!!

Rob & Sandy

When nbt has the tandem up and running, we'll have to come Ooop North to the T.U.R.D.S meet.
This could become an annual event.

Lol @ Rob.

I like the idea of an annual TURD, but would prefer to be more regular.......

EDIT - just seen
[url= http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/HOPE-MONO-6-TI-BRAKES_W0QQitemZ250603315064QQcategoryZ58082QQcmdZViewItemQQ_trksidZp4340.m8QQ_trkparmsZalgo%3DMW%26its%3DC%26itu%3DUCC%26otn%3D5%26ps%3D63%26clkid%3D8865627580530526787 ]these[/url]

Same as ours. Have got a spare tandem length rear hose in the garage.

😆

If you stick the mini's on I'd leave the v's on aswell to give the Hopes a chance. 😆 😉

KoS.
Shall we get some TURDS stickers made up for our twinseated chariots. 😀

Yes Stu can do motion carried I shall speak to sticker man.anyone else want one ? sticker that is

Not sure about the mini's tho nice to have a thread with hard won advice and comment :-))

T.U.R.D.S it is then

First turds, now we're 'carrying a motion'. This toilet humour is getting too much!

Hey hey, I recognise that Dawes tandem! 😀 Nice to see it's still looking good 🙂 I bought it off the classifieds a few years back from a bloke called Martin, and sold it to Jon maybe a year ago. Me and Ms Hooter used it in fully rigid v brake format round some pretty hairy stuff in the Lakes and Yorks Dales, awesome fun. Ms Hooter has since got pretty nifty on the downhills on her solo bike, so now we have a darkside cannondale road tandem instead which goes like a very fast thing on tarmac, and is also very useful for wobbling back home on after a few drinks on a night out 🙂

STOP IT! You're making me want another bike now! I rode tandem a few years ago (not off-road unfortunately! 🙁 ) and it was fantastic! I was the stoker and it was nice to concentrate on power alone... But it does take a LITTLE faith in the pilot (is that right?!?!?)... Anyhoo, I can't justify another bike; 1. I don't ride the 2 I've got enough 2. I don't have any friends. 😛

Hooter, I was thinking of buying it off you last year as well, in the end we didn't (obviously) as Mrs NBT wasn't sure about the wisdom of buying something that wouldn't be used very much.

Hmmm, riding home after a couple of beers, nice one. Will have to train up Mrs NBT properly as a captain rather than stoker 🙂

When the tandem arrives, I will have enough bikes for ten people to ride. There are just 2 of us.

Any excuse to post a pic...
[img] [/img]