John and I have done lots of rides on tandem, including a few long brevets
:-) I really love doing brevets on the tandem, because among others things,
one is always guaranteed company, there is a great sense of teamwork and
accomplishment, navigational duties can be handled easily from the rear, and
again, one is always guaranteed company.
The downsides are that one is always guaranteed company and tandems are hard
on components. In the event of a mechanical, the other partner can't just
ride off to get help, although one can hitchhike off to get help :-)
As Bill pointed out, if one partner gets sick or injured, the other is
likely forced out. On the flip side, if one is feeling less than stellar,
the other can compensate for a period of time. It is very important for the
relationship (whether it is romantic or not) to agree on the same goals, and
just how far to push. For us, we know there will be pain at times, but we
will not push to the point of long term injury, or hospitalization. For some
teams, the concern about letting the other person down, can lead to such
issues.
We have two tandems currently, one we use for racing, hill climbs, fast club
rides and the odd short brevet with good weather; the other is for touring,
travelling, longer brevets and rain.
The race tandem is light with light wheels and skinny tires, has minimal
carry capacity for gear, sports no fenders and no generator.
Our other tandem has heavier wheels, wider tires, generator lights, fenders,
rack, and couplers. The couplers make it much less hassle to get to far away
events. 26 inch wheels pack into the cases easier and make for a more
bulletproof tandem wheel without having to use excessive # of spokes :-).
There should be no need to explain the generator hub :-) There are two
people on a tandem, so you need a wee bit more carry capacity for gear.
Fenders just make the rainy rides more pleasant. Many tandems are designed
with enough clearance to handle wider tires and fenders. The wider tires are
in part to handle the additional weight, but also provide greater comfort
for the stoker. I also have a suspension seatpost on this bike.
The most important thing is fit. Proper reach for the captain is very
important. Ideally the captain should not have to manhandle the bike for
control, but I believe the tandem puts a bit more stress on the upper body
for the captain, so getting this part right is important. Captain often want
a bit more standover clearance to help with starting and stopping, and
holding the bike up while stokers get on and off.
The stoker will likely not be able to replicate his/her single bike
position, but should be comfortable. Stokers will likely sit more upright
due to something being in the way :-) This also contributes to more bum
issues, so back to wide tires and susp posts.
One thing to consider is relative sizes between the partners. If you are
close in size and want the option of trading places, you may want to look at
adjustable stems.
Both our tandems are co-motions. We are very satisfied with the quality of
their bikes. We like the handling characteristics. They know how to do
couplers right. We have a Phil Wood hub in back and Schmidt up front. We
stick with fairly old-fashioned reliable components - no carbon fiber on
this bike. We always carry a spare folding tire and a few tubes, as well as
standard tools, and most importantly the knowledge to fix what might go
wrong, and the patience to deal with it when it does.
pamela blalock pgb at
blayleys.com
care-free in watertown, ma
http://www.blayleys.com