Tandem Riding Hints

Tandems are fun, and with two engines for the same frontal area, they’re considerably faster than single bikes.
Tandem teams learn to ride together well, to communicate faster without words, and to anticipate each other’s desires.   Tandeming is a great way to enjoy cycling with another person.


Tandems are serious business too:
One rider (The Captain) is entirely responsible for the well-being of the other rider (The Stoker).   The bike is bigger, heavier, and less forgiving of sloppy riding habits.   A tandem captain can’t be as spontaneous as a rider on a single, nor can the captain make the same kinds of last –minute recoveries from errors in judgement.  

Look further ahead, plan further ahead.
Also, be aware that tandems attract attention.  People will stare, wave or shout.   Passing cars, temporarily distracted, will often swerve in or out.   The presence of a tandem can make people act differently on the road.   A bell or air horn can be very handy in traffic.

The Captain’s Responsibility:
The captain’s primary job is to make the stoker happy. With an unhappy stoker, the captain won’t have a riding partner!   So you must reassure your partner with careful, methodical riding habits.   Anticipate manoeuvres, beginning them far in advance.   Be alert to the stoker because she/he can’t fix it.   Watch the road or trail ahead, and make your steering and braking corrections smoothly.
Ride slightly further from the kerb and from parked cars than you would on a single bike.  Your stoker doesn’t want to feel hemmed in.   If you ride too far to the left, you may find your stoker leaning to the right, trying to veer away from the curb.
When you conduct a manoeuvre, such as merging across traffic to make a right turn or steering around a pothole, make your decision early.
Signal your intentions clearly, proceed on a straight path, and complete the manoeuvre.   A decisive captain will ride smoother, and that will make the stoker happier.

Most new tandem riders find captaining exhausting, and they get sore shoulder muscles from being tense.
This too will pass.   As you become accustomed to the requirements of captaining a tandem, you will develop a light touch.
Don’t go too fast if your stoker is nervous, ride slowly.
In time, the stoker may become more confident and ask for more speed.   But if she/he wants to go slow, then  Go slow!
The more conservative voice must prevail.   That’s only fair.   Remember, you are the chauffeur, not the stunt pilot.

Brian and Mike ride Rainbow Rage 2005 on our modified DiamondBack tandem.

The Stoker: The Best Seat in the House

The back seat on a tandem is the fun seat.
You have this person in front of you who’s giving all his/her attention to making you feel comfortable.   The view is terrific out to all sides, just like on a train ride.   The view to the front may be a bit bland, but the captain’s jersey pockets are a great place to put your binoculars, camera radio, fruit bars, and other hedonistic goodies.
Your obligations are few: Pedal – at an agreed-upon effort level.
Pedal smoothly, so your pedalling doesn’t make your upper body move around.   Don’t shift your upper body weight abruptly. (Your weight shift can inadvertently steer the bike and force the captain to fight you.)   Hold your head high and enjoy the scenery.   Tell your captain what she/he is missing while she/he keeps eyes glued to the road for potholes.


Many tandem teams delegate hand turning signals to the stoker.
This not only encourages communication between the stoker and the captain, it also allows the captain to concentrate on the steering and braking involved in making the manoeuvre.
Every successful stoker learns to delegate authority.
The captain steers. The captain decides when to pedal and when to coast. When coasting, the captain decides where to position the pedals.   Never fight the captain on these matters. She/he is giving you a great ride so you can enjoy yourself.

Mike and Neville on one of their regular Grape Ride races on our Cannondale Tandem.

Getting Underway:
Allow time for a complete pre-ride inspection of the bike.

Starting Off:
Starting and stopping a tandem can be smooth and easy if you do everything in the exact prescribed order.
 Start by shifting the bike into a comfortable low gear.
The captain mounts first. Before, and only before anyone gets on the bike, it can be leaned over to lower the clearance to straddle the bike. Swing your leg forward over the handlebars, not over the rear of the bike.   There might be a person standing there! Straddle the top tube, plant your feet on the ground, and spread your legs to clear the pedals. Firmly hold the bike upright and squeeze both brakes.
Never let the bike lean to the side, particularly after the stoker gets on.  This is the biggest difference between your tandem and a single. Your single is so light that you don’t think twice about leaning on it. The tandem is not only heavy, it is top heavy.   Once you let it lean a little, the stoker’s weight makes it want to lean more.The stoker just hates the way it feels!
The stoker gets on now.
Because the captain is holding the bike rock solid, the stoker can mount it like a horse.   Put one foot on a pedal and swing your other leg rearward over the saddle.   Now the stoker puts both feet in the toe clips or clipless pedals.   When you are ready, back pedal so the captain’s preferred starting pedal is in the up position.  Say “Ready” and off you go.
Now the captain can start.
Pick up one foot, put it on a pedal, and stand on it while steering straight ahead. (Don’t put your rear end on the seat before starting to pedal, because that could make the bike lean over and wobble, and possibly fall.) After you’ve started the first pedal stroke, get in the saddle, and put your other foot on the backside of the pedal, and continue pedalling and steering.
Don’t worry about the toe clip or clipless pedals.  Let the toe clip scrape the ground.   Pedal until you are going comfortably fast (15 kph or so), and then put your other foot in the toe clip or clipless pedals.

Look out Al Rhynn is catching up!
Stopping:
If you stop briefly, say, for a traffic light, the captain stops the bike while the stoker stays strapped in.
The captain takes one foot off the pedal, dismounts from the seat, and puts the foot on the ground while holding the bike absolutely upright.   Starting up again is just like your initial start-up.   The captain should let the stoker know what’s happening – talk to one another – no surprises!
To stop and dismount, reverse the mounting procedure.
The captain gets off the seat, spreads legs to clear the pedals and brace the bike upright while the stoker climbs off.   Then the captain can dismount.

Slow Speed Riding:
Tandems are stable and easy to manoeuvre at slow speeds.
But they need a confident captain who doesn’t overcorrect or induce wobbling.   A smooth style is the key to good slow speed riding.   After you know your tandem well, you will find you can make a U-turn on a narrow two lane road.

Communication:
Some tandem teams talk a lot about riding.
They inform each other of every bump, every shift, every time they slow down, every drink from a water bottle.   Others almost never talk.   They prefer to communicate silently.   Whichever style you pick is up to you.   Just pick the one that works for you.

One important co-ordination activity may require talking, at least at first: shifting.
The reason being that on a single bike, riders intuitively let up on the pedals when they are shifting. On a tandem, thestoker doesn’t necessarily do that.   This is hard on derailleurs (especially front derailleurs) and may make shifts more difficult. Make sure you both let up on the pedals during critical shifts.   Whether you do that by talking or by the stoker feeling when the captain is about to shift is up to you.

Alan Dean's first tandem ride - Rainbow Rage 2009 1st again!

I recommend and can supply an intercom system so that you can communicate using normal voice levels. They are fantastic and I wonder why I rode without one for so long, it makes keeping in touch a breeze!

Only $199.00 a set

WARNING:


Good communication between the captain and stoker increases the safety and enjoyment of the ride.
 Miscommunication or poor co-ordination increases the chances of being involved in an accident.

New Tandem Riders:
Before riding on a more challenging course, choose an open area free of hazards to practice and develop good tandem communication skills.

Braking:
Tandems can stop shorter than single bikes on pavements.
The reason?
A single bike’s braking performance is limited by the physics of pitching the rider over the front wheel. The tandem has the stoker’s weight to hold the rear wheel down, so pitchover doesn’t apply.
The tandem’s braking force on pavement is limited by the friction between the tyre and the road.  How great is that?   It depends on the road and the tyre, and there is no way to measure it.   Since you don’t want a front wheel skid, don’t be too bold.   On good pavement, you can stop slightly more abruptly than you would on a single bike.   Remember to gauge this by the deceleration, not by the brake hand lever effort.   On poor pavement, unpaved surfaces, in wet conditions, sand, oil, or other debris, brake gingerly.   Slow down drastically – before you reach such surfaces.   
Tandems, like singles, get most of their braking force from the front wheel.
The rear wheel is more prone to skidding.   The right hand lever normally controls the front brake.   Apply front braking more than the rear brake for maximum stopping power.   Brake before turns, not in them.   If you must brake in a turn then do it with the rear brake.
Tandems are much faster than singles on downhills so GO SLOW and control your speed until you are competent.

WARNING!
When descending a long downhill, apply your front and rear brakes TOGETHER in an “on again, off again” method allowing brief periods in between for the brake system to cool.
Why? Read on………………….
When used for long periods of continuous braking in mountainous terrain, rim brakes will heat the rims.   Heat build up in the rim can overheat the air in the inner tube, possibly resulting in a tyre blowout. During long downhill descents in mountainous terrain, there is a risk that hydraulic brake systems will fade or lessen braking force as heat grows in the pads, fluids, and callipers from friction. Under extreme conditions, your brakes could fade or “fade-out” completely.   You could be severely injured as a result.

Vaughan & Mike Rainbow Rage 2010 on our custom Avanti Tandem.

Maintenance:
Keep your tandem in perfect shape.
We urge you to work with a retailer who is experienced with tandems. Some components (chains, derailleurs, headsets and tyres) get more wear and tear than on single bikes. These items should be maintained as on your single bike, but more frequently and more carefully.

Tyrepressure is critical.
Low tyre pressure invites pinch-cut flats, while high pressure improves your performance and makes the tyres last longer.   Use the maximum pressure named on the tyre sidewall.

Cables are critical.
 Because of their length, they are vulnerable to poor performance from cable friction or poor cable routing.   Spokes, handlebar stems, and other components must be inspected for tightness every month, or after every long ride.   The front derailleur needs visual inspection, since you can’t see it when you are riding (as on your single bike).   

The timing chain – between the two cranksets – is unique to tandems.
 It stretches in normal use, and must be kept tight.   A loose timing chain can flop sideways and snag a crank arm, or it can come off entirely.
Hold the chain in its middle and wiggle it up and down. You should be able to wiggle it about 1 cm, and no more. If it moves more than 1 cm take it to an experienced tandem retailer for tightening.
The timing chain should be checked for tightness every 400 to 500 kms.  Buy a chain wear indicator to know when to replace both chains.   A tandem has a lot of expensive chainwheels and cogs, so the chain wear indicator will quickly pay for itself.

Tandem Bike Fit:
In addition to sizing and comfort issues for each individual, the bike must be made to accommodate the interaction between the two riders.

This article is meant to offer hints and suggestions but only scratches the surface of tandem setup.  The best configuration for any pair of cyclists on a tandem will be the result of experimentation.  You should investigate the pros and cons of any setup decisions by first consulting with people or publications which are knowledgeable about tandem bicycles. The captain should fit the tandem as she/he would fit on a single bike.  But on a tandem, it is doubly important to have 5-6 cms of crotch clearance for the starting and stopping manoeuvres described earlier.
The stoker uses the same seat-to pedals distance as on a single bike. But the handlebars will be closer (which is okay, since the stoker doesn’t need to steer).

Riding at Night:
Most of tandem safety comes from good technique, which I have described above.
A few specific warnings merit mention though.
Riding a tandem at night is legal if you have a headlight and a taillight – but we don’t recommend it for first timers!
Night time riding is more mentally demanding than day time riding.   Tandem riding is more mentally demanding than single riding.   Riding a tandem at night increases demand, and reduces the margin for error unless you have exceptional lighting.
A tandem is a pleasure vehicle, so use it during the day – the most pleasant time to ride until - you are experienced.Then if you want to come and join us on the annual Nelson to Christchurch ride, that is my favourite event.

Qualifications:
Thanks go to Cannondale for highlighting most of these tips from their manual. I ride and recommend Cannondale tandems for serious fun riders, they have a very affordable range of sizes and styles available. We usually have a couple in store to try out.

I have completed 6 Rainbow Rages on MTB tandems, 6 Nelson to Christchurch team races on tandems,two  Lake Taupo Challenges, 5+ Lakes to Sea, two Source to Seas, (we invented it) 7 or 8 years ago, The Grape Ride 4 times, Around Brunner, (perfect tandem country) and many other fun rides like Rotoiti to Renwick, The Brass Nipple, The Naked Bun ride numerous times, as well as regular racing with Star and Garter Wheelers which is a buzz.

I can put any regular rider on the back of my tandem and he/she will be able to ride fine. Non riders require more instruction but soon learn tandem techniques.

My present stoker is blind and we have an absolute ball riding and racing, what other sport can he do now he is blind to his maximum potential!

Tandems are a great way for people of different abilities to ride enjoyably together.

Try it you will love it!

Mike Watson