Reasons for getting a Tandem ...

Re: Reasons for getting into Tandeming...

Archive-URL: http://search.bikelist.org/getmsg.asp?Filename=tandem.10311.0406.eml
Date: Thu, 13 Nov 2003 12:18:26 -0800 (PST)
From: Mike Watkins <tandem(AT)mikewatkins.net>
Subject: [T(AT)H] Re: Getting into tandeming in the 1st place (Archives?)

I agree that its not as easy, but we could lever the existing archives
in a simple way.

Maybe Mark Livingood could be talked into putting this link on his
excellent web site:

http://search.bikelist.org/?SearchS...ix=*msgsubject&SortBy=MsgDate[a]&Scope=tandem

It currently pulls up 30 responses to the question; insta-solution, no
work!

I personally enjoyed reading everyone's stories very much.
--
Mike Watkins
tandem(AT)mikewatkins.net

He had occasional flashes of silence that made his conversation
perfectly delightful.
-- Sydney Smith

 

Re: Reasons for getting into Tandeming...

Archive-URL: http://search.bikelist.org/getmsg.asp?Filename=tandem.10311.0408.eml
Date: Thu, 13 Nov 2003 13:49:32 -0800 (PST)
From: "Michel Gagnon" <michel(AT)mgagnon.net>
Subject: [T(AT)H] Re: Reason for getting into tandeming in the first plac

That's what I have found with my children. Our eldest is timid and cautious,
and if if had not been for the trailercycle, she probably would have enjoyed
sidewalk cycling. At the tender age of 7, she also knows fairly well the
rules of the road, how to keep a straight line, navigate between potholes,
keep a safe distance from parked cars, signal at intersections, etc. and she
also knows how foolish (her words) it is to ride at night without lights.
She is now confident enough to ride on her own bike (with me...) on busy
streets, although it's better to limit the length of busy or difficult roads
because concentration doesn't stay good for too long.

Our youngest (3.5) has started to use the trailercycle this Thanksgiving and
she already knows a bit about traffic lights. On the other hand, she is not
exactly timid, and for her, "red" means "rush"!

Neither of them have problems with stoking on busy streets and roads full of
cars or trucks .

I remember one "incident" 2 weeks ago, where an impatient driver behind us
was beeping his horn because we didn't leave the intersection as soon as the
light turned green. There was a good reason: we were turning right and there
were pedestrians, but anyway, Sophie (3.5 years old) turned around, looked
straight in the eyes of the driver and showed her "Shtt!" (silence!).
Only a 3 year old could get away with this!

Regards,
Michel Gagnon -- Montréal (Québec, Canada)
mailto:Michel(AT)MGagnon.net

 

Re: Reasons for getting into Tandeming...

Archive-URL: http://search.bikelist.org/getmsg.asp?Filename=tandem.10311.0420.eml
Date: Thu, 13 Nov 2003 22:36:52 -0800 (PST)
From: Neale Pickett <neale(AT)woozle.org>
Subject: [T(AT)H] Re: Reasons for getting into tandeming in the first place

We don't even have a Tandem yet, so I don't have a lot to write yet.
But I do remember our reasons!

Amy and I have been talking about going to Europe since we got married
two years ago, but we never seriously planned to do it. She's finishing
up her degree in December, and one morning she joked that we should take
that trip. That day on my commute in to work, I realized that I could
do bike touring pretty easily, so when I got home I suggested a tandem
tour of France and possibly England. She was very excited at the idea!

On our first ride, we both knew it was for us. (This seems to be a
common thread in the stories here.)

Well, that was only two and a half weeks ago, so I don't have much more
to write yet! But since the first day we considered it, I've been
keeping a journal about the tandem at
<http://woozle.org/~neale/journal/tandem.html>. You can follow along if
you get bored.

Before we even thought about bicycling we were pretty active ballroom
dancers. Tandem riding feels like a natural extension of partner
dancing to both of us: the lead and follow are, in ways, analagous to
the captain and stoker, especially with the physical cues we've been
learning from each other. I wonder, how many tandem teams are also into
some form of partner dance?

Neale

 

Re: Reasons for getting into Tandeming...

Archive-URL: http://search.bikelist.org/getmsg.asp?Filename=tandem.10311.0423.eml
Date: Fri, 14 Nov 2003 03:27:39 -0800 (PST)
From: "Ed" <ed(AT)ridersite.org>
Subject: [T(AT)H] Re: Reasons for getting into tandeming in the first place

Neale Pickett <neale(AT)woozle.org> wrote:

Before we even thought about bicycling we were pretty active ballroom
dancers. Tandem riding feels like a natural extension of partner dancing to
both of us: the lead and follow are, in ways, analogous to the captain and
stoker, especially with the physical cues we've been learning from each
other. I wonder, how many tandem teams are also into some form of partner
dance?
_______________________

We (actually I) don't dance, but I can see exactly what you mean. Karen
simply mirrors every move I make, and, she seems to know exactly when I'm
going to make a move. We rode 1/2 bikes a long time together before
tandeming and have very similar styles and abilities (except that she is a
stronger climber), but it took a couple of seasons of tandeming before we
developed the "lead and follow" and "physical cues" that you describe.

_~o __o
_`\<,`\<,_
(*) / / (*)

Ed & Karen Hass
1990 (Red) Fisher Gemini
T.H. = 3.15 = (278*113.243/10k)
Reston, VA

PS - Ultegra is Shimano's next to top line component group. Dura Ace is top
of the line.

 

Re: Reasons for getting into Tandeming...

Archive-URL: http://search.bikelist.org/getmsg.asp?Filename=tandem.10602.0226.eml
Date: Fri, 10 Feb 2006 13:02:01 -0800 (PST)
From: "Dan Lyke" <danlyke(AT)flutterby.com>
Subject: [T(AT)H] Re: Pedestrians say the strangest things

To tie this together with the "getting into tandeming" thread: I was doing
the obligatory solo loop around the garage of the place we rented for our
first tandem ride and one of the guys running the shop said "ten bucks if
you can pop a wheelie". I was well into the crouch before my mind clicked
on the physics of what I was about to try. I still think that with a
little coordination with my stoker we should be able to bunny hop, but she
hasn't been inclined to help on that front.

First time I heard the "she's not pedaling" line we were grinding up a
fire trail that I'd climbed a gazillion times on my single, and I was
struggling. So I said "I know". Biiiiig mistake. She pulled her feet off
the pedals, and I ended up having to dismount and walk the rest of that
one. Yeah, she might not have been carrying all of her load, but...

Now it's "Oh yes she is!", every time.

Dan

 

Re: Reasons for getting into Tandeming...

Archive-URL: http://search.bikelist.org/getmsg.asp?Filename=tandem.10602.0231.eml
Date: Fri, 10 Feb 2006 16:25:03 -0800 (PST)
From: "Burckhard, David A." <David.Burckhard(AT)gd-ais.com>
Subject: [T(AT)H] Re: How did you get into tandeming?

It's been interesting reading this thread. It seems some folks fell into
riding a tandem. It seems others were introduced into tandeming by
another. Still others were compelled by some internal calling similar to
Richard Dreyfus in "Close Encounters of a Third Kind".

Personally, I tend to get those internal callings. It's hard to explain
about where they originate but I don't get to ride in flying saucers all
that often so I've come to pretty much ignore internal callings unless
they direct me to the bathroom or the occasional entertaining belch. My
dad was sure that his kids all learned to ride a bike and during grade
school we were all supplied with a bicycle. He didn't ride and we've
never done a family ride as some of you seem to enjoy regularly. My
siblings lost interest in bicycles long before they reached high school
except for a brother who lost interest immediately after graduating from
high school. For me, however, bikes have always been *important*.
Thoughts of getting a tandem was merely an extension of both that
sentiment and my need to get chicks.

I think many if not all of us just KNOW what activities in which they'd
like to participate. I never personally knew anyone who rollerbladed,
photographed landscapes, or downhill skied before I got heavily into
those activities. I never had anyone push or coax me into those
activities. But somehow, the idea of doing those activities were totally
consuming and I've gotten into them wholly. I know folks who were
dedicated water skiers, fly fisherman, sailing enthusiasts and bowlers.
They've tried to get me involved. Having giving it a go, I was never
hooked on those.

Tandeming was another step into the bicycling lifestyle and was the
perfect solution to riding, training, and being with someone special.
While some other favorite pasttimes are solitary in nature or, at best,
shared with a lot of shouting and effort, tandem riding solves a lot of
issues AND produces results greater than the sum of its parts. Having
only dreamt of tandeming while I was dating, the reality of marriage and
the lifelong prospect of spending time together made a tandem purchase
pretty much of a slam dunk. Of all the things we do together, I think
tandeming works the best and makes us look good together. Many react to
photographs of us with our bike not so much with any thought of physical
exertion but simply with, "how romantic." I'm not a sentimental guy and
if I find myself doing something romantic it's purely accidental. So
getting into tandeming is one accident I'm glad I was involved in.

dave burckhard
San Jose