Tandem for the first time

On 22/3/05 8:52 am, in article [email hidden],

sarah.brophy said:

anyone help us to get into tandem riding, we have no experience at all but
my girlfriend is keen to have a go!

Hire one for a day.

Enjoy ;-)

...d

sarah.brophy said:

anyone help us to get into tandem riding, we have no experience at all but
my girlfriend is keen to have a go!

http://www.tandem-club.org.uk/

BugBear

On Tue, 22 Mar 2005 11:28:49 +0000, bugbear
<bugbear@trim_papermule.co.uk_trim> wrote in message
<[email hidden]>:

Quoted message said:

http://www.tandem-club.org.uk/

Good answer. As is: AVC, Bath (http://www.bikeshop.uk.com/) where we
hired a Bike Friday tandem for a day trip along the Bristol-Bath
trail.

Guy
--
http://www.chapmancentral.co.uk

"To every complex problem there is a solution which is
simple, neat and wrong" - HL Mencken

Just zis Guy said:

Good answer. As is: AVC, Bath (http://www.bikeshop.uk.com/) where we
hired a Bike Friday tandem for a day trip along the Bristol-Bath
trail.

Unfortunately AVC no longer do cycle hire.

Sarah, you might get some helpful suggestions if you tell us whereabouts
in the country you are. I hired a tandem about 8 years ago from the
bike shop in Heathfield and rode it along the Cuckoo Trail with my then GF.

--
Danny Colyer (the UK company has been laughed out of my reply address)
<URL:http://www.speedy5.freeserve.co.uk/danny/>
"He who dares not offend cannot be honest." - Thomas Paine

In article <[email hidden]>, Danny Colyer

Quoted message said:

Sarah, you might get some helpful suggestions if you tell us
whereabouts in the country you are.

There are about 30 hire tandems on the bicycle island

--
A T (Sandy) Morton
on the Bicycle Island
In the Global Village
http://www.millport.net

sarah.brophy said:

anyone help us to get into tandem riding, we have no experience at all but
my girlfriend is keen to have a go!

Hire one in the New Forest. There are a couple of hire shops near
Brockenhurst station, at least one hires tandems.

sarah.brophy said:

anyone help us to get into tandem riding, we have no experience at all but
my girlfriend is keen to have a go!

You've had some advice about hiring one, I'd just add that you should be
prepared for it to be rather wobbly for the first few minutes - but that
literally means a few minutes, so don't be put off by that. Our first
tandem ride was out of the Edinburgh Bicycle Coop, I nearly ran straight
into a skip.

Most people prefer the "proper method" for starting off, the captain
straddles the bike while the stoker gets on fully (rather than both
riders pushing off from the ground together).

James

James Annan said:

Most people prefer the "proper method" for starting off, the captain
straddles the bike while the stoker gets on fully (rather than both
riders pushing off from the ground together).

Second that, but my stokers are much smaller than me. The 'proper
method' is by far the best way to start and stop.

...d

On Tue, 22 Mar 2005 22:14:28 +0000, David Martin
<[email hidden]> wrote in message
<[email hidden]>:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Most people prefer the "proper method" for starting off, the captain
straddles the bike while the stoker gets on fully (rather than both
riders pushing off from the ground together).

Quoted message said:

Second that, but my stokers are much smaller than me. The 'proper
method' is by far the best way to start and stop.

Thirded. Even with two stokers...

Also remember the Golden Rule of Tandeming: "The stoker makes no
mistakes". This is the cycling equivalent of the recipe for a happy
marriage: "yes, dear."

Guy
--
http://www.chapmancentral.co.uk

"To every complex problem there is a solution which is
simple, neat and wrong" - HL Mencken

Just zis Guy said:

Thirded. Even with two stokers...

Also remember the Golden Rule of Tandeming: "The stoker makes no
mistakes". This is the cycling equivalent of the recipe for a happy
marriage: "yes, dear."

Fourthed

And don't forget the first rule of stoking. When you get on, the
stoker's first priority is to rotate the pedals so as to twack the
captains shin.

Tony

Tony Raven said:

Just zis Guy said:

Thirded. Even with two stokers...

Also remember the Golden Rule of Tandeming: "The stoker makes no
mistakes". This is the cycling equivalent of the recipe for a happy
marriage: "yes, dear."

Fourthed

And don't forget the first rule of stoking. When you get on, the
stoker's first priority is to rotate the pedals so as to twack the
captains shin.

Tony

Need a new keyboard :-)

T'better half was telling me my bike only bites my shins cos of my
incompetence, and *he* doesn't have that problem at all. I know I'd be
stoker on a tandem (I'd not be able to see where we're going, therefore
not be so scared at the headlong speeds) and the thought of him being
bitten by a pedal in the shin as described above has me in fits of
laughter for some reason...

Velvet

--

Velvet

Just zis Guy said:

On Tue, 22 Mar 2005 22:14:28 +0000, David Martin
<[email hidden]> wrote in message
<[email hidden]>:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Most people prefer the "proper method" for starting off, the captain
straddles the bike while the stoker gets on fully (rather than both
riders pushing off from the ground together).

Quoted message said:

Second that, but my stokers are much smaller than me. The 'proper
method' is by far the best way to start and stop.

Thirded. Even with two stokers...

Also remember the Golden Rule of Tandeming: "The stoker makes no
mistakes". This is the cycling equivalent of the recipe for a happy
marriage: "yes, dear."

and also as regards Stoker clothing:- "why do I have to wear a cycle
jersey with pockets at the back, when there are three perfectly good
pockets in front of me"

Velvet of said:

T'better half was telling me my bike only bites my shins cos of my
incompetence, and *he* doesn't have that problem at all. I know I'd be
stoker on a tandem (I'd not be able to see where we're going, therefore
not be so scared at the headlong speeds)

Don't believe it Velvet, being on the back of a tandem is all the more scary
because you know that (a) the combined thing is going way faster than you
would dare if you could pedal that fast and (b) you can't see where you're
going so you don't know just what your captain is going to steer you into.
Tandem stoking is not for control freaks, especially not cautious ones.
--
How things look on the outside of us depends on
how things are on the inside of us. Parks Cousins
Steph Peters delete invalid from [email hidden]
Tatting, lace & stitching page <http://www.sandbenders.demon.co.uk/index.htm>

"Steph Peters" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Tandem stoking is not for control freaks, especially not cautious ones.

Speaking as a control freak, I totally agree. My one experience of being on
a traditional tandem with Vernon where he was in front was *terrifying*.
Never again.

Mind you, a 'bent recumbent was an entirely different matter - that was
*serious fun*

Cheers, helen s

"wafflycat" <wafflesATv21netDOTcoDOTuk> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Mind you, a 'bent recumbent was an entirely different matter - that was

Tandem -------------^

Quoted message said:

*serious fun*

Cheers, helen s

wafflycat said:

"wafflycat" <wafflesATv21netDOTcoDOTuk> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Mind you, a 'bent recumbent was an entirely different matter - that was

Tandem -------------^

Quoted message said:

*serious fun*

Cheers, helen s

Gosh, I'm really surprised by all this. I'll insist on any tandemming
being done in a recumbent stylee then ;-)

--

Velvet

wafflycat said:

"wafflycat" <wafflesATv21netDOTcoDOTuk> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Mind you, a 'bent recumbent was an entirely different matter - that
was

Tandem -------------^

TWFKAML and my only tandem experience was on a back-to-back recumbent
tandem. Even more interesting...

--

Dave Larrington - http://www.legslarry.beerdrinkers.co.uk/
World Domination?
Just find a world that's into that kind of thing, then chain to the
floor and walk up and down on it in high heels. (Mr. Sunshine)

Steph Peters said:

Tandem stoking is not for control freaks, especially not cautious ones.

Ok Pete, we know who'll be stoker then :-)

Roos

"wafflycat" <wafflesATv21netDOTcoDOTuk> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Mind you, a 'bent recumbent tandem was an entirely different matter
- that was *serious fun*

We thought ours (greenspeed GTT) was too. Much fun. For actual riding
though, the upright beat it hands down (or legs down...), so it got sold.

cheers,
clive