Well said, Bruce. Thanks.
I guess I missed one mark:
"Thanks for your post, by the way. It was really detailed and covered a lot of ground. I'm still wondering how other tandem riders have been received by the general mass of cyclits in a large group ride. Is it for the most part positive, or is it tarnished like the author of the RAGBRAI guidelines mentioned in the tandem section?"
Tandems in general are not tarnished, they are polished to a high luster. Kids see something special that will get them the attention they crave, and adults of all strengths, see an enabler (ride together!). Other riders see the giant vacuum cleaner that will pull them down the road to a better time or an easier day. Parents see more quality time with their kids. Observers see nearly seamless teamwork. How on earth do those two, visibly connected only by the timing chain and what the stoker sees of the captain, and communicating less than they ought to have to, do what they do so well? Tandems are an object of marvel.
The above description is what I hear in the aggregate from all the tandem teams. We're beyond accepted, shoot, we're popular and in demand. Tandems are not "resented."
Now there could be a bad tandem team out there that is unpopular, but I personally wouldn't expect them to last very long at all, because the stoker is going to dump the loser captain with poor judgement and consequent unsatisfactory riding habits.
My experience has been nothing but very positive. I've got the bike handling skills and I think way ahead so all the moves I make are gradual, and given that power is a variable that cannot be expected to meet all demands (what? we're only going to let strong teams ride tandems? not when we also expect them to be the enabler and the "great equalizer."), that's all you can expect from a bike. In addition a tandem brings to the table the big draft. The presence of the fairer sex or a child makes those long training/century/tour miles go by a lot faster. It is a civilizing influence on the all-male pack. It is a (slightly) civilizing influence on car drivers.
The all-male pack may realize for the first time that they can indeed get their significant other (or child) fit and bring her along on the time they were apart from her. This can solve a big lifestyle problem, so they would LIKE to see you with them and they would LIKE to see it work. Tandems HAVE to be popular.
I have heard not one complaint ever, whether cracking through the turns in the last three miles up to the finish sprint line, or beating into the wind with a long tail of single bikes, or slugging uphill jamming down through the gears, or bombing downhill. Not even in the middle of a tight pack.