Originally Posted by cornucopia72
... the stoker seat is almost on top of the back wheel axle. The captain seat is about mid way betwen the two axles. I , as a captain, find my single much more rough on the seat than the tandem.....
This is why a really good tandem dealer will put the would-be captain on the back of a tandem before they let the captain head out with their stoker-to-be... If you've never ridden on the back of a tandem you'll never fully appreciate the stoker's world.
Captain's have a super-plush ride -- regardless of frame material -- and sometimes find that riding a tandem is very similar to riding a solo bike, the handling differences notwithstanding. However, for the rider in the second seat it's a whole different ball game: No forward view, poor depth perception with regard to the shoulder of the road (everything along the edge of the road appears to be closer from the stoker's perspective), no unobstructed airflow or cool breeze across your face and upper body, no direct control over the speed and direction of the tandem, and predisposed to be "slacking" by just about every captain who ever gets tired or feels like the tandem is heavier or slower than it "should be". Oh yeah, and when you hear your stoker go "ow" or otherwise shout an explitive when you hit what feels like a little or moderate bump to you... rest assured that they're usually not being over-dramatic.
Bottom Line: Never take your stoker for granted. Pamper them, praise them, and thank them often because riding a tandem alone ain't no fun.