Originally Posted by
counselguy
A good friend of mine was riding his single bike down one of Bloomington, Indiana's more famous hills. He was going about 43 mph when he believes his rear tire blew. He lost control, the bike went off the road and both the cyclist and the bike went end over end, the cyclist first. Fortunately, there were companions riding along so 911 was called immediately.
He suffered a dislocated clavicle, three broken ribs, punctured lung, and a good helping of road rash. His helmet split in two at contact with the ground. No other injuries.
Does a tandem react any differently than a single at high speeds when experiencing a blow out?
Besides yelling oh s...!!, what can a tandem captain do if he/she suffers a front tire blowout at speeds over 25 mph?
What can you do if the rear tire blows at these speeds?
Part of my joy in riding tandems is the sense of speed going down hills - this weekend we hit 53.9 mph on one of our favorite hills. Speed vs. risk - something we all have to weigh. Be careful out there.
Counselguy
I take it your friend will miss the Hilly Hundred this year. Speedy recovery!
I learned to ride as an adult in and around Bloomington and love flying down the Hilly hills on my 'bent (Saturday) and on our tandem (Sunday). The main hazard of the Hilly is that 5,000 cyclists can clog the roads, and that can certainly make for some interesting descents. Max speeds last year was the same for both bikes - 36mph. "I Brake for Congested Downhills".