Originally Posted by
cornucopia72
We have never come across a team than climbs as fast on the tandem as the average of the two riders on single bikes. Here I am talking about a prolonged, longer than 1/2 mile, and some how steep, >5%, climbs and not little humps or rollers where momentum can play a huge role.
I'd say our climbing speed is pretty close to what our average power would suggest. My w/kg is 3.6. My stoker's is 2.6. Thus according to Kreuzotter, I should climb an 8% grade at 7.6mph, and she should climb at a 5.5mph. Together we should climb at 6.9mph. Based on experience I would say that we're pretty close to that 6.9mph, maybe just a tick slower.
Another way to look at this, Six Gap is a century with 6 climbs and 11,500 vertical feet. I've done it in a little over 6 hours. Together on the tandem, we did the course last summer in a little over 7 hours.
I would expect that my wife would likely take over 8 hours, to do it herself. Thus our tandem performance climbing is pretty much the average of the two of us.
Thus a team that works well together, can climb out of the saddle, and is riding a lightweight tandem should be able to climb at or close to the pace predicted by their averaged w/kg.