Tandem Cycling - New tandeming couple

Hi :)
My wife and I are expecting delivery of our new baby, a Fuji Absolute, tomorrow. We had a day on a hired tandem a few months ago and loved it so much that we had to have one of our own. I'm a triathlete and although Mrs W is a reasonable cyclist, my hours of cycling as a youngster means that I am stronger than her. On solo bikes I either spend my time sitting on her rear wheel or leaving her behind so the tandem will allow us to enjoy our cycling together, without either of us getting frustrated.

As a triathlete I couldn't resist entering us in a tandem triathlon in July, here in the UK. It starts with one partner swimming 1000m, followed by a 40km tandem ride then the other partner running 10km. To make it even sillier we're doing it dressed as the Flintstones!!!

Congrats, and welcome.

You will love the Tandem,:D my wife and I had the same problem on singles. We prefer to ride our tandem and it has brought us together as one as only a tandem can do. After several years we have upgraded tandems a few times as we have advanced in tandem skill together. I can say it is one of the best things that has happened to our relationship for spending quality time together.

Good luck and have fun,:)

Bill G

you better handle the run....

that's great about the tandem and all (we just ordered one too, for similiar reasons) , but I'm a little confused. Why isn't your wife riding on YOUR back wheel when you ride singles?

Because you always end up dropping them. If you follow them, you are letting them pick the pace.

Excatly right, masiman. I either drop her and end up waiting at the next junction or I ride behind her and let her set the pace.

ElRey, somehow I've ended up with the swim. I'm not sure how that happened. I vaguely remember a conversation about the lack of hairdryers in the swim/bike transition :rolleyes:

It's good to know that dropping your sig. other is a universal trait and not a byproduct of poor american manners :lol: . I swore off riding with girls (except in large social rides) after a date years ago where by the end of the ride I had been univited to dinner :cry: . I had truly been on my best riding behaviour that day!

I rode on singles with my SO twice. Never again. My training pace is about 6-7 mph faster than hers. That's why we have a tandem and love it.

...And, she can scratch your back and massage your neck!!!

It's been built and the first ride completed..... only a short one as I'm still recovering from a broken collar bone (stupid bike accident :rolleyes: ). It needs some tweaking to get it set up just right but we're very pleased with it. Mrs W didn't fall off the back, despite my erratic gear shifts and braking. She's an experienced motorbike pillion, which seems to help.