General Cycling Discussion - Tandem Vs Singleseat?

I encounter a few tandem riders on my rides and am able to generally overtake them and pull away.

This confuses me.

Doing some math:
- Their bike weighs less than two bikes combined.
- The person in back is slipstreaming the front person.
- They have potentially twice the power I have.

Why wouldn't a decent tandem team just blow a single rider away?

Is there a Physisist in the house?

I'm sure there are many reasons, but the first two that come to mind are they aren't as strong cyclists as you are or they are not out for a "training" ride.

Ahh, the you may have answered your question already. An "decent" tandem team has a significant advantage over a single rider for many of the reasons you listed.

Broad generalization here, I apologize to my tandem riding friends... Many tandem teams have significant differences in the riders abilities, attitudes, and comfort levels. Often the stoker is a spouse with lesser cycling skills or desire, so the tandem ride is more of a couple outing than a "serious ride".

Now that I've opened myself up with that sweeping statement... We have a couple that take their tandems on club rides and do a very nice job of pulling us along for miles. They are strong riders and create one nice draft. Often they will drop back and pace riders back up to the pack. My wife and I are hit and miss on the tandem. There are some days where it just clicks and we fly along and there are times when we don't work well and the speed drops…

What dirtsqueezer said.

Most of the tandem teams in my circle are of the differing abilities type. I would guess that most teams in general are like this, giving a couple the opportunity to share a wider range of cycling experiences. Of the couples we know where both are extremely strong riders, so far none have managed to surmount the control issues involved (one couple didn't make it out of the LBS parking lot) so I don't have any local data to refer to! One interesting tidbit though: Gord Fraser had the fastest time in last year's El Tour de Tuscon, doing the 111 miles at an average speed of 25.2 mph. Two men in their 40s had the fastest tandem time for the same distance, with an average speed of, well, 25.2 mph. It makes you wonder what the time would have been if they had been 10 years younger, like Fraser.

Indeed, the reason that tandem "teams" simply cruise along is the lack of desire to go faster.

I met two brothers that rode tandems for speed since they were kids. They said that even on an old Schwinn tandem in the '70's, they used to exceed 30 miles per hour.

They said that the thrill of speed encouraged them to ride tandem rather than separately.

We've rented a tandem before and we liked it a lot, but I think before we buy one, we'll definitely have to work out a few issues. Like who is in front and who is stoker. I'm definitely not a stoker, no way. Unfortunately, the husband feels exactly the same. Just out of curiousity, is there a rule about who is the stoker assuming the two tandemers are of otherwise equal ability? The larger of the pair? A lot of tandems I've seen assume that the woman is going to be the stoker because they have one of those step through frames for the back end as well as the shorter top tube length there.

Probably when we get our tandem, it will be more about being closer and being able to talk to each other when cycling together and less about going faster. Of course, I'm no speed demon at the present moment.

Originally posted by HillaryRose
Just out of curiousity, is there a rule about who is the stoker assuming the two tandemers are of otherwise equal ability? The larger of the pair?

Usually, but I guess it depends on how larger is "larger." I'm 10" taller and 70 lbs heavier than my stoker. The size difference, besides dictating seat tube and top tube incompatibilities, also translates into different crankarm lengths and handlebar widths. So neither of us could fit into the other's cockpit. As the heavier person it is easier for me to balance the bike at stops, where the stoker remains clipped in. I also have the stronger grip for braking. However, were we within 2-4 inches of each other all bets would be off. I did read one article about a couple tandeming across the US who were reasonably close in height. They traded off all the way across, one captaining in the morning, the other in the afternoon.

My wife is strong-willed, with approaches to decision making and information gathering that are radically different from mine. Therefore, I never take for granted--and am honored by--the trust and unconditional love that she demonstrates simply by being the stoker.

What Unca Stuart Sez.

My wife and I are too far apart on body size to switch. I may be the captain, but she's the Rear Admiral...

If the Stoker ain't happy, ain't nobody happy!

Heightwise, he is taller than I. I'm close to 5'6" and he's more like 5'10". But I'm 25 pounds heavier than he is. Strengthwise, I'd say he has a slight advantage over me, but not as much as you would expect. We are about equally matched in terms of cycling ability, just in terms of speed, though I seem to possess overall better co-ordination. We could probably switch though I would need to learn to give up that measure of control. I'm a terrible partner for swing and ballroom dancing because I'm always fighting my partner's lead. It seems that tandeming, like dancing and marriage sometimes involves having to surrender to the greater needs of the pair.

Oooooo a tandem thread!

I'm a brand-new stoker and I love it.
Like Hillary I was afraid I would have "control issues" on the bike.

My Captain is a strong cat3 roadie and I used to race Expert mtb. We are not a "couple" off of the bike.

A few weeks ago we decided to do the RAIN(RideAcrossINdiana--162 mi in one day) on the tandem on a whim. I had a blast!

I actually LIKE not having to worry about steering or braking or handling the bike. When stoking I focus on pedal cadence and smoothness and in getting as much power to the pedals as possible. I think of myself as an engine.

We are much faster than singles on the downhills and we can easily maintain mid-20s pace on the flats without working too hard. The real fun for us though is the climbing. It's fun to watch all the singles get ready to pass on the climbs...and then we give it a bit more power and don't let them. hehehe.

The speed is addictive. It's very much about the speed for me. :)

Originally posted by poptart
we can easily maintain mid-20s pace on the flats without working too hard.

Now this is what I would expect.

Poptart, sounds like a lot of fun!

I'm kind of thinking the difference is more like a sports car vs a bus.

I recently converted my old roadie for dirt trail use by putting Conti 700x38 tires on and ditching the caged pedals for flats in case I have to bail.

Anyway--I'm on the trail last night and its getting pretty dark---I have no light so I'm not going all that fast--plus I had to stop to rinse the stinging sweat out of my eyes---just so I could even see. A guy and his SO pass me on a tandem with real bright headlight---I figured I'd take advantage of that light myself--so I keep up with them---nothing too close about 30 ft behind.

Then they try to ditch me by picking up pace---not happening. Did I mention my old roadie's dirty little secret?? The racing cassette on the rear end---they're in top gear while I've got 2 or 3 to go---no way they are going to lose this single. What were they thinking??----lol

Currently researching headlights at the moment.

I overtook (in my car!) a couple of guys on a tandem the other day in a 60mph speed limit. They were doing about 35 - 40 mph on the flat. I was quite impressed.

They had aero helmets and everything, so I'm guessing they were pretty serious! :D

Ellie

Originally posted by Ellie

They had aero helmets and everything, so I'm guessing they were pretty serious! :D

Ellie

They must have been pretty serious. I don't know if you can call two men on two wheels going 40 mph 'goofing off'.

Although I usually am on the tandem with either my wife or kids, I have taken it out with more hardcore types. I can assure you that on the flats and downhills, a tandem is significantly faster than a single. The only area where I have found that a tandem has a disadvantage is on long uphill climbs.

The fastest I have ever gone on two wheels was 55mph downhill on a tandem. I think 45mph was the highest speed I ever achieved on my single.