Up close and personal

[Bluechip]

I was just checking Ebay for tandems and came across this one. I looks like the stoker likes to be pretty close to the captain. :)
http://cgi.ebay.com/VINTAGE-REYNOLDS-531-ROAD-TANDEM-C-BUTLER-52-CM_W0QQitemZ160130588542QQihZ006QQcategoryZ56192QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

[CactusJackSlade]

Well,

You know those whackey Brit's!

[Fenlason]

I would suspect that is not how it was ridden. Put a capt. on it and tell me how they pedal? I have been on some bikes with the stoker stem was point back towards the stoker that was still to close. The back of my thighs would hit it.

glenn

[zonatandem]

Claude Butler was a well known UK framebuilder. Looks like this one goes back to mid or late 70s. There were not many oval boob tubes around before that and the Taylor Bros. started that trend in the UK. Looks like some didn't know which way to point to stoker stem/bars! No wonder it didn't fit!

[sch]

No question about it. That bike is unrideable as set up.
The stoker would have to have arms like gibbons and
the captain would be unable to reach the pedals.
The hamstrings would be greatly compressed in any but
the most pedal forward position. Brown noser term
seems apt for the stoker