Tandem Cycling - First organized ride on tandem

My wife and I just completed our first organized ride on our tandem. This was a 42 mile ride and I would guess that there was about 100 total participants. What amazed me is how well we rode compared to the singles. I ride a lot and my wife has really started riding a lot more this year than in years past. I would rate us as above average in ability but not studs by any means. I am 57 and she is 54. This bike seems FAST to me. We finished the ride with an average of 15 mph and I would call it above average as far as hilly. There were a couple of nasty hills that I had to go to my little on the front and big on the back but we chugged to the top in fine shape. I guess that I'm just impressed at how well the bike did. One guy that we passed back and forth said "you guys do very well". I guess I thought that because we were on a tandem we would just be slower but we finished above some very fit looking younger folks.

Anyway we had a great time and look forward to many more fun rides.

tom

Good job. Sounds like you had fun.

Given the aerodynamic advantage of a tandem, you can drive the pace on the flats on a group ride.

Some folks make the assumption, to their detriment, that tandems are going to be slow.

Congrats on the first ride..hope you get to do many more.
We do as many as possible because they are always great fun and a super way to keep everything fresh and exciting. Distant organized rides are a great invitation to new ride areas that we probably would not think of trying otherwise. Another bonus, besides all the people you get to meet, is that you get to ride totally unfamiliar areas with some piece of mind knowing that someone has put some thought into the route to be ridden, which hopefully insures we don't end up peddaling into some place totally ill suited for cycling. The big fun of those rides is kind of our payoff for all the training miles that we put in on the all to familiar roads around home.

Bill J.

Some folks make the assumption, to their detriment, that tandems are going to be slow.

We used to sandbag a bit on our Sat. ride but they're starting to get faster and catch on to us. Two weeks ago we had a small group go off the front early before the usual sprint zone and let them get too far for us chase them down. We missed the week in-between but didn't let it happen this week. This is in a group that was usually 18-22 except for a sprint about a mile before the rest stop. This Sat. we did 23-27 for the last three miles before the rest stop and 22-24 most of the second half. This is on the "C" ride. There are two faster groups. We'd like to move up to "B" but need to work on our speed into short turns and accelerations out before we make that step.

CONGRATS!! AND you guys will only get faster, so you'll probably start seeing even more of the
younger, fitter riders when you do these rides! Like you guys, we did our first organized ride on the tandem last year. I have a pretty extensive background in racing, but my wife stoker has rarely ridden in a group setting, so she was really nervous initially as we mixed it up in a paceline,..but after an hour or so,..began to really enjoy it, and I could feel her push harder as space would open between us and the wheel ahead of us. Afterward, she was totally invigorated,...and hopefully you guys enjoy the same sensation. It's a great thing these tandem bikes!

Congrats on your first ride. My wife and I were riding with 2 other tandem teams on a 35 miler on Sunday and blew by a group of singles in a pace line - their jaws dropped. The singles were doing 17-18. I don't think we were in better shape, just the advantage of the aerodynamics of the tandem. Enjoy.

'Grats on your first ride. If both you and your wife are riding a lot, there's no reason that you shouldn't be nearly as fast on the uphills and faster everywhere else. It's not the bike that did well, It's you and your wife that did well. In the end it's all about the motor(s).

Thanks for your replies. I like many others just assumed that tandems were slower but boy did I find out different. Now I just want to work on going faster. One thing that we need to work on is standing on climbs. My wife isn't comfortable standing on her own bike and I guess I need to work with her on that first. But IMO we could have done a lot better on a couple of the climbs if we could have stood. Anyway, we both just love that bike and can't wait till this weekend when we are planning a ride on the KATY.

FWIW...you both don't need to stand together all the time to gain some speed at the right moment. My wife is totally uncomfortable standing on a bike so we refined me standing alone. While not as effective as both standing it is a good compromise because I get to climb out of the saddle when needed and most importantly the Stoker stays happy and in her comfort zone. Have fun

Bill J.

One thing that we need to work on is standing on climbs. My wife isn't comfortable standing on her own bike and I guess I need to work with her on that first. But IMO we could have done a lot better on a couple of the climbs if we could have stood. Anyway, we both just love that bike and can't wait till this weekend when we are planning a ride on the KATY.

This is a huge help, particularly on long rides, just to get off the seat a bit and use different muscle groups. Practice standing while you're riding slowly on the flats, or slight inclines. Also, gear up 2-3 gears so the cadence drops and the resistence goes up. If she has something to push against she's likely to feel more secure.

My wife isn't comfortable standing on her own bike and I guess I need to work with her on that first.

FWIW, Ms. TG won't even consider standing on her single bike; however, is absolutely adept at standing on the tandem.

I believe the rigid bars of the tandem are what make the biggest difference so she may find standing easier on the tandem and you might want to adjust your training strategy with that mind.

High resistance/low cadence until stoker gains confidence. Start with one of you at a time and then try standing together.

Congrats on your first ride TWOgether . . . many more to come, we are sure!