Which tend to be faster and by how much of a margin.? I'm assumming the Tandem is slower, but it might be fun to try out.......even if I'll be the one providing most of the power :mad:

Which tend to be faster and by how much of a margin.? I'm assumming the Tandem is slower, but it might be fun to try out.......even if I'll be the one providing most of the power :mad:

A tandem is no where near slower. I assure you, a competent tandem team has no trouble dropping roadies.

Which tend to be faster and by how much of a margin.? I'm assumming the Tandem is slower, but it might be fun to try out.......even if I'll be the one providing most of the power :mad:

From another thread with a similar theme except that it assumed tandems would be faster....

So, is a tandem faster (or slower) than a solo rider?

Yes and no. All things being equal except for the bike, (and despite myths to the contrary) a tandem road bike with two riders is between 30% to 50% less aerodynamic than a a solo rider on a road bike. Therefore, in order for a tandem to maintain a constant speed that is as fast (or faster) than a solo rider, the team must produce a net power output that is at least 30% to 50% greater than a solo rider.

Moreover, consider if you will that power production on a tandem is not necessarily linear since either one or both of the two riders on a given team may at any given time fall victim to poor form, individually or collectively. Put another way, even if you have two strong cyclists (1+1), they will lose some efficiency due to the nature of a tandem and, if they are not able to work well together, their efficiency will fall way off. So, in reality what you will often times find with a tandem is that you have two riders of different abilities who can produce variable levels of output which may or may not be as high as they are able to produce when riding alone. This is why some tandem teams who are weaker riders individually than a team comprised of two strong riders are often times as fast (or faster) than the stronger couple when both teams ride their tandems. The place where a team's combined efficiency level is most obvious is when they get to the hills where you have the same math problem with percent grade being substituted for headwind MPH and the added factor of team weight having more importance than aerodynamic drag. Less I digress...

So, to answer your question, if you have a team who can produce at least 30% to 50% more power as a team on a tandem they should be able to keep up with a solo rider. However, if a tandem team can produce a net power output above what is required to compensate for increased drag, the tandem pulls the train.

Bottom Line: Some tandem teams can usually blow-away their peers riding 1/2 bikes on all but long or steep climbs and can often times keep up with 1/2 bike riders that they wouldn't usually hang on to while riding their respective 1/2 bikes. Conversely, there are teams made up of riders who are individually fast on their 1/2 bikes who struggle to keep up with their 1/2 bike peers when they get on the tandem because they lack the ability to work efficiently as a team. So, with that in mind....

If you intend to try out a tandem, it would suggest you either know of or need to find someone who is willing to stoke for you. And, riding a tandem with a stoker requires both riders to agree on the purpose for each ride (e.g., make sure one of you doesn't think you're going out for a max-aerobic threshold training ride and the other is looking to enjoy the scenery), to make compromises in riding styles (e.g., you can't try to spin at 120rpm if your stoker normally rides at 85rpm), to work cooperatively (e.g., agree on when to push hard and when to lay back), and to suppress any hubris for the duration of the ride and off-bike discussions. In other words, it's OK and actually necessary for both the captain and the stoker to talk about adjusting cadence or making other alterations in riding style while riding to "dial-in" the teams performance. However, asking rhetorical questions like "are you even pedalling?" or "how come I feel like I'm doing all the work" will not usually secure your stoker for a 2nd ride unless they happen to respond well to be coached like a Marine recruit in boot camp (and, well, there are people like that).

Just some food for thought.

Hey Mark,

That is very good advice expressed in a very consise manner. Words of wisdom we probably all need to read once in a while.

Happy Holidays,
Doc

Howdy from Tucson!

Whether slower or faster, they are twice the fun!!!

Pedal on TWOgether!
Rudy and Kay/Zona tandem

It might be interesting to consider:

1) A tandem has finished first at the Markleeville Death Ride.
2) One tandem team finished first at the Davis Double Century (count 'em) FIVE times in a row. Haven't checked that lately, but I'm pretty sure.

The lessons to take away from this are:

1) Yes, Virginia, power-to-weight ratio being suited to the task, tandems CAN climb. There's nothing about the vehicle that imposes much of a handicap. There is a slight power loss due to lateral frame flex between the bottom brackets, but this seems to be exceeded by the drafting advantages in almost all conditions.

2) If that well-suited tandem ever succeeds in dropping the singles, going up or down, they will not be getting back on the tandem's wheel. The Markleeville "winner" dropped their last "bumper sticker" going UPHILL.

Now if only I could climb.....

53-11 bringing down the level of discourse in yet another thread.....

On the flats - tandems crush singles.
On the down hills - not even a contest.
Climbing - tandems with 2 good riders at least equal to singles.

You do the math....