Recumbent - How Does IPS Work on a Tandem?

My wife and I are looking at the RANS Screamer Tandem, and wondering how the independent pedaling system works? Does that allow one rider to spin faster than the other? Or does it just allow one to coast while the other pedals? What's the deal?

Todd,
IPS will allow one rider to coast while the other pedals.

My wife and I are looking at the RANS Screamer Tandem, and wondering how the independent pedaling system works? Does that allow one rider to spin faster than the other? Or does it just allow one to coast while the other pedals? What's the deal?
I purchased a RANS Screamer last September for my girlfriend and myself to ride and we're SOLD on the IPS system. Being new to BOTH Tandems & Recumbents it's been a real benefit for us. It allows us (living in the Hills of TN) to start out anywhere w/o having to worry about falling over. She'll clip-in to pedal, while I hold the bike upright as we're getting started out. And I can freely position my heels so they never touch the front wheel as we're managing sharper turns on our rides.

I've read that 'seasoned' tandem couples often do not prefer the IPS, since they're not locked together and feel they lose some of their power/performance due to such. However we're not performance oriented, as we're just in it for the exercise and quite happy with it.

As we grow more comfortable with the whole Tandem Recumbent scene we might not have to have it, but for now it's certainly allowed two newbies to enjoy themselves on a RANS Screamer!

Being new to BOTH Tandems & Recumbents it's been a real benefit for us.

Wow! Learning recumbent riding and tandem riding at the same time! My wife and I both ride 'bents now, so going with a recumbent tandem makes sense for us.

Thanks for your reply. Helped me to understand some of the pros/cons of the IPS. When I think of "independent pedaling" I think of spinning at different rpms -- obviously, that's not what it means. But I can see the benefits of one being able to not pedal. Of course, if you're in front, you gotta trust that your stoker is PEDALING and not just going along for the free ride!! :)

Of course, if you're in front, you gotta trust that your stoker is PEDALING and not just going along for the free ride!! :)
We were just out riding this past Saturday and rode by a family gathering out in their backyard for a cookout, when we heard: "HEY, One of you-all's NOT pedaling!?" ha, ha

The greatest benefit of the tandem has been it's allowed 'us' to be together while exercising, whereas before that's just never worked out. We've worked our way up to 20mile rides now, and that still shocks my girlfriend that anyone's able to do it, much less 'us'. <smile> Plus, when you're 10 Miles from home, there's just no quitting the exercise routine short! <grin>

I read/studied long & hard before I dropped the cash for our Screamer, but I've been very well satisfied with the purchase. One interesting thread I'd tripped across you might want to peruse is http://tinyurl.com/7yfox where several other couples chime-in to tell what got them onto a tandem & how well they've liked it over the years.

Hey, thanks for the thread. That was great!

I'd love to hear more about your decision to get a Screamer. Did you buy the TR model that uncouples for transport?

Hey, thanks for the thread. That was great!

I'd love to hear more about your decision to get a Screamer. Did you buy the TR model that uncouples for transport?

No we didn't get the TR model, since wherever we go I just haul it on my motorcycle trailer.

I'll try to post later on what led 'us' to the Screamer, but in the meantime you may want to peruse these LINKS I turned up during my search for out recumbent-tandem...

RoadBike Reviews @
http://tinyurl.com/3wb9o

2001 RANS Screamer Purchase & Setup for Touring @
http://www.phred.org/~alex/bikes/screamer.html

Screamer Test @
http://www.tandemmag.com/roadtest/screamer97/

2002 Screamer Buyer's Report (PDF file) @
http://tinyurl.com/4uzsv

Hostel Shoppe article on Tandem Recumbents @
http://www.hostelshoppe.com/articles_tandems.php

Bicycle Man's Review of the RANS Screamer @
http://www.bicycleman.com/recumbents/rans/rans_screamer.htm

Best Damn Bent Tandem Period discussion @
http://tinyurl.com/3sqmw

Mini Review of Tandem Screamer @
http://www.dancingrabbit.org/newsletter/Newsletter797_Velo.html

Help - Longbikes Duplex or Rans Screamer? @
http://www.bikeforums.net/archive/index.php/t-53262

... you may want to peruse these LINKS I turned up during my search for out recumbent-tandem...



WOW! These threads are really great. I read them all quickly, and now I'm going back and reading them again. Lots of great info, and more convincing to me than ever that the RANS Screamer is the way to go.

Were you able to ride one before your purchase? My wife and I already ride 'bents -- she rides a RANS Tailwind, and I ride a RANS Rocket, so it seems like the Screamer would be a fit ... but we've never actually riden any tandem. How can you know if it's "for you" before laying out several grand?

Were you able to ride one before your purchase? My wife and I already ride 'bents -- she rides a RANS Tailwind, and I ride a RANS Rocket, so it seems like the Screamer would be a fit ... but we've never actually riden any tandem. How can you know if it's "for you" before laying out several grand?
Yes, we drove South down to Art Hagood's EasyChair Recumbents in Chattanooga, TN.(http://www.easychairbikes.com/index.shtml) Art is a Recumbent Enthusiast with many, many different recumbents to try out.(all brands, sizes, shapes, and colors) That, coupled with his patience of 'JOB', gave us a VERY GOOD WELCOME onto the recumbent scene.

He had both a DOUBLE VISION & a RANS SCREAMER we tried out that day. In general, we loved the IPS of the VISION, but the handling of the RANS. VISION had gone out of business at the time, so Art could not procure a DOUBLE VISION for us and RANS didn't offer IPS?! Being newbies we were quickly sold on the IPS, if for no other reason just getting started and stopped. Don't get me wrong, you'd swear we were both drunk if you saw us ride that first day. We wobbled all over the place, but just like weebles...we didn't fall down.<grin>

Everything I read on the Screamer said it handled true & predictable, w/o any frame flexing in curves under stress. Living in the Hills of TN we have plenty of downhill runs, so I didn't want any funny-business when it came to being at speed with the love of my life on the back of a bike. That pretty much cemented it for us, so we knew we wanted a RANS Screamer.

Sadly though, at the time Art wasn't able to build us a Screamer w/IPS so I had to go in search of a custom build somewhere else and we found that with AngleTech Cycles.(http://www.angletechcycles.com/) Not cheap mind you, but Kelvin built exactly what we wanted.(i.e. bombproof wheels, disc brakes, teflon cables, suspension fork, etc)

And speaking of $$$ spent, I came to rationalize it by adding up the costs of a treadmill, an elliptical machine, and anything else you fancy to exercise on and it comes close to the price of a Screamer.

That said, I had to agree with Covert Bailey (http://www.covertbailey.com/) when he said "The Single Best Exercise is really the one you'll DO and stick with, be it swimming, running, walking, biking, etc." So my purchase wasn't just for a bicycle, but more of a way to exercise for years to come.

After reading some of those threads where people talked about what got them onto a tandem bicycle and how long they'd done it & loved it, I decided it was worth the investment, much less our health. With both of us being around 50 we're not in the best shape, but we have had the best time on our RANS Screamer and our fitness/endurance has vastly improved since we started out on it in September of '04.

All that said, I can highly recommend a Screamer, as it's a great quality built bike that looks like it'll last for years to come -and- keep us in better shape than we've ever been before.