Notices
Tandem Cycling A bicycle built for two. Want to find out more about this wonderful world of tandems? Check out this forum to talk with other tandem enthusiasts. Captains and stokers welcome!

Sociable

Old 08-03-07, 01:02 PM
  #1  
Senior Member
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Charleston, WV
Posts: 1,768

Bikes: Trek Mountaineer modified with a NuVinci; Montegue Paratrooper folding mountain bike; Greenspeed recumbent; Surly Big Dummy with Stokemonkey

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 2 Times in 2 Posts
Sociable

I've seen old pictures of what was called a 'sociable.' This was a tricycle or quadricycle for two in which, unlike a modern tandem, the captain and stoker were sitting next to one another.

Are there any modern sociables?
Elkhound is offline  
Old 08-03-07, 02:06 PM
  #2  
********
 
Join Date: Jun 2007
Posts: 159

Bikes: Bianchi, Trek, Another Trek, Raleigh, Fuji and Santana and another Santana

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
there certainly are. You can rent them at Minnehaha Park in Minneapolis. I've seen them for rent at least one other place this summer, but i don't remember where it was. My stoker and I rode one at a bicycle trade show last winter. It was pretty odd. There is no synchronization. Each rider controls his/her own gears. The biker on the left controls the left wheel brakes. The rider on the right controls the right wheel brakes.

This made turns pretty exciting. Our "test ride" was on an indoor course with all left turns. When we came to a turn, I'd slam on my brakes, and Marcia would pedal like crazy to get around it. (I was on the left, the "inside" side of the turn).

We wouldn't buy one of these (and we have 15 bikes between us already). They are heavy. They take up too much roadway (or pathway). They are best ridden as a rental novelty at some vacation destination.

Just my $.02.
Pista Largo is offline  
Old 08-03-07, 02:35 PM
  #3  
hors category
 
TandemGeek's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2002
Posts: 7,231
Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 8 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 5 Times in 5 Posts


We discussed these some time ago: https://www.bikeforums.net/tandem-cycling/56888-buddy-bike.html

The last great gasp for the sociables was several years ago and the vast majority of those ended up going to beach rental business in the US, Canada, Australia and Europe, as best as I can recall. These were 26" fat-tire / MTB ish models that bore the name "Buddy Bike", a moniker that has since been applied to yet another unconventional two-seat bike that was originally called the "Love Bike". There are also a number of them floating around in private collections or that were picked up off of Ebay for a couple hundred bucks and Larry Black may still have one in his collection at Mt. Airy Cyclery. The following are photos of the more recent versions.



There's actually a pretty good thread under a series of photos taken of a home-built Sociable Bike in NY that's worth checking out: https://www.citynoise.org/article/917 I haven't read all the way through, but I suspect there may be some leads in there.

Again, the darn things will pop up on Ebay now and again. Turquoise and Yellow seemed to be the two most prevailent colors for the most recent attempt at a production run. They can also be home built in any one of a number of different configurations.

There are also a number of recumbent sociables (which is what I believe Pista Largo may have ridden) and you'll also find a few "double bikes" where essentially two bikes have simply been conjoined.


You can find photos & info on several other incarnations here: https://www.geocities.com/rcgilmore3/tandem.htm

Last edited by TandemGeek; 08-06-07 at 07:29 AM.
TandemGeek is offline  
Old 08-03-07, 04:52 PM
  #4  
Senior Member
 
zonatandem's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Tucson, AZ
Posts: 11,016

Bikes: Custom Zona c/f tandem + Scott Plasma single

Mentioned: 3 Post(s)
Tagged: 1 Thread(s)
Quoted: 77 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 19 Times in 11 Posts
sociables

These so-called sociables seem to get re-incarnated every decade . . . but never seems to get anywhere.
Our opinion is that riding one of these could quickly become 'unsociable'.
Attached Images
zonatandem is offline  
Old 08-06-07, 06:46 AM
  #5  
********
 
Join Date: Jun 2007
Posts: 159

Bikes: Bianchi, Trek, Another Trek, Raleigh, Fuji and Santana and another Santana

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
Originally Posted by TandemGeek
There are also a number of recumbent sociables (which is what I believe Pista Largo may have ridden)
Yes!
Pista Largo is offline  
Old 08-20-07, 08:07 PM
  #6  
hors category
 
TandemGeek's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2002
Posts: 7,231
Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 8 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 5 Times in 5 Posts
FWIW: There's a sociable "Buddy Bike" up for bid on Ebay right now.
https://tinyurl.com/2adp22
TandemGeek is offline  
Old 10-10-19, 05:33 AM
  #7  
DC Bike Blogger
 
DC Bike Blogger's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2017
Location: Washington, D.C. area (NoVa)
Posts: 40

Bikes: https://dcbikeblogger.wordpress.com/my-bikes/

Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 15 Post(s)
Liked 21 Times in 12 Posts
Originally Posted by Elkhound
I've seen old pictures of what was called a 'sociable.' This was a tricycle or quadricycle for two in which, unlike a modern tandem, the captain and stoker were sitting next to one another.

Are there any modern sociables?
My sociable from 1980 is becoming less "modern" as time goes on.
-


1980 Yellow Buddy Bike Sociable
DC Bike Blogger is offline  

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off


Thread Tools
Search this Thread

Contact Us - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service -

Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Use of this site indicates your consent to the Terms of Use.