I have never been to a TandemsEast rally, but I had the good fortune to meet Mel, for the first time, at a LAB GEAR in Maryland, probably close to 20 years ago. I was so impressed with the amount of time he spent with the many tandem teams in attendance, and that he personally knew many of them. It was as though people had waited all year to be able to approach Mel in his display area for his highly valued advice and free repairs. As crazy-busy as he was, he took the time to explain to me the virtues of a Hydro-post that I ended up buying for my Burley Duet. Twenty years later, my wife is still sitting on this post on our Santana. It was a very well advised purchase for me!
I can't say enough good about this guy...In my opinion, every tandem enthusiast; newbie or experienced, would benefit from meeting him or his people.