Originally Posted by
Darth Lefty
Do tandems get big soft rear cockpits because they are unusually harsh? Because the impression it gives me is, "I'll humor you, honey, by riding along on your contraption, but I'm not really enjoying it."
The stoker position generally does have a harsher ride than the captain's position, because it is at the rear of the frame rather than in the middle; the stoker can't easily see bumps coming and has to rely on the captain calling them out, and it is more difficult to stand up or adjust yourself on the tandem versus a regular bike.